Wake Up, Asheville!

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• Asheville’s North Fork Reservoir remains murky, and a boil water advisory is still in place, while the city explores new treatments to improve water clarity in affected areas.
• While 677 roads have reopened in Western North Carolina, 582 remain closed, with repairs expected to take years and billions of dollars due to extensive storm damage.
• Canton’s flood-stricken paper mill faces uncertain redevelopment as a potential sale stalls, adding to the town’s recovery challenges following Hurricane Helene.
• Former President Donald Trump visited Swannanoa, pledging support for storm recovery while inaccurately criticizing FEMA’s efforts in Western North Carolina.
• Buncombe County’s early voting saw record turnout, with over 13,000 voters in the first two days, as residents remain committed despite the storm’s aftermath.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• Power is being restored to most of Western North Carolina, with only 1,000 Duke Energy customers still without electricity, mainly in Bat Cave and Chimney Rock.
• Asheville has restored water to 95% of the city, but some areas still face outages due to pipeline issues, and a citywide boil water notice remains in effect.
• Buncombe County Schools will reopen on Friday with a two-hour delay, providing bottled water for schools without potable water, as staff adjusts to changes.
• North Carolina has confirmed 95 storm-related deaths, with Buncombe County having the highest toll, as recovery efforts and search operations continue.
• Early voting in Western North Carolina saw high overall turnout, but storm-affected areas like Buncombe County reported significantly lower numbers than in 2020.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• Asheville opened two debris processing sites in West Asheville to handle waste from Hurricane Helene, causing concerns from nearby residents about health risks and environmental impacts.
• Asheville City Schools (ACS) is now focusing on using bottled water to reopen by Oct. 28, instead of drilling wells at every school as initially planned.
• U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited Asheville’s River Arts District with Gov. Roy Cooper to see the damage from Hurricane Helene firsthand.
• An updated report from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed 125 deaths related to Hurricane Helene, with Buncombe County having the highest toll at 42 fatalities.
• Buncombe County announced changes to 16 of its 80 Election Day polling locations due to storm damage, approved under the Disaster Recovery Act.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• Buncombe County Commissioners approved nearly $29 million for recovery efforts and delayed property reassessments for a year due to storm damage.
• Asheville public housing residents faced major post-Hurricane Helene challenges, including unsanitary conditions and water shortages.
• Asheville Police Detective Sam DeGrave is working to reunite families with hundreds of photographs displaced by the floods.
• Well-drilling permits have surged, with over 100 applications since Hurricane Helene.
• North Carolina's entire portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• The U.S. Forest Service is working to reopen sections of Pisgah National Forest, with the Pisgah Ranger District expected to open soon, but the Appalachian and Grandfather districts still face extensive recovery due to fallen trees and landslides. (Full story: Carolina Public Press)
• The Asheville Brewers Alliance is coordinating aid for nearly 100 local breweries affected by the storm, ranging from temporary closures to total destruction. (Full story: Mountain Xpress)
• Asheville’s unhoused population, already vulnerable, is facing additional strain after Helene displaced even more residents. (Full story: The Assembly NC)
• 92 people remain unaccounted for following Helene, though that number fluctuates as agencies work to consolidate search efforts. (Full story: WLOS)
• Love Asheville From Afar, a new initiative by Explore Asheville, is connecting global consumers with local businesses through online shopping and donations to support recovery. (Full story: Always Asheville Fund)

Today's newscast includes several stories related to storm recovery, returning water service, resuming school and boosting resources for the elderly and disabled. We also have a piece about the start of early voting in North Carolina. 

Today's newscast features stories about:

• An overall progress report on recovery efforts in our region.
• Water restoration progress in Asheville.
• A visit from Gov. Roy Cooper focusing on small business needs.
• Lack of running water forcing shifts in prenatal and postpartum care.
• A podcast episode focusing on North Carolina as an electoral swing state.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• The re-openings of Asheville and Buncombe County Schools.
• Hopeful outlooks for rebuilding in the River Arts District.
• WNC hospitals regaining stability from storm disruptions.   
• A look at a candidate for Buncombe County Commission chair, Amanda Edwards.
• Republican lawmakers contradict themselves over false claims regarding disaster relief.

Today's newscast includes stories about:

• Assurances for a secure, on-time election in Buncombe County.
• A look at a candidate for Buncombe County Commission chair, Amanda Edwards.
• A group of volunteer pilots helping flying supplies to remote areas.
• An Asheville neighborhood bonds together to blaze a path out.
• Henderson County students back in class next week.

Today's newscast includes storm-related stories about:

• Many veterans in the region without homes.
• Mission Health transferring some patients from three of its facilities due to ongoing water outages.
• FEMA has confirmed its personnel assisting in Western North Carolina won't be redeployed to Florida.
• Virtually nobody in Buncombe County washed out by Hurricane Helene carried flood insurance.
• Comprehensive directions to resources now and down the road.