Blue Ridge Public Radio

As government shutdown drags on, locals pay to keep Great Smokies open through early January Local and state government organizations in Tennessee are paying $80,000 a week to keep the park open through Jan. 4.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain open through Jan. 4, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, thanks to a partnership between Tennessee’s state government and seven local entities.

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Hot Springs local elections reveal a town in recovery, fearful of being left behind In a public forum last week, residents peppered local candidates for the Board of Aldermen with questions about Helene, housing, and local infrastructure.

As next week’s municipal elections approach, many voters in Hot Springs, North Carolina find themselves worried about both old problems and new ones that have arisen since Hurricane Helene.

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With Weaverville on cusp of unprecedented growth, candidates share their vision for future The Buncombe County town of about 5,000 has seen its population double in the last 25 years — and it’s expected to double again in the next three.

Growth is an issue throughout most of Western North Carolina. But it ranks especially high on residents’ minds in Weaverville.

Next week’s municipal election marks a key moment for the town as it faces some big decisions about its future.

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$4 million in additional workforce grants are on their way to WNC, Stein says The funds, which are part of the Dislocated Worker Grant Program, had been delayed amid the federal government shutdown.

More recovery money is heading to Western North Carolina to help residents impacted by Helene.

Gov. Josh Stein announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of Labor has released the final $4M portion of a $10M federal grant to help local residents get back to work.

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NC officials warn federal food aid programs will be suspended within days

N.C. food banks are bracing for a surge in demand as federal nutrition benefits begin to run dry on Friday.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps feed about 1.4M residents each month. The federal government shutdown means benefits for November are suspended.

Marshall artist’s project hopes to help residents heal a year after Helene A local Marshall artist is holding a community writing project at Marshall High Studios, giving residents a space to reflect on and share their experiences from Hurricane Helene a year ago. The projec...

At Marshall High Studios in the town of Marshall, a local artist started a new community writing project earlier this year, giving residents a space to reflect on and share their experiences from Hurricane Helene a year ago.

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On Air After Helene | Our State Left without power, cell service, or Internet for weeks after Helene, western North Carolinians turned to a reliable source for vital information: radio.

Thank you to @ourstate.bsky.social for this lovely feature on our very own Helen Chickering and our work last fall during Helene!

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“'I remember feeling like we were all so connected,' she says of that time. 'Our job was to figure out how to get people what they needed in these little pockets of information we could deliver.'”

'Keeping the lights on.' On Blue Ridge public lands, a complicated and unusual federal shutdown Local governments are paying out of pocket for park reopenings - and logging continues in National Forests

Nearly a month into the federal government shutdown, logging is ongoing in the country’s national forests.

Some advocates worry that the unusual circumstances could mean less oversight over logging in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.

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On Air After Helene | Our State Left without power, cell service, or Internet for weeks after Helene, western North Carolinians turned to a reliable source for vital information: radio.

Revisiting our days of Helene... in Asheville...with @blueridgepublic.bsky.social and Helen Chickering.

NC Republicans pass new Congressional map. It's meant to help them pick up a seat. The N.C. House of Representatives voted to approve the new map Wednesday. It redraws the state's 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts to give Republicans a clear advantage in both seats.

North Carolina has a new Congressional map, barring likely legal challenges.

The N.C. House of Representatives voted in favor of a new map that shifts about 500K people in eastern N.C. to give the GOP an advantage in the 1st District.

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NC Congressional map proposal continues to advance, as Democrats decry impact in northeastern NC The Senate formally passed the new map Tuesday, and it started to make its way through the state House of Representatives.

A proposed new Congressional map continued to work through the General Assembly on Tuesday, even as dozens of Democrats took the chance to decry its impact on Black voters in northeastern North Carolina.

www.bpr.org/2025-10-21/n...

Mission Hospital faces new immediate jeopardy recommendation as state agency flags major safety risks Sanction would be third for hospital since HCA purchase in 2019

As reported by The Asheville Watchdog: Mission Hospital should again be put in immediate jeopardy, the worst sanction a hospital can face, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recommended.

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4 hospital systems compete for state approval to expand in Buncombe County The result of the state Certificate of Need competition could have big repercussions for Western North Carolina’s health care landscape.

Four hospital systems are vying for state approval to expand their presence in Buncombe County — and the result could have big repercussions for the region’s health care landscape.

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'Completely melted.' NC renters' advocate's car burns at Asheville apartment complex Jen Hampton had been speaking with local residents about reported mold issues after Helene when the incident occurred.

Housing organizer Jen Hampton and her colleagues were finishing visits with tenants at Evergreen Ridge Apartments when she walked out to find the burnt remains of her car.

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State reports first flu death of the season in Western North Carolina Health officials say an adult in the western part of the state died from flu complications in early October and are urging residents to get vaccinated as respiratory virus season begins.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said an adult in the western part of the state died from flu complications during the first week of October. No other details were released to protect the family’s privacy.

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Richmond Hill Park, the largest in Asheville, reopens this weekend The majority of hiking trails will be open, with the exception of the “Brown Trail” and some of the creek and stream crossings. The disc golf course will reopen next weekend.

Richmond Hill Park, a rare oasis in Asheville’s city limits, will partially reopen for public use this weekend.

www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

Asheville to stop using FEMA water system, plans for $100M pre-treatment system underway The system, which costs around $6 million per month, will be decommissioned after the end of hurricane season.

Asheville’s temporary water pre-treatment system, set up by FEMA after Hurricane Helene, will be decommissioned at the end of the year, and officials say they’re working on a new, permanent solution.

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WNC job market not all doom and gloom as health care, education sectors grow The latest jobs report shows some bright spots for Buncombe County in the long recovery from Hurricane Helene.

There are a few bright spots for Buncombe County in the latest unemployment report.

The county’s jobless rate is slightly higher than the statewide average, but far better than during the immediate aftermath of Helene.

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Trump raised $8 million for Helene survivors. Where did it all go? The campaign bad-mouthed FEMA while using crowdfunding to donate to evangelical nonprofits.

On a dusty day last fall, Donald Trump stood behind a podium in Swannanoa to deliver an update on a GoFundMe set up by his presidential campaign for survivors of Helene.

In three weeks, the drive had raised $7.7M. A year later, what exactly it paid for remains unclear.

www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

Are the kids alright? Mental health problems spike for students post-Helene A year after Helene, students are wrestling with heightened mental health challenges, from anxiety and depression to an uptick in sleep issues and “externalizing behaviors” like aggression and substan...

Read more: www.bpr.org/education/20...

In a region already short on school therapists, Helene-related mental health struggles are expected to span years, jeopardizing students’ grades and the longer trajectory of their lives.

A year after Helene, students and teachers across Western North Carolina are wrestling with heightened mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, sleep issues, aggression and substance use.

A new transit survey and the future of Asheville’s bus system As Asheville grows, the city is trying to make the most out of limited resources.

Ridership for Asheville’s bus system has steadily declined since 2020, even as the city continues to grow. Now, the city has a new transit survey for people to take to inform ATC which road to take moving forward.

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Buncombe tourism authority awards $12.4 million for capital projects, including Swannanoa’s Beacon Park The new multi-purpose outdoor destination in Swannanoa will receive $4.5 million, the TDA announced Wednesday.

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is investing $12.4 million in several tourism capital projects throughout the county, including a highly-anticipated facility in Swannanoa’s Beacon Village.

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‘Try harder.’ How one WNC county improved Spanish outreach during natural disasters Haywood County offered many more services in Spanish for its Latino community during Helene than it had in past emergencies. The community’s experience demonstrates the challenges counties have in mee...

Haywood County offered more services in Spanish for its Latino community during Helene than it had in past emergencies. The community’s experience demonstrates the challenges counties have in meeting the needs of all their constituents.

www.bpr.org/helene-recov...