Proposed state aid bill is an insult
The number is $53.6 billion. That’s the estimate from the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management for the damage Helene inflicted on Western North Carolina. Those are just dollars; in the bigger picture, lives have been lost, transformed and forever changed.
Group discusses hazards of drunk driving, potential new laws
The day before Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as “Blackout Wednesday,” a nod to the fact that it is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, a day when old friends and family are back in town with a holiday ahead to recover.
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.
Clampitt keeps 119th House District
The man still known for his protracted electoral feud with former Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen — the two faced off five times from 2012 through 2020, with Mike Clampitt winning three times — will continue to represent Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties.
Latest flood relief bill leaves businesses underwater
The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly took its second step in flood recovery on Oct. 24, designating from the state’s $4.4 billion Rainy Day Fund an additional $604 million in funding and resources for disaster recovery in response to Hurricane Helene — far less than the $3.9 billion the state’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wanted, and with little real help to businesses that can’t afford to take out more loans.
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.
Tax cuts, vouchers, abortion drive western legislative races
North Carolina’s four westernmost state legislators are all seeking reelection this year, but their campaigns are about much more than just their individual races. Each one of them is an integral part of the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, which has a long-term view of what the state should look like in 10 years.
Sept. 11 commemoration invites first responders
A free event for all emergency responders and veterans will be held in Bryson City on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. at Riverfront Park, in remembrance of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Unfunded state mandate will cost local governments more than money
Buried deep within a 40-page regulatory reform bill that became law last week, a new policy handed down by the Republican-led General Assembly will require tax collectors in every North Carolina county and municipality to install a sign “in a conspicuous manner” on each parcel subject to a lien for delinquent property taxes.
Group pushes for strict new DWI laws
Western North Carolina’s regional DWI taskforce has renewed its push to pass several new drunk-driving bills into law during next year’s long session in Raleigh.