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Tag: Rose Eiklor

  • Needs increasing in the mountains as cold weather moves in

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    BOONE, N.C. — With low temperatures in the mountains and some snowfall expected in the next few days, a pantry meant to help Helene victims is now seeing people in need of all types of help.

    What You Need To Know

    • Foscoe Home Team helped more than 600 people in five days

    • The nonprofit was started after Helene to help victims but has grown fast

    • They are in need of donations as temperatures are dropping in the mountains


    In just one hour, Foscoe Home Team Executive Director Sherrye Trice said two conversations had already brought her to tears. One, a woman calling to say she had no running water and no one to help. Another, a family in need with a 9-month-old baby.

    “It’s -11 degrees, wind chill faster and there’s tent communities in Foscoe,” Trice said.

    These are just two examples of what she says are the many people in need every day, which is why she is working tirelessly for the Foscoe Home Team. The team says it served hundreds of people in just five days last week.

    Trice started Foscoe Home Team after Helene. It started with food and grew fast. Now, people can come get food, diapers, hygiene items, blankets, heaters and warm clothing to get through the winter.

    “We need warm shoes, we need thick socks, we need sweaters; lined leggings would be great,” Trice said.

    They only have a handful of heaters left and three packs of water, according to Trice, and are in need of donations, fast.

    “This is the first interview. I’m begging, I’m begging someone to pay attention. I’m begging someone to take this up the chain to someone who has influence and funding,” Trice said.

    She says people here are struggling.

    “How many people in Foscoe have to live in a hot tent before people pay attention?” Trice said.

    The weather could make the struggle even more severe.

    “This is constant. There is no running water. There is no heat. Can you help us with our septic? We lost it during the flood. We applied with FEMA, we applied with Renew NC, we are paying our rent. Can you help us?” Trice said.

    Distribution and receiving worker Brandi Karlick said the organization has seen hundreds in need just in the last two days.

    “It’s not just hurricane relief; it’s life storm when you were originally financially fragile before the storm and then you lost the little bit you have. What is the plan for recovery here?” Trice said.

    Any donations can be sent directly to Foscoe Home Team.

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

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    Rose Eiklor

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  • N.C. farm rattled by racist sign left on their property, FBI investigating

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    DEEP GAP, N.C. — The FBI is looking into a threat involving a sign with racist language left at a peaceful community farm in Watauga County. The sign appeared just after Christmas Day, and shook up the owners, workers and patrons.                                     

      What You Need To Know

    • A sign with racist language was left at a farm that works with the community in Deep Gap

    • Farmers there have been shaken by it, and the FBI is investigating

    • Truck tires were also stabbed when the sign was left


    Kara Dodson is the executive director on the farm, and she had a dream of starting it on this acre in Triplett for years before getting it going. Just over a year ago, her dream changed from a farm that sold crops to one that gives back to the community.

    They are now the nonprofit, Full Moon Farm Collective.

    “It’s one thing to provide shelf stable food to people that need it but also to provide nutrient-dense food. It’s also a health issue,” Dodson said.

    They donate nearly all of the food they make to places like Hunger and Health, The FARM Cafe and Hospitality House.

    “In 2025, we donated over 1,300 pounds of vegetables,” Dodson said. 

    (Photo provided: Kara Dodson)

    They use horses for therapy and have educational events at the farm to help people learn.

    The day after Christmas their safe place turned scary when a sign was left in front of the farm.

    “We don’t want to hold back from teaching people of color how to grow food in this county. We don’t want to be gatekeeping information because of racism,” Dodson said.

    It’s something Full Moon Farm Collective Tommy Lee says was shocking. He works at the farm and says that in 15 years of living in Boone, he’s never experienced racism like this before.

    “It kind of shook our sense of peace a little bit,” Tommy Lee said.

    He says the vandals not only left the sign, but also stabbed the tires on their trailer. They have moved all of their horses from the farm for their safety, but now the FBI is involved and is investigating the threat.

    According to Justice. Gov, there were 172 hate crimes in North Carolina based on race in 2023. It states that 58.5% of all bias-motivated crimes were due to race/ethnicity or ancestry in North Carolina.

    “I had to look out for cars look out for different people walking around whereas my first instinct would be a wave and a smile, and now I’m second-guessing who might be in a car what their motives might be,” Lee said. “Nobody wants to live like that nobody likes to live like that.”  

    Lee is hoping they find out who did this soon so the mountains that he calls medicine can go back to feeling like just that again.

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

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  • Burke County brings pen and paper back in the classroom

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    BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Burke County Public Schools is putting pen and paper back in the classroom. It is giving teachers the freedom during the day to choose when computers are better and when paper is better during this transition year.

    What You Need To Know

    • Burke County has decided to put pen and paper back in the classroom

    • The district has voted to pass a resolution for teachers
    • It gives teachers the freedom during the day to choose when computers are better and when paper is better during this transition year

    • They will still be using computers when needed but say it’s important to go back to the basics


    Tiana Beachler is both a mother and Burke County Board of Education member. She says when she was home, she saw her sons’ attachment to devices.

    “When the devices go away, now we get the emotions,” Beachler said.

    She saw it’s happening with other families too, so she came up with an idea to take a step back.

    “In order to run you have to learn how to walk, in order to walk you have to crawl, so instead of the thought that we are taking a step back, it’s important to teach them the foundation of how to work things out on paper,” Beachler said.

    Teachers say they like it. Connie Fox teaches kindergarten and says the computers were too much for her students.

    “Eight years ago, they were writing sentences, and last year they were barely writing words, and in my head they were on the computer so much,” Fox said.

    Now, she does more hands-on work and made them a reading corner.

    “This has just been such a blessing to be able to go back to what is age-appropriate for these children especially,” Fox said.

    Fifth-grade teacher Emily Hendrix says it’s good for math. She says students can now show their work.

    “A computer, it’s very easy just to click and push the buttons until it moves you on to the next problem,” Hendrix said.

    She mentioned that they’re now able to learn cursive.

    “Students don’t know cursive, and they do struggle to sign their names, and in documents later in life they need to know how to do that,” Hendrix said.

    They say they are going back to the basics to try to give students a well-rounded education.

    “We’re seeing paper come home again, because we have kids in the system. We see the homework come home again,” Beachler said.

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  • Lansing planning a celebration as businesses reopen after Helene

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    LANSING, N.C. — It’s been nearly a year since Jamey Hart was standing inside CJ’s Market in Lansing when water started pouring in. His wife was trying to open a window while he was working to get shelves back in order.

    What You Need To Know

    • CJ’s Market in Lansing is set to open back up in the next few weeks

    • Lansing will be having a day to reopen on Sept. 27

    • Gov. Josh Stein announced a new push for federal funding


    “It was a 20-minute period from where it was seeping under the door to where it came in the store, and I realized my life could have been in danger,” Hart said.

    The next day he returned, finding Helene had destroyed his business.

    After nearly a year of work, they’re just weeks from opening back up fully.

    “It did not take long for us to realize we thought it was our calling to make sure the store came back,” Hart said.

    Lansing Assistant Fire Chief Donald Sykes said on Sept. 27 they are reopening the town. He said all businesses are planning to open back up in some capacity.

    “There’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s going to take some outside help to get us back, not just the town but the community to get the community back where it was,” Sykes said.

    Sykes said he agrees with Gov. Josh Stein’s call for $13.5 billion in federal aid. Sykes said the area still needs it.

    “There’s been a lot going on, a lot of people have been workin’ hard,” Sykes said.

    On Monday, Stein said six out of seven businesses have not returned to pre-Helene revenues. Stein also said 96% of small businesses reported impacts from Helene. The governor was in Flat Rock to announce his call for additional federal relief money.

    Hart has lived the experience but vows he and others aren’t going anywhere.

    “I’m just like, we’re coming back, you come back too,” Hart said.

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  • Mountain pumpkin farm reopening this weekend

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    WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. — The countdown is on for Cassandra Bare and her family to bring visitors back to Harvest Farm in Valle Crucis.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pumpkin patches are opening back up in Watauga County this weekend

    • Many pumpkin patches were destroyed in Helene

    • Farmers have worked hard to rebuild the areas and get ready for this fall


    “They didn’t get to come last year, and a lot of people I talked to are excited to get to come to get to support local farmers,” Bare said.

    It’s a moment they have been waiting for all year.

    “We lost five generations worth of work in one night, and it’s not all going to be put back together in one year,” Bare said.

    It’s not back just as it was, she said, and this farm has been fixed more than the others, but they are on their way.

    Last year, after Helene her pumpkins and flowers were destroyed, fencing was torn down and there was sports equipment in the fields from down the street. The damage was huge and the loss even bigger.

    “We have had floods before and lost pumpkin crops before, but we have never lost everything that we worked on before,” Bare said.

    While this crop may only take a year to grow, some of her others, like Christmas trees, take several years. Still, Bare looks through this field and sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

    “I’m more thankful to be here this year than I ever have been or to have a crop to be able to sell,” Bare said.

    They also have a beautiful pick your own flower garden that has grown back since last year.

    More challenges could be heading in.

    Many farmers in the mountains keep a close eye on the bean count to get an idea of how the winter will be. For every foggy morning in August a bean is put into the jar. Each bean signifies a snow storm. It may sound like silly folklore to some, but many farmers swear by it. With some counting as many as 27 beans this year, they want to be prepared.

    “A farmer started back then with the bean in a jar to predict the weather because they needed to know how much they had to store for the weather. It was a way to guestimate if you will what was to come,” Bare said.

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  • Child seat catches fire moments after N.C. family gets out of car, officials say

    Child seat catches fire moments after N.C. family gets out of car, officials say

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    A car seat caught fire in Burke County Sunday moments after a mother parked the car, unstrapped her daughter and went inside, fire officials said. The family said hearing their daughter’s laughter today is a blessing.


    Destiny Williams says she and her daughter had just returned home from church when a neighbor told her that her car was smoking.

    “What happened, how did it happen?” Williams said. Her daughter’s car seat was inside, covered in flames. Williams’ uncle put the fire out.

    “All of it’s really gone. I mean, a majority of it that everybody can see. It’s melted. There’s no car seat there,” Williams said. The fire marshal said the fire was caused by a button battery in a children’s Cocomelon book that was located under the seat.

    “Normally, there would be a seat here that the child sits on the base. I use it as a book shelf or toy shelf, but originally there was three books there,” Williams said.

    Sections of the car seat are melted away. The seat is gone. It’s a reminder of how fast it happened.

    “She’s my world. I’m blessed she wasn’t in the car seat,” Williams said.

    The girl’s father wants to remind others that this can happen and urges parents to remove all toys or books from their vehicles.

    George Hildebran Fire Chief Bobby Craig said their job is more difficult when fires are caused by batteries.

    “Many types are harder to put out then before. A keynote would be to try to keep batteries cool,” Craig said.

    He also said they are thankful that the little girl is unharmed and hope their experience helps to keep others safe in the future.


    Jennifer Gamertsfelder contributed to this article 

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  • ‘Magical place’: Highland Games kicking off in North Carolina’s High Country

    ‘Magical place’: Highland Games kicking off in North Carolina’s High Country

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    The Highland Games kick off Thursday night at Grandfather Mountain and people from all over the world are coming to participate. 

    Beverly Baker has been coming to the Highland Games in Avery County for 18 years. She and her husband sleep in a cargo trailer turned camper.

    “He put in windows, [a] ceiling fan,” Baker said.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Highland Games kick off Thursday on Grandfather Mountain

    • The games will continue in Avery County all weekend

    • Organizers expect up to 30,000 people to head up the mountain for the games


    They have everything they need, including friends that have become family. The campground even has its own street names made up by campers that are now on the map.

    “It’s a celebration of our heritage. I don’t know, there are celtic festivals everywhere but there is something special about here,” Baker said.

    The games feature vendors along with bagpipes and athletics, including the iconic caber toss, where competitors try to flip a log on the field.

    “We are at the base of Grandfather Mountain and it’s a very magical place,” Baker said.

    Operations Manager Levin Sudderth said he expects between 25,000 and 30,000 people will attend the games between Thursday and Sunday.

    He’s been doing this his entire life. He took his first steps there at 9 months old.

    People come in from all over the world for the annual event on Grandfather Mountain. 

    “We had people from Canada. We had people from the West Coast that drive out here from Utah, California,” Sudderth said.

    The Highland Games will continue through Sunday. Organizers ask people attending the games to remember they must park at one of the designated lots and be shuttled in.

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  • Conservation plan drafted for bat on the endangered list

    Conservation plan drafted for bat on the endangered list

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    BOONE, N.C. — Andy Sicard, superintendent at Grandfather Mountain State Park, says the park has over 73 rare and endangered species, including the Virginia big-eared bat.

    He says the bats are extremely sensitive to human disturbance, so they check on them biannually.

    What You Need To Know

    • The NCWRC is asking the public to comment on a draft Virginia big-eared bat conservation plan

    • The big-eared bat is on the endangered list

    • The bats are extremely sensitive to human disturbance

    “We are gentle. We don’t try to handle any of them if we don’t have to. In handling them, it’s very rare, so basically try to count how many there are so we sit real still,” Sicard said.

    He says for many years they only knew where the bats were in the winter, but now they know where they live in the summer as well.

    Sicard said they keep the bats’ location a secret to protect them but said all caves in North Carolina are off limits.

    “It is a globally in-peril species, so it’s a G4 category, which basically means if anyone is disturbing that habitat or trying to interfere with the bats themselves could be criminally charged,” Sicard said.

    He said the bats like it between 34 and 54 degrees, so even having humans go into the caves changes the temperature enough that they will leave.

    They remind everyone not to go near the bats because the bat is so small, and they must be protected.

     

    Related Stories

    Endangered bat species in western N.C. could get some help with a new conservation plan

     

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  • Samaritan’s Purse shows us all the ways they help with water

    Samaritan’s Purse shows us all the ways they help with water

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    BOONE, N.C. — Brent Kejr has always loved to build things and solve problems. He lived with his family in Asia but decided to move back to the United States and work for Samaritan’s Purse three years ago.

    What You Need To Know

    • Samaritan’s Purse travels around the world providing clean drinking water to as many people as possible

    • They have different technologies and filter systems to help provide water despite the circumstances 

    • Some filters are run by solar panels and can be left in a country permanently

    As an engineer, he helps design the equipment used around the world to provide clean drinking water.

    “We deployed this the first time in Haiti after the earthquake there. I spent a couple deployments in Ukraine and also setting up some of our water systems for emergency field hospitals in other parts of the world,” Kejr said.

    They have mobile units that can be taken anywhere, hooked up to water and filtered to make it clean and drinkable. If hooked to a fresh water source, it can provide water for 10,000 people a day.

    They also have a small filter that is a little different and is for their field hospitals so they have water to care for patients and surgeries.

    “We want to prevent the outbreak of disease,” Kejr said.

    Deputy Director David Phillips said water is life so they must be ready at a moments notice.

    “In a place like Ukraine where water infrastructure was damaged by the war, we were able to drill wells and pull that water out and pump it into different parts of the community,” Phillips said.

    Their main goal is to provide safe water no matter the disaster because it is essential.

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