The North Carolina Department of Commerce released its economic development ratings for all 100 counties. Here’s more on what that means and how Western North Carolina ranked: Each year, the department groups all 100 counties into tiers. The law calls for 40 counties to be designated as Tier One, 40 counties to be designated as Tier Two, and 20 counties to be designated Tier Three. Each county is measured against the others based on economic data and adjustments. This year, the state took away