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Resilience, tenacity and community were on display in Asheville Watchdog’s photos • Asheville Watchdog

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avlwatchdog.org – STARR SARIEGO – 2024-12-25 06:00:00

So much of the human spirit in Appalachia centers on community. For hundreds of years we have supported one another during good times and bad. And in 2024, there was plenty of bad.

Our world was turned upside down in September when Tropical Storm Helene caused such unimaginable loss of life and destruction. Even now, nearly three months after the flood waters subsided, we are left with so many questions. How should we rebuild? Will there be more frequent, more intense storms in our future? How can we help those who lost so much?

As a photographer accompanying Asheville Watchdog’s reporters in chronicling Helene’s aftermath, I have seen folks at their best and worst. I’ve witnessed enormous resilience, tenacity and sense of community as fellow residents cope with the loss of loved ones, their homes, their businesses.

Truth be told, those strengths were on display all year, as our region dealt with serious issues, ranging from the federal sanctions against Mission Hospital to a presidential election like none in modern history.

As the year ends, I am sharing a collection of Watchdog images I captured in 2024 that I believe highlight the challenges we’ve faced and our hopes for the future. Some capture the biggest news events of the year and others portray the subjects of the stories our reporters produced.

They include Missy Harris, a former Mission Hospital chaplain who described working under HCA management as a staggering “moral injury”; a woman known as Patient No. 12, whose delay in treatment at the hospital was chronicled by federal investigators; and DeWayne Barton, whose historically Black community is in the crosshairs of the Interstate 26 Connector project.

Light and composition drove many of my choices, such as a photo I took of PEAK Academy Executive Director Kidada Wynn, whose school faced a federal civil rights complaint that John Boyle chronicled in January.

Another image features Compass Point resident Norma Peeler, who figured prominently in a column John wrote about the first year of that permanent supportive housing facility. I chose one photo because it was both whimsical and illustrative of a serious demographic challenge our area faces. And one image, which accompanied a story looking at Buncombe’s recycling challenges, stands as a sobering reminder of just how much waste we generate.

This collection illustrates the tapestry of our community, the year none of us will forget and the commitment The Watchdog has to bringing you stories that matter.

Patient #12’s story was one of at least 15 detailed in a 384-page report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which in February placed HCA Healthcare-owned Mission in immediate jeopardy.
A truck prepares to dump trash at Curbside Management, also known as Curbie, the county’s main recycling center. Buncombe County residents use an astounding number of single-use plastic bags every year — 130 million, by one estimate — and, despite being recyclable, nearly all end up in landfills.
Burton Street, a historically African American community, is in the crosshairs of the I-26 Connector project. “This project is huge, and it’s been going on for so long, people still don’t believe it’s going to happen,” said DeWayne Barton, president of the Burton Street Community Association.
A Donald Trump supporter captures the presidential candidate’s Asheville rally in August on her cellphone.
Raincoats and hats were in abundance at Democratic vice presidential candidate TimWalz’s rally at the Salvage Station in September. Less than two weeks later, Helene destroyed the venue.
PEAK Academy Executive Director Kidada Wynn greets students waiting to enter the school’s lunchroom.
Missy Harris, a co-pastor for the Circle of Mercy congregation in East Asheville, servedas a part-time chaplain at Mission Hospital from 2018 to 2023.
Compass Point resident Norma Peeler became homeless in 2020, she said, after 30 years of struggling with a crack addiction. She started smoking crack to numb an unbearable pain – the murder of her 2-year-old daughter by her live-in boyfriend.
Tap dancers Gail Hensley, 75; Susan Richardson, 62; and Lynne Gaudette, 70, rehearse at the Harvest House Community Center. The trio belong are part of the Silver Tsunami – the growing number of seniors living in Buncombe County.
Weeks before Helene, former Asheville City Councilman Marc Hunt, a river advocate and volunteer consultant on Woodfin’s kayaking wave project, gave The Watchdog a tour of floodplains near the French Broad and Swanannoa rivers. The Watchdog published a story about the growing threat of floods in Asheville on Sept 17, 10 days before the storm.
A sign along a creek in Biltmore Village warns of the possibility of flooding. The neighborhood was one of the hardest hit by Helene.
Wes Barnett walks amid the rubble in Swannanoa near where he found his neighbor, James Dockery. Dockery and his wife, Judy, wre two of the 43 people killed in Buncombe County by Helene.
Bee Tree Christian Church, founded in 1872, was severely damaged by Helene.
Sarah Moore sits where she found her father, Timothy Moore, fatally pinned under a tree outside the Woodfin home they shared. “I can’t get that picture out of my mind,” Moore said.
Jesse Craig stands beside the remains of his parents’ home in Fairview. They were two of the 11 members of the Craig family killed by landslides.
An American flag discovered among the rubble stands where landslides devastated Craigtown.

Photographer Starr Sariego’s photos have been featured in exhibitions in Asheville and across the country. Contact her at ssariego@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

In Depth with Dan: Answering viewer questions about flesh-eating bacteria, digital licenses

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www.youtube.com – WRAL – 2025-08-11 22:28:07


SUMMARY: In this Monday mailbag, Dan addresses viewer questions on three topics. First, North Carolina’s Vibrio bacteria risk in summer coastal waters: cooked shellfish is safe, but raw consumption is risky due to bacteria concentrating in oysters. Second, digital driver’s licenses in North Carolina face delays; although legalized in 2023, full rollout may not occur until 2026, with other states also lagging behind. Lastly, Dan explains flood-damaged vehicles after recent storms: flooded cars must be branded as such, but scams occur. He shares tips to spot flood damage when buying used cars, emphasizing caution and thorough inspection.

WRAL anchor/reporter Dan Haggerty answered viewer questions about a flesh-eating bacteria in North Carolina and the legalization of digital driver’s licenses.

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The latest update on Tropical Storm Erin

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www.youtube.com – ABC11 – 2025-08-11 21:44:19


SUMMARY: Tropical Storm Erin is forecast to become a Category 1 hurricane by Thursday and remain well out to sea through Saturday, near the Lesser Antilles northeast of Puerto Rico. Models show it moving west, then curving north toward Bermuda or Florida, but uncertainty remains high beyond next week. The American and European models suggest it could pass between Bermuda and Hatteras, causing higher surf midweek. Due to large forecast errors, the storm’s exact path is unclear, ranging from north of New York to the Florida panhandle. Residents should prepare hurricane kits and stay updated, with clearer guidance expected by Thursday or Friday.

Will Erin cause problems for the East Coast? Here’s the latest on Monday evening.

https://abc11.com/post/tracking-tropics-tropical-storm-erin-forms-eastern-tropical-atlantic-cabo-verde-islands/17499988/
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Body of missing NC teen found in Florida, family says

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www.youtube.com – ABC11 – 2025-08-09 20:54:59


SUMMARY: The body of missing North Carolina teen Gio Gio was found in Bradenton, Florida, confirmed by his family. Originally, Gio Gio was supposed to be picked up by relatives after meeting cousins in Florida, but he disappeared after texting his mother for help. His family’s private investigators, not the police, discovered his body near I-75 after police had initially searched the area. Gio Gio’s mother expressed her heartbreak on Facebook, calling it every parent’s worst nightmare. The investigation continues, focusing on the timeline after Gio Gio entered the car with his cousins. An autopsy is pending, with no immediate signs of foul play.

The body of Giovanni Pelletier was found in a retention pond, authorities said, and his mom is living “every parent’s worst nightmare.”

https://abc11.com/post/giovanni-pelletier-body-missing-18-year-old-north-carolina-found-pond-where-last-seen-family-says/17483056/
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