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Tag: Jordan Grantz

  • Western N.C. homeowners await word on FEMA buyouts

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The federal government has given western Carolina more than $1 billion in aid since Hurricane Helene hit.

    But a lot of people are still waiting to receive help for housing more than a year later.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency

    • Under the program, homeowners are able to sell their house to the government

    • Hundreds in western North Carolina have applied for the grant money, but many have not heard back 



    For about 10 years, MaryLynn Manns called Riverknoll home. 

    Now, the home where she planned to live the rest of her life holds only the scaffolding of memories.

    “It’s just really sad when I come here, because it used to be a cute little place,” Manns said.

    The 45-townhome community in Buncombe County sits along the Swannanoa River.

    Manns and her neighbor Betty Doll would walk to each other’s house in pajamas and drink wine.

    “This was a really nice neighborhood. And most of these houses on this bottom level are now gutted. And they, you know, no windows, nothing,” Manns said. “And so these people are no longer here.” 

    Doll’s house sits on the top the hill. The foundation is in danger of falling and can only be repaired if the riverbank is repaired. 

    Manns’ and Doll’s houses are among the 21 in the neighborhood that are unlivable.

    These residents were forced to move from their homes. Now many are paying for their mortgage on top of their expenses for their current home.

    “There was so much damage. I think people are really traumatized by it all. And most of the residents are older individuals. And financially, the challenge of that, especially with having to live somewhere else now, depleting retirement savings,” Doll said.

    The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program could help with these costs. The FEMA-funded program would allow the government to buy the homes at whatever the value was before Helene and would work to prevent future damage and losses. 

    It’s been 14 months since the applications were submitted, but the local government and residents haven’t heard anything from the government about the money. So right now, those applications sit in limbo.

    “We wonder where the money is, that’s what we’re wondering,” Manns said. “Where is the money for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that we applied for?”

    They are among hundreds of storm survivors waiting to hear back about the funding.

    Spectrum News 1 reached out to FEMA to ask for a reason for the delay, but we have not gotten a response.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    Jordan Grantz

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  • Buncombe clinic prepares for more patients if ACA tax credits expire

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Nearly 1 million people in North Carolina can expect to pay more for health insurance next year unless Congress acts to extend the Affordable Care Act’s insurance premium tax credits. They are set to expire Wednesday, making policies less affordable.

    What You Need To Know

    •  Insurance policy costs under the Affordable Care Act are expected to increase in 2026

    •  Premium tax credits expiring and rising health care costs are contributing to the increase in policy prices

    •  The  Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry Medical Ministry offers free medical and dental care to those without insurance 



    For three years, Dr. Daniel Frayne has served as the director of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry Medical Ministry. 

    The clinic serves uninsured Buncombe County residents who earn less than 250% of the federal poverty level.

    This year the free clinic served about 3,200 patients seeking medical care, dental care and medication – which Frayne says is a significant growth from previous years.

    “We’ve been seeing a lot of that as well, a lot of folks with insurance who can’t get into care. And so we’re bridging that care, too,” he said.

    The 2024 Buncombe County Community Health Assessment reports that 13% of county residents under 65 live without health insurance. Frayne expects this number to increase as the average rate for individual insurance policies in North Carolina will go up by nearly 29% in the new year.

    “What we know is that people get into bankruptcy and are constantly in debt because of health care costs. So this is like, this is a cliff. I expect lots of people to forgo insurance,” Frayne said.

    North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says in a press release that he attributes the price hikes to increased health care costs and the expiration of federal subsidies. He encourages people to maintain health insurance through job-based coverage, private insurer or a student health plan.  

    Frayne says the clinic commonly diagnoses and treats patients with diabetes and high blood pressure. For patients with chronic diseases, access to consistent health care can prevent major health complications.

    “These are the things that we need to prevent, you know, so anybody who has these conditions, who is not seeing physicians, who is not being well managed, eventually they’re going to end up in the emergency room, they’re going to end up in the hospital,” he said.

    Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance coverage runs until Jan. 15.

    The medical clinic is open for walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Monday afternoon from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.  

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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  • State grant aims to strengthen western N.C. water systems

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    OLD FORT, N.C. — Many western North Carolina communities will soon see support from state funding for drinking water and wastewater resiliency improvements.

    What You Need To Know

    • The state is allocating $270 million to help with water system resiliency and waste water resiliency improvements

    • The funding will support 58 water systems in 26 counties 
    • Old Fort will receive $15 million to repair and replace the drinking water line and sewer system lines


    Amy Davis is busy filling Christmas family boxes with things like turkey, ham and chili.

    “This year a lot of people are able to cook for themselves and we found the need for the family feast went up and the need for the prepared meals went down, which is showing a really good shift in that people have a stable situation,” the co-owner of the Davis Country Store and Cafe in Old Fort said.

    Old Fort was one of the hardest hit locations during Hurricane Helene. The town’s wastewater treatment center was 14 feet underwater, and areas of the town didn’t have safe drinking water for more than a month. The family-owned business served as one of the main distribution hubs after the storm.

    Now, water service is restored, but Davis says there are still issues with water quality, which affects her restaurant. 

    “We use water every single day and every single aspect. We’ve had to move to bottled water because the treatment of the water has to be complicated and over the top,” Davis said.

    Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Stein and Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson visited Old Fort after announcing the $270 million grant. This will support 58 water systems, making infrastructure less vulnerable in the future. Old Fort will receive $15 million to repair and replace the drinking water line and sewer system lines. 

    “We want to make sure towns in the future will continue to have safe drinking water that people can trust when they turn on their tap, even if there has been a bad storm. And we want to make sure wastewater systems are working so that down-stream communities are having a clean, healthy stream full of healthy clean water towards them,” Wilson said.

    Davis says she is thankful for the state’s help as recovery continues.

    “Seeing that someone on a federal and state level want to come down here and take care and make sure we are whole again that we can start building back is really important,” she said.

    The grant will also support water improvements in Chimney Rock Village, and the towns of Clyde and Crossnore.

    The state has $329 million more to allocate. There are two deadlines for towns to apply for funding — one closes Jan. 9, the other March 2. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    Jordan Grantz

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  • Two western North Carolina restaurants reopen after Helene

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — It’s been over a year since Helene struck western North Carolina, and in that time, 93% of small businesses have reopened.

    For some, it’s been a much longer road just to get to this point. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Ole’s Guacomoles and Okie Dokie Smokehouse reopen after Helene

    Both of the Ole’s Guacamoles locations suffered severe damage during Helene. Ole’s Guacamoles recently reopened this location in Black Mountain after many months of repairs.

    Co-owner Elena Delatorre is prepping a classic appetizer, fresh guacamole, which is also the namesake for her family’s business. She says customers were excited to return, filling every table including the patio.

    “We felt the love all the way, all day long since we opened at 11 a.m. for lunch. We got busy. We got crowded.”

    About 13,000 people lost their jobs in Buncombe County after Helene, the largest number of any western North Carolina county.  

    Though the restaurant suffered great loss, Delatorre says Ole’s Guacamole was able to employ most of their staff throughout the past year to help with the rebuild and operate their temporary location.

    “A lot of them have been with us over 10 years, 10 years, 12 years, and a lot of them depend on us. You know, they have family to support children,” Delatorre said.

    But the Mexican restaurant may be an exception.

    The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Asheville’s employment rate in leisure and hospitality fell nearly 10% since August of last year through August 2025.

    In Swannanoa, Okie Dokies Smokehouse also recently reopened its doors, welcoming lines of hungry customers.

    But co-owner Jody Dunning said, while they still have some positions to fill, all the employees who stayed in the area have returned to work. 

    “We’ve actually had former staff who have moved on to different careers come back and offered to help during the transition times, and they just have called us up and said, hey, we’ll come help you,” Dunning said.

    Both Ole’s Guacamoles and Okie Dokies Smokehouse said their comeback is thanks to their communities, which have shown immense support.

    “We just feel that we’re part of Black Mountain and Black Mountain strong. We feel stronger than the hurricane. Stronger than the storm, Delatorre said.

    Economic revitalization is one of the key recovery areas in the Buncombe County Helene Recovery Plan. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Jordan Grantz

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  • PGA announces new tournament in western North Carolina

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The world’s top golfers will soon get a chance to play in western North Carolina.

    The PGA has announced the inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville will tee off in September 2026. The tournament comes just two years after Helene devastated the region.

    Local businesses, like men’s clothing boutique JW Bell in Biltmore Village, are hopeful this tournament will bring some much-needed tourism back to the area.

    What You Need To Know

    • The inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville is scheduled for Sept. 17–20 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove golf course

    • The historic Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are co-title sponsors of the event

    • The Biltmore Championship is part of the FedEx Cup Fall series



    William Tepper, the president of JW Bell, is used to welcoming people during this time of year, most of them coming to take in the colorful leaves and celebrate the holidays. 

    “The customer and the people we get to see here in the village, they’re great. They’re coming to see something really special, visiting western North Carolina, we really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Tepper said.  

    The boutique was flooded during the storm and reopened in July.  

    Despite seeing a decrease of customers since Helene, Tepper says he is happy with the traffic the store has had and predicts the Biltmore Championship will help bring even more customers to the store. 

    “I just think that the visitor in general, is going to be just great for the business, you know, whether it’s restaurants, retail, hotels, I mean, they tend to come in groups and enjoy the area,” Tepper said.

    Explore Asheville, says they expect the tournament to attract thousands of visitors and to generate millions of dollars of direct spending for businesses in the area. 

    “The travel and hospitality has always been a part of Asheville in western North Carolina. And sports tourism was a big part of that,” said Vic Isley, the president and CEO of Explore Asheville.

    Tepper is excited to see Asheville and the surrounding area take center stage again during such a big sporting event.

    “People are going to see it, you know, maybe on TV that don’t get to come to the tournament, but they’ll see it on TV and say, ‘maybe we really need to go visit that area,’” he said.

    The inaugural Biltmore Championship tournament is scheduled for Sept. 17–20 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove golf course. The historic Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are co-title sponsors of the event.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Jordan Grantz

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