Smoky Mountain News | September 24, 2025

SPECIAL: FRONTLINE PHILANTHROPY

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

People around Western North Carolina have awaited the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene with nervous anticipation, dreading the dark memories that will no doubt be relived while also looking forward to continuing what will be a long road to recovery. The Smoky Mountain News looks at lessons learned from the storm, what others are still doing to help and how the government response is still lacking. Haywood County government photo

News

Webster election draws record interest........................................................................4

Adam Smith, former Green Beret, to challenge Edwards in Primary..................6

A look back: Haywood County Fair................................................................................8

With Marshall slowly reopening, where to from here?..........................................10

Clyde Church is still serving free meals to post-Helene........................................11

One year later, towns still wait for Helene relief......................................................12

Haywood looks back at Helene, Fred to plan for the next disaster....................14

Opinion

Despite tepid DC response, the work goes on........................................................18

To move forward, we must look back..........................................................................19

A&E

Patrick Sweany to headline Rock for Relief festival................................................22 WCU hosts Mountain Heritage Day............................................................................27

Outdoors

Grant funds free well water testing following Helene............................................30 DEQ awards $3 million for Helene debris removal, biochar for farms ............33

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Webster election draws record interest

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR

For most of its history, Webster’s elections have been sleepy affairs. At times, there weren’t even enough people willing to step forward and serve. This fall, that dynamic looks much different.

“I’m really excited to see the number of people in this race,” said Dale Collins, an incumbent Webster commissioner who won his last race as a write-in with just 14 votes.

and traffic, taxes, the regional library, the post office, transparency in government and how they plan to campaign.

Place comes first in Webster. Sidewalks and quiet streets define the daily rhythm, yet growth across Western North Carolina keeps pushing toward the village. From his time on the planning board to his current seat, Collins described land use as a recurring challenge handled through ordinances meant to keep Webster residential and walkable. He said the board has tried to make walking safer and more practical.

Five names are on the ballot for three open seats, including Collins and challengers Susan Raaf, Brad Reisinger, Daniel Riggs and Sara Stahlman. The shift reflects a town paying closer attention to the basics of small-scale governance.

The field brings a range of backgrounds and priorities, but their answers to common questions show where they align and where they part. All five were asked about growth

“We’ve worked really hard in the last five years on pedestrian safety,” Collins said, casting that work as continuity, not novelty — the kind of slow, cumulative effort that establishes guidelines without changing the town’s character.

Community life is the lens Reisinger, an English professor at Western Carolina University, uses. He pointed to the pavilion, food trucks and movie nights that have turned the park into a gathering place and said the town feels strongest

when leaders follow residents’ priorities.

“I’m looking to just kind of get in there and be a good listener,” he said.

His focus, he added, would be carrying neighbors’ concerns into the room rather than chasing a personal agenda.

Families shape the way Stahlman talks about growth. A health communication specialist who works remotely, she described a town designed to be lived in at walking speed.

“I want to make sure that it continues to be a place where people can safely walk and bike through the town,” she said. She cited the new all-abilities playground and the sidewalk network as everyday investments that keep people outside and connected.

Traffic, not amenities, tops Riggs’ list. With the Highway 107 project expected to reroute vehicles through Webster during construction, he said drivers already move too fast on Webster Road and South River Road. He’s pored over speed data and argues that enforcement alone is not enough.

“At one point, over 50% of our traffic coming through was going 20 miles or more over the speed limit,” he said. “When you hit someone going 25, you’re going to injure them. Over 45 it’s almost certain you’re going to kill them.”

To change that behavior, Riggs favors stop signs, speed bumps or narrowing lanes with paint so people are not comfortable pushing past 25.

Environmental questions frame Raaf’s outlook on growth. She worries about heavy equipment working along the Tuckasegee after storm damage and about a proposed gas station near the river.

“It makes you question why, the state of North Carolina, why they’re not a little stricter on these things with the environment,” she said, asking for clearer answers before additional development moves ahead.

Collins, who co-owns the Tuckasegee Fly Shop’s three locations, is also adamant about stewardship of the Tuck, which he says lacks proper flood monitoring equipment. The river is also home to a series of historic Cherokee fish weirs — V-shaped dams that make harvesting easier — and he called for greater protective measures.

“There’s only a handful of those remaining in in the entire southeast,” he said.

Money is the next test. Webster residents pay county taxes as well as town taxes, and the recent revaluation and rate decision by Jackson County commissioners pushed tax bills substantially higher for many homeowners.

For Riggs, the increase stings because he believes his district has lacked proper representation on the county commission. In 2024, Jenny Lynn Hooper ran for the Jackson County commission from district three. After winning her race, the Jackson County Board of elections changed her residency to district one; however, F

Five candidates will compete for three seats in the Jackson County town of Webster. Richard Kenni photo

Hooper wasn’t challenged and has been allowed to keep her seat.

“We’ve essentially got taxation without representation,” he said.

Raaf remains unbothered by Hooper’s residency issues and said she believes Hooper represents the interests of district three even though she does not live in district three. Raaf also noted that the town’s tax rate rose from five cents in 2018 to 15 cents in 2020 without what she considers a clear explanation.

Decisions about revenue are not so simple for Collins. He says the town will have to choose between holding the rate steady to maintain current services or using any growth to add services residents can see.

“I think Webster has to reevaluate our tax rate,” he said. That discussion, he added, belongs in open budget talks.

Stahlman takes a middle path and calls the jump for homeowners significant but says the mismatch between assessed values and market values had grown too wide.

“The tax increase was significant for homeowners in the county at a time when funds are really tight for a lot of people,” she said. In her view, the first step is making sure appeals are heard, then watching how new money is spent.

Reisinger said he prefers to hear from residents before staking out a firm position and that his role would be to carry their views into the room rather than bring a fixed plan.

The library question sits at the intersection of cost and identity.

Before Jackson County commissioners voted to leave the Fontana Regional Library system, Webster joined Forest Hills and Sylva in urging the county to stay by passing a resolution of support for the FRL. Collins said the resolution made sense because people in town use Fontana services daily and because the system expands access.

“You don’t fix something that’s not broke,” he said.

Reisinger also backs the resolution and the show of unity among small towns that rely on library programs for families. Riggs would have voted the same way and suggested that stronger statements may be needed if town voices continue to be ignored.

“We should take measures to let our opinions be known,” he said.

Stahlman supports the resolution but warns against burning bridges. Webster depends on the county for planning and for law enforcement and will need that cooperation in the future.

Raaf didn’t offer an answer about supporting the FRL and rejects the town’s involvement altogether.

“I don’t really honestly think the Webster town commission really should’ve had any input,” she said, calling it a county issue best handled by individual constituents contacting their commissioners.

A closed door on Main Street adds another local concern. The loss of Webster’s post office in May — which closed after USPS officials failed to reach a lease agreement with the property’s owner — has drawn regular complaints at county meet-

ings and in town. Riggs hears it often, especially from older residents now forced to drive into Sylva.

“I think it really affected their quality of life,” he said.

Raaf, who worked for the postal service, recalls a crowded meeting where few answers were available. Others view the post office through the limits of the job.

Collins said the board can acknowledge the hardship but that federal facilities are beyond the town’s control. Reisinger said he would help where he could but thinks the focus should remain on the responsibilities that actually belong to the board. Stahlman pointed back to sidewalks, parks and safe routes as the best way to help residents complete daily tasks, mail included, without feeling exposed on the roads.

Transparency and basic communication are where Raaf sees the most room for improvement. She wants meeting minutes and budgets posted online, quickly and in plain language.

Collins replied in broader terms that small-town governance moves at “a turtle’s pace” and that complex ordinances can take months or years. Reisinger returned to his theme of listening before acting and said he would try to translate long meetings into plain-spoken updates. Stahlman said her years on the planning board reinforced the value of predictable processes and early notice so residents can weigh in while decisions are still being formed.

Even the mechanics of campaigning reflect Webster’s scale. In past cycles, a seat could be won with a dozen or so votes and a handful of neighbors. The crowded ballot has already changed expectations. Where town boards once begged for volunteers, this year’s field gives voters a choice across styles as well as issues.

Reisinger frames the surge as a chance to widen the circle of people who feel heard. Riggs views it as proof that residents are tired of being sidelined. Stahlman hears a call to keep building places where neighbors meet. Raaf reads it as a demand for answers about spending, taxes and lost services. Collins said he will campaign by talking to neighbors. Reisinger plans more time in the park and at community events rather than yard signs and door knocks. Stahlman points to her public work on parks and planning as her best introduction. Raaf intends to pick up the phone and make sure people know there is a choice. Riggs, who has a newborn at home, leans on personal relationships.

“If they think I’m going to do a good job, I hope they vote for me,” he said.

The election results will turn on dozens of personal conversations rather than thousands, a scale of campaigning that exposes the town’s vulnerability, and its strength. With lower turnout, each voice carries more weight. With tight budgets, each dollar must show its value. With little room for error, each change is felt on the sidewalks and at the riverbank. The choice before voters is not between growth and decline, but rather between different ways of protecting a unique small town where people still recognize their neighbors.

Republican Adam Smith announced his candidacy in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District at an event in Swannanoa on Sept. 20. Adam Smith photo

possibility of bringing those dollars even closer to the front lines — to the counties and towns where workers on the ground labored tirelessly with backhoes, buckets and shovels, or distributed bottled water, barbeque, blankets and baby clothes.

“I just talked with the mayor of Old Fort this last week about some of the endeavors that they’re working on,” he said. “I think they have a town budget of $1.4 million, and the road expenses that they’re dealing with right now are at $1.6 million. There’s

He described a fix that he’d like to see come from the FEMA review council that cuts time and distance between appropriations and action, and he said that the council should simplify FEMA’s processes and direct resources closer to where they are needed. In his view, block grants to nonprofits would stretch dollars even further, and provide better oversight.

Former Green Beret Adam Smith to challenge Edwards in NC-11 Primary

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Adam Smith says it’s time for a change and that he’s ready to stand up for Western North Carolina in ways incumbent Rep. Chuck Edwards hasn’t — particularly, in Hurricane Helene recovery.

“I think the only time I saw Chuck during the disaster was when President Trump showed up [in Swannanoa, last October],” Smith said. “Why did it take a visit by the president in order for the congressional representative to show up? While my team, volunteers, myself and a multitude of other nonprofits on the ground were actively working in disaster relief and rescue to provide supplies, I never saw him until the president showed up. Then I saw him for 15 minutes. Then I didn’t see him again.”

Trump commended Smith for his relief work at the Oct. 21, 2024, Swannanoa event, less than a month after Helene.

“One of the patriots who stepped forward to help was Adam Smith, a former Green Beret,” Trump said, with Edwards looking on from the background. “Adam transformed the parking lot of a Harley Davidson dealership into a makeshift airbase to help distribute supplies, did an incredible job. Adam, what an amazing act of citizenship and service.”

Smith’s remarks at the event were brief but prophetic.

“The biggest fear that Western North Carolina is sitting on right now, at least from the communities we’ve talked to, is

being forgotten,” he said from the podium. “To have you [President Trump] here and have an opportunity to have this conversation at a national level will keep Western North Carolina on the map and not leave the communities holding the bag on the back end of this.”

Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene caused $60 billion in damage across North Carolina, most local governments still haven’t received anywhere near the amount of money they’ve been promised by the federal government, with estimates coming in at less than 10%. On the ground in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, voters are increasingly blaming recovery czar and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, FEMA and Edwards (RHenderson) for the delays.

Edwards, who’s claimed authorship of the $110 billion relief bill passed by Congress last December, has never responded to inquiries by the Smoky Mountain News about why North Carolina is expected to receive only $9-15 billion. Edwards also sits on the House appropriations committee.

“I think that his response has been ineffective,” Smith said. “I think he’s only done one-third of his job.”

Smith first rose to prominence when Savage Freedom, sometimes called the “Redneck Air Force,” organized supply drops, evacuations and rescue missions out of a Harley-Davidson parking lot in Swannanoa, delivering aid to areas made unreachable by landslides, washed-out

bridges and roads reduced to rubble.

Born and raised in southern Indiana, Smith spent nearly 17 years in the Army, most of that time as a Green Beret in the 19th and 20th Special Forces Groups. He served a tour in Bosnia, multiple tours in Afghanistan including time with the Defense Intelligence Agency and traveled across Southeast Asia, Central America and South America. After leaving the military in 2016, Smith devoted himself to building Savage Freedom and described Savage Freedom’s response to Helene as the largest grassroots relief effort in the region, with thousands of volunteers, hundreds of air sorties, millions of pounds of supplies and nearly $700,000 raised in a month.

“We fueled everybody from civilian helicopters to the National Guard,” he said.

His frustration with Edwards is rooted in the wreckage of Helene.

“FEMA, in its current status, does not serve the American people. It has to be reorganized. I think it provides a standard of training, and I think it also provides a bucket of dollars, and I think the responsibility on how those dollars are spent and utilized should be left to the state,” Smith said. “I think the continued effort of the federal government to dictate how dollars are specifically spent at the state level kind of smells a little bit like federal government overreach. The responsibility should be on the state.”

Smith also echoed comments made by elected officials from both parties about the

Loans came up as a dead end for many storm-impacted businesses; local leaders have been calling for direct grant support from both the North Carolina General Assembly and from Congress, to no avail. An Oct. 30, 2024, SMN story revealed that across the 11th District, more than 5,400 COVID-era Small Business Administration 30-year loans with a face value of $254.4 million were received by legal entities in 88 municipalities or communities — many of which were hit hard by Helene, and many of which are not in a position to accept

“How is it a viable consideration for a small business owner who’s already got potentially a small business loan or a personal loan to facilitate their company, they lose their revenue because of a storm, and now they’re required to get another loan that they owe to the federal government based on tax dollars they’ve already paid? That makes no sense to me,” he said. “We have to look at this from a place of grants, end-user responsibility and monitoring the expenditure of those grants. If we do that, then we change the trajectory of how the dollars move.”

Helene, however, isn’t the only problem Smith has with Edwards’ service. Smith also singled out Edwards for a town hall in Asheville in March, where disabled veteran Jay Carey was escorted out of the room after disrupting the event. A clip of Carey subsequently went viral. Smith called Edwards’ rare town halls “horribly ineffective.”

“If you’re going to engage with your constituents, you can’t just lose your temper when someone disagrees with you and kick them out of your meeting,” Smith said. “You have to be able to stand and listen to the issue. It doesn’t matter how the issue is presented to you. When it’s done being presented, give your rebuttal, and if they don’t want to listen, that’s okay. Let them vent, walk away; do something other than just deny them the opportunity to be heard.”

Likewise, Helene is not the only issue Smith would have to address were he to be elected to Congress. With Democrats expected to raise concerns about rural health care and the effects of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on Medicare and Medicaid,

Smith continues to advocate for statecentric, home-rule solutions.

“I think that there is all too often an overwhelming impetus of federal responsibility to provide rural health care at the state level,” he said. “I think there should be a state conversation at the same time as the federal conversation on how the state can help support and provision rural health care.”

Although Smith supports Trump’s tariff policy, he said the rising cost of living cannot be solved without tackling trade, energy and economic development. He argued that Washington needs to do more to encourage small business development and job creation in Western North Carolina, pointing to untapped opportunities in biomass energy — not logging.

On border security, Smith tied drug

“We

analysis of the effects recreational cannabis has had on places that have legalized it, but that he’s in favor of expanding non-intoxicating hemp for industrial uses.

The conversation on drugs then pivoted quickly to an issue close to the hearts of many servicemembers and their families — emerging treatments for PTSD. The FDA recently blocked efforts to expand the use of MDMA for PTSD, despite promising results.

“There’s been enough of my friends that have killed themselves, and enough friends of friends that have killed themselves, but there’s no reason that we haven’t done everything in our power to figure out what works and what works well,” he said. “If ketamine therapy works, why aren’t we using it? If MDMA therapy works, why aren’t we using it? If

have to look at this from a place of grants, enduser responsibility and monitoring the expenditure of those grants. If we do that, then we

change the trajectory of how the dollars move. ”

— Adam Smith

again questioning why money is going overseas at a time when local needs remain unmet.

“If it’s so important for the Palestinian Authority under Hamas’ direction and leadership — which is a known terror organization that we’ve known for a long time — if it’s so important for their people to have the benefit of aid, why didn’t they take the two-state solution that’s been offered to them 10 or 12 different times in the last 40 years?” he said.

Smith insists he is not running to build a political career. Instead, he said he is motivated by a sense that entrenched politicians perpetuate the status quo while real needs go unmet. When the subject turned to truth in politics, Smith did not mince words. He said members of Congress who bend facts for partisan advantage are “liars” and that leadership requires honesty even when it is unpopular.

“If nothing changes, nothing changes,” Smith said. “I would say it’s time to make a change.”

Haywood commemorates Helene this week

Haywood County will mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene this week with a series of commemorations beginning during the opening ceremonies of the annual Haywood County Fair. At 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, a proclamation will be read at the Smoky Mountain Event Center, and attendees will have the chance to recognize first responders, volunteers and partner organizations who have played a role in recovery. Throughout the weekend, the Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Services and Development Services will maintain booths at the fair, offering information on recovery resources and ongoing efforts tied to Helene.

trafficking to human trafficking, describing them as inseparable problems fueled by criminal cartels. He voiced strong support for Trump’s actions that have largely secured the southern border, but said that as long as human trafficking persists, drugs and people will continue to flow into the country unchecked.

Asked about environmental policy — including Edwards’ failure to deliver adequate funding for the state’s National Parks and National Forests — Smith said he didn’t yet have a clear position on every proposal but stressed the importance of protecting the mountains that drive much of Western North Carolina’s economy.

He also addressed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ recent vote to legalize cannabis. Edwards threatened the tribe’s sovereignty by saying he’d withhold federal highway funding after enrolled members voted overwhelmingly to allow for both medical and recreational cannabis sales on the Qualla Boundary. Few members of Congress have to balance the interests of their districts with those of a sovereign indigenous government within their districts, but it’s a major issue in North Carolina’s 11th, where casino revenue has made the tribe an economic powerhouse vital to the region. Smith said he wouldn’t act in the same way Edwards has.

“I would say, ‘Congratulations, you utilized your constitutional right as a sovereign nation within the United States in order to pass a bill and a law that you thought was in the best interest of your people,’” he said.

As far as the federal rescheduling of cannabis, Smith said he’d be willing to have that discussion only after careful

all of these potential modalities of intervention work, why are we not dedicating an effort, especially through the VA and the VA process, to say these are proven, that they work, and implement them in the modalities that have been proven to work?”

Although Smith is obviously not the famed 18th century Scottish economist, philosopher and free-market icon of the same name, he does have what he thinks is an innovative solution to some of the most pressing fiscal concerns the federal government faces today — the deficit, and the solvency of Social Security, concepts Edwards has refused to discuss with SMN over the past three years.

It’s something along the lines of the war bonds utilized during World War II.

Citing $17 trillion of U.S. investor dollars currently overseas, Smith said incentivizing those dollars to come back to the U.S. through a tax-deductible bond that gains interest would be a top priority. Bonds would be transferrable only to American citizens and would not be subject to taxes upon maturation. Revenue from the bonds could only be used to reduce the nation’s $34 trillion deficit to a healthier level. After that, the bond revenue could only be used to bolster Social Security.

Smith was blunt about foreign policy. He said he would have preferred the United States not become involved in Ukraine and criticized both NATO and the Biden administration for allowing the conflict to escalate. He questioned why billions are being spent overseas while communities in Western North Carolina still wait for disaster aid. His answer on U.S. involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was similar,

On his ability to raise the money needed to run a congressional campaign, Smith acknowledged the importance of fundraising but said he would align only with political action committees that shared his values, including veterans’ groups. But for Smith, the campaign is about more than politics.

“When my daughter, four-and-a-half years old, is 20, what have I done to give her a community, a society and a country to step into for her to be successful?” he said. “If I continue to sit on the sidelines, and I don’t demand change by those who are supposed to represent us and do it in a way that’s not just conducive to success, but demands American exceptionalism — because that’s what this is — not only did not do my part, but how can I ever complain about the results?”

Smith’s entry into the race could present an unsolvable math problem for Edwards; in 2024, Edwards’ primary opponent Christian Reagan walked away with an astonishing 31% of the vote while raising less than $60,000. Reagan’s tally suggests a significant lack of enthusiasm for Edwards among 11th District Republicans. As of Sept. 21, Reagan told SMN he was still “strongly considering” another run after witnessing the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10. In North Carolina, first-place candidates who do not receive at least 30% of the vote are subject to a runoff with the second-place finisher.

Democrats, meanwhile, have been lining up to run against Edwards, who they feel is vulnerable. At least five candidates have expressed interest in acquiring the Dem nomination, especially after the Cook Political Report downgraded the district from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican.” Several of the Dem candidates have been campaigning for months.

The candidate filing period begins on Monday, Dec. 1. The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The observances will culminate in a remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, on the steps of the historic Haywood County Courthouse — almost exactly one year to the hour during which the catastrophic storm thrashed the region. Officials say the gathering will provide a solemn moment to honor the lives lost, reflect on the community’s resilience and acknowledge the progress still to be made.

$50 million grant program to help Helene recovery

NC Governor Josh Stein announced the launch of a new $50 million state-funded grant program to support local governments in their recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. The Office of State Budget and Management will administer these Helene Local Government Capital Grants to repair, renovate or replace infrastructure damaged by the hurricane. The grant program is open to units of local government and federally recognized tribes with capital improvement needs created by Hurricane Helene. Eligible projects must be in FEMA-designated areas for Hurricane Helene and must have been denied FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement. Grant award amounts will be based on statutory caps per recipient and county.

The deadline for eligible local governments and federally recognized tribes to apply is Nov. 21.

Wreaths Across America returns to Greenhill Cemetery

Greenhill Cemetery will once again take part in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a national observance that began in 1992 and has grown each year as more cemeteries across the country join in the effort to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of American veterans. This year’s wreath laying at Greenhill Cemetery will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. The public is invited to attend and help honor local veterans. Wreath sponsorships are $17 and may be made online at wreathsacrossamerica.org or by calling 877.385.9504. Donors should use group fundraising code NC0081 when ordering. The deadline for sponsorships is Nov. 21. The previous option of sponsoring two wreaths with a third provided at no cost is no longer available. For more information, email p31s8@aol.com.

A look back

Haywood County Fair

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS + E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

When it comes to the rich, vibrant history of Haywood County Fair, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone as passionate and knowledgeable on the subject as Alex McKay.

“I think what people here now take for granted is that, for so long, Haywood County was farming and agriculture,” McKay said. “And a lot of that is physically disappearing.”

Sitting in Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Waynesville one recent morning, McKay sips his cup and flips through historical photos of the Haywood County Fair.

“My family has been here for so many generations,” McKay said. “And I grew up with all of those stories about everything that’s happened here. I cared and I listened to the stories. It meant something to me.”

Over the years, he’s been able to track down and collect the priceless images. For McKay, whose family goes back seven generations in Haywood County, farming is a deep symbol of pride for his family.

“My people were mountain people. We were farmers,” McKay said. “My grandparents were big producers at the tailgate market back when it was on Main Street [in Waynesville]. We did beans, corn, peppers and tomatoes, all kinds of varieties.”

McKay grew up around farming, with the fair being the one anchor point of the year for the entire local agricultural community. Beyond the produce entries in the competitions, McKay also retains fond memories of his mother and grandmother entering the quilt contests.

learn new techniques, and new equipment would be shown.”

The first Haywood County Fair, which took place in 1905, was held in a large field off Sulphur Springs Road in Waynesville.

Beyond the exhibition tents, vendors and activities, there was also a horse racing track (where betting was allowed) and an elaborate parade that went around town.

“People would bring Revolutionary War relics and Civil War relics,” McKay said. “But, the biggest part of the early fairs were the new innovations that came to the mountains for the first time.”

Of those new inventions presented to the general public in our region included the first car and first airplane (which was brought to the fair by train) to be seen in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Locals even got to ride in the car, which would have been a surreal experience for those used to horseback or simply walking to get somewhere.

And yet, the wildest spectacle was the balloon ascension in 1908 and 1909. With a professional inside the balloon, it would ascend upwards of 3,000 feet into the sky above the fairgrounds, only to purposely explode, with the demonstrator parachuting back to earth.

“[The demonstrator] popped [the balloon] and parachuted down,” McKay shook his head in awe. “And back then, I can’t even imagine how primitive the parachutes were.”

“Everyone looked forward to the fair, especially the farmers,” McKay said. “They’d

According to McKay, the balloon demonstration was apparently done every single day of the fair when it was showcased.

“It’d be wonderful [today] to see a balloon go up 3,000 feet and have a guy jump out of it,” McKay said, chuckling.

Throughout the early decades of the fair, there were many gaps in when it actually occurred and was able to happen. Between

Want to go?

The Haywood County Fair returns Sept. 25-28

• Thursday, Sept. 25 — 5-10 p.m.

• Friday, Sept. 26 — 5-10 p.m.

• Saturday, Sept. 27 — 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

• Sunday, Sept. 28 — 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Location: Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville.

Admission: Adults $8/day, Ages 6-12 $6/day, under 5 free.

Tickets: Cash only, sold at gate.

World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression and so forth, the fair would take a backseat to pressing matters of the day.

But, by the mid-1930s, the fair returned, this time taking place near the Waynesville Country Club. For many decades, there were livestock shows that would hold the place of the fair.

“The fair is the whole county’s history, and it brought people together,” McKay noted. “Back in the early days, people didn’t leave the mountains very much, so the fair was the biggest thing that happened right here.”

The modern-day version as we know it would not be set in place until the early 1990s when the fairgrounds (now Smoky Mountain Event Center) was constructed. Since then, the fair has remained a beloved annual tradition for locals and visitors alike, with the gathering currently celebrating its 120th anniversary.

“The fair will always bring us together,” McKay said.

With Marshall slowly reopening, where to from here?

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

The first time I saw Josh Copus post-Hurricane Helene was when I was allowed, as a journalist, to mosey on into downtown Marshall and scope out the absolute destruction of the small mountain town for myself. This was in the depths of last winter. The silence of the season and the lingering remnants of the devastation conjured on Sept. 27, 2024, was still real and daunting.

Even though some time had passed since the floodwaters of Helene bulldozed through the tiny community, the streets remained covered in mud, now just dried out layers of dust and debris. Dust clouds, to be honest, especially when the military vehicles passed through en route to another building they were assigned to tear down to the studs and help slowly rebuild.

And there was Copus, owner of the Old Marshall Jail, standing in the middle of an empty Main Street, covered head-to-toe in mud, paint, grease or whatever else he had dove into in helping his community return from the brink of collapse. A prized lodging, culinary and live music venue, the jail sits on the banks of the mighty French Broad River. Following Helene, it took several months until the jail and other nearby businesses were able to reopen.

“When we reopened the jail after the flood, everyone asked me if I was so excited and, if I’m being honest, that’s not the adjective I would use to describe my feelings,” Copus said. “I think, more than anything, I was just relieved and, honestly, I was just really tired.”

It was early May when the town started to feel some sense of normalcy again. Beyond the jail turning the lights back on, so did the beloved Zuma Coffee on the corner of Main Street and Baileys Branch Road. Further down Main, Mal’s, a popular honky-tonk bar served its first drinks since Helene.

“So many people told me how happy they were just to be having a burger and a beer by the river,” Copus said. “And how important it was to do simple things like that, that we used to all the time and the flood deprived us of.”

The air swirling around the community was filled with the sounds of buzz-saws, hammers and construction vehicles — loud noises that signal recovery and progress, far better than the silence of defeat and desertion. At one point, local storytelling legend Sheila Kay Adams walked into the jail and sang an old-time mountain ballad atop a pile of debris to offer a sense of hope.

“I remember in that moment thinking, ‘That is what I’m

which is located on Main Street, Johnson remains at the helm of a nonprofit organization still in limbo a year after Helene.

“Each time I went back into downtown Marshall after the storm it was depressing and dark. There were times where I wouldn’t encounter another person, and those were rough,” Johnson said. “But, each time I was in Marshall and was able to connect with someone, it was tough but also joyful and nourishing —  I knew we could do it together.”

Even though the MCAC has been able to continue its operations at various spaces around the area, it still hasn’t returned to its headquarters with ongoing renovations and fundraising efforts continuing.

“About a month after the storm, someone asked me if MCAC was still going to offer a program. And I said that we have to do what we do, especially as an arts-based nonprofit. If we don’t produce arts-based programming, why do we even exist?” Johnson said. “It was a comfort and a mandate for me to quickly assess what we could pull off and to make it happen, because the community relies on us — the processes of art, reflection, and creativity were more needed for our folks than at any other time in their lives.”

MCAC Program Director Erich Hubner retains similar sentiments.

trying to communicate,’” Copus said. “Our building was filled with toxic water, and we replaced it with song. It certainly helped me heal. And I think it helped the musicians heal — I hope it helps the rest of the world heal.”

To note, there’s a longtime flood gauge bolted to the side of the jail. It was placed there following the horrendous 1916 flood that overtook Marshall. The 1916 floodline was 23 feet, 9 inches, with Helene hitting 27 feet, 4 inches.

“Every building you looked at [in downtown Marshall] was a new heartache, realizing that something you loved before either didn’t exist anymore or would be forever changed,” said Brandon Johnson. “I remember feeling like I was in a post-apocalyptic novel with no power, roads blocked and flood waters higher than anyone living had ever seen.”

Executive director of the Madison County Arts Council,

“I see the strength of our community. To hone in on the creative community, we have an amazing network of creators and venues here,” Hubner said. “Music, performance and creative expression have been both calming and a source of strength and resistance to the darkness.”

For Hubner, the biggest takeaway has been this true sense of community and camaraderie that was conjured in the aftermath of Helene. Although folks in Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia are well-known for their hospitality and a tightly-knit sense of place, what Hubner — and many of us who call these mountains home — witnessed was the essence of humanity.

“[It’s] the importance of community, caring, sharing, and bearing witness to the lives of those around us,” Hubner said. “We are all in this together, down the street and around the world. Let’s try to move with love and compassion in every way that we can.”

“[Helene showed us] how much we need each other. The storm put us all in a place where we had to rely on neighbors and had to be there for our neighbors,” Johnson added. “The beauty in that was talking to people. Asking for and giving help and resources. We all had a sense of investment and responsibility in one another.”

Downtown Marshall following Hurricane Helene.

Garret K. Woodward photo

Garret K. Woodward photo Garret K. Woodward photo

Post-Helene, Clyde church still serving free meals

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

Accessorized with purple-rimmed glasses, dangly beaded earrings and a well-worn Café Du Monde apron, Denise Teague brings the humility and unwavering tenacity needed to sustain Clyde United Methodist Church’s community kitchen since the earliest days following Hurricane Helene. Day in and day out, Teague — often alongside her daughter, Amanda, and church groups or other community members — prepares and serves meals, loads and washes dishes and does the heavy labor of keeping this entirely volunteer-run enterprise afloat.

Teague runs a regional engineering firm with her husband and works as its finance manager. She didn’t have much work in the immediate weeks following the hurricane; her clients were also recovering from the storm. But as she spent more time at the CUMC kitchen, Teague and her husband began discussing transitioning her out of the finance role. She’s currently in that process.

Teague said working in the kitchen feels like what she was “called to do.”

She also recognizes that one year after Helene, local need continues, but there are few rplaces to turn.

The Canton Community Kitchen flooded during the storm and has not announced plans to reopen. Instead, the Pathways food truck serves meals — free of cost or sliding scale — once per week at its former location.

Then there’s the CUMC meal service, open nearly every day and serving hot food buffet-style, both dine-in and to-go. Other than these services, Teague said, “there’s not another organization that’s feeding people [meals] currently in Clyde and in Canton.”

Kathy Garren accounts for one of the 173 meals the CUMC kitchen distributes, on average, between its 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. operating hours, no questions asked. She tries to visit as much as possible for a free plate.

“Sometimes I don’t get down here, but I’m here about every day … I’m on disability. I don’t get that much [from disability services],” Garren said.

Rather than taking her food to-go, Garren’s chosen to eat in the “dining room,” otherwise known as the church’s fellowship hall. Every table in the hall has a tablecloth and centerpiece: a small vase filled with colorful flowers. According to

Teague, it’s all part of an effort to make the place seem a little more like home.

Volunteers at the kitchen even brought out reusable dishes for anyone dining in — in place of throwaway plates and silverware — as soon as CUMC had potable water.

“That provided the feeling of, ‘This is stable. This is steady,’” Teague said.

There’s also the community built when people gather to eat.

“I know most of [the people that] comes here, like Richard,” Garren said, pointing at a man making friendly conversation at an adjacent table.

Garren added that the space is an important social outlet for those who might not have anyone to talk to, like unhoused individuals. Many Clyde residents had their homes washed away during Helene. And not all have since recovered.

“You drive down the street and everything is perfectly normal, and then you go on a back street back there, and there are people living in half houses,” Teague told The Smoky Mountain News.

“I’ve never seen it this bad [as during Helene]… But this place has been a blessing,” Garren said.

CUMC ORIGIN STORY

Teague said CUMC initially served as a drop-off site for Hurricane Helene water rescues. The rescued person would stay at the church awaiting their transfer to a Red Cross facility. At the height of the flooding, Swiftwater Rescue boats arrived at the top of the church’s front flight of steps. All at the church were stranded by that point, a condition that, luckily, didn’t last.

“The thing about mountain waters: they come in fast, and they leave fast,” Teague said.

The church quickly became a depository for all kinds of supplies, so volunteers set up a distribution site — sans water and electricity — beginning that Saturday during the storm.

Teague said that though she’s not a member of the CUMC congregation, she leads a Girl Scout Troop there. Having heard about greater need in the Clyde area, early that Sunday, she and her husband set off for the church.

CUMC had another new visitor that day: an Asheville-based chef. The chef’s apartment had been destroyed, and his restaurant had been destroyed, and things were chaotic in Asheville.

“So he started walking west, and he walked all the way here,” Teague said.

The church still had no electricity, but there was one propane stove, and the chef was eager to help. Volunteers made spaghetti and sandwiches that afternoon, Teague recalled.

But CUMC wasn’t done receiving guests. Along came the firefighters — whose neighboring command center had been badly damaged — seeking a place to stay.

“We started being able to cook, and from there, it just happened.”

— Denise Teague

“They moved in … They had their command center right outside this [fellowship hall] door,” Teague said, adding that the firefighters brought the internet with them. Another perk: because first responders were prioritized by the power grid, the church got electricity on Sunday afternoon.

“We started being able to cook, and from there, it just happened,” Teague said.

Folks came to help from churches all over the area, and by Monday, she said, “there were probably 15 volunteers.”

Denise Teague has been serving food at the church ever since.

ONE YEAR LATER

Countless groups jumped in to help with flood recovery during the few months after Helene, so Teague said at first, the kitchen sustained 100 meals per day. This effort was aided by a string of connections that led all the way to Raleigh and Big Ed’s restaurant.

“I could order anything I needed to through the restaurant, and it would be shipped here, and they would pay for it from October until January,” Teague recounted.

Demand, however, began increasing as early as February — at an average of 10 meals per month.

“We’re doing probably about 170 [meals] right now. Yesterday, we served 195. We’ve had some days where we’ve hit over 200 in August,” she said.

Now, the majority of CUMC food is supplied by the Haywood Christian Ministries “waste stream,” which Teague described as “right before it goes to the farmers to feed their pigs.”

The contents of the “waste stream” depend on what is donated to HCM — and what it gets from MANNA Foodbank. Sometimes it’s cakes from Ingles or Walmart. Sometimes it’s potatoes and beef broth. Teague said she uses donated funds mostly to buy dairy products, to-go products, and sugar.

“Sugar is never donated,” she said with a chuckle.

As for volunteers, the CUMC kitchen prefers to have four or more present at any given time, a benchmark easily met throughout the summer with frequent visits from travelling church youth groups. Now that school is back in session, that help is less frequent.

Other groups still send staff Teague said, but she described one of the kitchen’s largest challenges as “coordinating volunteers and getting enough volunteers to be able to sustain [it],” especially as there are no paid positions. Securing future funding is also a work in progress.

“There are still some funds available, and we’re looking at grant funds and what will happen next,” she said.

Still, Teague isn’t sure what the kitchen looks like longterm. Even her own commitment to working there has been an in-the-moment decision.

“You asked, ‘When did I decide [to keep working here]?’ Teague told SMN. “Well, they would go, ‘We’re gonna stay open another month. Are you okay with that?’ And I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I could do that.’”

(From left) Brant Grant, Jesse Young, Denise Teague, Amanda Teague and Jeana Brown serve meals at Clyde United Methodist Church. Lily Levin photo

One year later, towns still wait for Helene relief

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT

Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, the federal government still hasn’t delivered on the money it promised to local governments. With the one-year anniversary looming, towns and counties say most of their needs remain unmet, forcing them back to Washington yet again, to beg for help.

Led by the American Flood Coalition, multiple delegations of Western North Carolina leaders have been meeting with FEMA officials, members of Congress and senators in an ongoing effort to pry loose funds that leaders say are stuck in bureaucratic purgatory.

“This is my third, maybe my fourth trip to D.C. for flooding-related stuff,” said Brandon Rogers, vice chair of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. As it turns out, it was indeed Rogers’ fourth trip to the nation’s capital — including one after Tropical Storm Fred in 2021.

Rogers was accompanied by a bipartisan delegation that included Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett, Waynesville Town Council member Anthony Sutton and Madison County Commission Chair Matt Wechtel.

“We just want to make sure that Western North Carolina doesn’t fall through the

Local leaders (left to

Matt Wechtel,

ber later dropped after joining a state debris removal program.

“We’ve got around $87 million worth of projects countywide right now, and so far, we’ve received $2.2 million. That includes the county and both Marshall and Hot Springs,” he said.

Of 61 projects in Madison County, 24 remain stuck at the local level and aren’t even in FEMA’s portal. Another 22, worth a combined $44 million, are pending review and obligation. A handful of small, “lowhanging fruit” projects were funded, but the bulk of the big-ticket items remain unresolved.

“The victories have been few and far between,” Wechtel said.

“We’ve

dredging operations on the lake, removing more than a million tons of debris. While Pritchett expressed gratitude for that work, she said the real test will come when it’s time to replace essential infrastructure.

“It is critical that we get funding for these projects in the near future,” she said.

Local leaders say FEMA’s processes are bogging everything down. Projects over $100,000 require sign-off from the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. That bottleneck, combined with repetitive requests for information, has left towns mired in uncertainty.

got around $87 million worth of projects countywide right now, and so far, we’ve received $2.2 million. That includes the county and both Marshall and Hot Springs.”

— Matt Wechtel, Madison County Commission Chair

Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett echoed those frustrations. She said the town had received just $2.8 million for reimbursement of bills incurred in the first three weeks after the storm.

“We finally received that in May,” she said. “We have our larger projects — the dam, which is probably anywhere between $150 and $200 million; the wastewater treatment plant; about $40 million; the subaqueous sewer system, probably another $100 million. We still have not just not gotten the

“We submitted these projects, and then they keep getting these RFIs kicked back. They’re duplicative. Some of the questions are repetitive and redundant,” Wechtel said.

Pritchett pointed to an absurd example involving marinas destroyed by Helene. The Army Corps ordered them moved to clear debris, but when Lake Lure later applied for reimbursement, FEMA questioned whether the damage had occurred during the storm or during the move.

Waynesville Town Council member Anthony Sutton said his town spent $380,000 out-of-pocket to F

right)

chair of the Madison County Board of Commissioners; Carol Pritchett, mayor of Lake Lure; Anthony Sutton, Waynesville Town Council member; and Brandon Rogers, vice chair of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners join Tony McEwen, Carolinas director of the American Flood Coalition in Washington, D.C. American Flood Coalition photo

repair the Depot Street bridge — equal to two cents on the

— and has yet to be reimbursed.

“That would be very detrimental to our constituents if they had to pay that out of pocket,” Sutton said.

He said FEMA officials acknowledged the problem but acknowledged that “committed” money is not the same as cash in hand.

“Until the money is in the bank, I won’t have any relief,” Sutton said.

Sutton warned that the delay has real consequences. While day-to-day town operations are currently stable, a reduced fund

“It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon, and it’s going to take a lot of time before everything gets back to normal, if everything ever does get back to normal,” Wechtel said.

In a meeting of Haywood County commissioners last week, Finance Director Kristian Owen told commissioners the county had received just 4% of the $15.8 million it’s owed.

The unpaid balance, Rogers said, was equivalent to about 15 cents on the county’s 55-cent property tax rate; he told FEMA Director of Public Assistance Robert Pesapane that despite the county’s healthy

Local leaders say FEMA’s processes are bogging everything down. Projects over $100,000 require sign-off from the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. That bottleneck, combined with repetitive requests for information, has left towns mired in uncertainty.

balance could hurt the town’s ability to respond to disasters or to borrow in the future.

“If we’d had an instance where we had to go get a loan, it may increase our interest rate,” he said.

And the stress is taking its toll on town staff, who now have to become experts on confusing and sometimes contradictory FEMA processes.

“Everyone is exhausted,” Sutton said. “If it happens again, I don’t know what we would do.”

Both Wechtel and Pritchett said the system should mirror how federal COVID relief money was distributed. Counties and municipalities received funds directly, then were held accountable afterward.

“The model is already there,” Wechtel said. “We need that same kind of trust with this. Push some money out on the front end, let us heal our fund balances and get some of these projects moving along. Hold us accountable on the back end, and we’ll prove to you that we’ll be good stewards of the money.”

Pritchett agreed, adding that certain expenses should be covered immediately without delay.

fund balance, it leaves the county in a precarious financial position.

“We’re the only ones that have to have a balanced budget every year, where the federal government, the state government, they don’t have to,” Rogers said. “I don’t mean to throw rocks, but I am.”

Rogers also said he was prepared to throw more than just rocks.

“I actually told [Pesapane], ‘I come in here wanting to pop you on the chin, but you’re too much of a likable guy and seem like you want to fix things,’ and he really did,” Rogers said. “He seemed like a type of guy that cares and he is trying to fix things.”

He also expressed concern about how competitive grant funding opportunities pit one storm-stricken local government against another — in theory, Haywood’s win could be some other community’s loss, or vice versa.

“We’re the only ones that have to have a balanced budget every year, where the federal government, the state

government,

they

don’t have to,” Rogers said. “I

don’t mean to throw

rocks, but

I am.”

—

Brandon Rogers, Vice Chair, Haywood County Board of Commissioners

“Some of this money needs to be dispersed in a more efficient manner, because there simply is just a limit as to how long little towns can last,” she said.

The delegation met with members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. Gov. Josh Stein also lobbied federal officials, seeking $13.5 billion for Helene recovery.

But even if Congress acts, local leaders say the damage estimates are so massive that the process will drag on for years.

Overall, Rogers is again optimistic that AFC’s western delegation was heard in the hallowed halls of Washington, but as has been said many times before, disaster-affected counties in Western North Carolina will have to do what they’ve always done — lean on each other and help themselves.

“This is the second storm in such a short amount of time, with the mill closing as another big slap in the face, but Haywood County as a whole has pulled together unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Rogers said. “It means a lot, just the folks that we have here in our county, I’m talking about our constituents and neighbors that pulled together, the minute the rain stopped, to start helping one another. We do have a very resilient county, and I’m pretty proud of that.”

AREA’S BEST BURGER

Learning lessons to save lives

Haywood County looks back at Helene, Fred to plan for the next disaster

BY KYLE PERROTTI

N EWS E DITOR

Hurricane Helene may not have been so devastating for Western North Carolina were it not for the half foot of rain that dumped on the region just ahead of Sept. 27, 2024. Getting ahead of what promised to be a monumental disaster, on the afternoon of Sept. 26, only about 12 hours before flooding began in some WNC communities, the National Weather Service office in upstate South Carolina issued the following statement:

“CATASTROPHIC FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS FROM HURRICANE HELENE … This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era.”

Zack Koonce clocked in the night of Wednesday, Sept. 25, and monitored the ongoing heavy rainfall, thinking about how soggy the ground would be ahead of Helene. Koonce is Haywood County’s Emergency Management Officer. Having been through Tropical Storm Fred, which tore through the county and claimed six lives in Cruso, east of Canton, he thought he had some idea of what may lie ahead.

The next day, Haywood County’s

Emergency Operations Center was established at the sheriff’s office. Koonce served as the nighttime manager for the EOC, working 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. throughout the initial search, rescue and recovery operations.

Leading up to the storm, Koonce and others worked to stage personnel and resources, anticipating that parts of the county may be cut off from responders once flooding begins, such as Cruso and Bethel in Eastern Haywood County. While those early plans assumed that flooding would begin in that area based on what happened during Fred, before dawn on Friday, the first creeks to slip their banks were Richland Creek and Browning Branch in Waynesville, and evacuations and rescues began in those areas a few hours before dawn.

CALLING IN THE CAVALRY

While Haywood County’s plan was indeed solid, no battle plan survives contact with enemy.

“It’s like Mike Tyson said,” Koonce stated with an ironic chuckle, “‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’”

As forecasts painted an increasingly grim picture of what Helene would do to WNC, the state sent out a notice seeking emergency responders to deploy to the region. Tommy Batson happily put his name on the list and got the green light. Wednesday night, Batson and his team rolled into the Lake Junaluska F

Canton aftermath-county (Main image): Following Helene, many Western North Carolina communities looked more like bombed-out warzones. Haywood County photo

The predecessor rain event set the region up for Helene to cause catastrophic flooding. NOAA.gov/CW3E graphic

Conference and Retreat Center, his home for the next two weeks.

Batson, 44, is Pender County’s Emergency Management Director. He also serves as an incident commander, meaning he deploys to disaster areas and takes over certain logistical operations. He told The Smoky Mountain News that he’s likely deployed over a hundred times for everything from floods to wildfires to search and rescue operations.

His 16-person team was one of the first groups to arrive in Haywood County ahead of Helene. His job was to work with County Manager Bryant Morehead — who told SMN that Batson went above and beyond throughout the deployment — and local emergency management personnel to organize resources and stay on top of the paperwork that proves so valuable once it comes time for things like reimbursements.

Each morning, Batson’s team mustered around 6 a.m., ahead of the 7 o’clock brief at Lake Junaluska, where hundreds of responders got a hot breakfast, loaded up on coffee and grabbed bagged lunches before heading out for a long day. Around dusk, the team would return and set plan of action for the next day. The final task, before turning in around 10 p.m., was to button up the last of the paperwork to ensure the team didn’t fall behind.

As difficult as the operational tempo was for the two weeks Batson was in Haywood, he said that Lake Junaluska’s hospitality made things easier. Each person on the incident management team had a golf cart to get around the lake, so they didn’t have to worry about parking or access during those busy days. But that wasn’t all.

“The staff at Lake Junaluska made it the best,” he said. “It was like going to Disney World.”

“There’s no place in the country that I deployed that had better hospitality,” he added.

Those who worked with Batson all had praise for him and his team. Part of that success may go back to the strength of relationships he has with Haywood County’s emergency responders. In 2016, 2019 and 2022, he helped host incident management team academies at Lake Junaluska alongside Koonce and others. He said that well before Helene, he had strong bonds with Koonce and several other Haywood emergency responders.

Operations Center, other agencies and local fire departments. While those experiences have all informed his response to hurricanes, it was 2021 with Tropical Storm Fred where the hardest and most valuable lessons were learned.

“I got to see what [disaster response] looks like on a larger scale, where we see how resources are ordered, how to manage them, how to track them and how to coordinate information,” Koonce said.

Morehead, Haywood’s county manager, considered what was learned from the experience with Fred in August 2021. Wise advice for any government body regardless of the impending crisis is to maintain financial preparedness, he posited.

“Recovery takes months and years, and as a county government, we have to maintain a healthy fund balance,” he said. “That ‘savings account’ allows us to sustain recovery operations while still meeting the day-to-day needs of our residents. Without that foundation, our ability to respond and rebuild would be severely limited.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Anyone who’s been to the annual county clash football game between Pisgah and Tuscola high schools knows that the crowd is so large that cell phone signals become unreliable. Following the 2023 rivalry game, emergency management leadership thought responding to an incident at the stadium could be tricky due to that cell tower overload, so they purchased a Starlink, thinking it could also be used for search and rescue operations in areas with poor cell signals.

Little did they know, Starlink would be crucial once the mobile service providers, one by one, failed across Haywood County, less than a year later during Helene. The night before Helene, they drug the Starlink out of storage and made sure it was updated and ready to go. It proved crucial to maintaining an internet connection at the EOC.

“That was a lifesaver,” Koonce said.

Losing mobile communication was also a unique challenge for Batson. Where messages could normally be shared with the click of a button, his team had to leave sticky notes at fire departments for emergency responders, and municipal and community buildings for residents.

“I think anyone that responded to Western North Carolina learned that you need to be prepared to not have cell phone, not to have running water, not to have sewer,” he said.

As Helene neared, the public information officers for Haywood County EMS, Allison Richmond; Haywood County Government, Dillon Huffman and the sheriff’s office, Gina Zachary, considered how best to maintain communications with the public. The trio worked together, considering the whole time how to optimize their individual strengths and determine who should take which tasks.

Koonce said Batson and his team provided invaluable support throughout the storm response and considers that one of the greatest lessons other governments and agencies can take away is how vital those teams are. With those teams focusing on logistics and certain elements of the response, the EOC can focus on communication and supporting immediate community needs.

LOOKING BACK TO FRED

Like Batson, Koonce has deployed to disasters around the state, including during Florence in 2018. However, his experience with severe storms goes back even further. Growing up in Jones County, his family endured Hurricanes Bertha and Fran in 1996.

“During Fran, the roof came off of our house while we were in it,” Koonce said.

This experience helped inspire Koonce to become a first responder. He knows the feeling of desperation one feels when a disaster upends their life, and he wants to be part of a team that begins to set things right.

During Florence in 2018, Koonce said he learned what coordination should look like between an Emergency

Along with feeling like he had a better grasp on what to do, Morehead was happy to see other county staffers more confident in their response. Several responders from outside the county took note. Even Batson considered that Haywood was more prepared to respond than surrounding counties, likely due to that experience in 2021.

“Overall, Fred taught us where the gaps were, and Helene showed how much stronger we had become by applying those lessons,” Morehead said.

Haywood County began holding daily meetings the Monday before the storm, during which they’d receive briefings from the National Weather Service, which proved to be accurate even early on. The outlook was grim, and the counties across the region began requesting assistance. Teams came into Haywood from around the state and beyond, including Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Texas and Wisconsin.

While the extreme flooding in Cruso following Fred was the result of an unexpected cloud burst, there was time to think about Helene before it arrived. Koonce said that a lesson applied from Fred, thanks to the lead time before Helene hit the area, was calling in some of those resources like Batson’s team and others days ahead of time.

“We focused specifically on bringing outside resources, knowing that we were most likely going to have our capabilities exceeded here in the county,” Koonce said.

While Richmond had been through Fred in her current role, Huffman and Zachary hadn’t. Although Huffman has experience with crisis communications, he said he’d never seen anything like an EOC, through which all the information flows — lives saved, lives lost, successes, failures and miracles. While Huffman had been told what to expect and how an EOC operates, seeing the real thing was simply different. He said he was most impressed by the hive-like nature. Everyone knew their job and did it, working tirelessly to keep the EOC humming.

Richmond said that Helene was, in many senses, déjà vu. However, amid all the differences in size and scope and scale, one thing really sticks out — losing those mobile communications. However, though she hadn’t experienced such a challenge on a wide scale during Fred, some people in Cruso had lost cell signal, so she knew she should come up with a plan for the worst-case communications scenario.

“That was the whole reason why we had that conversation with the radio stations and had kind of a plan for establishing that as a backup option before the storm,” she said.

About a year after Fred, Richmond approached Terryll Evans, who owns the Canton radio station WPTL. They came up with a plan where the radio station could broadcast messages to anyone with a working radio in the event of a disaster that renders landlines and cell phones moot. That time came during Helene.

Hundreds of responders mustered for several mornings in a row to eat breakfast and receive their briefings. Kyle Perrotti photo

Although the plan required some quick work to get a propane generator up to WPTL’s FM repeater on Chambers Mountain, once that was done, the Canton station provided information to residents desperate for a reliable source.

But more methods of communication were needed. When internet services went down, there was fear that Facebook posts wouldn’t reach their intended audience, so Huffman, Zachary and Richmond printed newsletters and had runners take them to different communities.

“You just have to realize, this may not be working in the moment, so let’s pivot to something else,” Huffman said. “Let’s put it on Facebook, but not everybody is on Facebook, so let’s put it on a billboard. Not everyone can go see that billboard? Let’s pass out flyers. Do one in English, one in Spanish.”

Basically, it boils down to trying as many different methods as possible to create the widest most diverse reach.

“Helene showed us just how important it is to have backup systems when modern communication fails,” Morehead said.

HARD WORK REWARDED

ironic grin from Richmond, who said she was thrilled to get the award but also remarked that Facebook was ultimately a small part of a much larger communications strategy. The award was given by NC3C, the state association of city and

release issued at the time, “exemplify dedication, courage and commitment to their communities.”

Koonce’s award was not only a reflection of commitment to the Hurricane Helene recovery effort but also his larger role in Haywood County over his years of service. In the release, he said he was honored to receive the award but added that it is really the result of a team effort.

“To have your peers … acknowledge that you did a good job is pretty cool,” Huffman said.

Richmond, Huffman and Zachary brought home a statewide award for their use of Facebook to get crucial information out during a disaster, something that prompts an

For his efforts, Koonce was a 2025 recipient of the Heroic Hands Award, presented by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. The award recognizes outstanding public servants who, according to a press

“I’m proud to serve alongside such dedicated professionals — not only within Haywood County Emergency Services but also across all departments in Haywood County Government like Facilities and Maintenance, Information Technology, Development Services, the Library, Health and Human Services and County Administration — who all care deeply about the safety, well-being, and quality of life in our community,” he said at the time.

“Zack Koonce exemplifies what public service is all about,” Morehead said in the release. “His impact can’t be measured by a single event — he is constantly working behind the scenes to make sure Haywood County is safe, prepared and supported. We are grateful to have him on our team, and I’m proud to see his contributions recognized at the state level.”

Furthermore, Morehead told SMN that he had high praise for all county EMS, an agency that managed a surge of 911 calls and maintained “clear triage and rapid deployment,” all while also supporting shelter operations and conducting welfare checks. He added that the Sheriff’s Office provided “the backbone of public F

Koonce receives his citation from Haywood County Commissioner Tommy Long. Haywood County photo

safety in the field” by managing road closures and traffic control and assisting with evacuations and welfare checks.

“In short, both agencies delivered calm, disciplined and compassionate service under intense conditions. Their coordination, readiness, and steady presence made a measurable difference in those critical hours and the first days of recovery,” Morehead said.

Likewise, Batson had high praise for the men and women he worked with during his two weeks in Haywood County.

“They put their personal lives to the side, and they go to work to get the things done that need to be done,” he said. “They plan ahead, but they’re not scared to pick up the phone and call for help if they think they need it.”

THE NEXT STORM

A key element of the response that everyone interviewed for this story eagerly discussed was the importance of community relationships, including those with municipal officials, faith-based organizations and nonprofits. Morehead said that when it came to Helene, there were too many to name them all, but a couple of specific ones still came to mind.

“Mountain Projects and United Way were able to keep their operations going — doing payroll from our facility — because we had Starlink in place,” he said, adding that those organizations played key roles in meeting immediate community needs. “That experience showed us how vital it is to not just respond in the moment but to build those connections and systems during bluesky days, when there’s time to plan, coordinate and strengthen partnerships.”

Those relationships will again make the difference when the next crisis comes, Morehead said.

“When you combine financial readiness with strong community relationships — whether with churches, schools, nonprofits or local media — you build a system that can weather even the hardest days,” he said.

There are other proactive measures being taken in Haywood County to enhance preparedness next time there’s catastrophic

flooding. Following Fred, Haywood County received state grant funding to install 18 warning sirens across vulnerable parts of the county that will sound ahead of imminent flooding.

Having those sirens can make all the difference. As reported by national media outlets, during the devastating flooding of Guadalupe River in Texas, some areas saw lives saved due to sirens while others without ample warning systems suffered heartbreaking losses of life.

The siren arrays in Haywood will sit atop poles and will feature multiple speakers configured specifically for each site to maximize range. They will be placed in areas prone to serious flooding where cell signals may be spottier and people may not receive warnings on their phones, such as Lake Logan and Cruso.

Initially, the sirens will be controlled manually, but the goal is that they will be tied into nearby river gauges.

“Especially in an event like Fred where we didn’t have as much warning time, they could have made a difference for people who were outside of good cell coverage,” Richmond said.

If a person hears a siren, Richmond said their only action should be to seek higher ground immediately.

“It isn’t the time to get into the car or pack bags,” Richmond said. “Move yourself physically to safe ground.”

The poles for the sirens are now in the ground, but the county is waiting for the arrays to be built, tested and installed. Once the sirens are functional, Richmond said the county plans to host community events and small town halls to let people know what to do if they hear the siren.

Earlier this month, Haywood was also awarded $10,000 to procure several hundred emergency weather radios, which can be distributed to residents around the county. If even one person in a neighborhood or community has a weather radio, they can spread verified information. Richmond recommended that those with the means purchase one of their own as soon as they can.

“If there’s one thing you can do to improve your preparedness,” she said, “go buy a weather radio if you can afford it.”

Haywood County Emergency Services Public Information Officer Allison Richmond hits the airwaves. Kyle Perrotti photo

Despite tepid D.C. response, the work goes on

It was a time and a place, and now that place is gone. Or is it?

I came across some version of that idiom about time and place a few months ago, just as we at The Smoky Mountain News were beginning to discuss how to cover the one-year anniversary of Helene’s historic and deadly impact on this place we call home. I at first thought it was from some literary figure, but I couldn’t find a definitive source (except for the Emerson, Lake and Palmer song of the same name from 1971).

Some destruction and trauma are so great our minds and souls simply can’t register them in the moment. I was traveling when Helene hit, my planned Sept. 28 return flight diverted from Asheville to Charlotte, finally arriving back in Western North Carolina on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. I remember going through Canton and Clyde to get to my own house and feeling disoriented, in a kind of daze. So much lost, so much mayhem, and yet so many people already out there beginning to make things right.

That dazed feeling overtook me again when I made it to the River Arts District in Asheville a few days later, seeing the destruction and the muck and the debris. War zone? I’ve never been in one, but that’s how many who do have that experience have described what so many mountain communities looked like. Looking at all the photos and videos online of destruction became an exhausting ritual. My God, did this all happen in a few short hours?

The cumulative tally from Helene is staggering: 108 dead, $60 billion in damages, 1,500 roads closed or partially closed in the immediate aftermath, 73,000 homes damaged.

So much work has been done by so many that the efforts

Big ‘Bad’ Bill is gonna hurt

To the Editor:

The Congress has to finalize the Big “Bad” Bill (for most of us) by Oct. 1 or face a government shutdown. This means Congress still has the rest of September to “fix” the worst parts of this bill if they want to before the final vote by Oct. 1

Most of us have heard about the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, but nobody is talking about the automatic cuts to Medicare that are triggered by this bill. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the “Big Bad Bill” adds so much to the national deficit it will trigger a process known as “sequestration” under the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. This law requires spending cuts equal to the legislation’s average deficit impact.

Unless our lawmakers offset the deficit impact in the BBB or agree to waive the PAYGO requirements, which the current bill does not do, sequestration would reduce government spending by $230 billion in fiscal year 2026. About $45 billion of those cuts would be in Medicare in 2026, and between 2027 and 2034 would total an additional $490 billion. That is a total of $535 billion in cuts overall. I have not seen anything yet on other cuts to get the other $185 billion.

Seniors, you are wrong if you think you don’t have to worry about cuts because they

are, in many ways, incomprehensible. In the days and weeks immediately after, so many volunteered to haul food and water, cook meals, help muck buildings and homes and move debris that there were long lines patiently waiting to offer their help to their neighbors in whatever way they could. It was a community effort unlike anything I’ve witnessed. Despite those tens (hundreds?) of thousands of hours of volunteer help in the immediate aftermath, those of us who live here know the truth, and it’s grim. One year after Helene, only 9% of requested funding from Congress has arrived in our mountain region. Gov. Josh Stein and countless other leaders have made heart-wrenching pleas, but so far, the powers that be in Washington are — let’s be clear — not doing what they’ve done in past disasters for other parts of the country. I personally feel like it’s my job to continue to bring that up. We would like to be marking a time when we are closing out the recovery, but truth is we’re just getting started. It’s going to take many years.

I’ll be honest when I say we in Western North Carolina appreciate the resources that so far have come from the state and federal government. But local governments are bearing a burden they can’t afford, and one that the federal government has traditionally funded. If something does not give, the services these local governments provide to their citizens will suffer, whether that’s social services, healthcare, education, pub-

LETTERS

are talking only about Medicaid. Unless Congress fixes the BBB, your Medicare cuts will become effective as early as October or November this year, and Medicaid cuts do not become effective until December 2026 ( a month after the 2026 election — how convenient).

If you want the safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid and SNAP to continue, call your legislators before the end of September. Tell them to balance the budget by making billionaires and millionaires pay their fair share in taxes instead of getting tax cuts and to keep the safety net programs and healthcare options that you and your neighbors need to thrive.

Jane Harrison Haywood County

Dementia program will be insightful

To the Editor:

Each week I look forward to reading a copy of your newspaper. The stories, articles, op-ed pieces, letters, announcements and other items of interest are vital links in the communication networks here in our southwestern mountains. Thank you for your consistency, pursuit of truth in proper contexts, persistence and commitment to accuracy.

lic safety. There is no other choice as, unlike the feds, towns and counties are prohibited by law from operating in a deficit.

As we watched how federal resources were slow to trickle into WNC after Helene, something else also became apparent: local and regional nonprofits were on the ground making things happen, looking after the housing, healthcare and other essential needs of our neighbors. At the same time this was happening, I saw an open call from the Chronicle for Philanthropy for a grant to examine how nonprofits were doing important work in different communities around the country.

We applied, received a grant, and in today’s edition you’ll see the fruits of that work. We’re calling the series “Frontline Philanthropy,” and it represents months of work by our team of writers.

Climate change is worsening. More weather disasters are predicted by almost all serious scientists. The feds are pulling back in their aid efforts. But how much can we rely on nonprofits to fill that gap. They are doing great work, but only time will tell if the kind of disaster response they have provided so far is sustainable.

The physical look of Western North Carolina has changed forever. Rivers have carved new paths; downtowns are gone. Some places where we had structures and homes will never again be built upon. What carries on are the people, their resilience and their hopes for the future. Theres work to do, and I’m guessing it will eventually get done despite the as-ofyet tepid response from DC. That’s what happens in this place we call home.

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)

As one approaches senior adulthood, one of the greatest fears that many share is the fear of developing some form of dementia. The possibility of living in the final stages of life, dealing with the challenges of cognitive decline and impairment, is not a topic that is easily embraced by most everyone. If the journey becomes personal the strategies for living with dementia become frightening. The person questions quality of life and relationships, changes in behavior and the abilities to adapt and adjust as needed, functional limitations

and living status and so much more. For families, friends and other connections with the person making the journey shaped by dementia, the whole dynamic of relationships must be in constant change as the dementia progresses. In an effort to have a meaningful, factual and evidence-based discussion, a presentation entitled “Dementia and the Family” is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 25, from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). The session will be led by Dr. Harvey Joanning, Ph. D.

Editor Scott McLeod

To move forward, we must look back

Last September, my family was gearing up for our first “leaf season” (and apple season, and hayride season, and football season) in Haywood County. As recent transplants from another state, we had heard about how beautiful the mountains are in early fall, and we were looking forward to experiencing it. Then Hurricane Helene hit. This September, amid my enjoyment of the cool weather and the first crunch of leaves on the ground, I have also noticed a periodic sense of dread in my fluttering stomach or clenched jaw. I might not have recognized it if I hadn’t experienced something similar the year after my father died: with the return of the weather in which we buried him, my submerged grief returned to the surface.

This is how trauma works. It is not just a memory we recall in our minds; it is an experience we store in our bodies. Sometimes, because we struggle to process traumatic events consciously, our bodies remember what our minds cannot. In the aftermath of Helene, so many people I spoke with were struggling to string sentences together or to sleep through the night. Business owners were exhausted from mucking out their shops as well as their homes. Police officers were raw from the overwhelming wreckage they were being asked to manage. School teachers were frantically trying to contact and support the families in their care. It would not surprise me if many of us are beginning to recall these difficult feelings or memories unintentionally as the one-year mark of the storm approaches.

The question then becomes: what do we do with the dread or the grief when it creeps up? The most natural thing to do is probably to ignore it. This is one reason we are so adept at entertainment and distraction. It’s much easier to anesthetize ourselves to pain than it is to let ourselves feel it. But some of us, from a desire to put our pain to good use, tend to channel our grief into activism or recovery efforts. This is admirable, and one of the most inspiring things I witnessed last

Dr. Joanning is an emeritus professor at Iowa State University and an adjunct professor of the University of South Alabama where he directs the Neurobiology of Relationships program. He is licensed as a psychologist and marriage and family counselor. Dr. Joanning has assisted numerous families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, and cared for his wife and daughter who died of alzheimer’s disease.

During the presentation, Dr. Joanning will briefly describe how the process of

year: as a newcomer to the area, I was awed by the unique resilience and grit of a community that rallied together to help each other in the wake of a tragedy. But as I wrote then, resilience doesn’t nullify trauma. And even first-responders and community organizers and brave parents and generous neighbors need to let down and be restored.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of a life-altering event, one of the most important ways we can continue to move forward is by giving each other permission to look back and grieve. Attending to the pain our bodies still carry isn’t a sign of weakness or fragility, but a sacred aspect of our recovery work. This fall, #HaywoodStrong might look like remembering hard things, sharing our stories and letting ourselves feel the heaviness of what we’ve endured.

As a pastor, I have found that this kind of work is best done through rituals that engage the body and take place in community. It could be as simple as sitting around a campfire and adding a stick to the flames with each memory shared. It could be as formal as attending a church or synagogue or other public ceremony with the intention to reflect on the last year. I was deeply encouraged to hear about the upcoming Helene Remembrance Ceremony from 9-11 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville and believe that such a gathering could be both honoring to the past and healing in the present. I am also grateful to the many mental healthcare providers that have offered free and discounted services to those in need.

In my own faith tradition, remembrance is a central aspect of worship and of life. In our chief ritual, the Lord’s Supper, we break bread and remember a horrific moment in history when a man was crucified. But as we take and eat, we rehearse — with our bodies — how something tragic can be transfigured into something redemptive. It is a kind of moving forward that begins with a willingness to look back. This, I believe, is part of the hard work of hope. I am so grateful to be doing that hard work here with my neighbors in Haywood County.

(Hannah Miller King is a priest and writer serving at The Vine Anglican Church in Clyde. hannahmillerking@gmail.com.)

dementia affects neurons and brain structures, review the stages of the disease focusing on physical, behavioral and emotional changes occurring in the patient, discuss family and caregiver needs during each stage of the disease and resources available to support the patient and family. The presentation will be interactive in nature with time given for questions and answers. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Larry Alan Reeves

Clyde

EG & IGHTSINS

Wednesday We y, , October 1 | 8:

Hannah Miller King

Beyond bureaucracy

failures, nonprofits stepped in

In the wake of two devastating floods just three years apart, Western North Carolina’s resiliency didn’t come from government agencies. While FEMA and state emergency teams provided vital aid, three regional nonprofits — Dogwood Health Trust, Mountain Projects and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina — stepped beyond their missions to fill critical gaps. These organizations aren’t disaster response agencies, yet after Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and Hurricane Helene in 2024, they made targeted investments that helped families, community groups and small businesses survive and begin rebuilding. That work continues, but as climate change drives more frequent and intense storms, their improvised role raises questions about sustainability. This series examines where formal recovery efforts fell short and how these three philanthropic organizations responded — what they did, how they did it and why they may not be able to do it again. Because there will be a next time.

As public institutions strain, communities may lean more on nonprofits, but if they’re expected to keep showing up, these organizations need more than gratitude — they need structure, funding and lasting support.

Cory Vaillancourt photo/Jack Snyder cover illustration

As on any other rainy late summer morning in Southern Appalachia, the sun rose over densely wooded, knobby green peaks cloaked in a thick downy mist.

At a large, nondescript warehouse off Swannanoa River Road just outside downtown Asheville, it may have looked like any other day — workers bustling about, trucks coming in and out — but for MANNA FoodBank, which fights food insecurity in a historically poverty-stricken region by serving up to 190,000 people a month, this day would be unlike any other for perhaps the last thousand years.

“We moved our entire fleet of vehicles to higher ground, and we took care of sandbags and things like that, anticipating there was a chance that there could be some flooding,” said Mary Nesbitt, chief development officer for MANNA. “We lifted everything up off of the floor, which is our typical procedure in disaster preparedness. Every single bit of food, lifted three feet off the floor.”

They were 23 feet short.

In the hours after Hurricane Helene tore across Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024, the region’s commercial, electronic and transportation infrastructure lay in ruins.

“It was unimaginable, what took place,” Nesbitt said. “I’m getting goose bumps thinking about it, thinking about the magnitude of the hurricane.”

Bridges no longer bridged and roads eroded, some slowly nibbled away by the persistent pressure of waterways that had slipped their banks, others scoured to rubble in a flash. Power and internet failed, leaving even basic communications between first responders, governments and everyday folks next to impossible. Gasoline and grocery shipments ground to a halt, which led to rationing and long lines of irritable people standing in the mucky aftermath of an extreme weather event. Merchants couldn’t accept electronic payments, leaving some customers unprepared and running on empty. Municipal and private water systems failed or were destroyed. Shelters swelled as more than 73,000 homes were damaged.

Chicago followed suit with The Chicago Community Trust. Modeled after Cleveland’s example, it became one of the earliest adopters of the community foundation concept and spawned a similar foundation in Boston that same year.

Founded in Asheville in 1978, CFWNC is now one of hundreds of place-based philanthropic institutions across the country, managing a vast portfolio of $481 million in donor-advised, designated, nonprofit and discretionary funds, each created with specific

vides meals for single-parent families sourced from women-run farms, and the Rutherford Housing Partnership, which helps with safe, affordable housing for low-income women-led households in that county.

Still other funds concentrate on specific places, almost functioning as mini-community foundations by making grants to a wide array of cultural, educational, social or naturebased programs within a defined area.

The foundation administers nine such funds including for Haywood, McDowell,

Mountain Projects for home rehabilitation, and $10,000 each to the Red Cross, Jewish Family Services and the 30th Judicial District Alliance for direct assistance with housing, mental health and medical needs. Smaller community grants, like $2,500 to the Beaverdam Community Development Club, ensured grassroots groups could meet rising demand for food support.

As recovery from Fred progressed, the foundation’s economic and disaster recovery funding shifted toward restoring educational

charitable goals in mind.

Emboldened by more than a foot of rain, the mighty Swannanoa River destroyed both of MANNA’s buildings on Swannanoa River Road.

But even before donkeys laden with supplies sauntered into isolated settlements across this rugged region, something else was already moving — philanthropic donations in the tens of millions of dollars.

A good chunk of those donations ended up with The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, which traces its philosophical roots to a larger early 20th-century movement that created permanent, locally controlled philanthropic institutions pooling charitable resources to meet changing community needs over time.

The Cleveland Foundation, established 1914 in Ohio, is widely recognized as the first community foundation in the world. In 1915,

The foundation’s work typically focuses on four priority areas — cultural resources, education, human services and natural resources. It runs 23 to 25 grants programs that include responsive awards and strategic investments made in partnership with co-investors. Last year, the foundation managed roughly 1,300 funds and awarded $24.8 million in funding.

Some of those funds address broad areas of concern, like the Pigeon River Fund, which seeks to improve local waterway quality by granting to everything from cleanup projects to mitigation to costs associated with land or conservation easement acquisition. The Pigeon River Fund has invested more than $10 million in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties since 1996.

Other funds have a narrower focus, like Women for Women, a giving circle that has granted nearly $5.6 million since 2006 to support improvements in the lives of women and girls in Western North Carolina through programs like the Equal Plates project, which pro-

Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey counties as well as the towns of Cashiers and Highlands, along with a fund for Black Mountain and the greater Swannanoa Valley.

In times of crisis, the foundation’s flexibility and deep community ties allow it to act as a philanthropic first responder.

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a pivotal moment for the foundation’s disaster work. In the early days of the outbreak, the foundation quickly opened its Emergency and Disaster Response Fund to support local health systems, food banks and social services.

By the time Tropical Storm Fred struck in 2021, the foundation already had plenty of experience standing up rapid-response grant programs, awarding more than $290,000 in 2021 and 2022 to affected schools, nonprofits and community organizations.

Early allocations in September 2021 prioritized urgent housing, food and health needs, including $75,000 to the Community Kitchen to reopen its meal program, $95,000 to

and childcare services disrupted by the flood. Pisgah High School, Canton Middle School and their boosters received a combined $35,160 for technology, equipment and band needs once funded by canceled activities. Smart Start of Transylvania County secured $20,000 to repair damaged learning spaces, while Haywood County Schools Foundation replaced school district vehicles and equipment. Additional support went to Grace Church for rental assistance, United Way of Haywood County for its Recover Haywood program and Mountain Projects for repairs to Canton Head Start and the senior center. Together, the grants reflect a dual focus of meeting the immediate needs of families while investing in the long-term recovery of community institutions.

Although Fred devastated the eastern part of Haywood County, especially Cruso and Bethel, along with parts of Buncombe and Transylvania counties, the impact was relatively contained.

Hurricane Helene was different.

Damage from Hurricane Helene was so severe that mules were utilized to traverse impassable roads with lifesaving supplies. Mountain Mule Packers photo

Helene was wider in scope, deeper in impact and longer in recovery than anything the region had seen in modern times. By the time floodwaters receded, entire neighborhoods were wiped out. Public schools were closed indefinitely. Nonprofits that typically served thousands suddenly found themselves with destroyed inventories and ruined facilities.

State and federal emergency response systems were slow to materialize in the face of an estimated $60 billion in damage. According to an Oct. 23, 2024, report by the Office of State Budget and Management, 4.6 million people — about 40% of the state’s population accounting for 45% of the state’s GDP — live in a designated disaster county.

Almost two weeks after the disaster, North Carolina’s then-Gov. Roy Cooper signed the first relief bill presented by the General Assembly. It established the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund and allocated $273 million from the state’s $5 billion “rainy day” fund. Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) called it a “first step” toward comprehensive recovery planning, although it put no actual money on the street.

Lawmakers approved a second relief pack-

age two weeks later, allocating an additional $604 million to the Helene fund. Although the bill targeted a wide range of needs, it did not include direct grant assistance for businesses or nonprofits, despite requests from local leaders, and mainly funded state agencies spinning up for what would likely be years of recovery administration.

Complicating matters, many small business owners in Western North Carolina had hoped for grants — not additional loans — because they were still carrying debt from COVID-19 and previous disasters.

The third bill, passed four weeks after the second, allocated another $227 million to the Helene fund but was condemned by Western legislators as “shameful” for including provisions that limited the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general while again putting no actual recovery money on the street.

That December, after Cooper and a delegation traveled to the White House with a $25 billion request, Congress failed to deliver adequate assistance, carving out an estimated $9$15 billion from a $100 billion last-minute disaster relief bill that also provided support for New Mexico wildfires and the Key Bridge

collapse in Baltimore. Although Western North Carolina’s Republican congressman Chuck Edwards sits on the House Appropriations Committee and claims to have penned the bill, he has never responded to Smoky Mountain News inquiries about why the funding was so scant.

FRONTLINE PHILANTHROPY

The fourth relief bill passed by the General Assembly — the first of 2025, and the first signed by new Gov. Josh Stein — allocated an additional $275 million from the rainy day fund to the Helene fund and made targeted appropriations of $500 million.

The most recent bill, signed on the ninemonth anniversary of the storm, appropriated $700 million in previously allocated funds and made an additional $575 million in appropri-

ations, bringing the state’s total Helene recovery allocation to nearly $2 billion.

But as all that was happening, most county and municipal governments with storm losses still hadn’t seen a nickel of promised funds. Some governments even paid for projects out of their own reserves — with no explicit guarantee of reimbursement — because they simply couldn’t wait for the projects to be obligated by FEMA.

While formal funding channels slogged through bureaucratic bottlenecks, community-based nonprofits with far less resources than local government units were at the bottom of the list. The foundation moved in quickly to help — thanks in large part to the trust it had built over decades with both donors and partner organizations. Within two days of the storm’s landfall, the foundation had opened its emergency fund with no working phones, no power and no mail service.

“Leadership immediately opened the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund to receive donations,” said Carter Webb, a board member since 2022. “By Oct. 4, it had awarded the first grants. The quick turnaround was possible because of the experience and dedication of the foundation

To date, the North Carolina General Assembly has appropriated roughly $2 billion in recovery funds, against an estimated $60 billion in damage. Cory Vaillancourt photo

staff.”

Major funders like the Leon Levine Foundation, the Duke Endowment and Dogwood Health Trust contributed millions within days. Donations arrived from all 50 states and abroad. In the early weeks, grants went out twice daily. Once the immediate crisis stabilized, the foundation continued to process grants daily but shifted to weekly announcements, maintaining an online database of every award made.

In total, the foundation received more than $39.5 million in Helene-related donations and granted out more than $38.6 million by September 2025. That pace of giving dwarfed the scale of Tropical Storm Fred’s philanthropic response and challenged the organization’s internal capacity in new ways.

Because much of the region remained without reliable internet access for weeks after the storm, the foundation made accommodations for Spanish-speaking applicants and those who couldn’t access the online portal. Applicants were allowed to text their responses, or have staff enter data on their behalf. Rapid access to banking information from trusted nonprofit partners allowed the foun-

need for checks or physical deliveries.

Without functioning infrastructure, many smaller counties struggled to organize a response.

To avoid overlap and maximize impact, the foundation coordinated closely with other funders. Working relationships with Dogwood, WNC Bridge Foundation and the North Carolina Community Foundation helped streamline efforts and reduce redundancy.

As of Sept. 11, the foundation’s disaster response fund has awarded 527 grants worth $39.6 million to Hurricane Helene recovery efforts across the region. The average award stands at just over $75,000, with grants reaching every county in Western North Carolina. The first awards were issued to groups like Centro Comunitario Hispano-Americano for Latino families in Henderson and Transylvania counties. One notable award was a $250,000 grant to Mountain Housing Opportunities in May 2025, supporting home repairs and wraparound services for displaced residents. Together, the grants reflect a yearlong flow of aid aimed at rebuilding homes, restoring services, and stabilizing vulnerable

for the Burke County Literacy Council to multimillion-dollar allocations for major relief agencies.

The largest grant the foundation made — the largest grant the foundation has ever made — went to MANNA.

“We lost everything,” Nesbitt said. “We had a lot to do to get up and running and feed people.”

the only celebrity who took note.

“Luke Combs, he and his wife called like the end of that first week in October and said that they personally wanted to help,” said Nesbitt.

The result was an all-star benefit concert in Charlotte on Oct. 26, 2024, organized by the country music superstar. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper lent Combs Bank of

“It was unimaginable, what took place. I’m getting goose bumps thinking about it, thinking about the magnitude of the hurricane.”

— Mary Nesbitt, Chief Development Officer, MANNA

Just days after the storm, operating out of a temporary space at the WNC Farmer’s Market, MANNA began to do just that. The need, she said, was incredible, causing traffic jams up and down Brevard Road, out onto Interstate 26.

The initial effort was buoyed by a substantial grant from the Dogwood Health Trust and a live appearance from Good Morning

America Stadium, free of charge. Performances by Combs, Eric Church, the Avett Brothers, Billy Strings and James Taylor, among others, raised more than $24 million for hurricane relief. MANNA’s cut was $3.2 million.

“Combs grew up in Asheville, just down the road from where MANNA used to be,” said Nesbitt. “He said that he and his mother

MANNA FoodBank serves up to 190,000 people a month. Its facilities were no match for Hurricane Helene. MANNA FoodBank photo

volunteer when he was a kid.”

But as winter set in, MANNA still needed a permanent home, and the money to upfit.

“We needed money towards our freezer/cooler, a generator, sprinkler system, permanent racking, reach trucks. I mean, just such fundamental needs,” said Nesbitt.

The foundation stepped in, and in partner-

From past experience, the foundation understood its role was not to replace government aid, but to move faster and more flexibly where government aid hadn’t yet arrived.

“Community foundations are uniquely positioned to respond in times of crisis and have a history of moving quickly and utilizing

grants to each school in the affected districts in Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties. These block grants eliminated the need for multiple applications and helped school leaders focus on reopening rather than navigating red tape.

Grants also flowed to the Western Region Education Service Alliance, to help school staff with personal losses, and to Working Wheels,

Those bridges, built using pre-engineered designs, were cheaper and more floodresilient than traditional models, ensuring greater safety in future storms.

Another $850,000 was awarded to Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders, a group leading a permanent housing development in Black Mountain for displaced residents. Built under

“The damage to MANNA’s facility, equipment and food storage was complete and threatened food access for more than 220 partner agencies, 100 schools and potentially hundreds of thousands of people,” said Tara Scholtz, the foundation’s vice president for programs. “MANNA is the hub of food distribution for 16 of the foundation’s 18 counties and time was of the essence to get it back up and running.”

Asked if there were any other viable options for MANNA to raise those funds through state or federal agencies, Nesbitt’s response was only one syllable.

“No.”

Western North Carolina. “With the support of many philanthropic partners and generous people, CFWNC was able to get money out fast and first, but philanthropy cannot meet the deep and substantial needs that Helene caused in WNC.”

The sheer volume of demand and the absence of an immediate, coherent financial presence by state and federal government agencies meantthe foundation had to think big — and fast.

In Yancey County, for example, a student died, an elementary school was rendered unusable, and dozens of staff lost homes or vehicles. The foundation issued $20,000

organizations, including arts councils, craft cooperatives and tourism nonprofits received support to recover from losses that were economic as well as physical, although lost revenue and payroll weren’t covered.

As the weeks passed, the nature of the foundation’s role came to include both immediate relief and long-term recovery. A $2 million grant to the Bridging Together Project in mid-November supported Lutheran and Mennonite volunteers working to replace private bridges that had isolated entire communities. Historically, private roads and bridges have not been eligible for FEMA funds, and initially, state funding was absent.

roared through Waynesville’s Frog Level district, gutting most businesses. To date, direct grant support has not been an included in state or federal relief packages.

a deepening of the foundation’s approach — a recognition that short-term relief must give way to long-term resilience, and that resilience itself will require collaboration, innovation and sustained funding.

But with other, more recent disasters competing for public headspace and philanthropic resources, questions remain about what happens next for Western North Carolina.

While the foundation remains committed to staying engaged even after EDRF funds are depleted, there is no expectation that it can — or should — take over responsibilities traditionally

Richland Creek

Jack Snyder photo

held by the state or federal governments.

Throughout Helene recovery, residents and businesses encountered government systems that were slow, inflexible or inaccessible to many rural communities. Aid delayed by procedural hurdles left nonprofit partners scrambling to meet basic needs.

Operating in this environment, the foundation maintained strict internal controls over grantmaking. With fraudulent AI-generated applications on the rise, the foundation relied on its relationships to help verify submissions.

“Once we started to identify fraudulent applications, we slowed our process to add additional due diligence,” Scholtz said. “We relied on our existing relationships, other funders and resources like the state and federal VOAD lists to establish validity. We also started to require documentation of partnerships with established WNC providers if the applicant was out of state.”

The foundation saw itself not just as a pass-through for donor generosity, but as a responsible steward of public trust.

That trust extended beyond donors. In some communities, the foundation became a clearinghouse of sorts — not only for money, but for logistical information. Foundation staff collaborated with funders, maintained relationships with regional VOADs and helped support best practices, including the use of a multi-agency warehouse to distribute supplies from outside the disaster zone to declared counties.

In the process, the foundation found itself not just responding to Helene, but adapting in real time to lessons it had never been forced to learn before.

Despite its success in navigating disaster relief, foundation leaders are clear-eyed about their limitations. The intense pace of daily grantmaking after Helene was physically and emotionally exhausting. Staff worked from parking lots and fire stations, piggybacking on library Wi-Fi and coordinating with state and national funders through improvised channels.

“The work was intense, but we were buoyed by the donations that flowed in and understood the need for dollars to get out quickly,” said foundation Communications Director Lindsay Hearn. “Having a conference room at a local hotel during the first two weeks was key to our ability to accept and distribute resources. It had power, Wi-Fi, water — not potable — and, if we ran up to the top of their parking garage, the occasional cell signal.”

Much of that early work was possible because the foundation had already built a foundation of trust—not just with grantees, but with other institutions like Dogwood, which immediately put $10 million into the response. That level of funding and coordination is rare, even for large community foundations.

While Helene showed what’s possible when philanthropy moves with speed and confidence, it also exposed the fragility of relying on nonprofits to shoulder long-term recovery on short-term funding.

To date, more than 10,000 individual donations have flowed into the disaster response fund —from major endowments,

Chartiable assets in disaster-designated counties

$1,017,943

$6,804,715

$721,988,434

$11,445

$90,939

$31,198,215

$158,864,341

$38

$389

$2,657

$0.39

$8

$499

$1,358 Jackson

Madison

$4,103,889

$4,493,961

$178,659

$10,704,104

$97

$120

$8

foundation CFO Graham Keever, “but CFWNC has been intentional about building reserves during strong economic times which enables us to sustain operations during inevitable economic downturns.”

Never wavering in its mission, the foundation recovered impressively — despite a minor downturn during COVID — however, it’s clear that a badly-timed economic slump coupled with a major disaster would impact giving, and therefore recovery, in a region that already faces challenges.

$714 McDowell

$6,612,626

$69,929,767

$54,920,810

$148

$3,551

$850 Transylvania

$13,771,986

$32,303,074

$2,747,019

yes, but also from children’s lemonade stands, high school swim teams, whisky distillers and seafood restaurants on the coast.

The outpouring of generosity has been remarkable, but generosity alone is not a strategy.

As Helene’s anniversary approaches — 20 years after Hurricane Katrina — the question looming over Western North Carolina is no longer how much damage was done. The model the foundation helped create, a nimble, trusted, locally embedded partner that can move faster than the speed of government, is both inspiring and unsettling.

Inspiring, because it works. Unsettling, because it suggests that systems built to protect the public can no longer be counted on to function as designed.

Whether this role for community foundations is sustainable remains unclear.

Over the past 20 years, financial records from the foundation show steady growth in both revenue and philanthropic activity. Since 2004, total revenue has more than quadrupled, peaking at $45.5 million in 2022, with contributions and investment income acting as the primary drivers. Contributions reached a high of $30.7 million that year.

“The foundation has focused on its sustainability so that we can respond to the changing needs in WNC. We have to be here and be resilient so that our fundholders can continue to support our nonprofit partners, especially as funding cuts impact the services that people depend on,” Brazas said. “While CFWNC funding is impacted by the economy, we have seen our fundholders and donors rise to the occasion time and again to help their neighbors and communities in times of crisis, including prolonged economic downturns.”

On the expenditure side, grants and similar payments consistently made up the largest portion of total expenses. In recent years, the foundation granted roughly $20 million annually, with a pre-Helene record $20.9 million in 2022.

Salaries and benefits, increasing modestly over time, have remained under $3 million annually, suggesting lean administrative over-

$414

$588

$146

Source: Appalachia Funders Network

head. Net assets have steadily climbed from $99 million in 2004 to more than $320 million by 2024, signaling strong stewardship and sustained donor trust.

This financial trajectory highlights the foundation’s growing capacity to support regional needs, particularly during crises, but it’s not perfect and it’s not permanent.

The Great Recession began in late 2007, after the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble triggered a wave of mortgage defaults that cascaded through the global financial system and led to the failure of major banks. Not coincidentally, during 2008 the federal funds interest rate went from 4.25% to nearly zero — great for borrowers, not so great for investors.

For the year ending June 30, 2009, the

The Appalachia Funders Network, which connects funders working collaboratively to build equity, health and prosperity across Appalachia, released a startling report this past May on philanthropic inequity in central Appalachia, a region made and kept relatively poor by decades of extractive economic activity. Among the most troubling conclusions are that dozens of the 236 counties in the six-state region have little to no nonprofit presence and 31 don’t have an active community foundation at all.

Urban counties in the Central Appalachia region have an average of $973 in charitable assets per person. Rural counties average $273. More than $390 million in grants were given in urban counties. Only $16 million made it to rural counties.

Most, but not all, of the counties affected by Helene are rural.

According to the report, 55% of philanthropic investment in the San Francisco Bay area comes from within the region, while in Central Appalachia, nonprofits are more reliant on outsiders. Just 27% of investment comes from within the region.

Without early and aggressive intervention by Western North Carolina’s nonprofit ecosystem, recovery in the mountains would have

“Community foundations are uniquely positioned to respond in times of crisis and have a history of moving quickly and utilizing trusted relationships to get funds where they are needed.”

— Elizabeth Brazas, CEO, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina

foundation posted a negative $6.9 million in investment income, a figure that had generally been a positive $2-3 million in prior years.

As the Great Recession wore on, it would take until 2012 for the foundation’s investment income to reach previous levels. Contributions and grants slumped. In 2007 and 2008, those income streams were $13.7 million and $14.7 million, respectively. For that same 2009 reporting period, they slipped to $8.3 million. As with investment income, it wasn’t until 2012 that the foundation was able to surpass pre-recession revenue.

Consequently, grant activity slowed over the same period. In 2008, the organization granted $12.3 million, its highest total until 2015’s $13.2 million. In 2009, grants fell to $8.7 million.

Net assets also took a hit. In 2008, they were just under $122 million. In 2009, they were $96.5 million.

“Giving patterns change when there are extended downturns in the economy,” said

taken far longer and cost far more — in lives and in livelihoods, in time and in trust.

In a historically poor region dependent on outside funding and subject to economic downturns, it wasn’t the first time the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina had stepped into the void left by formal disaster response systems. It probably won’t be the last. Philanthropy helped Western North Carolina survive. The question now is whether philanthropy alone can help it endure.

“The generosity continues, but giving has slowed,” said Brazas. “We are committed to making sure the funds that come here continue to support recovery. Progress has been made, but rebuilding is going to take years and much more investment.”

(This article was reported through a fellowship supported by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to expand coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The Smoky Mountain News is solely responsible for all content.)

Shut up and listen Dogwood Health Trust uses local ties to assess Helene’s aftermath

BY KYLE PERROTTI

EWS

FDITOR

ive days isn’t enough time to process a disaster like Hurricane Helene, yet as uncertainty swirled and rescue operations still played out across Western North Carolina, Dogwood Health Trust’s 16 board members found whatever internet they could, got on a Zoom meeting and approved $30 million in grants to organizations providing vital on-the-ground services.

Since the storm devastated the region a year ago, the foundation has issued $70 million in Helene-related grants over three installments in addition to $80 million in other grants and $55 million in programrelated investments. The Helene-related grants were in line with Dogwood’s regular mission of improving the health and wellbeing of the people Western North Carolina. In this case, that money supported organiza-

tions deploying resources to affected areas, maintaining critical physical and mental health services and providing greater housing and economic stability during an uncertain time where the state and federal government left gaps in emergency relief.

The first round of grant funding was $30 million on Oct. 4, less than two weeks after the storm, including $10 million to the Emergency Disaster Response Fund. Next was over $20 million on Oct. 28, $20 million on Dec. 18 and $10 million on Jan. 31 of this year. Some specific grants included $2 million for MANNA Food Bank, $3 million for Pisgah Legal Services and about $3.5 million across eight different Smart Start programs across the region, which generally aim to improve parenting and increase involvement.

Unlike most nonprofits that stepped up in the aftermath of Helene, Dogwood is a private foundation that doesn’t accept dona-

tions. It was formed in 2019 when the Mission Health system was sold to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and went from being a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. The proceeds from the sale were put into an account, creating a nearly $2 billion endowment, which provides grants via Dogwood to nonprofits across the region, about $300 million to date.

In 2024 before Helene, Dogwood began work on a new strategic plan, and it was able to use a lot of feedback solicited from communities and organizations across the region during that process when responding to the disaster. Dogwood’s leaders had already begun shifting their paradigm away from considering what they thought was best for a grantee organization and tying funds to those specific efforts to instead finding strong organizations whose values mirror the foundation’s and giving them money with fewer

strings attached.

For example, Dogwood knew right away following Helene that its top priority would be giving money to Federally Qualified Health Centers, which provide care in rural areas regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, to ensure medical assistance remained available during the perilous weeks following the storm.

“We just started giving general operating support grants without organizations asking,” said Dogwood CEO Susan Mims. Prioritizing listening and meeting the needs identified by nonprofit partners was crucial after the storm, especially when making the bold decision to do something the foundation had never done before. In the absence of any small business grants coming from the state or federal government, it gave money to local small businesses with no strings attached.

Dogwood Health Trust CEO Susan Mims (left) and Senior Vice President of Operations Heather Parlier view recovery efforts in Old Fort. Dogwood Health Trust photo

Like everyone else, Dogwood’s employees and board members fought through their own struggles in the aftermath of the storm, with some losing loved ones and others suffering immense property damage. Mims wound up with a large tree through her roof (she still hasn’t been able to move back in), but she said that wasn’t the reason for her anxiety as the rain continued to pelt the region. Mims’ son is a firefighter in Fairview, which includes Garen Creek and Craigtown, areas that were hit particularly hard in the storm. Her son’s battalion chief, Tony Garrison, lost his life while rescuing others. Mims knew her son was out working, putting himself at risk in the dire conditions, and she couldn’t reach him, even as she was helping coordinate Dogwood’s response.

“In that immediate time when our board was meeting, there were days going by when I wasn’t hearing from him … So I couldn’t care less about the hole in my roof,” she said.

As some of Dogwood’s folks were struggling with existential crises, Senior Vice President for Community Investment

Mark Constantine was one of three team members blessed with a reliable internet connection. Constantine immediately

agencies following Helene.

“We were also helping people navigate emergency unemployment benefits, emergency food stamps or SNAP and then emergency Medicaid,” Kiger said.

This work saved property, livelihoods and even lives, Kiger said. While many organizations and agencies stepped outside of their regular missions in response to Helene, Kiger considers that Pisgah Legal staff did the kind of work they did prior to the storm — Helene just exacerbated those problems. People who were living on the cusp were brought into poverty during that unstable time.

To reach as many people as possible, Pisgah Legal hosted clinics with partner organizations like FEMA while also going out into the community with those partners. While services are typically offered only to low-income individuals, following Helene, anyone who came to them was served, regardless of need.

“I wish that people didn’t need lawyers after a natural disaster, but what I have learned is that they need us more than ever,” Kiger said. “There’s just nothing easy about this recovery process.”

go sideways, the work done over years to develop strong, trusting relationships is “invaluable,” Mims said.

“Communities know what they need, so when we come in to do this work, our job is to listen and learn from our communities,” she added.

Amid all the chaos and strife, the key was to simply listen. Dogwood leaders found that their role was to link these organizations with each other to get the right resources to areas that needed them. For example, there were farmers who had produce that was going to go bad, and plenty of people were struggling to find food, let alone fresh food.

“We linked together WNC communities with MANNA,” Mims said. “MANNA was able get to the farmers market and then link that to our Healthy Opportunities pilot, which had food box deliveries, and they knew who needed food and where they were.”

Constantine has always been a big believer in “philanthropic collaboration,” and that belief was only strengthened after seeing the collaboration in the wake of Helene. While Dogwood is a tremendous source of funding, others may be more suited to respond more nimbly to unexpected events.

“It was a feverish time,” he recalled.

After the waters receded, neighbors helped neighbors, and the simplest of mutual aid networks hooked people up with the bare necessities. Dogwood employees and board members began emerging, connecting with one another however they could to determine the path forward. It was during this time that Dogwood Board President Jack Cecil put in the work to “galvanize the board quickly,” according to Constantine.

Meanwhile, Mims, Constantine and others, worked on gaining a sense of where the most critical needs were by reaching out to people connected to specific communities.

Five days after the storm, board members, some of whom had to find public internet access points like grocery stores, assembled for their Zoom call. The meeting began with everyone saying what they’d been through and how they were getting by. Words of encouragement were shared throughout.

Then, sometimes through tears, they got down to the honest work of determining how much money the nonprofit could allocate at that time, settling unanimously on $30 million, which would be disbursed less than 10 days later.

“One of my proudest moments of our board was having 100% participation in that call,” Mims said.

“I would say it’s the finest example of board governance that I’ve probably ever witnessed,” said Cecil.

That means a lot coming from Cecil, who’s been in the business world over four decades and has served on numerous philanthropic boards over the years. Cecil is the CEO and President of Biltmore Farms, a company his great grandfather George Washington Vanderbilt II founded.

Mims said that among the most vital institutions that received money from that first round of funding were those FQHCs, especially those that had mobile units able to go out and provide care where people needed it.

Constantine said that during a disaster, it’s important to consider who’s particularly disadvantaged, including older adults who are often entirely cut off without electricity or water and people living with intellectual or physical disabilities. Paying more attention to those groups had been something Dogwood has been focusing on leading up to the storm.

As Western North Carolina residents struggled to navigate FEMA procedures, money granted to Pisgah Legal Services enabled people to speak with attorneys for free to understand their rights and entitlements.

Pisgah Legal CEO Jackie Kiger said the money was put toward personnel and payroll, including attorneys navigating complex legal procedures and non-attorney advocates helping people access benefits. Because these folks are used to helping people file taxes and enroll in government programs, they can deal with complex applications and bureaucracy. This was important when dealing with FEMA and other government

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Part of what made it easy to determine what resources were most crucial was strong pre-existing relationships with partners. Dogwood determined what needs existed among these partners, from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to the AMY Foundation, which serves hard-hit Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties, to the health foundation in McDowell and Rutherford counties. Mims said she quickly found out just how these organizations were so strongly plugged into the communities they serve.

Constantine specifically mentioned the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

“The Community Foundation’s been in the region a long time,” he said.

“I wish that people didn’t need lawyers after a natural disaster, but what I have learned is that they need us more than ever.”

Jackie Kiger, CEO, Pisgah Legal

Strengthening these relationships prior to the storm required work. In 2024, Mims made the decision to visit all the counties Dogwood covers, meeting with potential grantees and other community cornerstones along the way. This proved vital to creating connections that would allow Dogwood to have the greatest possible impact. When things

At the same time, other large foundations not based in the mountains, such as the Blue Cross NC Foundation, the Duke Endowment, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and the Leon Levine Foundation began asking how they could help, and weekly calls were held with Dogwood to talk about addressing big-picture issues with their considerable collective resources. Constantine said that being on those calls and hearing how much others outside the area cared was “incredibly affirming.”

“When they come together and formed a unified front, that helps other funders bring resources in and feel comfortable investing in a place,” Constantine said, adding that they’ve also been in serious communication with other large national philanthropic organizations that have requested to be kept abreast of the situation in Western North Carolina.

Dogwood Health Trust board members and staff visit a distribution center in Burnsville in October 2024. Dogwood Health Trust photo

Constantine said other significant collaborators were governments, or more specifically, the North Carolina Council of Governments, which is made up of 16 regions, each with its own unique traits and functions. Constantine said these councils had been an important partner even pre-Helene, helping guide Dogwood to maximize its philanthropic efforts.

At the level closest to the community, local mutual aid networks were able to tell foundations and nonprofits what was needed. After the pandemic, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation began putting money into these mutual aid networks, something Constantine said he wished he’d understood the value of earlier on. After a disaster, people take care of their families, their neighbors, those they go to church with. Even fire departments and emergency response networks can be key in coordinating mutual aid.

“Often in philanthropy, we do not pay enough attention to where the natural mutual aid networks are in a community,” Constantine said.

KEEPING SMALL BUSINESSES AFLOAT

Carolina Native Nursery, just west of Burnsville in Yancey County, lost over 250,000 plants when neighboring Price Creek, normally only a few feet wide and calm, swelled until it looked like the Colorado River, said owner Bill Jones. On the day of the flood, Jones, who lives in North Asheville with his wife, Jill, was able to find a way to his nursery only to discover that 80 hoop houses had been destroyed

mere weeks ahead of the busy October leaf season. Over the last year, dozens of beloved businesses closed their doors for good. State and federal governments offered loans for small businesses, but for many that wasn’t enough. Business owners in the service industry operating on tight margins cringed as they considered the prospect of paying back a loan, and some were already facing the burden of paying back loans taken out during the Covid pandemic. To receive government loans would leave many overleveraged.

According to Mountain BizWorks’ 2025 Local Business Impact Survey, which collected insights from 700 business owners across 23 Western North Carolina counties, 96% were affected by the storm, 83% had to temporarily close and 52% sustained some degree of physical damage. Businesses reported $188 million in losses between physical and economic damage, and 86% are still earning below preHelene levels. About half are down 20% or more. As such a large portion of small businesses struggle, there’s a trickledown effect that impacts the entire regional economy.

Dogwood’s mission is to support the health and wellbeing of Western North Carolina residents, and a part of that has always been considering the economic strength of the area and how it can be leveraged to help as many people as possible across the region. This is in line with Cecil’s philosophy. Along with health and education, he considers that the other pillar of a strong community is economic strength.

“When those small businesses close their doors, the employees are out of a job; therefore, they can’t pay rent; therefore, they can’t

“When those small businesses close their doors, the employees are out of a job; therefore, they can’t pay rent; therefore, they can buy food; therefore, they can’t take care of their family.”

Jack Cecil, President, Dogwood Health Trust Board

and empty black plastic pots had been strewn about over several acres.

Some of the hoophouses are still in ruins with knee-high weeds growing where neat rows of plants thrived just a year ago.

The sprawling creekside property features a new, impressive section dedicated to the cultivation of about 100,000 perennials. That area was severely damaged when the road on the ledge above was inundated with rain and slid down.

The nursery is best known as the biggest grower of azaleas in the world. Those azaleas take three years to reach the point they are sold. Because all those azaleas were lost, Jones and crew have had to start at step one, beginning the three-year cycle anew.

“It was heartbreaking,” Jones said. “This was my brainchild. I freaking built all this shit.” Businesses, especially those in the service and hospitality sector, faced uncertainty after Helene as even those not impacted by wind or water damage were left with few customers amid a sudden halt in tourism traffic

Dogwood’s Helene grants

"Care" Grants

31,000,000

YMCA of WNC 10,000,000

YMCA of Avery County 4,000,000

WNC Housing Partnership 3,541,500

WNC Communities 3,000,000

WNC Community Health Services 3,000,000

WNC Bridge Foundation 2,750,000

Vecinos 2,250,000

United Way of North Carolina 2,000,000

UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government 2,000,000

WNC After 3 p.m. Collaborative 1,000,000

Pisgah Health Foundation 1,000,000

Pisgah Legal Services 1,000,000

Polk County Community Foundation 1,000,000

Smart Start 1,000,000

The Centralina Foundation 1,000,000

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County 1,000,000

Northwest Housing Enterprises 925,200

Mountain Projects 700,000

Nantahala Health Foundation 700,000

Mountain Housing Opportunities 660,000 Mountain Community

Housing Assistance Corporation 500,000 Impact Health

FoodBank

BizWorks

Grown 300,000

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation 255,200

Givens Communities 250,000 High Country Community Health 250,000 CareReach 200,000

Community Foundation of Henderson County 200,000

Community Foundation of WNC 200,000

Community Reinvestment Fund 200,000

Gateway Wellness Foundation 200,000

Qualla Boundary to any business making up to $2.5 million in annual revenue. In a press release, Gov. Josh Stein said the grants were necessary to help the businesses get through the “slow winter months.”

“The Western North Carolina Small Business grant program will help small businesses with their urgent needs and support the region’s economic recovery,” Stein said. “I am proud these state dollars are leveraging additional Dogwood Trust dollars, and I am grateful to Dogwood for its leadership.”

Carolina Native Nursery received a $50,000 grant.

The business had a plan it had executed many times ahead of storms — move the most valuable things to higher ground, secure everything possible, remove any potential hazards.

“We had a whole checklist that we went through on Thursday because we knew it was going to rain a lot,” Jones said. But it wasn’t enough.

Jones, 61, said that perhaps even tougher than the loss of plants and infrastructure, he had 16 people on payroll, including loyal employees who’d worked at the nursery most of its 23 years. Jones provides employees a living wage and health benefits, a rarity in such an industry.

Crucial to the nursery’s recovery was the hard work of others, employees and volunteers alike, who gave time and effort to get a beloved business back up and running.

“Dozens of people showed up,” Jones said. “A landscaping company in Asheville brought their dudes out. We had people bringing equipment and pushing the roads clear again. Two weeks later, we had 100 people here cleaning stuff up. A landscape company came from Durham. One came from Raleigh. The Garden Center in Franklin closed for a day and brought their whole staff out here.”

buy food; therefore, they can’t take care of their family,” Cecil said.

On Oct. 23 of last year, then Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a $475 million grant program to the state legislature as part of his $3.9 billion recovery funding proposal. At that time, Cooper estimated that businesses would lose almost $13 billion in revenue due to Helene. Cooper’s sense of urgency toward small businesses was shared by neither the state nor federal legislatures, and these grants never materialized.

Of Dogwood’s $80 million in Helene grants, $30 million went to small businesses in the region in the form of grants. Initially, Dogwood put $10 million toward these grants, using a community development financial institution in Virginia to vet applicants. CDFIs provide financial services to underserved areas. Initially, the requirement was that businesses have less than $1 million in annual revenue and fewer than 11 employees.

“It was oversubscribed, two, three, four,

Blue Ridge Health 150,400

Appalachian Mountain Health 113,400

All Souls Counseling Center 100,000

AMY Foundation 100,000

Appalachian Community Capital 100,000

Asheville Buncombe

Community Christian Ministry 75,000

Total 80,065,100

Source: Dogwood Health Trust

times,” Cecil said.

Dogwood went back to the drawing board and chose to dedicate another $10 million to small businesses, expanding the field to those with under $2.5 million in annual revenue and fewer than 50 employees, this with the intention to help the service industry. That, too, drove plenty of applicants.

On July 31, Dogwood provided $10 million directly to the Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative II, which was created with a $20 million investment from the state. Those grants were available in 28 counties and the

As of last month, the nursery has brought in 45 loads of gravel, and there may be more. As Jones and his employees have rebuilt hoophouses, re-laid irrigation pipe and potted new plants, they’ve “built back better,” by doing simple things for the first time ever like putting cloth down below everything.

Jones’ wife is an accountant and always keeps her eyes peeled for grants, so when something good comes along, she knows how to get right on the application process. They heard about the Dogwood grant from some fellow entrepreneur friends in the area. Jill filled out the forms, and they were awarded $50,000, or as Jones put it, enough money to make payroll for another month as the cleanup continued.

“$50,000 is a lot of money right now,” Jones said. “It really helped us bridge that first October-to-May.”

LOOKING TO THE PAST

Before Constantine arrived in Western North Carolina, he worked on affordable housing in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida and Virginia. The issue is ubiquitous in Constantine’s experience, but the solutions are nuanced and often entirely unique to any

region. No matter the place or pre-existing challenges, one thing is consistent — a disaster exacerbates all of them.

Constantine has been through a few big ones.

“That is nothing to be proud of,” he said. In the mid-2000s, Constantine was a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Mid South, which covers Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. It was there that he encountered his first disaster just over 20 years ago — Hurricane Katrina — during which he worked in the earliest phases of disaster response.

and CEO of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation in Virginia. He said that while the needs and solutions differed, that period was when the importance of responsiveness and the willingness to provide “unrestricted support” became apparent.

Along with leaning on those at Dogwood with disaster recovery experience, the foundation also looked at what nonprofits did during prior hurricane recoveries, such as Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged the gulf coast in August 2017, and Hurricane Sandy, which hit the east coast in October 2012, killing over 100 people and causing $65 billion in damage

Haywood and Jackson counties, are on the front lines helping families who’ve experienced disasters of all scales, from a hurricane that affects thousands to a house fire that affect one family.

When asked what he’d tell other philanthropy organizations when it comes to disaster recovery, Constantine’s advice was to start researching now and ensure connections with local governments and community cornerstones remain strong. The unthinkable can happen fast, and by then, it’s time to act, not build networks and fill rolodexes. He also recommended knowing the national organiza-

and have to apply for the funds in a group .... And I think those collaborations are going to be more and more important,” she said. Although the devastation and trauma people endured is laid across a broad spectrum, Helene is a disaster all of Western North Carolina continues to endure. Everyone has a role going forward, and those interviewed for this story said they were honored to work for Dogwood distributing resources where they’re needed, where they can create bridges between vital services and people.

Bill Jones’ nursery in Yancey County received a $50,000 grant, which he said was crucial to its survival during the hard months following Helene.

tasked with working in the state for a year on the recovery effort. Constantine recalled that in some areas, the entire housing stock was destroyed, and he started working with CDFIs.

“What I learned that I think informed part of Dogwood’s response was the importance of legal services and FEMA navigation,” he said, noting that understanding how important and complicated legal processes can be following a storm was valuable insight when deciding to invest $3 million in Pisgah Legal Services right after the storm.

“People are terrified. They don’t know what to do. Navigation is complex, and really good lawyers are necessary on the ground for that kind of work,” Constantine said.

During the heart of the pandemic — which he noted was a markedly different kind of disaster that necessitated a different kind of response — Constantine was the president

weight were able to wisely invest in the recovery.

Cecil also had his own unique experience that lent itself to the aftermath of Helene, if even just to know the scope of work that was ahead of them. Cecil is also on the board of trustees of the Duke Endowment. In 2018, when Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc off the Carolina coast, the Duke Endowment board formed a task force led by Rob Webb, who had the strongest contacts in those rural areas.

“We learned exactly how a trust endowment could help communities in despair and distraught individuals,” Cecil said. “That was a great learning tool for me; I could help translate that to Dogwood.”

Dogwood’s nonprofit partners were also able to talk about lending expertise based on their own prior experiences, especially considering some, like Mountain Projects in

a little bit more about that,” he said.

THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE

The Helene recovery has continued, but the attention paid to that recovery has waned, especially outside of North Carolina. Town governments have been confronted with new challenges, and nonprofits have encountered ongoing need in the community. Mims considers that Dogwood is doing work in a “postHelene environment,” which means balancing Helene recovery with other needs, but it also means acknowledging that many issues existing before the storm are worse than a year ago.

Mims said that when there’s more work to do but fewer resources to do that work with, efficiency and innovation become key.

“We’re giving grants for collaboration and innovation, where folks have come together

“I do think all the time of the privilege that I get to have to be a part of something like Dogwood,” Mims said. Simply put, without organizations like Dogwood and the nonprofits they work with, the recovery would be tougher than it already is.

Cecil draws satisfaction from doing the work to determine the best use of Dogwood’s financial resources and figuring out the other types of capital that can be leveraged to better communities. Like Mims, he said helping others who are “distressed” is an obligation but also a joy. Cecil feels a deep connection with the region, and he believes the way to help others boils down to three key pillars — health, education and economic strength. It’s around that ethos that Cecil determines where to spend his time and resources in his commitment to service.

“If they do not fall within those three categories, I was not interested and never served on them,” he said.

Constantine said he’s honored to continue to do the work that has sent him to so many places just at the right time to contribute during their darkest hours, always surrounded by the right people.

“I say I’m like Forrest Gump in the sense that I got lucky my whole career to be in places that I don’t deserve to be with people who are smarter than me,” he said. “This is seriously true for my whole career.”

The honor Dogwood’s leaders speak of is also an honor more are going to have the bittersweet occasion to experience, considering climate disasters are becoming more common and more severe. Since Helene, the nation has seen serious flooding in the Triangle that caused substantial property damage. Water rose out of its banks in Kansas City and Kentucky and New York. The worst flooding hit Texas on July 4 and killed nearly 140 people. If government aid continues to be less robust and less reliable, it will be up to philanthropic foundations to bridge the gap, as long as that’s sustainable.

These are lessons all will have to learn eventually.

“I want to make sure that we play a role in helping to pull together the lessons learned from Helene, both in what to do in an immediate aftermath, but also in prevention,” Mims said, “so fewer people will be hurt, fewer lives lost and there can be a quicker turnaround to recovery.”

(This article was reported through a fellowship supported by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to expand coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The Smoky Mountain News is solely responsible for all content.)

Kyle Perrotti photo

Pushing through troubled waters

Mountain Projects saves lives after Helene, but sustainability questions remain

Helene destroyed the Parkers' remodeled home. Michelle Parker photo

Ming the last of her belongings that had survived Tropical Storm Fred in August 2021 when her home was destroyed by Hurricane Helene September 27, 2024. Within three years, two devastating floods had displaced her and her husband Jeff.

Jeff had broken his leg before Helene, and they had nowhere to go after, so the couple asked around for a camper. It was Mountain Projects — a nonprofit improving social, educational, and quality-of-life conditions of those living in poverty in Haywood and Jackson counties — that stepped in to help, in no small part due to the group’s deep roots in the community.

Local entrepreneur and active Helene relief volunteer Lorelei Garnes had initially connected Parker to Mountain Projects as an act of reciprocity.

“I have worked as a paramedic. I’ve worked in dialysis for 15 years, and I worked at a doctor’s office,” Parker said In those professions, Parker had occasion to take care of several people’s beloved family

away,” Parker said, adding that the nonprofit was able to get another.

She and her husband were planning to live in the second camper — until a Mountain Projects employee got wind of her story and donated a camper Parker described as “almost brand new and big.”

Parker’s experience after Helene is threaded into the patchwork of interlocking relationships and boots-on-the-ground advocacy that Mountain Projects wore not as a cape, but a

neighbors, finding all the energy and strength they could muster and slinging it gently around their shoulders.

On the one-year anniversary of Helene, the increasing frequency and intensity of climaterelated emergencies combined with federal budget cuts to nonprofit groups and social services raises a difficult question. In a future natural disaster, can a small nonprofit like Mountain Projects continue to step into a role traditionally filled by the government? And if it can’t, who will be left behind?

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

FRONTLINE PHILANTHROPY

satchel. With 183 employees, 350 volunteers, $19 million in 2024 annual revenues and an 18-seat board of directors that includes six spots for representatives from the same low-

To former Mountain Projects Executive Director Patsy Davis, the most important measure to take before a storm like Helene is a phone call. Davis witnessed twin storms Frances and Ivan, which hit the region nine days apart in September 2004.

“[Mountain Projects] did a project in partnership with Haywood County and Clyde called ‘Barefoot Ridge’ zone [after Frances and

So you’ve got to get folks out early, she said — before the storm.

While the abundance of relocation options varies communities, so too does the ability to evacuate. An article for The Conversation examined reasons why people stay put during a disaster, chief among them financial constraints, refusal to abandon household pets, incarceration, impaired health, physical disability and lack of transportation.

“Even at 5 o’clock on that Friday morning [of Sept. 27], I was calling [our clients] to make sure they had rides, because a lot of people don’t have transportation,” Davis said, adding that the nonprofit had also worked to get supplies into the broader community to, among other things, ensure people had food, flashlights, a plan and medical supplies.

The Conversation reported that risk perception also can influence whether someone will evacuate. Likewise, surviving Fred taught Michelle Parker and her husband to take any hurricane threat seriously.

“We left the night before [Helene] … every-

Haywood Public Transit vans drove through flooded roads to get to Autumn Care. Patsy Davis photo

body in our neighborhood left,” Parker said.

But Davis admitted that even with her lived experience grappling with the impacts of three other hurricanes, she wasn’t as prepared as she’d thought.

“I would listen to these calls,” Davis said. “The National Weather Service would say, ‘Catastrophic impact and potential catastrophic loss of life’ … I thought I knew what was coming, but I realized quickly that Friday morning I had no clue.”

HELENE HITS WNC

Mountain Projects Executive Director Si Simmons, who was transportation director during Helene, recalled that he and Davis were on the road at 3:30 that morning heading to Haywood County Public Transit.

“Immediately the rain was coming sideways … I had never experienced rain like that,” he said.

Simmons and Davis — and about a half dozen Mountain Projects van drivers — were called to evacuate the Autumn Care nursing home in Waynesville not long after arriving at the public transit station. The facility is located on Old Balsam Road very near Richland Creek, which caused much of the damage in Waynesville.

“When we arrived there, we got off of Exit 98 and literally were pushing water with the front of the vehicles,” Davis said.

She started loading residents into the vans while Simmons drove his vehicle along the back to see if there was an egress route there.

“[He] came back, and he said, ‘No, we can’t get out,’” Davis said. “And having to unload those folks and put them back in the building surrounded by water was one of the saddest, most challenging times of my career.”

Davis said the team was then asked to try to get to some other similar facilities.

“We couldn’t,” Davis said. “We were surrounded by water.”

When the water had risen past the vehicles’ wheels, Mountain Projects had to get the fleet off the road. They found the most promising high ground in none other than an Ingles parking lot and waited there until the worst of the flooding subsided.

“Two or three hours later, we made our way back up Old Balsam Road and back up on the four lane,” Simmons said, adding that they returned to the transit station.

“Like everybody,” he said, “we thought the worst was over.” But as the weekend rolled

home sent photos of their house — and that’s how she knew it was gone.  She and Jeff went back to see the devastation for themselves.

“My cousin’s camper that was left there, a little Coleman, flew up the road and crashed into the bank, and one of our buildings just completely disappeared,” Parker said.

When Davis got access to communications channels, she recalled finding out the Ingles warehouse had flooded. In response,

NAVIGATING FEMA

Davis said she hadn’t heard much about FEMA involvement in the region during Helene. She did remember being told that FEMA was trying to evacuate people to Greenville, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee. With all the destroyed roads and lack of transportation, she wondered how the agency would even get to either of those places.

“Immediately the rain was coming sideways … I had never experienced rain like that.”

— Si Simmons, Executive Director, Mountain Projects

around, “things started becoming very clear … we had a huge problem.”

The weekend of the storm, Michelle Parker was on Soco Mountain with her husband, so she didn’t see the worst of the flooding. In fact, Parker said the only sign of the hurricane was a light wind. A neighbor who’d stayed

In those years, FEMA was a functional arm of the government that both responded to disasters and worked to prevent them.

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, ushered in an entirely new national agenda. President George W. Bush signed into law a bipartisan congressional act mandating the creation of a Department of Homeland Security.

In 2003, FEMA was absorbed by DHS, losing its status as an independent body. Top officials left, and morale was lower than ever, according to PBS reports. Counterterrorism once again took priority over disaster relief. At no time was FEMA’s failure to act more apparent than during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In 2006, Congress increased funding to the agency, and in response to Katrina-era director Michael Brown’s lack of relevant experience, passed a law requiring disaster preparedness familiarity for any future FEMA director. Throughout the next 20-something years, a litany of bipartisan reforms strengthened the agency and increased funding.

But even during Helene in 2024, FEMA’s slow and grinding bureaucracy indicated it hadn’t achieved the level of effectiveness it possessed before the DHS integration.

So Mountain Projects, for its own part, became a hyperlocal FEMA. Staff used the resources they had to shelter whomever they could in nearby hotels and motels.

This relocation effort “progressed over time into getting into the camper business,” said Davis.

The nonprofit housed folks in “lots of campers,” she noted, adding that there are still people in campers.

NO END IN SIGHT

One year after Hurricane Helene, Parker is one of the survivors still living in a camper.

After experiencing their first natural disaster — Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 — the Parkers got by with a payout of half of the house’s value allotted by flood insurance and a grant from the state to remodel the property. For nearly two years, their place wasn’t habitable, so the Parkers were paying its mortgage while renting an apartment.

“It was still hard … and we had a lot of medical problems,” Parker said.

In July 2023, they finally got their house back. Around a year later, they lost it again — for good.

tunately our fourth goround with things like this [community members] knew they could come here for diapers, food, clothing — all the essentials,” he said.

Davis said her most poignant experience during Helene had to do with a clothing request.

“I was so humbled, to have to go and get somebody some underwear, which I don’t mind at all,” she said. “But I thought, ‘you know, that could be me, and how would I feel?’”

According to reporting from Wired, behind the scenes, however, it was primarily concerned with responding to a nuclear attack or disaster. When disasters did strike, FEMA was unprepared and ill-equipped.

Having taken office amid an onslaught of criticism about FEMA disaster response operations, in 1993, President Bill Clinton made a dedicated effort to bolster the organization’s inner workings. The president appointed disaster management veteran James Lee Witt to the agency and gave FEMA cabinet-level status. Witt pioneered federal disaster mitigation, de-prioritized national security efforts and streamlined aid efforts within the agency.

Parker said after the remodeling, her house was worth over $209,000, in comparison to its $80,000 market value before Tropical Storm Fred. She and her husband still had flood insurance. The Parkers received $80,000, the full value of their old house. They knew they’d be wasting their time and finances by trying to rebuild.

“We just took the money … and paid off the [mortgage],” she said.

Their only choice was to spend that particularly brutal winter in their camper. Parker said although the camper was better winterized than most, she and her husband needed space heaters in addition to the furnace to keep warm.

“We were paying $300 for gas F

every two weeks,” she recalled.

At the end of the day, it came down to something she and Mountain Projects staff members emphasized to The Smoky Mountain News in separate instances: campers aren’t meant to be lived in permanently.

A little while after the Parkers’ relocation, Davis called to ask if they’d be interested in participating in Homes for Hope, a coordinated program between United Way, Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Projects.

Each organization, Mountain Projects Affordable Housing Manager Maggie Leftwich said, has committed to building two new houses for folks displaced by Hurricane Helene.

“The cool thing is that they’re getting brand new homes and at a fraction of what they’re going to be worth,” Leftwich said.

Still, as of July, Parker said she and her husband had everything they needed to pursue their dream of getting another house.

But there’s a caveat.

“In August of [2024], we ran out of funding,” Singletary said. “We went into what [HUD] calls a ‘shortfall,’ which means that the funding that was set aside for us was inadequate to cover the growing rent costs. And when you go into shortfall as a public housing agency, you have to follow HUD’s rules, and one of them is ceasing issuing new vouchers.”

Mountain Projects has been unable to issue new vouchers due to frozen federal funding since one month before Helene — though not for lack of trying. Congress, in turn, funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development through its annual budget.

“We have been in touch constantly with [Edwards’ and Tillis’] office with no success” to unfreeze the shortfall, said Davis.

Congress wouldn’t even unfreeze Section 8

“Philanthropy and nonprofits do not have the scale of dollars or other kinds of resources to back them in filling the holes left when government walks away.”

— Rusty Stahl, President and CEO, Found the People

“His income, my income … We had a preapproval from a mortgage company from the remainder of the house that they’ve ordered, and that is ready,” she said. “It’s just not set up yet.”

But on July 11, Jeff unexpectedly stopped breathing. Michelle performed CPR, but it was too late. As if losing her husband weren’t traumatic enough, without his income, she wasn’t making enough to pay what she owed for the new home.

Parker said Mountain Projects employees have busied themselves trying to find her an alternative to a loan, but the nonprofit is stretched thin. Mountain Projects has temporarily paused Housing for Hope; Leftwich cited its need for increased volunteer labor and funding sources.

The nonprofit reported 350 annual volunteers in fiscal year 2024, about twice its number of paid workers, but significantly fewer than its volunteer count of 925 one decade earlier. Volunteer numbers started dropping around the time the pandemic hit – from 712 in fiscal year 2019 to 400 in fiscal year 2020 –and despite yearly ebbs and flows, engagement has been trending downward ever since.

SECTION 8 SHORTFALL

To get a complete view of the housing crisis Mountain Projects has battled since Helene, one needs to look past Homes for Hope — and to a longtime federal program called Section 8.

Section 8 vouchers enable low-income individuals to afford subsidized private housing. According to Section 8 Rental Assistance Coordinator Amanda Singletary, Mountain Projects is currently administering the program to 840 households in Haywood and Jackson counties on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

head up the agency — said he didn’t know there was such a thing as “hurricane season.”

Because FEMA is under the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem was able to institute a requirement that she personally reviews every contract above $100,000. Environmental Health News reported that such micromanagement has slashed Western North Carolina’s monthly Helene aid from $40 million to $6.5 million.

At the same time, according to a BBC article, FEMA is willing to dole out over $600 million to states and locales that detain undocumented migrants en route to detention centers.

FEMA cuts force local nonprofits to take on even more disaster aid. Meanwhile, federal policy toward nonprofits severely undermines these groups’ ability to carry it out. Small nonprofits like Mountain Projects tend to be chronically underfunded and under-resourced in the face of the problems they’re expected to tackle.

“Too many funders, whether they’re government or philanthropic, really want to plow their money into programs and also want to restrict their dollars by line item. And so you end up having to create jobs based on this patchwork quilt of funding,” said Rusty Stahl, President and CEO of Found the People.

services,” he said, noting that it’s crucial to have community organizations that aren’t completely reliant on public funding.

As for Mountain Projects, Simmons told SMN, “We’re very resourceful with what we have, and we have been very blessed by private and other philanthropists to provide the services that we provide.”

Indeed, Mountain Projects has seen increased total revenue, expenses and assets between fiscal years 2020 and 2024. Its 2024 total revenues were just over $19 million compared to around $13 million four years prior.  Mountain Projects recorded $16 million in contributions and grants for the 2024 fiscal year, and 80% of this total — over $13 million — came from federal and state funding sources.

Meanwhile, congressional legislation and executive policy during the Trump administration’s second term mimic massive Reagan-era funding cuts to both the social safety net and the nonprofit sector, adding precarity even to federal funding already earmarked.

temporarily as a disaster-related exception.

To add insult to injury, Singletary said that during Helene, 22 Section 8 rental units were destroyed.

Both Singletary and Davis emphasized the essential role the program might have played for someone who had lost a non-Section 8 rental unit but no longer could afford nonsubsidized rates.

“We actually had to close our wait list to new applicants at the end of October 2024 because it reached the two-year threshold,” Singletary said, noting that at the time, there were 530 families on the waitlist.

“In every other disaster, we were able to put a preference on the Section 8 vouchers for anybody who qualified for that voucher, if they had lost their home or substantially damaged … This time, we didn’t have that resource,” said Davis.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Even with the storms she’s been through, Davis has noticed a distinct pattern in folks impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“You didn’t even have to ask if they were a Helene survivor,” she said. “You could tell it. You could tell it on their face.”

Disasters like Helene destroy entire communities, and climate experts predict more in the years and decades to come. Yet the state of disaster management in this country appears more fraught.

President Donald Trump has delayed or canceled billions of FEMA dollars sent to states to use for risk mitigation projects. In the months since the president took office, the agency has ended door-to-door canvassing in disaster-affected regions and lost about a third of its full-time workforce. Acting administrator David Richards — FEMA’s first emergency management novice since Michael Brown to

Stahl added that government will contract social services to local nonprofits — like Section 8 in the case of Mountain Projects — that include salaries of program staff.

“If those contracts don’t include decent level salaries or cost of living adjustments, which they often don’t, they’re often just flat year over year,” Stahl said.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported

Mountain Projects’ largest single grant is the $3 million it receives annually from the Department of Health and Human Services for Head Start and Early Head Start programming. Fortunately, the HaywoodJackson nonprofit was awarded its 2025 Head Start funding in a timely manner, but the Government Accountability Office in July reported that the Trump administration had illegally withheld funds from the DHHS program for months.

The Trump administration, moreover, is now engaging in unprecedented challegenes to the First Ammendment as a means of limiting nonprofit funding.

“In August of [2024], we ran out of funding. We went into what [HUD] calls a ‘shortfall,’ which means that the funding that was set aside for us was inadequate to cover the growing rent costs. And when you go into shortfall as a public housing agency, you have to follow HUD’s rules, and one of them is ceasing issuing new vouchers.”

— Amanda Singletary, Section 8 rental assistance coordinator, Mountain Projects

that this funds-to-output discrepancy first accelerated when Reagan signed into law massive funding cuts to the likes of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, free school lunches and the National Endowment for the Arts, forcing nonprofits, which also saw massive decreases in funding, to take on the responsibilities of social welfare.

According to Stahl, that’s an impossible task.

“Philanthropy and nonprofits do not have the scale of dollars or other kinds of resources to back them in filling the holes left when government walks away,” he said.

But while Stahl said that healthcare, for example, should be administered by the government rather than businesses, “not everything should be left to the government.”

“You can get someone running government who is corrupt or is going to shut down these

In what he described as “strategic attacks,” Stahl said that “groups that believe in racial equity or say they do have been … pressured to walk away from those values and those words, and they’ve had funding cut.”

Ultimately, none of Mountain Projects’ immediate post-disaster operations, however lifesaving and essential, were funded by the government or big-name foundations. In fact, in the days after Helene, according to Davis, Mountain Projects was struggling to stay afloat with what it had received prior to the storm.

“We were having to get whatever donations we could find,” she said.

(This article was reported through a fellowship supported by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to expand coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The Smoky Mountain News is solely responsible for all content.)

No one said it would be easy

Patrick Sweany to headline Rock for Relief festival

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

At age 51, acclaimed blues rocker Patrick Sweany has performed over the decades at seemingly at every venue from coastto-coast and beyond. Through it all, one sentiment still rings true in his heart — “The whole thing is luck and trying to show up as much as possible.”

Raised in Northeast Ohio, Sweany was surrounded by a bevy of music from right out of the gate. His father played acoustic guitar and was a big listener of early 1960s folk music, as well as the bluegrass sounds of Flatt & Scruggs and The Country Gentlemen. There was also a heavy dose of classic country gold, from Conway Twitty to Jon Anderson, Oak Ridge Boys to Don Williams.

“But it was [my father’s] record collection [which] was the thing that brought me around to wanting to play guitar and sing,” Sweany said. “All these great Vanguard and Folkways

Blues rocker Patrick Sweany will play Waynesville Oct. 4. File photo

label stuff. I latched on to the folk stuff that was bluesier and the more R&B flavored selections from the rock-n-roll shelf. My dad was really supportive of me learning to play, when I took an interest in it.”

As a young kid in the 1980s, Sweany began going to folk festivals at nearby Kent State University. From there, he went down the rabbit hole that is early acoustic blues music. After high school, he attended college at Kent State but had “no other ambition than to play music with the people I saw jamming at the folk festival.”

“I practiced playing and singing as much as possible, eventually gigging at night as much as I was going to school,” Sweany recalled. “Mostly solo [gigs], then put a trio together, and could still read the books I needed to read, and stay up all night every other week writing papers.”

With razor-sharp guitar licks and a ferocious voice that howled into the night, Sweany

started to make a name for himself around Ohio and the greater Midwest — his stage presence one of authenticity and truth.

“When I finally graduated [college], I just kept gigging. Never pursued any other employment,” Sweany said. “Then, it was practice, practice, practice all day. Gig at night in a little three-to-four-hour radius.”

Soon, there was The Patrick Sweany Band, an ensemble that included Dan Auerbach for a period, who would later go on to form The Black Keys. By 2008, Sweany relocated to Nashville and has continued to build this stoic career of honest music by a truly hardworking artist.

“As far as looking back in the rearview, that’s a great way to miss the exit ramp off to the ‘here and now,’” Sweany said. “You live a life performing. You are expressing yourself. You are entertaining people. You are trying to tell people your heaviest feelings and stories in a way that they will hopefully dance to.”

In preparation for his upcoming appearance at the second annual Rock for Relief WNC festival, which will take place in downtown Waynesville Oct. 3-4, Sweany spoke atlength about not what the blues means to him, but also how the live stage pertains to his soaring voice and innate guitar prowess — this lifelong dream still unfolding gig after gig.

Smoky Mountain News: In terms of the live realm, what does that space mean to you whenever you find yourself inhabiting it, especially as you’ve gotten older?

Patrick Sweany: I’ve always been an entertainer. The show is the most important thing in my world. People spent money to hear me play my songs. I want to present those songs in the most powerful and effective way that I can when I play and sing them. I’m there to engage the audience and make them feel like they got something they can’t get anywhere else. I’m going to show up onstage ready to play, and to be myself. There’s never been a time in my life that I didn’t feel that way about the show. And I draw a lot of strength and motivation from that.

SMN: The blues. Where and when does the blues enter your life? Who were the initial musical influences? And what about the music itself, the ethos and culture behind it, really hit deep within you?

PS: I got turned on to the blues at about age 11. I heard Ray Charles sing “Night Time is the Right Time” on TV and it just fascinated me. A year or two later, I got turned on to John Hammond Jr., and Bob Dylan’s first record from dad’s collection, which was about the time I started wanting to play and sing, and dad was teaching me “This Land is Your Land.”

Reading album liner notes turned me on to Lightnin’ Hopkins and Booker White. It all just followed from there into Elmore James, Muddy Waters and B.B. King, Son House, and Mississippi John Hurt through Doc Watson.  All that emotion was a straight line to their music. Unfiltered, yet highly distilled. I couldn’t find anything that did what that music

could. I feel exactly the same way about now. The [blues] is always the mountain it’s always been. It’s fully grown. You need to be an adult to understand the nuance and space to bring the emotion through the playing no matter how much a kid practices.

I’m glad that young people are able to see more of the true source players and not having to backtrack through white rock guitar players who really don’t represent what I feel are the most important elements.

I’m always going to be excited this music. It is timeless to me, and it gives me my creative spark.

SMN: What do you see as the role of the singersongwriter, especially when placed against the chaos and confusion of the modern world?

PS: I know my role is important. I know my role has value. I know it’s my duty as an American to continue to do what I do, to serve as an example of the obligation of young, talented, creative Americans to pursue artistic talents as a career. And that we have an inalienable right to do it.

The American music business is a multibillion [dollar] industry. It influences the sound of the world since the first-time recorded sound came out a speaker. More people listen to music more often than ever before. There is more music being created than ever before. It is only going to get more important.

Want to go?

The second annual “Rock for Relief WNC” music festival will be held Oct. 3-4 at multiple venues around Waynesville.

The main live music area will be a fullproduction setup at the Miller Street Stage in downtown. Headliners to appear onstage at Miller Street will be Patrick Sweany (blues/rock), Big Something Unplugged (jam/acoustic), Asheville All-Stars featuring Jennifer Hartswick and Kebbi Williams (funk/rock), Red Clay Revival (Americana/indie), Pleasure Chest (blues/soul), Arnold Hill (rock/jam) and more. Tickets for the Miller Street Stage are $20 for Friday, $30 for Saturday or $40 for the weekend pass. There are also VIP ticket upgrades available.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Haywood County Arts Council (haywoodarts.org). A beer garden, food trucks and artisan vendors will also be onsite. Children ages 12 and under are admitted free. All shows outside of the Miller Street Stage area are free and open to the public. Those venues include Frog Level Brewing, The Scotsman Public House, The Gem at Boojum Brewing, Blue Ridge Beer Hub, Water’n Hole Bar & Grill, Smoky Mountain Dog Bar, The Station on Main, Valley Cigar & Wine Company, Watami and more.

For more information, a full schedule of acts and/or to purchase tickets, visit rockforreliefwnc.com.

‘See the lines in the levee, muddy water pushing through’

I’ll never get that smell out of my memory. The stench of mud and rotting debris.

Most of you reading this will immediately know what I’m referring to — the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024. And yet, that stench was already in my stored subconscious, seeing as I first encountered it with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. Regardless, we’re quickly approach the one-year mark since Helene forever scarred the physical landscape of Western North Carolina and the emotional hearts of those who call this majestic place home. For me, both personally and professionally, my processing of what happened, who it happened to and what now remains continues.

And I think that processing of Helene will always be close to the surface of my thoughts and emotions, truth be told. Especially when I’m cruising around our backyard, whether it’s up near the Big Creek and Cataloochee Valley entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Or when I’m going for a jog through what’s left of our beloved River Arts District in Asheville. Or noticing how much the grass has grown over the massive mudslide on I-40 outside of Black Mountain.

I especially thought of Helene when I found myself meandering up to Big Creek for a trail run this past weekend. Although still heavily damaged, the Waterville Road (which connects I-40 to Big Creek) has recently reopened to the public. It’s only one-lane as of now, with the other lane long gone down the bordering Pigeon River due to Helene.

Rolling into Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the annual International Bluegrass Music Association award show this past Wednesday, it dawned on me that I was attending last year’s gathering Raleigh when Helene tore through our region. I remember how hard it even rained in the capital city, how the tornado-like winds shook the windows of my hotel room. I remember the fear in the eyes and voices of others like myself who call Western North Carolina home.

Many of us in Raleigh still didn’t know the

extent of the damage to our communities, let alone get hold of anyone in the dead-zone due to the cell towers going silent because of the storm. News reports on the TV used words like “apocalypse” and “cataclysmic” in stories slowly trickling out of WNC. Most outside journalists couldn’t even get into the deadzone due to mudslides and flooding overtaking the interstates and backroads up and down the Blue Ridge Mountains.

My then-girlfriend, who was with me in Raleigh, started to get extremely worried about the safety and whereabouts of our friends and co-workers. At that exact time, my publisher, Scott McLeod, and his wife, were flying back from the West and ended up detouring to Charlotte. I picked them up on my way back home, seeing as I-26 south of Asheville was the only way to access the mountains. We stocked up on supplies, ultimately packing up my truck. Cases of water. Cans of nonperishable items. Cans of gasoline. Toilet paper. And cold beer.

Feelings of trepidation as we drove past Shelby, the last of the open gas stations now in the rearview mirror. Soon, the evidence of the storm appeared. Countless fallen trees and power lines. Damaged homes. Flooded roads. Mud everywhere. And no cell service. The sense of the unknown once we entered the dead-zone. Just enough gas in the tank to return to our homes in Waynesville.

Immediately back to the newsroom to figure out our course of action in providing real time information to our readers about what’s going on and where to go for supplies. No cell service or Internet? Well, that’s why we have physical newspapers on seemingly every street corner in this time of crisis and chaos. From there? Days, weeks and months of running around the mountains and interviewing folks about what happened to them and their perspective moving forward.

Wild, truthful tales of being trapped in their homes as the floodwaters rose. Trees crashing down upon their streets. Hundreds of small businesses being wiped off the face of the

HOT PICKS

A special stage production of “A Little Night Music” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25-27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The annual “Mountain Heritage Day” celebration will continue through Sept. 27 on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host Nicholas Edward Williams (singersongwriter) 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.

Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Kelly Morris (Americana/indie) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Singer-songwriter Alma Russ will hit the stage at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Valley Cigar & Wine Company in Waynesville.

earth. The pure insanity and the eternal wrath of Mother Nature. Reports of dead bodies found along the riverbeds. Reports of whole towns getting destroyed. Reports of how long it might take to return to some sense of normalcy (a sentiment that still lingers even today).

Each evening, I would return home to postit notes on the front door of my apartment from my girlfriend, telling me where she was headed and when she’d be back. I’d leave her the same upon leaving the house each morning. Kiss each other goodbye, a shared look of concern about what each of us may encounter that day in our respective endeavors of reporting the news (me) and delivering resources while conducting wellness checks (her).

Skip ahead to the here and now. One year. Everything mentioned in the previous paragraphs is seared into my memory. Everything remains as surreal and heavy in hindsight, more so when, in real time, I find myself wandering and observing this post-Helene landscape. I’ll get lost in thought while jogging through the RAD and noticing the downed trees, the empty lots that used to be prominent businesses.

And I often think about everything I witnessed and came across in all those field reports. The faces of those deeply affected. The piles of debris. The absurd routes taken to access certain areas where the damage was the worst. And all of those benefit concerts and events since then to help those who lost everything. Music will always heal.

In closing, I’ll never forget the devastation left behind from Helene. But, most importantly, I’ll always remember the kindness and compassion shown by strangers, where two questions were asked to any and all, and by folks that normally would never have interacted with one another, “Are you OK?” and “Do you need anything?”

I remain optimistic — post-Helene, and for we as a people, together.

The River Arts District in Asheville post-Helene. Garret K. Woodward photo

On the beat

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Kelly Morris (Americana/indie) Sept. 24 and A. Lee Edwards (Americana/indie) Oct. 1. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Two Armadillos (acoustic/oldied) 7:15 p.m. Oct. 4. The kitchen and wine bar open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Team Trivia” Mondays and Grizzly Mammoth (rock/ jam) 7 p.m. Sept. 27. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Erick Baker (singer-songwriter) Oct. 8. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $50 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchard-sessions.

• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages), “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Free and open to the public. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.

• Friday Night Live Concert Series will host Nitrograss (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 26. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, The Young Ones Sept. 25, Wes Ganey (singersongwriter) Sept. 26, 81 Drifters Sept. 27 and Adi the Monk (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

A. Lee Edwards will play Maggie Valley Oct. 1. File photo

Cataloochee Ranch welcomes Edwards

first and third Monday and a “Song Circle” open jam from 3-6 p.m. the first Tuesday each month. Free and open to the public. 828.524.3600 or fontanalib.org/franklin.

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host a “Bluegrass Jam” 5-7 p.m. Sundays, Tricia Ann Band (rock/country) Sept. 27, Woolybooger (blues/folk) Oct. 2 and Joey Fletcher Band (southern rock) Oct. 4. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Somebody’s Child (Americana) Sept. 26, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Sept. 27 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) 5 p.m. Sept. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Corey Stevenson (singer-songwriter) Sept. 24, Charles Walker (singer-songwriter) Sept. 26, Dillon & Company Duo Sept. 27, Kayla McKinney (singer-songwriter) Oct. 3 and Dillon & Company Oct. 4. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Remedy 58 (blues/soul) 5 p.m. Sept. 27. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with Kendall Marvel (singersongwriter) 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25 ($41.84 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 /

Americana, folk at Valley Cigar

highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Brubeck Brothers Quartet (jazz) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.

• Highlands Smokehouse (Highlands) will host live music from 1-3 p.m. Sundays. 828.526.3554 / highlandsmokehouse.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678/ innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.

Rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Valley Cigar & Wine Company in Waynesville.

Based out of Western North Carolina and with her unique brand of “patchwork music” (country, folk and Appalachian styles pieced together), Russ enjoys playing guitar, banjo and fiddle.

Russ was also a contestant on “American Idol” Season 16. Her most recent album, “Fool’s Gold,” was recorded in an abandoned church in the West Texas desert while Russ was on a national tour.

Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.944.0686 or visit valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Blue Jazz (blues/soul) Sept. 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Waymore’s Duo (Americana/honky-tonk) Sept. 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host an “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host The Vagabonds (Americana) at 2 p.m. the

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host The Log Noggins (rock) 2 p.m. Sept. 27 and Whitewater Bluegrass Company (Americana/bluegrass) 5 p.m. Sept. 27. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “Songwriters Showcase 57” Oct. 18. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Carolina 441 (southern rock) Sept. 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Frances Eliza (singer-songwriter) Sept. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.

• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host Shedhouse Trio & Darren Nicholson (Americana) Sept. 27. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Moonshine State (alt-country) Sept. 25, Celtic Road (Celtic/world) 4 p.m. Sept. 27, Timothy Nave Trio (country/folk) Sept. 27 and Brian Dooley & Joseph Marino (Celtic/world) 2 p.m. Sept. 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.

• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Seth & Sara (Americana) 6 p.m. Sept. 26 and Steve Vaclavik (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. Oct. 5. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

Alma Russ will play Waynesville Sept. 28. File photo

ALSO:

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Departure (Journey tribute/classic rock) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and The Inspirations Quartet (Gospel/Christian) 7 p.m. Oct. 3. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.

• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with Remedy 58 (blues/soul) Sept. 25 and David Cheatham (Americana/folk) Oct. 2. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host Amos Jackson (R&B/soul) 6 p.m. Sept. 26 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) 2 p.m. Sept. 28. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Blackwater Station 4 p.m. Oct. 5. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.

On the table

• “Oyster & Seafood Fest” will be held from 48 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Old Edwards Inn in Highlands. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit oldedwardshospitality.com/best-things-to-do-highlands-nc.

• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

ALSO:

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 26, Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) Sept. 28 and Monica Spears (singer-songwriter) Oct. 5. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.

• Wells Events & Reception Center (Waynesville) will host Amos Jackson (R&B/soul) Oct. 3. 828.476.5070 / wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.

• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays, “Music Bingo” 6-8 p.m. Saturdays and Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Sept. 27, Mark Miller (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Oct. 3 and Woolybooger (blues/folk) 3 p.m. Oct. 4. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.

• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host “Country Thursdays” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. Thursdays and Nicholas Edward Williams (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. Sept. 28. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.

On the wall WCU glass exhibition

• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.

“North Carolina Glass 2025” brings together 30 established and emerging creators from across the state, showcasing a broad spectrum of contemporary glasswork.

From handblown vessels and flameworked geometries to textured pâte de verre surfaces and neon sculptures, this landmark exhibition highlights the innovation and diversity of glass as a contempo-

remarkable medium.

A live demonstration will be held during the Mountain Heritage Day festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the BAC Courtyard. A reception for the exhibition will take place from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in the BAC Star Atrium. For more information, visit wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center.

Abstract art, surrealism showcase

With the exhibit dubbed “Faces of the Unseen,” artwork by Ralph Verano will be on display through the month of September at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Verano’s character-driven art represents his love of abstract art and surrealism with a desire to create something unique and original. His work has evolved over time because of his willingness to experiment with different techniques, ideas and styles.

Verano has always felt that discovery is the most important element in his work and the need to challenge himself is what maintains his interest in the thing that has been his passion since he was a child.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit rverano.blogspot.com.

‘Considering the Limitless’ by Sarah Vaughn. Donated photo

‘Descendant’ by Ralph Verano. Donated photo

‘Layers’ opens at HCAC

The latest exhibition from the Haywood County Arts Council, “Layers” is now on display through Monday, Oct. 27, at the HCAC in downtown Waynesville.

Art is all about layers — of ink in a relief print, layers of batting and fabric in a quilt and background layering in an oil painting. This exhibit is all about celebrating the different layers of mediums that artists use to create their masterpieces.

Free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org.

Cherokee pottery exhibition

A special showcase, “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.

On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop.

Renowned for her pottery, McCoy began making crafts at 12 years old. She honed her skills while taking arts and crafts classes with Alyne Stamper (EBCI) and has won numerous awards at the Cherokee Fall Festival and at Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market.

Today, she shares her knowledge with others. Designed to increase and uplift pottery making among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, McCoy’s workshop uses a hands-on approach, empowering first-time potters to bring their own personal style to ancestral techniques and methods.

• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (May-December) in downtown Waynesville. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.

• WNC Paint Events will host painting sessions on select dates. For more information and/or to sign up, visit wncpaint.events.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.

• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com.

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com.

• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m.

“The Didanisisgi Gadagwatli pottery workshop is an example of how museums can support and uplift great work already happening in the community,” says MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (EBCI).

“Tara’s dedication to gadugi (community working together for the common good) and intensive approach to teaching has been hugely successful and is a powerful example of reconnections and resurgence. Connection and practice to our material culture is a continuation of our shared Cherokee identity and perpetuates Cherokee pride.”

The artists exhibited include Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (EBCI), Barbara Jones (EBCI), Paula Wojtkowski (EBCI), Marisa “Sis” Cabe (EBCI), Lisa Howell (EBCI, Pawnee Nation) Malia Crowe Skulski (EBCI), Samantha Cole-Daniels (EBCI), Elvia Walkingstick (EBCI), Maggie Jackson (EBCI), Michelle Lynn Long (EBCI, Mvskoke Creek Nation) and Tara McCoy (EBCI).

For more information, visit motcp.org.

every third Monday each month. The club welcomes photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.

• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.452.0593 / haywoodarts.org.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.631.0271 / jcgep.org.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. 828.339.4000 / southwesterncc.edu/scc-locations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. 828.586.2248 / dogwoodcrafters.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org.

A work by Dori Settles. File photo

A work by Dori Settles. File photo

On the stage

HART presents ‘A Little Night Music’

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center (Highlands) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. mountaintheatre.com / 828.526.9047.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage

A special stage production of “A Little Night Music” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25-27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Set in Sweden at the turn of the century, Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” follows a tangled web of romantic entanglements over one magical summer evening, brought to life at HART with a live orchestra.

Tickets start at $19 with seating upgrades and discounts for seniors and students available. For more information, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.

productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.

On the street Folk School ‘Fall Festival’

The 49th annual “Fall Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4-5 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.

Visit more than 230 fine craft exhibitors and watch dozens of artisans demonstrate traditional and contemporary crafts. There will also be a wide array of live music and clogging, with bluegrass, gospel, Americana, folk and mountain music all to be performed. There will also be 29 food vendors onsite.

For more information and a full schedule of events, artists and live music, visit folkschool.org/events.

WCU’s ‘Mountain

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, the annual “Mountain Heritage Day” celebration will continue through Sept. 27 on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Heritage Day’

The festival of Southern Appalachian traditions and culture is renowned as a showcase of bluegrass, old-time and traditional music, as well as family activities, food vendors, artisan demonstrations and the region’s finest arts and crafts booths.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, updates and a full schedule of events, visit mountainheritageday.com.

ColorFest returns to Dillsboro

The 17th annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in downtown Dillsboro. Come spend the day in a walk-about mountain town filled with color and history. Enjoy a day of fun, food, live music, artisan demonstrations, entertainment and shopping.

Dozens of artisans will be displaying authentic Cherokee art, pottery, jewelry, photography, loom beading, handmade soaps, many kinds of needle work, Christmas ornaments, pine cone wreaths, candles, rustic furniture, chair caning, baskets and much more. ColorFest is free and open to the public. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit dillsboro.org.

‘A Little Night Music’ will be at HART on select dates. File photo

Artist demonstrations are a big part of ColorFest. File photo

John C. Campbell is a world-renowned folk school. File photo

MHD will be in Cullowhee this week. File photo

A different kind of power in New Zealand

When you think “politician,” what picture pops into your mind? In today’s world, regardless of party, it is likely a bald or gray-haired old man, fixated on power and money, loyal only to his corporate sponsors.

Enter Jacinda Ardern. Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Elected at age 37 to lead her country. What kind of young woman could handle such a task, survive the opposition and pull her country together?

In “A Different Kind of Power,”

Ardern tells you of her mistakes and uncertainties as she bares her soul in this very candid memoir. Yet it is obvious in the way she meets crisis after crisis with wisdom and empathy that she has the internal strength to be a skilled leader.

When pressed by a reporter on her way to the swearing in ceremony, asking about her agenda, Ardern said simply, “I want this government to feel different. I want people to feel that it’s open, that it’s listening, and that it’s going to bring kindness back.” Kindness. That was the word.

There are the policy changes that come when one party takes over the helm from the party in power. The map of new laws and directions that demand attention from the prime minister and her cohorts. However, on top of the expected nonstop duties, there was much more.

Just months after her inauguration, Ardern became a first-time mom. Family stepped in to help with her new daughter, Neve, allowing her to balance her duties as PM with the demands of motherhood. When she could, Ardern would find a secluded spot to nurse or pump breast milk.

The following year, though, was a path through hell. On March 15, 2019, a gunman opened fire on the New Zealand Muslim community during their worship, killing 50 and wounding dozens more. The stated intent of the perpetrator was to create chaos and plunge the country into racial turmoil and division. It didn’t work. Ardern was everywhere, embracing the Muslim community and pulling the country together with compassion.

Later that year, a volcano erupted on the island of Whakaari/White, creating an emergency evacuation situation. Though many were lost, others were saved, albeit with severe burns. Ardern and her emer-

gency first responder teams were there. Then, of course, came the big one — COVID. Ardern and her Parliament acted swiftly, restricting entry to the country and formulating a plan for managing COVID. Her words again: “In the Northern Hemisphere, COVID was raging. Hundreds

knew the stories and circumstances of almost all of them.”

Those numbers did not hold, of course, but there was general approval of the way in which Ardern was handling the pandemic. So much so, in fact, that she and the Labor Party won reelection by an overwhelming margin in 2020.

Looking back

In 1988, my wife Trish and I bicycled for 11 weeks on New Zealand’s South Island, pulling our two children, camping gear, food and clothing behind us. On one particularly tiring day, we had biked 60 miles, been blown off the road by high winds and arrived at a crossroads, only to find the store we had counted on sold nothing that we could eat. Our hostess on a sheep farm that night said, “No matter, give me a list and I’ll ring the postman.” The next day, he arrived with not just the mail, but two grocery sacks he had shopped for and trusted us to reimburse him for. Jacinda Ardern would have been a young girl in that year, but kindness was already abounding in her home country.

— Doug Woodward

of thousands of people in the United States had died from COVID that year. A number that would spike in the months ahead. In New Zealand, that number was 25, and I

Memoir, poetry reading at City Lights

The following readings will be held at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Arden describes interactions with other world leaders, including Justin Trudeau, Michelle Bachelet, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin. “As leader, I was ambassador for my country, and I held our reputation and our legacy in my hands. We had opposed nuclear testing, apartheid and the Iraq War. We were the first country in the world in which women had the right to vote. We had spoken out on behalf of human rights, labor laws and the benefits of fair trade.”

A new public holiday was instituted in 2020; the Maori New Year, a first for New Zealand’s indigenous people. The brutal history of the oppression of the Maori is now being taught in New Zealand’s public schools.

After six years as prime minister, Jacinda Ardern stepped down so that someone else could take the reins. But what a legacy follows her. Fifty percent of Parliament is now female. Maoris hold leadership positions, including Speaker of the House. And “kindness” is definitely the defining word for her years as Prime Minister.

In the words of the ultimate New Zealand compliment, “Good on you, Jacinda!”

Can we do as well here in the United States?

(Doug Woodward lives in Macon County and honors all who walk this earth with kindness and compassion.)

• Edward Knapp will present his memoir, “Living with Heart: Journey to Heart Transplant,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. The book recounts his battle with chronic heart failure and eventual transplant, told in his reflective, whimsical style.

• A poetry reading with Sue Weaver Dunlap (“Thursday’s Child”) and KB Ballentine (“All the Way Through”) will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27. Both readings are free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.

Writer Doug Woodward

Grant funds free well water testing following Helene

BY KYLE PERROTTI

N EWS E DITOR

Since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, residents have learned countless lessons and encountered unforeseen circumstances, even long after the initially recovery phase began.

When Helene inundated farmland, in some cases, chemicals and animal waste were introduced into the groundwater, in addition to countless other chemicals that washed into Western North Carolina’s waterways. When homes were nearby, this could contaminate residential wells and sicken residents, due to the introduction of heavy metals or lead or bacterial contaminants like E. coli, even if the water appears clear and clean.

Following the storm, Wine to Water, an international nonprofit focused on providing clean water access, launched a free water quality testing program for households across 23 Western North Carolina counties and has since received hundreds of requests for visits. The funding for the program came from a grant from the Duke Endowment.

WTW’s Western North Carolina team includes water quality specialists, community engagement specialists, and zone leads to support field operations. The current phase of the initiative focuses on three key areas: educating residents about water quality challenges, conducting no-cost household water quality testing to assess overall drinking water health and providing infrastructure repair for private wells and spring boxes.

“We

impacted by Hurricane Helene get the information they need to protect their health — and when contaminants are found, we’re committed to helping them find real and appropriate solutions,” said Jeremy Kilday, U.S. program director at WTW, in a press release.

In addition to testing water, the nonprofit also supplies clean water and supplies.

With the help of around 1,400 dedicated

believe everyone deserves to have confidence in the water they drink. By offering household tap testing across Western North Carolina, we’re helping families impacted by Hurricane Helene get the information they need to protect their health...”

— Jeremy Kilday, Wine to Water U.S. Program Director

“We believe everyone deserves to have confidence in the water they drink. By offering household tap testing across Western North Carolina, we’re helping families

volunteers, WTW has already made a significant impact in the region following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The organization has distributed nearly 440,000 gallons of

water, delivered 1.2 million pounds of emergency supplies, provided nearly 3,700 hollow fiber membrane filters, assembled and handed out 5,850 hygiene kits, built or placed over 15 tiny homes or temporary shelters and recycled more than 94,500 plastic bottles through sustainable response efforts.

There are two zones out of which WTW operates, with hubs in Boone and Asheville. Deanna Carr, program manager for the Asheville office, said most people don’t understand how big of an impact water quality can have until they are faced with the health ramifications of contamination. Carr said they are finding wells that are contaminated. In some cases, that contamination is likely from Helene, and in other cases, it’s from elsewhere and predates the flood.

“I would say that I didn’t realize how many health concerns or health benefits could be a direct result of getting clean water or not,” she said. “A lot of times, you think because the U.S. is a developed country we have clean sources in remote areas private wells. It’s been more of an awareness issue for people. Just because water looks clear, doesn’t

Testing is available for free in all Western North Carolina counties.

Wine to Water photo

Stein, DEQ announce resilient water infrastructure grants for Haywood County

Two Haywood County water systems will benefit from a combined $15 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program for disasteraffected states. North Carolina is the first state impacted by Helene to award grants from this program.

The Town of Waynesville will receive $5 million to convert a gravity sewer line to a force main with a new pump station and to relocate an existing junction box outside of the 500-year flood plain. Junaluska Sanitary District will receive $10 million to rebuild and provide resilience to withstand floods. The shifting of the Pigeon River due to Helene flooding adversely impacted its old system. The proposed project will replace outdated, undersized and aged water mains that service more than 300 residential connections along the Pigeon River. These lines are dead-end lines and are not looped or connected to other water mains. New water mains, along with valves, new water supply wells outside of the 500-year flood plain and installation of backup power will provide resiliency,

The two Haywood County grants, announced Sept. 18 by Gov. Josh Stein, were only a small part of a larger package of $86 million in funding that also went to towns in Burke, Caldwell and Madison counties.

mean it is clear and clean. Unclean water can be anywhere in the world.”

To try to get the word out about the service, WTW hired a community engagement specialist in each zone. Those individuals have partnered with local and regional nonprofits and community organizations to get information out at community hubs and events. Considering how many, especially in Buncombe County, were without water for weeks and even months after the storm, many are happy to hear of the free service.

are sent off to WNCIL, a private lab, and tested for a whole host of things including nitrites found in fertilizer runoff, lead, copper, iron, chlorine and turbidity. If there is any action required, Peterson connects residents with the right service providers.

“I’ve probably done a test in every single county that we serve,” Peterson said.

water sample to test. Although water may look clear and clean, there could still be e coli contamination. Wine to Water photo

“I would say that people are very excited and anxious to get it tested as soon as possible,” Carr said.

Carr said that whenever a well turns up a positive result, the homeowner is typically shocked. But WTW works with a local specialists to perform whatever corrective actions are necessary, like chemically shocking the well and changing filters.

In her role, Emma Peterson goes out in the field and collects samples. Those samples

Both Carr and Peterson said they’d encourage any home owners to reach out and explore the option of receiving the free test. There’s nothing to lose, and Carr noted that they’ve already saved a lot of people from drinking contaminated water.

“It’s better to know what’s in your water than not know,” Carr said.

Peterson echoed that sentiment.

“The best situation is when the water comes back clear,” she said. “It’s one less thing someone has to worry about. But with ability to provide well sanitizations, either way we can bring some faith and confidence.”

To learn more about Wine to Water and its programs, visit wtw.org.

Emma Peterson collects a

Delayed harvest trout season begins Oct. 1

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 33 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.

Under Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations, only catch-and-release of trout is permissible from program waters between Oct. 1, 2025 and June 5, 2026. No natural bait may be possessed, and anglers can fish only with artificial lures with one single hook. An artificial lure is defined as a fishing lure that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell.

NCWRC staff stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching trout.

Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs, are popular fishing destinations for anglers who enjoy catch-and-release trout fishing.

Anglers should be aware that stocking locations along streams may be different than in the past due to hurricane damage impacting the stocking truck and angler access.

Stream closures from Helene while debris cleanup continues are updated on NCWRC’s website at ncwildife.gov/trout.

The storm also caused major damage to the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County. NCWRC had planned to use Armstrong to offset a scheduled January 2025 shutdown of the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery for a major renovation. That project had to be paused while staff work to resume operations at Armstrong. Armstrong Hatchery is expected to be repaired and fully operational by mid to late October, and renovations to Setzer are expected to begin by December of this year. It will take approximately two years to complete the Setzer renovation. Both hatcheries are instrumental in the agency’s trout stocking program.

For more information on trout fishing and stocking, visit ncwildlife.gov/trout, and to follow the progress of the Setzer renovation, visit ncwildlife.gov/setzer.

Elk rutting season underway in Smokies

The annual elk breeding season, known as the rut, is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rut can be exciting to witness, but it can also be dangerous, as elk are especially unpredictable during this time.

Park visitors should exercise extra caution and respect all wildlife regulations as they visit the park this season.

Elk can be more unpredictable and dangerous during the rut. Lori Douthat photo

During the rut, male elk (bulls) experience heightened testosterone levels and are more likely to exhibit defensive behavior as they compete for dominance. Bulls will charge at or challenge anything they perceive as a threat, including people and vehicles. Additionally, female elk (cows) remain protective of their calves, adding to the overall stress amongst elk herds.

To ensure both visitor and wildlife safety, follow these guidelines.

• Keep your distance: Willfully approaching elk within 50 yards (150 feet), or at any distance that causes them to change their behavior due to your presence, is illegal in the park. Violating this federal regulation may result in fines or arrest.

• Respect area closures and staff guidance: Adhere to direction given by park rangers and volunteers regarding your viewing distance. The fields around Oconaluftee and Cataloochee are closed to all visitors during this sensitive time.

• Stay alert and slow down: Elk frequently cross roadways, especially in areas like Oconaluftee, Cataloochee, Balsam Mountain and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Obey speed limits and remain vigilant.

• Viewing elk from your vehicle: Use designated pull-offs and make sure your vehicle is completely off of the roadway and not obstructing traffic.

• Back away if approached: If an elk approaches you, calmly back away and give it plenty of space.

Visit nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/elk.htm to learn more.

Thomas Harvey photo

in WNC

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has awarded a total of $3 million to two local partners in Haywood County to support ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene and to strengthen the region’s resilience to future storms.

reducing wildfire risks, improving soil health on farmland and reducing demand on scarce landfill space.”

HWA will lead a comprehensive watershed recovery initiative focused on debris removal, ecological restoration of stream banks and intergovernmental coordination with plans to benefit more than 60,000 residents of Haywood County. By expanding cleanup operations and leveraging both volunteer and contracted resources, the project will accelerate the removal of storm-related debris. Ongoing collaboration with local governments will ensure regulatory alignment and integrate these efforts into broader community resilience and land-use planning strategies.

DEQ is awarding $2 million in state funds to the Haywood Waterways Association through the Helene Fund. This award supports efforts to clean up and restore the Pigeon River Watershed in Haywood County, an area severely impacted by Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Fred. The storms caused extensive damage to local waterways and left debris blockages, streambank erosion and habitat destruction.

In addition, DEQ has awarded $1 million to the Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation & Development Council to pilot the use of mobile equipment that converts downed trees into biochar — a soil-enhancing carbon product that will be spread on farmland damaged by Helene. This project will help remove hazardous woody debris, lower wildfire risks and improve soil health.

“Through this latest funding support, we continue our partnership with DEQ, local towns and county departments, including private landowners in Haywood County, to restore our headwaters here in the Pigeon River watershed after Helene,” said Haywood Waterways Association Executive Director Preston Jacobsen. “This is a long-term effort, using lessons learned from Fred and funding from state agencies to expand and sustain our recovery programs at the local level. We look forward to implementing these funds soon and are grateful to everyone involved in bringing this level of support to Haywood County.”

“The Pigeon River watershed in Haywood County suffered devasting damage during Hurricane Helene,” DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson said. “These state grants to local partners will help communities become more resilient to future storms by removing dangerous debris from streams, restoring healthy stream banks through planting of native plants,

By using this renewable and sustainable resource, the project offers a responsible solution to storm debris removal — one that avoids overloading limited landfill capacity while also reducing the risk of dangerous forest fires.

For more information about Haywood Waterways, visit haywoodwaterways.org.

(For more information about Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation & Development Council, visit southwesternconservation.org.)

Smokies Life accepting applications for writer’s residency

Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is now accepting applications for its sixth Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. The annual program is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with the national park while focusing on their craft in an inspiring, retreat-like setting.

Following the application process, one writer will be selected to live in the Great Smoky Mountains for six weeks in 2026. The chosen writer will have the opportunity to be immersed in the natural environment and cultural history of the Smokies, learning about the park in ways that will inform their chosen genre — whether this is narrative

Former residency writers Jim and Leslie Costa.

Donated photo

nonfiction, fiction, poetry, playwriting, music or another form of writing. Applications for

Haywood County Farm Bureau

annual meeting, awards

scheduled Oct. 20

The Haywood County Farm Bureau will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20 at the Haywood County Extension Office.

This annual gathering provides members an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s work and to recognize individuals and community members who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture in Haywood County.

A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Tribute of Service awards, which honor members of the agricultural community who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership and service to farming and rural life in the county. These awards underscore Farm Bureau’s commitment to acknowledging those who devote their time and energy to the advancement of local agriculture.

The residency’s namesake, Steve Kemp, retired from Smokies Life in 2017 after spending 30 years writing, editing and directing the publication of hundreds of books, magazines, brochures and newsletters that continue to support the preservation of the national park. As part of the residency, each writer works with Kemp, Smokies Life Creative Director Frances Figart and other park professionals and partners.

Previous program awardees include author Daron K. Roberts, Western Carolina University professor Dr. Brian Railsback, nature writer Sue Wasserman, journalist Latria Graham and poet Elise Anderson.

(For full residency details, as well as instructions for submitting an application prior to the Nov. 1 deadline, visit smokieslife.org/the-steve-kemp-writersresidency.)

The meeting will also include recognition of the winners of the 2026 Haywood County Farm Bureau Calendar photography contest. This contest, open to amateur photographers, showcases agricul-

tural life and rural landscapes throughout Haywood County. Winning entries will be published in the 2026 Farm Bureau calendar, providing a visual celebration of the county’s agricultural heritage and natural beauty.

All members of the Haywood County Farm Bureau are encouraged to attend. The annual meeting serves as a time of recognition, reflection and fellowship, reaffirming the organization’s mission to support farm families and promote the future of agriculture in Haywood County. For more information, contact Mandy Stasi, county liaison, at 828.452.1425 or amanda.stasi@ncfbssc.com.

the 2026 Kemp Residency are being accepted now through Nov. 1.

File photo

Market PLACE WNC

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates:

• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)

• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com

Legals

MOUNTAIN PROJECTS, INC IS ACCEPTING RFP BIDS FOR Water System Improvements to Serve the Proposed Webster Village in Jackson County, NC. The RFP can be viewed on the Mountain Projects website: mountainprojects.org or those interested

at 2177 Asheville Rd Waynesville, NC 28786 for a copy. Deadline for submitting the RFP is Thursday, October 2, 2025.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IS SEEKING BIDS for upcoming 2025 FRRCSI grant projects. Materials needed: 358 Creosote/ Borate dual treated switch ties. Contact GSMR for a full detail of sizes and quantities. 3210 Grade #3 Crossties Creosote/Borage Dual Treatment with 4x4 wood. Partial bids for materials are accepted and may be awarded. This is a formal sealed bidding process. Bids must comply with domestic steel and Buy Amer-

be supplied to GSMR by vendor with invoice. WBE/MBE participation is highly encouraged. Projects will be awarded at GSMR’s sole discretion to the supplier or suppliers whose proposal offers the best value. GSMR reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Your proposal is due no later than 2:00pm deadline on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Formal Public Bid

Opening Date: Tuesday, Oct. 7 2025 at 2PM. Bids submitted by email will not be accepted. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Attn Kim Albritton PO Box 1490 225 Everett Street Bryson City, NC 28713 kimalbritton@ gsmr.com. 828-488-7008

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IS SEEKING BIDS for upcoming 2025 FRRCSI grant projects. Materials needed: Tie plates, new spikes, knock on rail anchors, track bolts, comp bars, joint bars, HEX drive screws, gauge rods. Partial bids for materials are accepted and may be awarded. Contact GSMR for a full detail of OTM quantities and sizes. This is a formal sealed bidding process. Bids must comply with domestic steel and Buy

must be supplied to GSMR by vendor with invoice. WBE/MBE participation is highly encouraged. Projects will be awarded at GSMR’s sole discretion to the supplier or suppliers whose proposal offers the best value. GSMR reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Your proposal is due no later than 2:00pm deadline on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Formal Public Bid Opening Date: Tuesday, Oct. 7 2025 at 2PM. Bids submitted by email will not be accepted. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Attn Kim Albritton PO Box 1490 225 Everett Street Bryson City, NC 28713. kimalbritton@gsmr.com. 828-488-7008

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION COUNTY OF HAYWOOD FILE NO. 24 CV 001815430

BROOKE M FISH, PLAINTIFF V. JEFF L FISH, JR. DEFENDANT

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

TO: JEFF L. FISH, JR. Last Known Address: 16 Jackson Drive Waynesville, NC 28786

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: The Plaintiff is seeking an Absolute Divorce from the Defendant.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than October 27, 2025 days after the date of thetice, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This 15 th day of September, 2025.

DONALD N. PATTEN Attorney for Plaintiff 46 South Main Street Waynesville , NC 28786 828-452-1454

By:______ Donald N Patten _______

DONALD N. PATTEN

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.25E000283-490 Randall Dean Penrod,

Executor of the Estate of Orville Ray Penrod of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons hav-

ing claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 03 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor

c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler

705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.25E000508-430

Mary Bryson, having

of the Estate of Dorothy Yarborough Lucas of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 17 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor 1316 Jones Cove Rd Clyde, NC 28721

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.25E000479-430

Peggy S. Bolden, having -

istrator of the Estate of Randy Lee Bolden of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Dec 10 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator

c/o Ann Hines Davis 95 Depot Street Waynesville, NC 28786

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