In-person voting started Thursday, Oct. 17. The N.C. State Board of Elections (NCSBE) approved emergency measures at a meeting Oct. 7 to “ensure election officials can provide accessible, safe and secure voting options for residents of Western North Carolina,” according to a news release.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed over $604 million in Helene disaster relief on Oct. 24, with $71.4 million earmarked for supporting local health departments, mental health services, disaster nutrition assistance and child care, among other health-related measures.
The loss of lives, 13 total, made the Garren Creek landslides among the deadliest in North Carolina history and accounted for the largest cluster of deaths from Helene in Buncombe County, more than one quarter of the 42 in the official count of fatalities.
From loss of infrastructure, crops and market outlets to erosion of precious topsoil, WNC’s farms are struggling to pick up the pieces left behind after the storm.
North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday tasked county boards of election in the 13 most impacted counties from Tropical Storm Helene to open at least one early voting site for every 30,000 registered voters in their county.
Local governments throughout Western North Carolina are facing a number of critical needs in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, including temporary housing, infrastructure repair and debris removal.
Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler spent most of his time at the daily Helene briefing on Wednesday talking about the water testing program, but he said afterward it does not come in response to customer complaints.
The majority of the funds — $3.4 million — will help residents with rent and down-payment assistance and home repairs. The city will seek nonprofit partners to administer the grants.
“We know that voters are often confused and that can lead to uncertainty and distrust,” explains Jennifer Roberts of the Carter Center, who co-organized the NC Trusted Elections Tour. She and others are out to reassure voters.
As small towns throughout Western North Carolina face an October without tourists, local nonprofits and community members are finding ways to help financially struggling businesses.
Following a tour of flood-ravaged Swannanoa on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered his sympathy to storm victims. He also took numerous opportunities to continue to slam recovery efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).
Commissioner Amanda Edwards, ex-Sheriff Van Duncan talk policy differences, ethics and politics as the general election race for the top seat in Buncombe County enters its final month.
The City of Asheville suspends dumping post-Helene debris, including trees, drywall, computers, televisions, pesticides and paint, in residential areas.
Tropical Storm Fred caused massive flooding in Canton in 2021. Then the mill closed, crushing the town. Now, the damage Helene wreaked on the mill and the town’s wastewater facility has the once-enthusiastic buyer — E.J. Spiritas Group — reconsidering its options.
Asheville Watchdog is bringing you the stories behind the staggering loss of life, the children, parents, grandparents, multiple generations of a single family, all gone in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the mountains of western North Carolina. This is the first installment.
All 45 of the district’s schools now have nonpotable water, power and internet service, BCS Superintendent Rob Jackson told the Buncombe County Board of Education at an emergency meeting Oct. 18.
Since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the region, Taylor Knipp and her fiancé, Adam Smith, have transformed the Harley-Davidson of Asheville dealership in Swannanoa into an ad hoc private air base running daily rescue, reconnaissance and resupply missions to some of the hardest hit areas in Western North Carolina.
According to the agency, Buncombe County suffered 42 deaths, the highest toll of the 21 counties listed. Yancey County had the next highest, with 11, followed by seven in Henderson County.