Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer As soon as the skies cleared from Helene’s ferocious storm, a massive undertaking was launched to knock on the door of every home in Haywood County impacted by flooding and landslides. Firefighters from the county’s 13 fire departments led the charge, fanning out in their communities to check on the wellbeing […]
April Laissle/WFDD Radio As much of western North Carolina works to recover from Helene, some business owners say they’re worried about what they’re calling a “second disaster”: the loss of tourism during peak season. Though many cities have asked visitors to stay away during the recovery process, Bryson City officials say they’re ready to welcome […]
Matt Cortina/USA Today Network Gerry Mahon has owned the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Asheville for over 20 years. He’s weathered a lot of storms, but nothing like Tropical Storm Helene. So now, he’s thinking about the future. Not just the quotidian concerns of getting his 60-person staff back to work, sourcing potable water from trucked-in […]
Jonathan Bym/The (Southern Pines) Pilot Public comment speakers had no time limit for their remarks regarding the rezoning request for the proposed Uwharrie Motorsports Park and Resort, leading to a continuance for the public hearing with the county Board of Commissioners Tuesday night. After four hours broke up between the presentation by the developers of […]
Gerard Albert III/Blue Ridge Public Radio Robin Longinotti doesn’t have much of a home to return to after flood waters from Hurricane Helene tore through her trailer. Longinotti evacuated her Hot Springs home before the storm and returned to find only a handful of salvageable possessions. The loss didn’t stop the retiree from carrying cardboard […]
The association’s dataset also offers insight into what corners of the insurance business are most profitable, and which command the largest shares of the economy. In North Carolina, private-car policyholders paid $7.4 billion in premiums in 2022, the largest line by far. Homeowner multi-peril insurance commanded almost $3.5 billion in premiums. Rounding out the top […]
It’s fair to say that this year’s election for insurance commissioner is all about rates and rate hikes, with Republican incumbent Mike Causey saying he’s done his best to keep a lid on them and his opponent saying his best is nowhere near good enough. Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Mecklenburg, rests part of her argument on […]
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis clearly thinks North Carolina Republicans stubbed their toe by nominating Mark Robinson for governor, a decision that may cost them their super majorities in the N.C. House and Senate. “I don’t think our majorities are at risk, but there could be one or two surprises in suburban districts” that may lead […]
The UNC System says 558 students are enrolled in online degree programs that its member schools have created with help from an initiative the legislature funded with $97 million n 2021. The programs are the early fruit of partnerships N.C. Central, East Carolina and Appalachian State universities struck with Project Kitty Hawk, the nonprofit established […]
Virginia Bridges/The News & Observer Three United States representatives from North Carolina requested a national intelligence briefing on the spread of online misinformation hindering efforts to support and rebuild parts of Western North Carolina washed away by Hurricane Helene. “This information is dangerous to saving life and property right now, and we need to get […]
Rolando Arrieta/WFAE Radio Most recreational rivers in Western North Carolina were decimated by Hurricane Helene’s floods and are littered with debris. The Green River, a popular attraction for many outdoor adventure enthusiasts, is one of them. “I’m looking at the river, which was once 50 feet maximum wide,” said Woody Callaway. “It’s at least six, […]
Cory Vaillancourt/Smoky Mountain News Western North Carolina’s small businesses, even those that suffered no damage, now occupy an unenviable position — struggling to rebuild and retain employees amid disruption to the transportation infrastructure that drives the tourist trade while still paying off COVID-era loans. Canton’s mayor is calling for help to avert a larger economic […]
Andrew R. Jones/Asheville Watchdog Asheville Water Resources has restored running water to almost all of the city, but three weeks after Tropical Storm Helene, workers are still playing catch up with breaking or difficult-to-access areas, as well as water purity. “We’ve gotten service to 90-ish percent of our system, probably pushing 95 by now,” Asheville […]
Brianna Atkinson/WUNC Radio Two workers remove mud and debris from a flooded area just outside App State’s Rankin Hall on the Boone campus. The UNC System is assessing damages to public universities in western North Carolina, and combined with lost revenue and other costs, the tally will likely come to more than $33 million. Several […]
Brian Murphy/WRAL News The two men running to be North Carolina’s next attorney general share several resume lines: Attended law school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, represented part of Mecklenburg County in the state Senate and are serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. But that’s pretty much where the similarities […]
