Corbin isn’t the only prominent Republican speaking up. North Carolina U.S. Sen Thom Tillis, appearing Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation, addressed the point head-on. In storm responses, “discipline is absolutely essential,” Tillis said. “Kevin is a friend of mine and he’s right to call out people. “Many of the observations are not even from […]
Rumor control is usually a problem for officials at every level of government after a natural disaster, and Hurricane Helene’s proving no exception. Perhaps more exceptional is the sheer volume of Helene-related rumors, with the imminent election adding to them as candidates jockey for advantage. Things got to the point last week that state Sen. […]
John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog Twice in two decades, enormous transmission lines have washed out at North Fork Reservoir after torrential, hurricane-induced rain events, leaving city residents without water for days on end. In September 2004, a historic rain event spawned by a hurricane pummeled the Black Mountain and Swannanoa areas, causing a catastrophic failure of the […]
Hannah Vinueza McClellan & Mebane Rash/Education NC As rescue and recovery efforts continue in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is coordinating a statewide response to support impacted schools — including 28 school districts, 459 local public schools, and 24 public charter schools. On Thursday, state Superintendent of […]
Lisa Sorg/Inside Climate News Flooding from Hurricane Helene may have contaminated private wells for thousands of people in western North Carolina, and experts say residents should boil or test their water before drinking it, or even showering in it. Harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, is the primary concern. “That’s especially true if it’s an […]
Allen G. Breed/The Associated Press The stone tower that gave this place its name was nearly a half billion years in the making — heated and thrust upward from deep in the Earth, then carved and eroded by wind and water. But in just a few minutes, nature undid most of what it has taken […]
Emma Dill/WilmingtonBiz The city of Wilmington plans to apply for nearly $20 million in federal grant funding to help pay for the replacement of two bridges – one on Fourth Street and the other on Pine Grove Drive. The Wilmington City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the city’s application for funding from […]
Katie Peralta Soloff/Axios Raleigh The number of fatal overdoses has declined rapidly in North Carolina over the last year — far outpacing how fast they’ve fallen nationally. Why it matters: Overdoses kill more than 100,000 people in the U.S. a year — but the number appears to be dropping quickly, Axios’ Erica Pandey writes. The […]
Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News Hurricane Helene has dealt serious damage to Pactiv Evergreen’s shuttered Canton paper mill, but the St. Louis-based demolition and development company owner trying to buy the 185-acre parcel remains undeterred. Back in May, Eric Spirtas of Spirtas Worldwide signed a letter of intent to purchase the mill, which Pactiv closed with […]
Brianna Atkinson/WUNC Radio An organization that advocates for North Carolina’s private colleges has launched a fund for campuses impacted by Helene. The North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities is looking to provide support to seven colleges and universities located in Western North Carolina: Brevard, Gardner-Webb, Lees-McRae, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill, Montreat and Warren Wilson. Helene impacted […]
Brenna Flanagan/Port City Daily Plotting is underway for New Hanover County’s next comprehensive plan, which will likely determine the fate of the county’s remaining untouched land and plans for accommodating a growing population. NHC planning staff, including director Rebekah Roth, and Clarion Associates consultant Leigh Anne King provided an update on the plan’s development so […]
Aaron Keck/WCHL Chapelboro Saturday, October 12, is University Day: UNC’s annual celebration of its founding in 1793, marking the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone at UNC’s first building, Old East. The University is marking the occasion a day early this year, with a ceremony in Memorial Hall on Friday, October 11, starting at […]
Japan’s Nikkei Asia reported Thursday that Toyota is slowing some of its plans to build new EVs, but it’s not looking like that has any immediate fallout for the company’s $13.9 billion battery factory in Randolph County. “There is no impact to Toyota North Carolina’s production schedule,” said Emily Wilemon-Holland, a spokeswoman for the Liberty […]
Western Carolina University may have escaped damage from Hurricane Helene, but so many employees are coping with the storm’s fallout that the institution is waiting until at least Oct. 21 to resume classes. “In Cullowhee, we operate in a little bit of a bubble,” Provost Richard Starnes told campus trustees Thursday morning. “To the untrained […]
Christopher Flavelle/The New York Times The amount of rain that Tropical Storm Helene unleashed over North Carolina was so intense, no amount of preparation could have entirely prevented the destruction that ensued. But decisions made by state officials in the years leading up to Helene most likely made some of that damage worse, according to […]
