North Carolina
Abandoned building ordinance proposed to reduce fire and squatter concerns in Asheville
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville city leaders are set to consider a stricter ordinance aimed at tackling ongoing problems with abandoned buildings, as neighbors continue to report squatters and fires inside vacant properties.
On Tuesday, April 14, the Asheville City Council will vote on a proposal that would give code enforcement staff expanded authority to secure buildings that are structurally sound but still considered unsafe or a public nuisance. Securing would include putting up fencing or boarding up a property to keep squatters out.
Staff says they currently have a running list of about 30 residential and commercial properties they would target if the ordinance is approved.
COMMUNITY RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS OVER ABANDONED HOUSE IN THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT
City officials shared photos highlighting the issue. One image showed a burned abandoned home on South French Broad Avenue from March 16. Just four days later, another photo showed the same site cleared — an outcome staff says they want to replicate to eliminate fire risks and unauthorized occupancy.
Another property on Booker Street in South Asheville, photographed in 2023, also shows signs of fire damage. Staff says they have continued monitoring that location, but are limited in what they can do under current rules.
APRIL 1, 2026 – An abandoned home in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Neighbors living near these properties say the conditions are concerning. Steve Ehly, who lives across from one abandoned home in West Asheville, supports giving compliance staff more authority to act.
“It’s run down. I don’t know that anyone’s been staying there,” Ehly said. “I’d like to see some improvement. The tax assessments and such just went up. There’s groundhogs living under there, and they’ve come over — I’ve had to set traps.”
PROPOSED ASHEVILLE ORDINANCE AIMS TO TRANSFORM ABANDONED STRUCTURES AMID SAFETY CONCERNS
Vacant buildings along Tunnel Road, including commercial buildings and vacant retail space at Innsbruck Mall, are also on the city’s radar.
Compliance coordinator Chris O’Brien said there’s a gap in the city’s current enforcement tools. As it stands, the city cannot issue violations for abandoned buildings if they are still structurally sound, even if they pose safety concerns.
APRIL 1, 2026 – An abandoned business in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
“Our hope is we can create a safe site for the public, whether that means the buildings are boarded up or fully fenced,” O’Brien said.
At the former Mountaineer Inn on Tunnel Road, city crews have completed some exterior cleanup per a judge’s order allowing it. However, city staff says they lack the authority to take further action.
CITY BEGINS CLEANUP OF DEFUNCT MOUNTAINEER INN
News 13 has learned the city has now issued a “Notice of Violation” to the property owners, Radify Asheville LLC, for having an unsafe structure. The owners have 90 days to address the issue. If they fail to comply, the city could step in and board up the property.
Some residents say stronger measures are overdue. In the Montford neighborhood, homeowner James Liner said he supports a tougher ordinance.
“We’re seeing more and more homeless people coming here, and some of them have been in some of these houses,” Liner said. “They need to be either boarded up or fenced around.”
City council members are expected to vote on the proposed ordinance on April 14. Staff says they believe it will pass, noting the council is aware of the safety risks tied to these properties.
A $2 Powerball ticket turned into a life-changing investment for Richard Kee Jr.
Kee tried his luck on the ticket in January and won the $209.3 million jackpot prize, the second-largest prize won in North Carolina history.
Kee, who lives in Roanoke Rapids, bought the winning ticket from West 10th Mart on West 10th Street in Roanoke Rapids.
Kee chose to remain anonymous for 90 days. North Carolina law dictates a lottery winner of $50 million or more can choose to be anonymous for up to 90 days after claiming the prize.
Kee’s winnings will come through a lump sum payment of $95.3 million and, after required federal and state taxes, took home $68.6 million.
ELLERBE, N.C.. (AP) — Andre The Giant, a towering menace in the wrestling ring but a gentle giant on the movie screen, is being honored with a roadside marker in his beloved adopted small town in North Carolina.
Officials plan to unveil the marker Thursday in Ellerbe, North Carolina, a community of about 1,000 people where the wrestler born Andre Rene Roussimoff lived on a ranch just outside town.
Andre was billed at 7-foot-4 (2.24 meters) and 520 pounds (236 kilograms) during his time wrestling for the WWE in the 1970s and 1980s.
A larger than life villain, Roussimoff was touted as unbeatable until he faced Hulk Hogan in a match in 1987 at WrestleMania III that launched the once regional wrestling company into a nationwide entertainment force.
Later that year, Roussimoff appeared on film as the giant Fezzik in “The Princess Bride.” Fezzik was the gentle-hearted muscle for the antagonist and needed rhymes to remember his instructions.
Roussimoff was born in France. But as he wrestled around the U.S. South he fell in love with the region, buying his North Carolina ranch and raising cattle on his land about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Charlotte.
He became a critical part of the Ellerbe community. In 1990, he taped TV and radio spots against a possible low-level radioactive landfill nearby. A pair of his size-26 cowboy boots are kept at a museum.
Roussimoff died in 1993 at age 46 in France where he was visiting for his father’s funeral. They had a service for him there, but his body was cremated and his ashes spread at his beloved ranch.
The Richmond County marker at NC Highway 72 and Old NC Highway 220 simply says “Andre The Giant. 1946-1993. Actor and professional wrestler. Was born Andre Roussimoff. Known for role in The Princess Bride in 1987. Lived nearby.”
North Carolina
NC State’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane forecast calls for an average season with 12 to 15 named storms
North Carolina State University is calling for a fairly average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season similar to recent years.
Researchers predict:
- 12 to 15 named storms (the average between 1994 to 2025 is 15 storms)
- 6 to 9 hurricanes (the average between 1994 to 2025 is 7 storms)
- 2 to 3 major hurricanes (the average between 1994 to 2025 is 4 storms)
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Look for WRAL’s hurricane season outlook airing May 18.
NC State’s forecast was released on Wednesday by Lian Xie, a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences.
Xie and researchers are calling for 1-3 named storms and 1-2 hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea (slightly below recent averages) and 2-5 named storms and 1-2 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico (near recent averages).
Researchers at Colorado State University released their Atlantic hurricane season outlook earlier this month, pointing to a slightly below-normal year ahead and calling for 13 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
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