Additional Slide Delays I-40 Reopening
An additional chunk of asphalt fell away from an eastbound lane of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge this week, delaying the reopening of the interstate.
The exit interview: Roy Cooper looks back, looks forward
On Jan. 11, 2025 at 10 a.m., North Carolina will have a new governor for the first time in eight years — and what an eight years it’s been.
General Assembly overrides governor’s veto of controversial flood relief bill
After decades of paying for hurricane recovery operations along the North Carolina coast, Western North Carolina taxpayers finally had a reason to ask the rest of the state to return the favor in the wake of Hurricane Helene. On Dec. 11, the rest of the state answered with a resounding “no.”
Gov. Cooper goes to D.C. after General Assembly fails to deliver on storm relief
With North Carolina’s Republican-dominated General Assembly still dead-set on refusing to provide meaningful relief for mountain communities hit hard by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper traveled to Washington, D.C., with a delegation of western leaders, appealing to higher authority for help.
Canton honors radio stations for service during Hurricane Helene
In recognition of the exceptional public service provided by a trio of radio stations during Hurricane Helene — when nearly all other communication infrastructure had failed — the Town of Canton has named them grand marshals for the annual downtown Christmas parade.
Haywood TDA reacts to Helene problems with grants, budget cut
Two days after Haywood Chamber President and CEO David Francis announced the creation of a small business grant recovery program for businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Haywood County Tourism Development authority jumped on board — in a big way — while tempering its own expectations of what the post-Helene landscape looks like.
NCDOT estimates date for 2-lane traffic on I-40 in gorge
Traffic may be flowing in both directions on Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge — albeit slower than normal — by New Year’s Day.
Walz makes final campaign push in return to Asheville
With just days remaining before voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz returned to speak in a very different Asheville than the one he last saw in mid-September.
Israeli delegation visit highlights international concern over Helene
When Hurricane Helene slammed into the Gulf Coast on Sept. 27, the storm’s destructive capabilities instantly grabbed national headlines. Now, the storm is drawing international attention thanks to an Oct. 29 visit to Haywood County by Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon.
Canton, still recovering from 2021 flood, moves forward
Lost in the aftermath of the damage Hurricane Helene dealt to Canton is the fact that when the storm hit on Sept. 27, the town still hadn’t fully recovered from deadly flooding in 2021. But on Oct. 24, Mayor Zeb Smathers and Canton’s governing board approved critical next steps for four projects related to Tropical Storm Fred and critical to the town’s future.
