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Amid all the doom and gloom in the wake of Helene, we should celebrate the good stuff we’ve seen • Asheville Watchdog

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avlwatchdog.org – JOHN BOYLE – 2024-10-28 06:00:00

It’s hard to deny the past month has been pretty daggone dark.

As in outer space dark. Like a coal mine dark.

Our uninvited mountain guest, Helene, blew into town, wrought destruction, claimed dozens of lives and destroyed so many treasured homes and buildings that our region is forever changed. 

We now live in a pre-Helene/post-Helene world.

I’ve found myself obsessively doom scrolling on social media, waiting for the next mind-blowing flooding video to pop up. I’m exhausted by it, and yes, depressed.

I can’t tell you how many people have shared that they’ve just broken down and had a huge cry.

It’s not a matter of if you’re going to break, but when. I barely held on last Tuesday when Jesse Craig, an incredibly gracious young man, took two of my Asheville Watchdog colleagues and me through the remains of a landslide-battered holler called Craigtown, where 11 members of his family died. 

The once peaceful area looks like planes from hell went on a two-mile bombing run down the mountain. Craig, 35, acknowledged that all the surviving family members, including him, have their moments when it all hits again.

“There’s something that hits at the most unexpected time — it’s something so small and it just is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Craig said. “And you have a moment, and then you try to get up and pick yourself up and talk to your family and, you know, figure out what’s next.”

He couldn’t have been kinder, or more complimentary of our community, western North Carolina and numerous other states that have sent so many helpers.

“It has been overwhelming, and I cannot say enough about the people of western North Carolina coming together,” Craig said. “It needs to be studied, because from day one people were out here, and everybody’s been affected by this somehow. And even the people that were out here helping us get roads (cleared) and clear things and run machines, they were out here on their own time.”

People have donated food, supplies and their time, and yes, it’s overwhelming to Craig.

Resilience and grace

“I mean, it’s unbelievable — the spirit — and that’s why I say there’s beauty in this,” Craig said, pausing to carefully choose his words. “There’s been a uniting of people. What’s the word I’m looking for…despite race, religion, creed, color, political views, everybody has came together as one to help their neighbors.”

“It has been overwhelming, and I cannot say enough about the people of western North Carolina coming together,” said Jesse Craig, who lose 11 family members in Helene. “It needs to be studied, because from day one people were out here, and everybody’s been affected by this somehow. And even the people that were out here helping us get roads (cleared) and clear things and run machines, they were out here on their own time.”

“And, you know, that’s as it should be,” Craig continued, standing among the desolation. “That’s what the silver lining in this is for me —  to see how that’s happened.”

That is a remarkable attitude. It’s resilience and grace personified.

One thing that continues to strike me about this catastrophe is the cognitive dissonance of it all. The day we spoke with Craig was one of those postcard-gorgeous late October days — crisp blue sky, leaves ablaze on the hillsides, the temperature hovering in the 70s. Just perfection.

But you could turn around and see a swath of devastation that’s hard to fathom. You knew many people died here, among this ruin and beauty.

I struggle to understand how God could let this happen.

The Craigs are all strong in their faith, Jesse said, and he actually sees God’s hand at work in those who survived, in the support that’s flowed into the holler.

“You know, I don’t have an answer for why things like this happen,” Craig said. “But as far as my faith is concerned, as Christians, we don’t understand. His will is not our will, and it’s not meant to be that way.”

Craig says this was God’s plan from the dawn of time.

“Why? We don’t know, but it’s going to be used for the better good,” Craig said. “And there’s a plan in it, and there’s beauty in it somewhere. Our minds can’t conceive it sometimes, but I do know that there is a greater good that will come out of this.”

Yeah, that got me.

‘The darkest valley in the pit of hell

Later in the week, I talked to an old friend, Kent Wolff, a mortgage broker who grew up in this area. Full disclosure, he handled two refinancings for my wife, Grace, and me.

Over the phone I could tell he was hurting from all he’s seen and experienced over the past month — the friends in Swannanoa who were trapped in their attic while they narrowly avoided drowning, the destruction of his beloved Lake Lure, the loss of so many lives.

“It felt like we walked through the darkest valley in the pit of hell,” Wolff said.

Wolff didn’t want to talk about the bad stuff anymore — he couldn’t really. He just wanted to tell me about an organization he and others are involved in called “WARM Project,” under the umbrella of a national organization called Plain Compassion Crisis Response.

As of Friday, they’d raised $284,439 toward a goal of $325,000 to help an estimated 1,000 “vulnerable households in the greater Mitchell County area and beyond with a source of heat.” Wolff lives in Buncombe but was moved by Mitchell and Yancey counties’ plight and has spent a lot of time there since the storm. 

Working with local churches to find those in need, WARM Project gathers the supplies needed to keep families warm through the coming winter. That includes propane heaters and tanks, new electric infrared heaters and new gas generators.

“I have never felt such a sense of purpose,” Wolff told me. “I have seen so many just Herculean efforts from so many people. Having seen so much of this sense of doom, seeing so many wonderful efforts from so many people, I think that’s something…we’re all looking for that.”

Yes, we are.

“There’s a million people doing great things,” Wolff said.

He also had some good advice on how to keep the conversations heading in a more positive direction when you encounter people who very likely have been through trauma.

“Stop asking how people are,” he said, noting that many, many people are hurting. “Don’t say, ‘How are you doing?’ Say, ‘I hope you are better today than you were yesterday.’” 

A ‘school’ rises amid the devastation 

One of the coworkers I traveled with to Craigtown is our photographer, Starr Sariego. She’s been politely nagging me for two weeks – Starr is a delightful human and would never actually nag someone, I’m quite sure – to do a story on parents in her neighborhood, Kenilworth, who started up a school of sorts for young children after the storm hit and closed down all the schools.

Erin Hallagan Clare’s business in West Asheville, Story Parlor, a narrative art space, was closed indefinitely after Helene. so she founded “Little Twisters.” // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego

On Thursday, we talked with one of her neighbors, Erin Hallagan Clare, who with a group of other parents, founded “Little Twisters.” Yes, it’s a nodding reference to the horrific weather we all endured.

Oh, and it wasn’t a certified, licensed school or anything like that.

“I’d like to use quotation marks around the word ‘school,’” Clare said with a laugh.

She explained that Kenilworth is close to Mission Hospital, and there are a lot of first responders in the neighborhood. A bit of parental panic spread as they didn’t know when public school was starting back. (It starts back today in Asheville.)

Clare’s business in West Asheville, Story Parlor, a narrative art space, was closed indefinitely, so she had time on her hands.

“I’m not good at being idle, especially amidst trauma, where there’s the possibility of steeping into deep depression,” Clare said.

She has a master’s degree in creative facilitation — with adults.

“Never worked with kids, but I know all the neighborhood kids really well, and so we kind of just threw together a potential schedule,” Clare said.

The parents decided to use the backdrop of the storm — the flooding, the power outages — as a sort of curriculum, a way to explore with the little ones what happened in “a safe and accessible and understandable” way appropriate for their cognitive level, Clare said.

So for the past month, three days a week, parents have dropped off as many as 18 kids at a donated room at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church to learn and play.

Each day has had a theme: 

A parent who’s a water conservationist talked about reusable bottles and how it’s OK that they’re using disposable bottles right now because the water is out and they have to stay safe. A firefighter came in and talked about his job fighting fire, showing some of the equipment used every day.

Jake Fortune from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
visited with the kids about how storms form and how Helene was a once-in-a-500-year event in Asheville. // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego

An employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration brought kid-friendly meteorology packets on clouds and storm formation and talked about how Helene was probably a 500-year event.

“And we made little rainbows and umbrellas and sunshines out of plates,” Clare said.

A yoga teacher did a lesson on mindfulness and how to cope with trauma, geared toward very young kids. The youngest child in the school is 2 1/2, the oldest kids in second grade, although they had a few third-graders contribute as “helpers.”

On Wednesday, a parent who works at Asheville Community Theater came in to do some theater games, because they were prepping for the final day of “school” — a Halloween parade through Kenilworth Oct. 25 where the kids would drop off pumpkins “that say really cheesy things like, ‘You’re Kenilworth it!” Things like that for the neighbors, to just boost morale,” Clare said.

Replacement trees at a Halloween parade

The parents also worked to secure a bunch of young trees. Kenilworth, an older neighborhood full of mature trees, took a serious beatdown from Helene’s winds, with hundreds of trees blown over or snapped. The idea was that any house they passed on their Halloween parade that had an uprooted tree would get a free replacement.

“And all of these things have been donated or thought of by parents in the community,” Clare said. 

Clare, who with her husband Matt has two boys, Rye, 5, and Owen, 3, who goes by “Owey,” says she’s known all these kids most of their lives. But usually they’d see one another at chaotic neighborhood parties.

Thematic handmade crafts and thank-you cards are given to guest presenters at at Little Twisters in Kenilworth. // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego

“So getting to know them in this more intimate setting has been really lovely,” Clare said.

She won’t lie, though — coming to the church classroom where there was power and the internet has been pretty sweet.

“I was joking with parents. I was like, ‘I’m just in it for the free power,’” Clare said with a laugh. “But it’s really been, for somebody who’s not worked with kids, I’ve just fallen in love with them.”

Clare doesn’t sugarcoat the stress everyone has been under the past few weeks. Kenilworth got the lights back on the weekend before last.

“I’ve become a believer in melatonin throughout all this for the first time in my life,” Clare said. “We had a big tree come down on our house, and I still feel it and hear it.”

Two big white pines fell on their house, damaging the roof and the ceiling in a guest room. Her son’s best friend from preschool has a father who’s in construction, and he fixed the roof, but a lot of work remains. 

Still, Clare is counting her blessings, and the impromptu school is a big part of that.

“I feel like I live in a Disney movie living in this neighborhood,” Clare said. “Honestly, it’s pretty surreal just how absolutely incredible everyone is and how they come together and in whatever major or minor crisis happens.”

The parents are some of Clare’s best friends, and the past month has made her realize Asheville is home now. Clare has moved a lot, and she and Matt moved here from Austin, Texas, five years ago.

“I’ve been a transplant my whole life,” Clare said. “I feel like there’s always this feeling of being the outsider, especially in towns that are so deeply closely knit, like Asheville. This event has made me feel like a true, true Ashevillian, if that’s the right term. I will not be leaving.”

Who would want to leave a community with so many good hearts?


Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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News from the South - North Carolina News Feed

NIL legislation advances, has exemption for public records laws | North Carolina

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www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 21:25:00

(The Center Square) – Authorization of sports agents to sign North Carolina’s collegiate athletes for “name, image, and likeness” contracts used in product endorsements is in legislation approved Wednesday by a committee of the state Senate.

Authorize NIL Agency Contracts, known also as Senate Bill 229, is headed to the Rules Committee after gaining favor in the Judiciary Committee. It would likely next get a full floor vote.

Last year the NCAA approved NIL contracts for players.



Sen. Amy S. Galey, R-Alamance




“Athletes can benefit from NIL by endorsing products, signing sponsorship deals, engaging in commercial opportunities and monetizing their social media presence, among other avenues,” the NCAA says on its website. “The NCAA fully supports these opportunities for student-athletes across all three divisions.”

SB229 spells out the information that the agent’s contract with the athlete must include, and requires a warning to the athlete that they could lose their eligibility if they do not notify the school’s athletic director within 72 hours of signing the contract.

“Consult with your institution of higher education prior to entering into any NIL contract,” the says the warning that would be required by the legislation. “Entering into an NIL contract that conflicts with state law or your institution’s policies may have negative consequences such as loss of athletic eligibility. You may cancel this NIL agency contract with 14 days after signing it.”

The legislation also exempts the NIL contracts from being disclosed under the state’s Open Records Act when public universities review them. The state’s two ACC members from the UNC System, Carolina and N.C. State, requested the exemption.

“They are concerned about disclosure of the student-athlete contracts when private universities don’t have to disclose the student-athlete contracts,” Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, told the committee. “I feel very strongly that a state university should not be put at a disadvantage at recruitment or in program management because they have disclosure requirements through state law.”

Duke and Wake Forest are the other ACC members, each a private institution.

The post NIL legislation advances, has exemption for public records laws | North Carolina appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article primarily reports on the legislative development regarding NIL (name, image, and likeness) contracts for collegiate athletes in North Carolina. It presents facts about the bill, committee actions, and includes statements from a state senator without using loaded or emotionally charged language. The piece neutrally covers the issue by explaining both the bill’s purpose and the concerns it addresses, such as eligibility warnings and disclosure exemptions. Overall, the article maintains a factual and informative tone without advocating for or against the legislation, reflecting a centrist, unbiased approach.

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N.C. Treasurer names conservative climate skeptic to state Utilities Commission

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ncnewsline.com – Lisa Sorg – 2025-04-30 15:52:00

SUMMARY: Donald van der Vaart, a former North Carolina environmental secretary and climate skeptic, has been appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner. Van der Vaart, who previously supported offshore drilling and fracking, would oversee the state’s transition to renewable energy while regulating utility services. His appointment, which requires approval from the state House and Senate, has drawn opposition from environmental groups. Critics argue that his views contradict clean energy progress. The appointment follows a controversial bill passed by the legislature, granting the treasurer appointment power to the commission.

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The post N.C. Treasurer names conservative climate skeptic to state Utilities Commission appeared first on ncnewsline.com

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‘Crypto-friendly legislation’ clears North Carolina House | North Carolina

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 14:47:00

(The Center Square) – Called “crypto-friendly legislation” by the leader of the chamber, a proposal on digital assets on Wednesday afternoon passed the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Passage was 71-44 mostly along party lines.

The NC Digital Assets Investments Act, known also as House Bill 92, has investment requirements, caps and management, and clear definitions and standards aimed at making sure only qualified digital assets are included. House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said the state would potentially join more than a dozen others with “crypto-friendly legislation.”

With him in sponsorship are Reps. Stephen Ross, R-Alamance, Mark Brody, R-Union, and Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake.

Nationally last year, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act – known as FIT21 – passed through the U.S. House in May and in September was parked in the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

Dan Spuller, cochairman of the North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, said the state has proven a leader on digital asset policy. That includes the Money Transmitters Act of 2016, the North Carolina Regulatory Sandbox Act of 2021, and last year’s No Centrl Bank Digital Currency Pmts to State. The latter was strongly opposed by Gov. Roy Cooper, so much so that passage votes of 109-4 in the House and 39-5 in the Senate slipped back to override votes, respectively, of 73-41 and 27-17.

The post ‘Crypto-friendly legislation’ clears North Carolina House | North Carolina appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents a factual report on the passage of the NC Digital Assets Investments Act, highlighting the legislative process, party-line votes, and related legislative measures. It does not adopt a clear ideological stance or frame the legislation in a way that suggests bias. Instead, it provides neutral information on the bill, its sponsors, and relevant background on state legislative activity in digital asset policy. The tone and language remain objective, focusing on legislative facts rather than promoting a particular viewpoint.

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