Today marks the 39th day of the federal government shutdown. It’s the longest shutdown in U.S. history. And its impact is widespread, affecting everything from federal benefits to national parks.

North Carolina has joined eleven other states in a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, alleging that the agencies are withholding $17.5 million in grants over “unlawful terms.” www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

Buncombe County saw higher municipal election turnout Tuesday than it did two years ago, with about 23% of eligible voters casting ballots in Weaverville and Woodfin. Below are the unofficial winners of each race, listed by county. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

The North Carolina Agromedicine Institute received a more than $292,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to support farm communities impacted by Helene. www.bpr.org/2025-10-31/u...

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain open through Jan. 4, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, thanks to a partnership between Tennessee’s state government and seven local entities. www.bpr.org/climate-envi...

Back by popular demand: BPR’s 2025 Driven by Gratitude Car Raffle starts today! 🚗 Tickets for our summer raffle sold out in record time. Now it's back, thanks to one incredibly generous listener who gifted BPR a 2025 Subaru Forester! Learn more and enter to win: www.bpr.org/announcement...

As next week’s municipal elections approach, many voters in Hot Springs, North Carolina find themselves worried about both old problems and new ones that have arisen since Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

Just kidding, we'd never scare you like that. 🎃 Trick or treat yourself to reliable, fact-based news by making a frightfully wonderful donation to BPR today: donate.bpr.org/bpr/donate

Growth is an issue throughout most of Western North Carolina. But it ranks especially high on residents’ minds in Weaverville. Next week’s municipal election marks a key moment for the town as it faces some big decisions about its future. www.bpr.org/growth-devel...

Got an old car, truck, or boat you don’t need anymore? Donate it to BPR! Your vehicle supports the news and music you love — plus, towing is free, and your gift may even be tax deductible. Learn more on our website: www.bpr.org/vehicle-dona...

More recovery money is heading to Western North Carolina to help residents impacted by Helene. Gov. Josh Stein announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of Labor has released the final $4M portion of a $10M federal grant to help local residents get back to work. www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

N.C. food banks are bracing for a surge in demand as federal nutrition benefits begin to run dry on Friday. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps feed about 1.4M residents each month. The federal government shutdown means benefits for November are suspended.

At Marshall High Studios in the town of Marshall, a local artist started a new community writing project earlier this year, giving residents a space to reflect on and share their experiences from Hurricane Helene a year ago. www.bpr.org/arts-perform...

“'I remember feeling like we were all so connected,' she says of that time. 'Our job was to figure out how to get people what they needed in these little pockets of information we could deliver.'”

Nearly a month into the federal government shutdown, logging is ongoing in the country’s national forests. Some advocates worry that the unusual circumstances could mean less oversight over logging in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

Revisiting our days of Helene... in Asheville...with @blueridgepublic.bsky.social and Helen Chickering.

North Carolina has a new Congressional map, barring likely legal challenges. The N.C. House of Representatives voted in favor of a new map that shifts about 500K people in eastern N.C. to give the GOP an advantage in the 1st District. www.bpr.org/2025-10-22/n...

We're hiring! BPR is looking for our next Account Executive, responsible for fundraising through the sale of all BPR's broadcast and digital marketing products. Learn more and apply ⤵️ my.career.place/static/jobs/...

A proposed new Congressional map continued to work through the General Assembly on Tuesday, even as dozens of Democrats took the chance to decry its impact on Black voters in northeastern North Carolina. www.bpr.org/2025-10-21/n...

As reported by The Asheville Watchdog: Mission Hospital should again be put in immediate jeopardy, the worst sanction a hospital can face, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recommended. www.bpr.org/health/2025-...

Four hospital systems are vying for state approval to expand their presence in Buncombe County — and the result could have big repercussions for the region’s health care landscape. www.bpr.org/growth-devel...

Housing organizer Jen Hampton and her colleagues were finishing visits with tenants at Evergreen Ridge Apartments when she walked out to find the burnt remains of her car. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said an adult in the western part of the state died from flu complications during the first week of October. No other details were released to protect the family’s privacy. www.bpr.org/health/2025-...

Richmond Hill Park, a rare oasis in Asheville’s city limits, will partially reopen for public use this weekend. www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

Asheville’s temporary water pre-treatment system, set up by FEMA after Hurricane Helene, will be decommissioned at the end of the year, and officials say they’re working on a new, permanent solution. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

There are a few bright spots for Buncombe County in the latest unemployment report. The county’s jobless rate is slightly higher than the statewide average, but far better than during the immediate aftermath of Helene. www.bpr.org/growth-devel...

On a dusty day last fall, Donald Trump stood behind a podium in Swannanoa to deliver an update on a GoFundMe set up by his presidential campaign for survivors of Helene. In three weeks, the drive had raised $7.7M. A year later, what exactly it paid for remains unclear. www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

A year after Helene, students and teachers across Western North Carolina are wrestling with heightened mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, sleep issues, aggression and substance use.

Ridership for Asheville’s bus system has steadily declined since 2020, even as the city continues to grow. Now, the city has a new transit survey for people to take to inform ATC which road to take moving forward. www.bpr.org/climate-envi...

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is investing $12.4 million in several tourism capital projects throughout the county, including a highly-anticipated facility in Swannanoa’s Beacon Village. www.bpr.org/growth-devel...

Haywood County offered more services in Spanish for its Latino community during Helene than it had in past emergencies. The community’s experience demonstrates the challenges counties have in meeting the needs of all their constituents. www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

The fight between federal lawmakers that has shut down the government is largely focused on health care funding, but a prolonged closure could impact Hurricane Helene relief funding in Western North Carolina. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

Asheville City Council, concerned over the economic losses due to Hurricane Helene, is considering new strategies to boost downtown activity. One idea — relaxing part of the city’s noise ordinance — is slated for a vote at Council’s Oct. 14 meeting. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

Second Gear's building, one of the many businesses decimated by Hurricane Helene in the River Arts District, will take on a new life as a roller skating rink. www.bpr.org/arts-perform...

Efforts to prevent cuts that could significantly lower reimbursement to providers for services for North Carolinians on Medicaid stalled last week amid a three-way standoff between the state’s Senate, House of Representatives and governor. www.bpr.org/health/2025-...

I just became a monthly donor for my local public radio station, @blueridgepublic.bsky.social because radio is how we stayed informed and participated as was feasible during Helene. Radio was our only way of being informed, AND the station set up text-only material for those with minimal service.

This weekend, Asheville’s Blue Ridge Pride celebration is coinciding with the anniversary of Helene. And Asheville is getting a visitor: Pattie Gonia, climate drag queen and main event of a show called SAVE HER. www.bpr.org/climate-envi...

Asheville’s settlement of a legal fight regarding the Human Relations Commission of Asheville could set an important precedent for courts across the country as they evaluate racially informed appointments to government boards. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

A year into Asheville’s recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, two familiar words echo through local environmental and planning circles: climate resilience. And the road map to get us there, say these experts, has already been written.

Across Asheville, service industry workers are grappling with their mental health in the aftermath of Helene. Service industry workers serve as the backbone of Asheville’s identity and economy.

This is it! The final day of BPR’s "Be the Lifeline" fall drive. And with our permanent loss of federal funding, this drive means more than ever. Give now by becoming a monthly Sustainer! www.bpr.org/announcement...

Since last September, when Hurricane Helene ripped through Western North Carolina and caused more than 2,000 landslides in the region, state and federal geologists have been racing to figure out what went wrong — and how to make people safer. www.bpr.org/helene-recov...

Former Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran will appear in court this week to face five charges, including rape and sexual assault. www.bpr.org/politics-gov...

BPR’s signal stretches across 14 counties and the Qualla Boundary, connecting people, cultures, places, individuals and businesses. That connection is a lifeline. Today, that lifeline depends on you.

A year after Hurricane Helene, many residents of Bat Cave — a rural outpost of Henderson County — are still hard at work repairing their flood and landslide-damaged homes and roads.

This exclusive, vintage-style BPR tee celebrates the power of radio — a reminder of a pre-digital era when radio was the heartbeat of community connection. Available through this Wednesday ONLY for new or increased monthly Sustainers!

A FEMA funding announcement this week led many to believe the iconic Lake Lure Flowering Bridge would be rebuilt — but town officials now say that’s not the case. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...

Public media strengthens democracy. You know it. We know it. It creates the civic space where Americans come together to trust fact-checked reporting. With the loss of federal funding, that work now depends on YOU.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious floods, landslides and wind ever seen in.

Today we kick off our “Be the Lifeline” Fall Drive, one of the most important fundraisers in BPR's history. With the permanent loss of federal funding, we’re building something new: a stronger, more sustainable future made possible by YOU.