We Are Mitchell

With the start of the new congressional session, Mitchell County moved back into the 11th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Chuck Edwards. Congressman Edwards joins us on this episode to talk about this move along with details on how his office operates, plus shares information on congressional activity, updates on federal help for Helene, and he closes with information on a virtual town hall he is holding online Tuesday, January 14th, inviting residents to join in the conversation.

Mitchell County moved back into North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District at the first of January, and that means we have a new Congressman (at least for us). Chuck Edwards is now our Congressional Representative, and his office held the first in-county sessions on January seventh. Chris Burns, District Director for Congressman Edwards, joins us on this episode to talk about this change and how Edwards plans to serve our residents in the U.S. Congress.

Mitchell County Government held their second Town Hall Meeting post-Helene on Thursday, January 2, 2025 in the old Bowman Middle School auditorium. This episode presents a recording of the general public portion of the meeting, where you can learn more about debris removal, stream cleanup, the mitigation grant program, updates on Spruce Pine water and sewer, and much more.

Mitchell County Government will hold its second Town Hall meeting post-Helene on Thursday, January 2, 2025. A variety of topics will be discussed, including debris removal, extension of FEMA program deadlines, stream debris, and much more. Kelly Jones of the Mitchell County Public Information Office discusses the meeting and what will take place on this episode.

Helene has wreaked havoc on the tourism industry in Mitchell County. Kelly Jones, Mitchell County Tourism Development Authority director, joins us to talk about how this industry was affected by the storm and discusses the steps to bring the visitors back to the county.

December 12th has been named FEMA Day in Mitchell County. It is an opportunity for residents to get help with FEMA applications or other issues from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center inside the Mitchell Senior Center on School Road in Ledger. Mitchell County Manager Allen Cook joins us to share more information about what is taking place.

There have been lots of questions about property values and taxes in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Blair Hyder, the tax assessor for Mitchell County, joins us to discuss these topics, the postponement of the tax revaluation in Mitchell County, and how his office is working on documenting damage for future tax assessments.

Helene may have destroyed many businesses on Locust Street (Lower Street) in Spruce Pine, but four of them have moved into the former Market on Oak Building on Oak Avenue (Upper Street) and reopened to serve customers. On this program, we talk with Cheryl Buchanan of Treasures in the Pines, Kimberly Wise and Stephanie Medford of Spruce Pine Florist, Ginger Letterman with Haircraft, and Lisi Thomas with Treehouse Realty tell their stories from the storm and how they are working to bring life back to downtown Spruce Pine. We remind you to shop local with all our Mitchell County merchants this Christmas!

This episode is a sad one. We talk with Donna Stafford, the owner of Helens Restaurant in Bakersville. She shares a brief history of the restaurant that was originally started by Wylie and Helen Hobson in 1956 and has been a fixture of the community ever since. A gathering place for ball teams after practice, local groups, and of course, Rhododendron Festival queens, Helens was tightly woven into the fabric of Bakersville society. Donna shares what happened when Helene paid the visit, and she discusses the limbo she and the restaurant are in since the building has been condemned and the way forward is murky at best.

As we approach the two month anniversary of Helene, things are starting to return to normal. With these changes, the need for multiple points of distribution of water, food, and goods has declined. Brody Miller who has handled the organization of that network for the county visits on this program to share changes coming to locations and days/times that citizens can visit to pick up items.