One aspect of the recovery from Helene that is often overlooked is the mental health of all of us who went through the disaster. June was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month and Hannah Weber along with Jordyn Phipps took some time to talk about how PTSD is very real for a lot of Mitchell County residents after Helene and they give…

Private property debris removal is beginning soon and County Manager Allen Cook joins us to talk about changes to the debris removal programs that are taking place to prepare for the new program‘s start, plus he updates us on the private road and bridge repair program, which has a deadline for application of August 3rd.…

With the recent flooding in Texas and from Tropical Storm Chantal in central North Carolina, it has again been demonstrated the vital importance of paying attention to weather forecasts, watches, and warnings. The National Weather Service has been making changes to forecasts in recent years, adding words to help demonstrate the seriousness of weath…

First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine honors veterans each July 4th with a lunch, and with the recovery from Helene well underway, the church is making a special effort to reach area veterans and their families and inviting them to come to eat and be honored for their service to our country. Church pastor Dr. Rocky Branch recently spoke with WTOE's B…

The July Fourth holiday is a time of being outdoors and enjoying barbecues and other activities. Andrew Brewer, interim Emergency Management Coordinator for Mitchell County, joins us to talk about being extra careful this year. In particular, with the increased risk of fire due to the extensive tree fall in our area, Brewer talks about how we shoul…

An in-person survey of Mitchell County residents is taking place on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28. The Sustaining Essential and Community Healthcare organization, better known as SEARCH. is conducting interviews on the effects of Helene on our area and residents. WTOE’s Bruce Ikard had a chance to interview Marvin Rogers with SEARCH about w…

August 3, 2025 is the deadline to apply for the State of North Carolina‘s program that repairs or replaces private roads and bridges damaged by Helene. County Manager Allen Cook joins us to talk about this program that doesn't just provide money to repair damage. It provides engineers to evaluate and design the repair project along with crews and r…

Even though we are nine months out from the devastation caused by Helene, there are still volunteers and resources available for county residents to get help with repairs. Stephanie Pittman is our guest today, talking about the Multi-Agency Resources Center, which is located in Bakersville at the old Bowman Middle School, and the Long-Term Resilien…

There is exciting news that the famous Rhododendron Gardens atop Roan Mountain. For the first time since 2023, the general public will be able to tour the gardens while they are blooming this week (June 20, 2025). We talk with Alexandra Davidson of the Forest Service about the double challenge of completing a renovation project years in the making …

Helene has not dampened the optimism for the 78th North Carolina Rhododendron Festival which is June 20 and 21 in Bakersville. Misti Silver joins us on the program to talk about the events planned and some changes in times and locations for what's happening.By Mitchell County, NC Government

Mitchell County has released a proposed 2025-2026 budget. County Manager Allen Cook joins us on the podcast to go over the budget message and talk about the changes Helene has made to the budget. The public hearing on the budget is June 2nd and the County Commission will vote on it later in June.By Mitchell County, NC Government

Like everyone else in our region, Sibelco, one of the main producers of High Purity Quartz in the world, had to scramble to recover business operations and help the area get back on its feet. Jac Fourie, Executive Vice-President Operations High Purity Quartz and South America, is our guest on this episode. He discusses how Sibelco responded to emer…

Over 800,000 acres of timberland in Western North Carolina have been destroyed or adversely affected by Helene. Now comes the cleanup. Mitchell County Cooperative Extension is offering a special program to anyone with timber on their property to learn about programs to help clean up and manage these resources. Brandon Pitman, County Extension Direc…

The Orchard at Altapass not only survived Helene, it is preparing to open for the 2025 season. On this episode, Beth Hilton, Executive Director and Sam McKinney, the Mission and Sustainability Manager join us today to talk about the damage the storm brought to the farm, how they worked over the winter to recover, and the 2025 season of “The Good St…

Mitchell County has announced a location for county residents to haul to and dispose of vegetative debris from their property. County Manager Allen Cook joins us to talk about the new disposal site, which is the Wade Tipton Field on Cane Creek Road in Bakersville. It is open seven days a week, 8 AM to 6 PM. If you need more information or have ques…

Mitchell High visual and performing arts students are holding two events April 26 to raise money for projects. A barbecue dinner is taking place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., providing a way for students to raise money for their trip to New York City later this year. At 7:00, the Duane Melton Band with John Stallings as Johnny Cash takes the stage for a …

Mitchell County now has a one-stop location for help with Helene Recovery. The new Multi-Agency Resources Center (MARC) is the name for the old Bowman Middle School in Bakersville, and it has services to help most any recovery issue from Helene. Lisy Thomas, a member of the Long-Term Resiliency Group, joins us to talk about the MARC and how it brin…

May 3, 2025 has been declared Firefighter Appreciation Day in Mitchell County. Stephanie Pitman of the Volunteer Resources Center and Brian Brewer, Mitchell County Assistant Fire Marshal and member of the Bakersville Volunteer Fire Department join us to discuss the upcoming recognition and what life has been like for firefighters since September 27…

The 4th Spruce Pine Alien Festival is returning this June. Sherry Sautner, festival organizer, joins us to talk about it and the decision to return after the devastation of Helene.By Mitchell County, NC Government

The Mitchell County Long-Term Resiliency Group has been formed to assist county residents with their recovery from Helene, providing a marshaling of resources to help rebuild and re-establish that which was destroyed by the hurricane. Stephanie Pitman and Starli McDowell join us to discuss what the Group is and how it can help.…

Mitchell County has received a $150,000 grant from the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team to help rebuild baseball fields in Mitchell County that was damaged by Helene. We talk with county recreation director Brock Duncan and Shane Willis with the Hurricanes about the grant, how it happened, and what will be done with the money.…

WLOS Television meteorologist Jason Boyer shares his thoughts about the Helene report from the weather service along with his thoughts on the upcoming hurricane season and a discussion of the wildfire season in 2025.By Mitchell County, NC Government

The Mitchell Senior Center became a major lifeline for the county during the days following Helene‘s visit. Its central location and accessible entrances made it an ideal place for disaster recovery. But now as we are moving into the rebuilding phase, the Center has returned to its main mission of serving the seniors of our county with food service…

The North Carolina General Assembly recently appropriated $300 million to aid in recovery from natural disasters in 2024 for farmers and agriculture producers in the state. Brandon Pitman, Mitchell County‘s Extension Director Brandon Pitman joins us to discuss the program and how to apply for it, plus he shares updates on challenges agriculture is …

The National Hurricane Center released their report on Hurricane Helene a few days ago, and Mark Sudduth joins our program today to talk about its findings, including some surprises about the storm. He also shares his thoughts on the 2025 Hurricane Season, which begins officially on June 1st. You can read the report on Helene here and keep up with …

On the 6 month anniversary of Helene striking our area, Mitchell County Government held its fourth Town Hall Meeting to discuss where we are at in several areas of recovery. This podcast is the audio from the first segment of the meeting before it broke into individual discussions.By Mitchell County, NC Government

Downtown Spruce Pine is starting to see signs of life return as businesses are repairing the damage from Helene and are making plans to reopen. In the midst of all this activity, singer Oliver Anthony has started the Rural Revival Project, and he is coming to Spruce Pine to do his first concert of 2025 on Lower Street on April 5th. Spencer Bost wit…

North Carolina has a burn ban in place as of 8 AM Friday, March 21 due to dry, windy conditions. County Fire Marshal Andrew Brewer joins us to discuss the burn ban along with providing information about a new county ordinance that strengthens Mitchell County's burn ban capabilities in extreme conditions.…

Mitchell County Government will hold its fourth Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the former Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. Kelly Jones joins the podcast to discuss the meeting and some of the topics that will be covered. You can submit questions to be answered at the Town Hall here.…

The Volunteer Resources Center is on the move from its location at the Mitchell Senior Center in Ledger to the campus of the former Bowman Middle School at 410 Mitchell Avenue in Bakersville. Stephanie Pittman, Director of the VRC, joins us to talk about the move plus she goes over the services available to county residents through the VRC.…

We are squarely in the middle of one of the times each year that wildfires stand the greatest possibility of happening, and in 2025 that danger is multiplied tremendously with the downed trees and vegetation from Helene. Andrew Brewer, Mitchell County Fire Marshal, is our guest and he talks about the fire in Loafer‘s Glory that burned 133 acres las…

David Goodfred, a biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, joins us to discuss what happened to the aquatic life in our rivers and streams after Helene hit, the health of these systems at this time, and what the Commission plans in the way of stocking streams in the area for recreational fishing in 2025.…

The February 20, 2025 Town Hall meeting was cancelled due to weather, but information that was to presented at the session is available on this podcast. This is Part 2 of the meeting information, and it focuses on debris removal and stream debris cleanup. Allen Cook, County Manager, shares information on these topics and introduces private property…

The February Town Hall meeting was cancelled due to weather on February 20. This is the first of two podcasts featuring information that was going to be presented at that meeting. Gabriel Johnson with the North Carolina Department of Transportation discusses road closures and other DOT projects underway in the county; Stephanie Pittman of the Volun…

More good news! The North Carolina Rhododendron Festival will make its 78th appearance in Bakersville this June. Misti Silver with the committee organizing the event joins us to share what’s happening and the new locations of some of the events due to damage from Helene.By Mitchell County, NC Government

The 19th Annual Blacksmith Festival is returning to Lower Street in Spruce Pine April 26th. Spencer Bost with Downtown Spruce Pine joins us to discuss why the festival is coming back even with the damage to the buildings on Lower Street.By Mitchell County, NC Government

Many are wondering what the future may hold for areas of Mitchell County. A group of interested citizens in Bakersville are meeting Thursday and Friday, February 20 and 21, to talk with the Design Assistance Team, a group of experts who are working with the community in rebuilding and the recovery process. Andy Palmer, co-owner of In Tandem Gallery…

Homelessness has been a big problem in our region for quite some time, and Helene has only made it worse. Today, we talk with Sean Morris and William Holley of the Hospitality House, a Boone, North Carolina-based agency that works with the homeless in Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey Counties. They share what their organization does, how to get help, an…

One of the most impressive feats pulled off during the recovery from Helene has been how rapidly the North Carolina Department of Transportation got roads opened and functioning again. On this program, we get an update on the roads in Mitchell County with DOT representatives Gabriel Johnson & David Uchiyama. In addition to the update, they note upc…

Helene’s wrath was surprising to many people, and Mark Sudduth who is a professional researcher of hurricanes and other weather, along with a serving as a reporter on Fox Weather, joins the podcast to share his thoughts on the storm. Mark’s parents, Doug and Billie Ruth Sudduth, lived in the Ledger area for 30 years, so he has been to our region qu…

McDowell County dealt with three wildfires on Wednesday, January 29th which rapidly intensified due to both windy conditions and the fact that there is so much tree and vegetative debris on the ground due to Helene. County Fire Marshal Andrew Brewer joins us to talk about why we will see more fires like this and how you can help prevent their sprea…

Businesses and local leaders will gather on Thursday, February 13 at 8 a.m. at Cross Street in Spruce Pine for updates on recovery efforts from Helene focused on tourism and the businesses and locations that depend on it. Kelly Jones, Mitchell County Tourism Development Authority Director, joins us on the program to talk about the meeting and what …

As extremely cold weather arrives in Mitchell County later this weekend, now is the time to make preparations to protect you, your family, pets, and to be prepared if you lose power. County Fire Marshal Andrew Brewer joins us to discuss The Next 72 - how to prepare by having supplies to survive for 72 hours in an emergency situation.…

The coldest weather in Mitchell County in several years is coming this weekend, with lows near zero and highs in the single digits at least a couple of days the week of January 20, 2025. WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer shares information about what is coming and how you can prepare for the extreme conditions.…

Residents and businesses in central and northern Mitchell County have two new opportunities for grants to help rebuild and recover from Helene. Steve Rowland, Executive Director of the Mayland Business Institute, joins us to talk about these programs and how to apply for them. The deadline for applications in Monday, January 20.…

Hazard Mitigation is a program that provides grants for homeowners who have had flood damage from Helene. A meeting to discuss the program and help those who want to apply will be held at the Mayland Community College Main Campus in Spruce Pine January 16 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Brian Haines with North Carolina Emergency Management joins us to talk a…

With the start of the new congressional session, Mitchell County moved back into the 11th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Chuck Edwards. Congressman Edwards joins us on this episode to talk about this move along with details on how his office operates, plus shares information on congressional activity, updates on federal …

Mitchell County moved back into North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District at the first of January, and that means we have a new Congressman (at least for us). Chuck Edwards is now our Congressional Representative, and his office held the first in-county sessions on January seventh. Chris Burns, District Director for Congressman Edwards, joins us…

Mitchell County Government held their second Town Hall Meeting post-Helene on Thursday, January 2, 2025 in the old Bowman Middle School auditorium. This episode presents a recording of the general public portion of the meeting, where you can learn more about debris removal, stream cleanup, the mitigation grant program, updates on Spruce Pine water …

Mitchell County Government will hold its second Town Hall meeting post-Helene on Thursday, January 2, 2025. A variety of topics will be discussed, including debris removal, extension of FEMA program deadlines, stream debris, and much more. Kelly Jones of the Mitchell County Public Information Office discusses the meeting and what will take place on…