Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:
Question: Billy Strings, the bluegrass musician, just finished two weekends of sold-out concerts here in Asheville at our old but comfortable Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville (the Civic Center to us oldies). Downtown felt like the special weird Asheville that has been missing for a while. Can you use your “sources” to find out what the economic impact of these past two weeks of events were? Seems to me that it was pretty beneficial.
My answer: Coincidentally, “old but comfortable” is how my wife describes me to friends.
Real answer: Strings and his band played sold-out shows from Feb. 6-8, and Feb. 14-16.
Chris Corl, general manager of the Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville, said staff does feel events they put together do help to drive business in the community, “specifically hitting one of our annual targets of driving business during more of the ‘offseason.’”
“This year’s six-show run with Billy Strings in the ExploreAsheville.com Arena was part of a major push at the start of February,” Corl said. “Between Feb. 2 and 16, we hosted twelve events with a total attendance of 46,581. The six shows with Billy Strings were responsible for the majority, with an attendance totaling 38,174.”
Corl checked ticket sales data, finding that concert-goers came from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and five countries – 121 tickets were sold to fans from Great Britain.
“Fun fact: I bumped into an old friend from my time in high school who flew in with her family from Portland, Oregon, just to catch the second weekend of shows,” Corl said.
Corl also noted that Strings and his team did a “locals-only” pre-sale.
“These shows were supposed to go on sale to the public on Oct. 11, but this was delayed due to Hurricane Helene,” Corl said. “When we did go on sale at the beginning of November, Billy’s team allowed us to utilize a geo-focused ticket pre-sale here at the box office and online with Zip code tracking, allowing only individuals in the FEMA-recognized affected counties early access to tickets.”
Those counties included those in western North Carolina, upstate South Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
Corl consulted with Explore Asheville (the convention and visitors bureau) and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority on the economic impact.
Corl said “direct spending generated in the Asheville area by the Billy Strings concerts is estimated at $15.7 million, including $6.3 million in lodging revenue and $3.5 million in food and beverage sales. Other categories comprising the remainder include transportation, retail sales, recreation, space rental and business services.”
“From the venue side, a quick tally shows that we paid local nonprofit groups $61,519 for their assistance in our bars and concession stands,” Corl said. “Our in-house food and beverage staff received $44,720 in tips from the attendees, and we paid out $250,117 in direct wages for staff working the event. The latter value does not include our salaried full-time staff helping to execute the event.”
Corl said the center is already working with Strings’s team on a return run for next year, “with hopes of finding a way to further create a significant impact in Asheville and Buncombe County.”
Corl also offered a reminder that the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held March 6-10 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville.
A pickup truck is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River nearly five months after Tropical Storm Helene. // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego
Question: Driving along Thompson Street along the Swannanoa River bank from Biltmore Avenue to where Brother Wolf is, there are still, after five months, submerged vans, cars and trucks in the river. It looks like a graveyard. What is going on? Are there still corpses in those vehicles?
My answer: I’m no expert on search, rescue, and recovery, but I’m pretty sure they check these vehicles real soon after a disaster.
Real answer: The vehicles were indeed searched soon after Tropical Storm Helene hit on Sept. 27.
“In September 2024 and October 2024, search and rescue teams searched and documented 987 vehicles and vessels impacted by the storm within city limits,” city of Asheville spokesperson Kim Miller told me via email. “This included titled property such as vehicles, boats, campers, and trailers.”
Search and rescue teams searched all of the vehicles that ended up in local rivers in the days and weeks after Sept. 27. This vehicle in Fairview was marked with an X to indicate it had been searched. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
Miller said non-titled property, such as shipping containers, will be taken to Enka Commerce Park for processing.
“City staff reevaluated the number of impacted vehicles still located in rights-of-way or waterways, and the number was reduced to 80 located in the waterway,” Miller said. “Contractors will retrieve and document the remaining vehicles and vessels. These vehicles will be transported to contracted towing facilities or a central holding location, and a formal notification process will be carried out in compliance with legal requirements.”
The city and Buncombe County are working on vehicle removals with FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the state, and debris removal contractors.
Since the waterway operation began Feb. 1, Miller said, the Army Corps of Engineers and the debris removal contractor have continued to ramp up crews.
“They are currently focused on the Swannanoa River in east Asheville and sections of the French Broad River,” Miller said. “As they complete sections, they will move to other waterway sections.”
As we reported earlier this month, the Army Corps said all Buncombe County river debris cleanups should be finished by June 1, private property debris removal by June 30, and right-of-way debris removal by April 1. The Army Corps said then it had 10 crews working and expected to add another 20 to 25 this month.
“Finding staging areas and safe access points for the heavy equipment needed for this task impacts the speed of the operations,” Miller said. “So does the weather, as rain creates unsuitable conditions in our already compromised waterways.”
Update on the Western North Carolina Nature Center: In a January Answer Man column, I noted that the WNC Nature Center — and most importantly, its animals — survived Helene without major damage or injuries.
Cougars Noa and Hayla are two of the animals at the WNC Nature Center. All of the animals at the center survived Tropical Storm Helene. // Photo provided by WNC Nature Center
The Nature Center announced Monday that it will reopen to the public March 17,
five and a half months after closing because Helene caused significant flooding that destroyed roads and the main bridge to the Nature Center.
The Nature Center will open a week earlier for Friends of the WNC Nature Center members from March 10 to March 16. You can buy or renew memberships online at www.wildwnc.org/membership or at the membership office and still be able to take advantage of members-only week.
No admission tickets will be sold during this members-only week.
“After witnessing the devastation caused by the flooding of the Swannanoa River, we
thought it would be at least a year until we could safely reopen,” Nature Center
Director Chris Gentile said in a news release. “Thanks to the steadfast work of our city workers, the NCDOT and a myriad of community partners, we are ready to welcome guests.”
Because of the loss of the Gashes Creek Bridge, you’ll have to take a different route to the center, though.
Drive to the Nature Center as normal, turning from Swannanoa River Road onto
Azalea Road, but instead of turning right to cross the bridge, continue straight for half a mile. This road is now two-way all the way to the roundabout. At the roundabout, take the first right. A traffic signal has been installed on either side of the one-way metal bridge. After crossing the metal bridge, turn left on Gashes Creek Road and enter the Nature Center’s parking lots.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. 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.
