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.
North Carolina
North Carolina investigators use drone to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia deputy
DOBSON, N.C. — Investigators in North Carolina used a drone to find and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home several miles away from the Virginia state line. He was arrested in North Carolina’s Surry County and was booked without bond, the state’s bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.
Puckett, 55, faced an extradition hearing Monday in North Carolina. He did not have an attorney listed, a court clerk said. It was not immediately known where Puckett was from.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check on Friday.
A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheriff’s deputies who had responded returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.
Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp said Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said at a news conference Sunday night.
Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, Kemp said.
Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was scheduled Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to a funeral home in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
“He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.
The suspect who shot at two Virginia deputies who were conducting a welfare check in Virginia was apprehended in Surry County, North Carolina Sunday, said the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, identified by the U.S. Marshals Office as 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett, was spotted on camera in North Carolina on earlier in the say, according to the Wytheville Police Department.
Police say the suspect he was seen on a wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina, at 6:56 a.m.
A sheriff’s deputy in Carroll County died Friday after the suspect shot at the two deputies, according to law enforcement officials.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check.
A man at the home began shooting, and the deputies returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.
“One deputy sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and is currently receiving medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition,” the office said in a statement.
Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp identified the officer who died as Deputy Logan Utt, a military veteran who joined the department in 2023.
“Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Kemp said. “Please keep his wife, children, family, friends, and fellow deputies in your thoughts and prayers.”
Coming off two impressive wins over VCU and East Carolina in the Chapel Hill Regional, the North Carolina Tar Heels head into Sunday’s matchup against Tennessee with significant momentum.
With all that being said, here is who will start on the mound for the Tar Heels on Sunday, with a lineup projection against the Volunteers in the third and final game of the regional round of the tournament.
Starting Pitcher Against Tennessee
Earlier this week, head coach Scott Forbes announced Ryan Lynch and Jason DeCaro would serve as the starters for the Tar Heels’ opening two games in the Chapel Hill Regional. With Caden Glauber contributing 4.1 innings on Saturday, compiling eight strikeouts while giving up three hits and two runs, Glauber could be less likely to start. However, I expect the true freshman to sprinkle in a few innings on Sunday against Tennessee.
- “Most of the time it becomes, ‘Okay, what do we feel like is the better matchup’ even though we feel like they match up well against anybody, and they [aren’t going to] be scared of anybody,” Forbes said. “That’s why we decided to go Lynch game one against VCU, and DeCaro will go game two against East Carolina or Tennessee.”
- “I feel like we have multiple aces,” Forbes said. “I feel like Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch are both Friday night guys.”
Projected Starting Lineup
Through the first two games of the regional round of the tournament, the Tar Heels are averaging 7.5 runs and 11 hits per outing. Based on what Forbes has rolled out in the opening games against VCU and East Carolina, I expect North Carolina’s batting lineup to look very similar, if not exactly the same.
While the Tar Heels coasted to victory over VCU and faced no adversity, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning en route to an 8-0 win. That was not the case on Saturday night, as the start of the game was a reciprocated experience for North Carolina, which fell behind 3-0 heading into the fourth inning.
“This team’s mature, they know we’ve played good teams all year, good midweek teams, and I’ve told them it’s about how we play, it’s not about the opponent,” Forbes said. “All of our focus has been on us, number one.”
With all that said, the Tar Heels’ projected batting lineup, in order, is Jake Schaffner, Gavin Gallaher, Owen Hull, Macon Winslow, Cooper Nicholson, Tyler Howe, Colin Hynek, Erik Paulsen, and Rom Kellis V.
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