MLILY Mattresses in Asheville, NC

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —

A Haywood County, North Carolina, woman and man will serve time in federal prison for crimes committed through an anti-government website that urged its readers to make citizen arrests of officials based on bogus court documents that they created, officials said Friday.

(Above video is the Friday morning headlines for 8/25/23.)

Timothy Michael Dever, 57, of Naperville, Illinois (no photo available,) and his co-defendant, Darris Gibson Moody, 57, of Waynesville (photo below,) were sentenced late Thursday in federal court in Asheville.

Buncombe County Detention Center

Both had previously pleaded guilty to charges: Dever, to five counts of aiding and abetting interstate threatening communication; Moody, to making an interstate threatening communication.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King released detailed information and documents about the case and how the two worked together.

“Dever’s anti-government rhetoric and fake arrest writs were more than a nuisance. They put hundreds of lives at risk,” King said. “Those who shared Dever’s warped ideology, including Moody, became self-proclaimed bounty hunters that turned innocent victims into targets of harassment, intimidation, and death threats. But, unlike Dever and Moody’s sham court proceedings, my office has legitimate authority to hold these defendants accountable for their actions.”

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According to filed court documents and court proceedings, Dever was the founder, creator and administrator of a website for a fictitious entity, the “People’s Bureau of Investigation” (PBI).

As the website’s administrator, Dever hosted, maintained, and provided content for PBI, including templates for court judgments, or “Writs of Execution,” issued by the “U.S. Environmental District Court,” a fictitious court that purportedly had convicted hundreds of public officials and private individuals of various bogus crimes. The website claimed that the writs gave private citizens, like Moody, the authority to conduct a “citizen’s arrest” of the individuals on the fake writs. The website also claimed that those arrested could face a punishment of monetary fines, imprisonment, and even death and that anyone who made a “citizen’s arrest” of the persons named in the writs was eligible to receive a monetary reward of up to $20,000.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, Dever promoted the writs as a mechanism for removing federal, state, and local officials from their positions. Dever made the template for the fake writs available for download on PBI’s website, as well as other documents and videos that explained the purpose of the writs and how to serve them.

For example, one video on the website was a recorded radio talk show, where Dever and another individual discussed how private citizens could arrest “a sheriff, a judge and a governor,” who they claimed to have been convicted in the “highest court of the land.”

Dever also maintained on PBI’s website a list that contained the names, home addresses, and personal information of victims who had been falsely named as convicted defendants in the fake writs.

Court records show that the PBI website listed the personal identifying information of over 900 victims located in approximately 32 different states.

Dever admitted in court that PBI’s website also enabled group members to use a digital app to have encrypted communications in online chatrooms and via text messages and to share information on how to create, use and serve the writs.

Dever also used PBI’s website to raise funds by soliciting direct donations and selling PBI merchandise.

Moody was a like-minded PBI group member who accused her targets of having been convicted of corruption, environmental charges and even treason.

Moody used the PBI website to generate fake arrest writs for 57 individuals, most of whom resided in the Western District of North Carolina, including sheriffs, judges and other government officials and private individuals, and used software to fax the fake arrest notices to the recipients.

"At its core, the FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States," DeWitt said. "While we celebrate the freedoms of our country, you cannot make up your own laws and threaten those who serve or are elected by our democracy."

Dever was sentenced late Thursday in federal court in Asheville to 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting threatening interstate communications, attorneys for the Western District of North Carolina said.

Dever was also ordered to serve three years under court supervision after he is released from prison.

Moody was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for making a threatening interstate communication.

They are currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation of this case and thanked the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.

Here are North Carolina High School football scores from Week 2 of the 2023 NCHSAA season:

Alexander Central 20, Wilkes Central 13

Andrews 54, East Henderson 30

Ashe County 48, North Wilkes 0

Asheville Reynolds 28, Shelby 21

Asheville Roberson 56, East Rutherford 6

Ayden-Grifton 17, Riverside Martin 7

Bear Grass 43, Rose Hill Union 22

Benedictine Military, Ga. 42, Chambers 9

Boonville Starmount 32, North Iredell 29

Buford, Ga. 10, Charlotte Mallard Creek 7

Canton Pisgah 56, Enka 3

Cardinal Gibbons, Fla. 28, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 21

Carrboro 41, Siler City Jordan-Matthews 13

Catawba Bandys 49, Newton Foard 6

Catholic, Va. 29, Kill Devil Hills First Flight 22

Central, S.C. 35, Monroe Parkwood 3

Chapel Hill 42, Orange 7

Charlotte Catholic 49, Northern Durham 0

Charlotte Providence 46, South Mecklenburg 0

Charlotte Providence Day 47, Asheville 7

Cherokee 47, Cosby, Tenn. 6

Claremont Bunker Hill 49, Hickory St. Stephens 7

Clayton Cleveland 42, Wake Forest Heritage 26

Clinton 58, Wallace-Rose Hill 22

Commerce, Ga. 56, Murphy 13

Concord 28, Mount Pleasant 14

Concord Robinson 35, West Cabarrus 6

Cornelius Hough 13, Charlotte Myers Park 10

Croatan 23, Pamlico County 0

Davidson Community School 29, Charlotte Country Day 21

Davie County 60, West Rowan 28

Durham Jordan 42, Southern Alamance 29

East Bladen 49, West Bladen 0

East Burke 29, Morganton Freedom 13

East Chapel Hill 62, Montgomery Central 0

East Davidson 42, Trinity Wheatmore 41

East Duplin 28, West Craven 13

East Forsyth 55, Fayetteville Britt 0

East Gaston 34, Corvian 7

East Lincoln 39, Gastonia Forestview 8

East Wilkes 24, Surry Central 18

Eastern Alamance 63, Southeast Alamance 0

Eastern Guilford 39, Burlington Williams 14

Eastern Randolph 27, Asheboro 16

Edenton Holmes 48, Bertie County 22

Elizabeth City Northeastern 40, Greenville Rose 35

Farmville Central 74, North Lenoir 36

Fayetteville Seventy-First 41, Fayetteville Pine Forest 7

Fayetteville Smith 30, Fayetteville Byrd 20

Fayetteville Westover 40, Smithfield-Selma 6

Forest City Chase 38, Belmont Cramer 14

Fuquay-Varina 28, Apex 19

Garner 29, Apex Middle Creek 19

Granville Central 26, Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 13

Gray's Creek 47, Red Springs 19

Grayson County, Va. 14, Alleghany County 12

Greensboro Dudley 57, Southeast Guilford 0

Greensboro Grimsley 63, Rolesville 34

Greensboro Smith 27, Charlotte Harding 14

Greenville Conley 27, Washington 0

Harrells Christian 36, Wayne Christian 16

Havelock 20, Wilmington Laney 17

Hayesville 55, Madison County 20

Hickory 56, Newton-Conover 36

Hickory Grove Christian 42, Gastonia Highland Tech 0

High Point Andrews 25, High Point Central 6

High Point Christian Academy 56, Grace Christian-Raleigh 16

Hope Mills South View 32, Hoke County 0

Indian Trail Porter Ridge 49, South Iredell 3

Jacksonville 23, Jacksonville White Oak 8

Jacksonville Northside 26, Swansboro 12

John Paul II Catholic 45, Lawrence Academy 26

Kernersville McGuinness 47, North Stokes 0

Kings Mountain 37, Concord Cox Mill 13

Kinston Parrott Academy 49, Northwest Halifax 26

Kinston 34, Greene Central 29

Knightdale 20, East Wake 14

Knoxville Catholic, Tenn. 40, Brevard 13

Knoxville Webb, Tenn. 38, Asheville School 14

Lake Norman 14, Statesville 13

Lake Norman Charter 30, Winston-Salem Prep 6

Lee County 42, St. Pauls 14

Lejeune 58, Seven Springs Spring Creek 16

Lenoir Hibriten 22, Gastonia Huss 19

Lexington 32, Winston-Salem Carver 16

Marshville Forest Hills 41, North Rowan 7

Matthews Butler 50, Richmond County 13

Matthews Weddington 35, Charlotte Ardrey Kell 0

Mayodan McMichael 44, East Bend Forbush 28

Mitchell County 35, McDowell County 6

Monroe Sun Valley 35, Anson County 7

Mooresville 14, Pfafftown Reagan 13

Mount Airy 49, East Surry 0

Mt. Holly Mountain Island Charter 24, Charlotte Latin 21

Nash Central 56, SouthWest Edgecombe 28

New Bern 31, Northern Guilford 21

Norfolk Academy, Va. 46, Currituck County 21

Norfolk Christian School, Va. 34, Manteo 0

North Brunswick 61, West Carteret 26

North Buncombe 32, Swannanoa Owen 13

North Duplin 14, Pinetown Northside 13

North Gaston 10, Bessemer City 6

North Henderson 41, Rosman 14

North Johnston 12, Goldsboro Rosewood 6

North Lincoln 21, Lincolnton 20

North Mecklenburg 19, Charlotte Olympic 14

North Raleigh Christian 45, Wake Prep 6

North Stanly 37, East Rowan 31

North Surry 48, South Stokes 20

Northeast Guilford 34, Western Guilford 6

Northern Nash 55, Wilson Fike 12

Northwest Cabarrus 30, Kannapolis Brown 19

Northwest Guilford 27, North Davidson 0

Palisades 44, East Mecklenburg 0

Pembroke Swett 25, Fairmont 8

Perquimans 36, Camden County 20

Person 62, Halifax County, Va. 20

Pikeville Aycock 33, Eastern Wayne 20

Pittsboro Northwood 20, Cameron Union Pines 19

Princeton 28, Harnett Central 22

Providence Grove 45, Southern Guilford 12

Raleigh Athens Drive 36, Morrisville Green Hope 34, OT

Raleigh Leesville Road 49, Cary Panther Creek 14

Raleigh Sanderson 52, Durham Riverside 14

Raleigh Wake Christian 50, South Wake Homeschool 0

Randleman 14, West Stokes 7

Reidsville 31, Greensboro Page 17

Richlands 14, Southwest Onslow 13

Robbinsville 26, Franklin 0

Robert B. Glenn 21, Jamestown Ragsdale 7

Rockingham County 22, Eden Morehead 20

Rocky Point Trask 57, Newton Grove Hobbton 39

Salemburg Lakewood 50, Gaston KIPP Pride 7

Salisbury 62, Walkertown 6

Scotland 34, Fayetteville Sanford 29

Shelby Crest 49, Lawndale Burns 29

South Columbus 48, South Brunswick 44

South Davidson 40, Chatham Central 0

South Johnston 28, Erwin Triton 14

South Lenoir 42, Jones County 0

South Stanly 27, South Rowan 19

Southeast Raleigh 21, Raleigh Wakefield 14

Southern Durham 14, Durham Hillside 0

Southern Lee 55, Hickory Home School 7

Southern Nash 42, South Granville 0

Southern Pines Pinecrest 44, Spring Lake Overhills 20

Southwest Guilford 19, Winston-Salem Reynolds 0

Southwestern Randolph 22, North Moore 12

St. Joseph-Montvale, N.J. 49, Arden Christ School 10

Swain County 14, Sylva Smoky Mountain 10

Tarboro 49, Hertford County 22

Thomasville 54, Bartlett Yancey 6

Thomasville Ledford 42, West Davidson 7

Topsail 52, Holly Ridge Dixon 6

Trinity 29, Albemarle 19

Valdese Draughn 49, Morganton Patton 6

Vance County 52, Roanoke Rapids 14

Wake Forest 31, South Garner 21

Warsaw Kenan 80, Newton Grove Midway 58

Washington County 28, Chocowinity Southside 6

Watauga County 55, Avery County 6

Waxhaw Cuthbertson 22, Central Davidson 8

Waxhaw Marvin Ridge 42, Huntersville Hopewell 12

Waynesville Tuscola 29, Polk County 23

Wendell Corinth Holders 21, Raleigh Broughton 7

West Charlotte 43, Monroe 29

West Columbus 52, Sandhills Titans 6

West Forsyth 40, Oak Grove 29

West Henderson 44, Hendersonville 0

West Johnston 45, Western Harnett 0

West Lincoln 67, Cherryville 7

West Mecklenburg 18, Mint Hill Rocky River 6

West Stanly 28, China Grove Carson 20

West Wilkes 28, Elkin 21

Western Alamance 25, Burlington Cummings 24

Whiteville 31, West Brunswick 7

Wilmington Ashley 62, East Carteret 0

Wilson Hunt 27, Wilson Beddingfield 7

Wilson Prep 50, East Columbus 0

Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor 28, North Forsyth 6

Winston-Salem Parkland 21, Winston-Salem Atkins 14

State regulators have approved a lower-than-requested rate increase for Duke Energy Progress customers in eastern North Carolina and the Asheville area.

The state's largest utility had asked for an increase across all customer groups totaling 16% over three years. But on Friday, the North Carolina Utilities Commission approved 11.3%. The order gave no details on the new lower increases. But in a securities filing over the weekend, Duke said rates would rise 3.3% beginning Oct. 1, 2.4% next year and 5.6% in 2025.

The company says it's still calculating the exact impacts on residential and other customer groups.

The order set Duke's rate of return, essentially its profit margin, at 9.8%. That's up from 9.6% the last time Duke got a rate increase.

Duke says it needs the extra revenues to pay for strengthening the electric grid, improving reliability and adding more renewable energy.

"We believe this is a constructive outcome that enables Duke Energy to maintain strong progress toward building a cleaner, more reliable energy future for our North Carolina customers," Duke Energy said in a statement Friday.

“We are currently evaluating the NCUC order on Duke Energy Progress’ rate request and will determine the exact impacts on customer rates in the coming weeks," Duke said.

The 262-page order also approves additional revenue (or penalties) based on reliability and other performance measures — something new allowed in North Carolina's 2021 energy reform law. It gives Duke the go-ahead for various projects and programs, including $16 million in financial aid over three years across North Carolina to reduce the bills of low-income customers. That came from a settlement with the Sierra Club.

The commission was not unanimous in its rate order for Duke Energy Progress. Both Commission Chair Charlotte Mitchell and member Dan Clodfelter wrote dissents covering parts of the order.

Mitchell's main concern was that the 9.8% return on equity was too low, in part because of high interest rates. She said she would have allowed a 10% return.

Clodfelter said he agreed with most of the order but disagreed with two points: The commission's approval of Duke's plan for encouraging increased adoption of electric vehicles and the way performance incentives were structured.

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North Carolina is home to one of the nation’s top-ranked beer scenes — again.

Asheville ranks No. 5 on a list of “best beer cities” in the United States. And one of Asheville’s bars — The Whale — landed the No. 6 spot on a separate list of top places to grab a cold one, according to results published Friday, Aug. 4.

Outside the beer hub of Asheville, other North Carolina destinations ranked among the nation’s most loved. Those include:

The rankings came from USA Today’s 10Best, which creates best-of lists related to food, travel and activities. After a group of editors and drink experts considered top beer destinations, readers could vote on their favorites up to one time each day for a month. 10Best wouldn’t say how many people voted in an Aug. 7 email to McClatchy News.

On the resulting lists of readers’ choice award winners, Asheville was the only place in North Carolina to be named a top beer city. 10Best gave the popular mountain tourist town a nod for giving beer lovers “easy access to more than 100 local beers” at shops, breweries, and “friendly beer bars.”

Meanwhile, The Whale made its mark when it came to favorite places to get craft beer. While the bar has locations throughout the Carolinas, its Asheville location reigned supreme on the 10Best list.

“One of the most notable features are their ‘wild cards,’ which puts the bartender in charge to pour one of their most unique beers on the menu,” the report said.

The accolades might not come as a surprise, with Asheville previously receiving praise for its concentration of breweries and the tours they offer. For those who come hungry, the city’s food scene also was named one of the nation’s best, McClatchy News reported.

Overall, 10Best said the top U.S. beer bar was Pilot Project Brewing, which has locations in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Among the nation’s cities with the best beer scenes, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reigned supreme. Rounding out the top five:

This story was originally published August 7, 2023, 10:16 AM.

The City of Asheville’s River Arts District will be the backdrop of two greenway events in August. The City of Asheville is proud to work with community partners, RiverLink, Land of Sky Regional Council and Connect Buncombe as they celebrate greenways for our community. To celebrate our partners’ events, we will declare them to be “Year of the Trail” events for Asheville and our region.

2023 NC Year of the Trail celebrates North Carolina’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways which showcase our diverse landscapes – grand mountain vistas, quiet rivers, vibrant urban greenways, coastal forests, and the rolling hills of the piedmont.

NC Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history. Learn more here. The City also has a Proclamation, recognizing the Year of Trail.

Here are a few trail-related events in Asheville coming up:

Friday, August 25 – Karen Cragnolin Park Greenway Dedication

Join RiverLink and partners Friday, August 25, 4-6 PM as they dedicate the final segment of the greenway in the ribbon of parks along the French Broad River, at 190 Amboy Rd. Enjoy free sno-cones, music and family-friendly activities beginning at 4:00 PM, and spoken word at 5:15 PM as we celebrate the remediation of this once contaminated property, and honor the life of RiverLink founder and community visionary, Karen Cragnolin. Then beginning at 6:00 PM, we’ll migrate to HiWire Brewing AVL RAD Beer Garden for a refreshing beverage with Connect Buncombe’s “Brewing for Greenways.”

Thursday, August 31 – Hellbender Regional Forum

Please join your neighbors for the Hellbender Regional Greenway Forum, hosted by the Land of Sky Regional Council, on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 8:00 AM. The in-person event will be held at Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Drive #3141, Asheville, NC 28801. Register here.

At this forum, participants will dive deep into the world of regional greenways, exploring their impact on our environment and community. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a local resident, local government employee or simply curious about the topic, this event is perfect for you! Expect a day filled with engaging discussions, informative presentations, and networking opportunities. The keynote address will be delivered by Bret Baronak, Director of the Carolina Thread Trail. We will also have an exciting Year of the Trail update from Palmer McIntyre, NC Year of the Trail Director, Piedmont Land Conservancy/ Piedmont Legacy Trails.