Local crime, high school sports, county politics, events tonight, and business closings — the daily Western North Carolina / Blue Ridge Mountains report from HEREAsheville.
From the HERE City National DeskCINCINNATI — Todd Benzinger, the first baseman whose catch in foul territory ended the Cincinnati Reds' four-game sweep of Oakland in the 1990 World Series, has died at age 63, the Reds announced Thursday. The club said Benzinger died Wednesday. No cause of death was…
From the HERE City National DeskPHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Philadelphia 76ers fell behind by 29 points in their home opener Thursday night and still walked off the floor winners, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106. Cleveland owned the first half, scoring 35 points in the opening quarter and 34 more in…
From the HERE City National DeskCHICAGO, Ill. — Caleb Williams outdueled Drake Maye on Thursday night, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns as the Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field. Williams hit on 22 of 33 throws, his second start since returning from a…
From the HERE City National DeskMILWAUKEE — Three players who will not be in uniform for the Brewers-Rays World Series will still be part of it: Major League Baseball said Thursday that Boston pitcher Payton Tolle, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas and Toronto's Ernie Clement will work as player correspondents. Tolle…
From the HERE City National DeskNEW YORK — Sarah Strong of UConn and Southern California guard Watkins, the last two national players of the year, top the preseason All-America women's basketball team released Thursday by the national media panel. Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Texas forward Madison Booker and Vanderbilt…
From the HERE City National DeskPHILADELPHIA, Pa. — LeBron James brushed aside President Donald Trump's latest attack Thursday night, laughing off the criticism after the Philadelphia 76ers rallied past Cleveland and suggesting it must have been a slow day for news. Earlier Thursday, Trump posted a video on social media…
From the HERE City National DeskMILWAUKEE — The Brewers and Rays open the World Series on Friday night with a labor fight hanging over the sport: if owners and players cannot agree on a new contract, these could be the final big league games for months. The current five-year collective…
From the HERE City National DeskBATON ROUGE, La. — Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, in his first season as head football coach at Southern University, has disclosed that he is living with Parkinson's disease. Faulk, 53, revealed the diagnosis as a guest on The Caring Neurologist, a podcast…
From the HERE City National DeskNEW YORK — JJ Watt is staying in the top chair. The former Houston Texans star signed a multiyear agreement Thursday that makes him the permanent lead analyst on his network's No. 1 NFL broadcast team, next to play-by-play voice Jim Nantz and sideline reporter…
From the HERE City National DeskCLEVELAND — Two right-handed relievers who spent part of 2026 in the Cleveland Guardians bullpen are heading to the open market. Minor league transaction records show Connor Brogdon and Carlos Hernández both opted for free agency this week, shortly after Tampa Bay eliminated Cleveland in…
From the HERE City National DeskKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Arizona men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd believes the NCAA is content to let the fight over player eligibility stay messy, arguing the disorder helps the governing body lobby for a federal law. Speaking at Big 12 media days this week, Lloyd…
From the HERE City National DeskINDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — As a new college basketball season tips off, teams across the country are chasing a bigger prize: the NCAA's men's and women's tournaments will each grow from 68 teams to 76 in 2027, and nobody yet knows exactly which schools the extra…
Education
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — UNC Asheville did not run its university credit card programs consistently, leaving room for purchases that broke the rules to slip through, according to a review released by the office of North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek. The review covered July 1, 2025, through Feb. 28 of…
From the HERE City State Desk
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina's top public school officials are asking voters to turn down two constitutional amendments on this fall's ballot, arguing the tax limits would tie the hands of lawmakers and county leaders who pay for schools. State Superintendent Mo Green, State Board of Education chair Eric Davis…
Business
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Home prices in Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County have stopped climbing, and a new quarterly review of sales from July through September shows the local market sitting closer to an even split between buyers and sellers than it has in years. The review, put out…
From the HERE City State Desk
HICKORY, N.C. — A fiber-optic components maker that has grown up in Catawba County is betting nearly $150 million on its hometown. US Conec will hire 224 more workers and spend $149.7 million on a new production facility in Hickory, state officials said Thursday. The company builds the tiny, high-density…
Politics
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Voters in Asheville and across the western mountains are choosing a new member of Congress this fall, and both candidates for the open 11th District seat come from long-established farm families in the region. Democrat Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation farmer whose family runs Hickory Nut Gap Farm…
From the HERE City State Desk
RALEIGH, N.C. — Police departments, local governments and nonprofits hoping to tap North Carolina's largest pot of public safety grants can get a walk-through of the process next week. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the state's Governor's Crime Commission is running its annual all-day session for grant seekers, a Webex event…
From the HERE City State Desk
RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Gov. Roy Cooper used a Thursday night campaign stop to press his message on everyday costs and to warn supporters not to coast through the final stretch of North Carolina's U.S. Senate race. Cooper, the Democratic nominee for the open seat, spoke to roughly 150 people…
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