The resident leaders of a Woodfin assisted living facility cited for multiple health and safety violations in 2024 say they see improvements and are confident in the leadership of a new management team.
“People are getting better training, there are better procedures, people are being more accountable, and so we feel very optimistic about the future here,” said Marilyn Huff, president of the Assisted Living Council at Harmony at Reynolds Mountain.
As Asheville Watchdogreported last month, Harmony has a rating of zero stars out of four, down from its previous three-star rating, based on three inspections by state and county regulators last year.
Harmony was cited for failing to call 911 for a resident who choked twice and subsequently died, for not supervising or discharging an aggressive resident who physically assaulted other residents and staff for more than two months, and for administering medications late or not at all, according to inspection records.
The facility resolved its most serious violations as of November, and in early December the state lifted a suspension of admissions, citing “progress towards substantial compliance” with regulations. Harmony has paid a $12,000 penalty imposed by the state, and three others totaling $21,000 are under appeal.
“Obviously, some very sad things have happened, and we have been short-staffed, and that’s been difficult,” said Huff, 85, who has lived at Harmony for nearly two years. “But we’re in a new time now.”
New management, ‘outstanding team’
The executive director, Jamie Bowden, arrived in October and is “developing an outstanding team of managers,” said Huff, a retired consultant and trainer in organizational and leadership development.
Bowden “has the skills, the perspective, the experience outside from another situation in long-term health care, and she has the gumption to do her job,” Huff said. “She’s not afraid of letting people go if they’re not able to do the work here.”
Harmony has had a “revolving door” of executive directors, about 12 in the eight years since it opened, Huff said.
Ron Stephenson, a two-year resident and president of the Independent Living Council at Harmony, said of the executive director who was there when he arrived, “I think I saw her face one time. She didn’t come out of her office.”
Stephenson, 84 and a retired university professor, said he’s impressed with Bowden and the current management team and their responsiveness to residents’ concerns.
In a statement to The Watchdog, Harmony said it “appreciates the trust of our valued residents and families. We remain steadfastly committed to continuing to provide quality service to current and future residents in our safe, friendly, and supportive environment.”
Marilyn Huff and Ron Stephenson, presidents of the residents’ councils at Harmony at Reynolds Mountain, say new management is hiring and training staff “to provide competent, consistent, accountable care.” // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego
Harmony provides assisted living and memory care, which were the subject of the 2024 inspections, and independent living, which is unregulated.
Run by the family-owned Harmony Senior Services started by James R. Smith, a senior housing developer in Roanoke, Virginia, the Asheville area location is one of 45 in 12 states.
Stephenson said he and his wife pay just over $9,000 a month for their two-bedroom independent living apartment at Harmony. Huff declined to provide the cost of her assisted living apartment; the family of the woman who died from choking previously told The Watchdog her apartment in memory care cost $9,200 a month.
Of the 63 licensed adult care homes and assisted living facilities in Buncombe County, Harmony is one of five with zero stars.
Inspection findings alarm some residents, families
State inspectors found Harmony failed to call 911 as required by policy when a resident choked, turned blue, and lost consciousness in July. She choked again three days later, and Harmony again failed to call 911, according to the inspection report. The resident died that evening of complications from choking.
Harmony was cited in April, August and November for failing to administer medications as prescribed to residents with conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease, in some cases resulting in worsened symptoms, inspectors found.
Bob Flora, an assisted living resident at Harmony, told The Watchdog he was interviewed by regulators last year and described to them “haphazard” administration of his medications, including late and skipped doses. He said medication administration has significantly improved since Bowden arrived last fall.
“After a few weeks, they were following pretty much to the letter the rules that were in place for giving out medications,” Flora said.
“I want to see the place shaped up and running smoothly, and I think it’s headed in that direction, but there’s turnover still,” he said. “They’re short-handed, and they have to use agency people.”
Flora said it’s difficult to develop a connection with temporary workers.
Huff said of the temporary agency staff, “some are very good, and some are not.”
The Watchdog’s reporting of the state inspection findings alarmed some residents and their families, Huff said.
“A new person who just moved in said it scared him, but he’s settling in,” she said. “I think most of the people who live here are glad to be here and are doing well.”
Exemplary storm response, residents optimistic
Huff and Stephenson said Harmony administrators now meet regularly with the resident councils and resolve their concerns.
Bowden hired an experienced registered nurse health care director and a director of memory care, who “have worked diligently to comply with state identified deficiencies in care,” they wrote in an email to The Watchdog.
How to check out an ALF
Visit the state’s licensure page and search by county or facility name. Click on the facility to view inspection reports, star ratings and penalties.
They said that following Tropical Storm Helene on Sept. 27, Harmony sent assistance and corporate staff. Residents received three hot meals a day, the business manager cleaned out their refrigerators, and staff came around twice a day to flush toilets, they said.
“We like to argue that we were literally the best-cared-for people in Buncombe County,” Stephenson said.
Huff said she’s encouraged by the most recent state inspection in January that found just one issue – a resident not receiving a vitamin supplement as ordered. Harmony remained out of compliance for medication administration but at a level no longer considered a violation.
“The important thing to me is that the new leadership, both the corporate leadership and the local leadership, are on top of it,” Huff said. “Serious changes needed to be made and they are making them.”
She said she and Stephenson “understand what’s happened, but we feel good about where we are and where we’re going, and we’re glad to be here.”
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Email skestin@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-09-05 09:01:00
State Sen. Bobby Hanig announced his Republican primary candidacy for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, aiming to challenge Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson and incumbent Democrat Rep. Don Davis. Hanig filed with the Federal Elections Commission, while Roberson plans to run. Hanig emphasizes conservative leadership aligned with the America First agenda. The district, covering 22 northeastern counties, was highly competitive in 2024, with Davis narrowly winning. Hanig, an Army veteran and former state representative, chairs key legislative committees and runs two Outer Banks businesses. He supports tax cuts, border control, pro-life policies, and Second Amendment rights, aligning with former President Trump’s agenda.
(The Center Square) – State Sen. Bobby Hanig will enter the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, hoping to defeat Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson and eventually second-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
Rep. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck
Michael Lewis via NCLeg.gov
Filing with the State Board of Elections is in December. Hanig has filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission. Roberson said he would run in April.
“I’m running because northeastern North Carolina deserves true conservative leadership that will fight for our community and the America first agenda,” he said in a release.
The seat was the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans in 2024 and figures to again be so in the 2026 midterms. Davis outlasted Republican Laurie Buckhout 49.52%-47.84%, winning by 6,307 votes of more than 376,000 cast.
Twenty-two counties are touched in the northeastern part of the state.
Hanig, R-Currituck, is a veteran of the Army. He has served the Board of Commissioners in Currituck County, and was in the state House of Representatives for two terms. By trade, he began as “the pool guy” and operates two businesses serving nearly 400 properties across the Outer Banks.
He’s chairman of the State and Local Government Committee, and serves as chairman within the Committee on Appropriations for General Government and Information Technology. He’s vice chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government.
Four other assignments are Agriculture, Energy and Environment; Education/Higher Education; Regulatory Reform; and Transportation.
“I believe in President Trump’s America First Agenda and my record in the Legislature backs it up,” Hanig said. “I’ve cut taxes for North Carolina families, toughened border control in the state, stood up for life, and defended our Second Amendment rights.”
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: Center-Right
The article largely reports factual information about the candidates entering the North Carolina 1st Congressional District race, including their backgrounds, election filing status, and statements of political positions. It mainly quotes Sen. Bobby Hanig’s own words and campaign messaging, especially his alignment with “America First” and conservative values. The coverage uses neutral language without editorializing or explicitly endorsing any viewpoint. However, the focus on Hanig’s quoted statements about tax cuts, border control, pro-life stance, and Second Amendment rights, along with an absence of equivalent direct quotes from the Democratic incumbent or the other Republican candidate, subtly frames the narrative from a conservative perspective. This leads to a slight center-right tilt, as the piece highlights Hanig’s positions without presenting counterpoints or Democratic viewpoints in comparable detail. Overall, it functions as informational content about the race rather than overt advocacy, but the emphasis on conservative policy references indicates a modest center-right leaning.
SUMMARY: Laura Leslie, a veteran North Carolina political reporter with 21 years of experience, will become the new editor of NC Newsline on September 29. Leslie, currently WRAL’s capitol bureau chief, led the innovative NCCapitol project covering state politics across multiple platforms. Previously, she was capitol bureau chief at WUNC public radio and authored the award-winning blog “Isaac Hunter’s Tavern.” An Emmy winner recognized nationally, Leslie replaces Rob Schofield, who retired in August. She expressed gratitude to WRAL and enthusiasm for joining NC Newsline, part of the expanding States Newsroom nonprofit network. Leslie’s last day at WRAL is September 5.
North Carolina’s 2025 crop season shows promise with healthy corn, soybeans, cotton, and apples, a major improvement from 2024’s drought and storm damage. However, challenges remain: Tropical Depression Chantal caused flooding, wet conditions hurt tobacco, and relief payments from last year’s disasters are delayed. Farmers face financial stress due to low crop prices, rising input costs, trade tariffs impacting exports, and labor shortages exacerbated by strict immigration policies and higher wages. The USDA relocating operations to Raleigh raises hopes for better local support. Despite struggles, a bountiful harvest is expected, supporting the state’s agricultural resilience and fall agritourism.
by Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press September 4, 2025
The news about crops out of North Carolina farms is good this year: the corn is tall, the soybeans leafy, the cotton fluffy and the apples ripe.
Compared to last year’s disastrous summer, when it seemed flooding was the only relief from extreme drought, this summer has left farmers feeling hopeful. In Wayne County, extension agent Daryl Anderson says this is the best corn crop the county has seen in 50 years.
That’s a major turnaround from last year, when dry conditions decimated cornfields from the coast to the mountains.
Still, no year in the fields is free of struggle. Rainy weather, delayed relief payments, market conditions and dramatic federal policy shifts have kept farmers on their toes.
Crops lie ruined in fields in Person County after Tropical Depression Chantal, which passed through the area on July 6, 2025. Provided / Person County Cooperative Extension
It’s been a wet year — at times, too wet. Tropical Depression Chantal flooded fields in Central North Carolina in early July. Unusually wet conditions all summer hurt the tobacco crop across the state.
Plus, state relief money for the tribulations of 2024 is coming slow. The legislature just approved an additional $124 million to address last year’s agricultural disasters, but farmers still haven’t received the money originally allocated to the Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program in March.
For Henderson County extension director Terry Kelley, the money is an urgent matter. In Kelley’s neck of the woods, apple farmers are still recovering from the devastation Helene wrought on their orchards. Finances are starting to spiral out of control for many.
“Our farmers are really anxious to get that money,” Kelley told Carolina Public Press.
Rains and flooding from Tropical Storm Helene create a massive washout in a Mills River tomato field in Henderson County in 2024. Provided / Terry Kelley / Henderson County Extension
“They’ve got bills due from last year. They’ve used their credit up to their limit and beyond. We need that money. It’s been a long summer of waiting.”
Though Helene upped the ante in the West, Kelley’s anxieties are felt across North Carolina. In Bladen County, where many 2024 crops were devastated by Tropical Storm Debbie, extension agent Matthew Strickland says there’s been a dearth of information about how the program works.
“We are not sure when those payments will be issued and exactly how they will be calculated,” Strickland said. “We were told they’d go out mid-summer. There’s been no update. Who knows when they’ll go out? Nobody really knows.”
The financial pressure extends beyond those delayed relief payments. North Carolina farmers find themselves at the whim of unexpected shifts in both the market and federal policies.
Though both quality and yield are high for field crops this year, the price of those crops at market is low. Meanwhile, input costs continue to rise. This makes for an unsettling financial equation for farmers.
Plus, President Donald Trump’s tariffs have made American crops less desirable overseas, according to Strickland. Before recent tariff hikes, lots of North Carolina corn, soybeans and tobacco made its way to China. Now, not as much.
“With the political trade wars, we’re really worried when it comes to our soybeans and tobacco,” Surry County extension agent Ryan Coe told CPP. “A lot of farmers are still waiting to see what’s going to happen. We don’t have a crystal ball.”
The tariffs haven’t been all bad, though. While some crops suffer, others have found opportunities. Kelley says the lack of Mexican tomatoes on the market has created a higher demand for local Henderson County tomatoes, for example.
Labor, too, is giving farmers pause. Many rely on legal migrant workers, but the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies have tightened the market.
“It’s more difficult now to get labor, even with legal workers,” Kelley said. “It’s not available as it once was, and it’s terribly expensive.”
That’s because wages for migrant workers on legal H-2A visas continue to rise. In North Carolina, farmers must now pay migrant workers $16.16 per hour. This number is called an Adverse Effect Wage Rate, and it’s designed to ensure that wages for American workers don’t fall.
A cornfield at Trask Family Farms outside Wilmington on Aug. 29. Jane Winik Sartwell / Carolina Public Press
There’s a chance, however, that going forward, North Carolina farmers may have a bigger say in American agricultural policies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving major operations to Raleigh, in an effort to bring the department closer to the nation’s farming hubs. Some North Carolina farmers are excited about it.
“Having the USDA in this area will be good for all farmers in North Carolina,” said Mikayla Berryhill, an extension agent in Person County, where farms were flooded by Chantal’s heavy rains. “We will be able to show them what specific problems we have here in North Carolina and get help with those.”
In the meantime, it looks like it will be a bountiful harvest of crops here in North Carolina. This fall’s agritourism attractions, from corn mazes and county fairs to hay rides and apple markets, should reflect that agricultural resilience.
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 content presents a balanced and factual overview of agricultural conditions in North Carolina, highlighting both challenges and positive developments without evident partisan framing. It discusses impacts of federal policies, including tariffs and immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, in a straightforward manner without overt criticism or praise. The article focuses on practical issues affecting farmers, such as weather, market conditions, and government relief efforts, maintaining a neutral tone throughout.
