Jeff Fobes

As the aging founder and majority owner of Mountain Xpress, I’ve been asking myself for some years when and how I would find a plan for the paper to continue without me. The solution has been surprisingly tough to find — particularly given my determination to protect Xpress from market forces, which of late are predominated by private-equity firms gobbling up small businesses and sucking the lifeblood out of them.

From the press release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date:  September 12, 2023 City of Asheville: Communication & Public Engagement Department Contact: Kim Miller/ Communications Specialist: kmiller2@ashevillenc.gov PRESS RELEASE: The City of Asheville releases the below statement on behalf of the City Council Mayor Esther Manheimer tonight read the following statement on behalf of the Asheville City Council. The statement was made at the beginning of the September 12, 2023, City Council session.

Dear readers, Thanks to your continued readership, plus the support of local businesses and contributions from community members, Mountain Xpress came through 2020 successfully — even with some panache. As 2021 dawns, we need to adjust our operations in anticipation of what’s shaping up to be another challenging year.