“North Carolina has a healthy savings account that will help us respond to the catastrophic nature of this storm.”
Senate leader Phil Berger, on a disaster recovery package being formulated by legislators to respond to the impact of Hurricane Helene. (X, 9/30/24)
Legislative Return
Will Doran, WRAL News, 9/30/24
State lawmakers will return to Raleigh next week for a brief, previously scheduled session — but one that could now focus on what can be done quickly to help with disaster recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.
Helene — the storm system that has left more than 100 dead in the Southeast, including about dozens in North Carolina — brought historic flooding and mudslides to the western part of the state that caused widespread devastation to homes, businesses, roads, bridges, dams and more.
When the General Assembly comes back Oct. 9, it’s likely that the full extent of the damage might still not be known. It could be weeks more until government leaders have a complete picture of the extent of the damage and what sort of aid is needed from the legislature.
On Monday Gov. Roy Cooper was on the ground in Western North Carolina along with many of his top cabinet officials, as were members of the state’s U.S. and state legislative delegations.
The state has a $4.75 billion general savings reserve, often colloquially called the “rainy day fund,” which lawmakers could dip into now for disaster response. Various other specially targeted savings reserves for emergency response, drinking water sources and other projects also hold hundreds of millions of dollars more.
Before lawmakers begin appropriating new funds, they first have to determine what’s needed. The federal government, local governments and various charities are also working on disaster recovery efforts. And with travel and communication still limited in the mountains even on Monday, days after Helene passed through the area, efforts to gauge the extent of the damage have been slowed.
Six years ago, Hurricane Florence brought record-breaking floods and other damage to Eastern North Carolina. At the time, it took the legislature about a month to fully fund the hundreds of millions of dollars needed for recovery efforts.
Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach on Sept. 14 of that year. By Oct. 3 the legislature had passed two new laws making changes to school calendar rules and creating an emergency relief fund, with $56.5 million in it just to start. By Oct. 16 the legislature had passed a third new law, with the real funding: Nearly $400 million more, spread across a dozen state agencies.
Any funding approved now for Helene recovery efforts will be in addition to the billions of dollars the state already spends on public safety and emergency management. The federal government is likely to also spend large sums on the recovery effort, particularly through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
President Joe Biden recently sent 3,500 federal workers to the Southeast for Helene recovery and response efforts, and he declared an official state of emergency for 25 counties in Western North Carolina, and for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. That means that any of the residents in those areas can now apply for FEMA aid. FEMA provides funding for short-term needs such as food, water, baby formula and emergency supplies, or longer-term needs like repairing home damage.
At the state level, much of the legislature’s disaster recovery efforts are targeted toward coastal regions and other parts of eastern North Carolina, but not all. The following are just some of the more broadly focused state government projects the legislature approved, in the 2023 budget, related to flooding and other disaster recovery issues:
$20 million for “maintenance and restoration of streams across the state in support of flood mitigation efforts.”
$20 million in grants “for disaster relief and mitigation as well as transportation mitigation projects.”
$9.7 million to expand the state’s Western Disaster Warehouse in Stanly County and build a new logistics support center there.
$8.3 million to study flood areas and map out flooding risk assessments.
$5 million in grants to “improve disaster shelters across the State by making repairs, improving access, strengthening windspeed ratings for roofs and windows, adding generator hookups, and other projects.” [Source]
Storm Aftermath
Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press, 9/30/24
Desperate residents isolated by washed-out roads and the lack of power and cellular service in western North Carolina lined up Monday for fresh water and a chance to message loved ones that they were alive, days after Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeastern U.S. and killed more than 100 people.
Government officials and aid groups were working to bring basic supplies by airlift, truck and mule to the hard-hit tourism hub of Asheville and its surrounding mountain towns. At least 121 deaths in six states have been attributed to the storm — a toll that climbed Monday as a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it inflicted on an area stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast northward to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. The North Carolina county that includes Asheville reported at least 35 deaths, while dozens were also killed in Georgia and South Carolina.
North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, predicted the toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.
Many main routes into Asheville were washed away or blocked by mudslides, including Interstate 40, and the city’s water system was severely damaged, forcing residents to scoop creek water into buckets so they could flush toilets.
Officials warned that rebuilding from the widespread loss of homes and property would be lengthy and difficult. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast, where deaths were also reported in Florida and Virginia.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Monday that hundreds of roads were closed across western North Carolina and that shelters were housing more than 1,000 people.
Cooper implored area residents to avoid travel for their own safety and to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles. More than 50 search teams spread throughout the region in search of stranded people.
President Joe Biden said Monday that the federal government would be with survivors and others in the nation’s southeast affected by Helene “as long as it takes.” He expected to ask Congress for additional money for disaster assistance and intends to travel to North Carolina later this week when his presence wouldn’t divert from live-saving search-and-rescue missions.
Ten federal search and rescue teams were on the ground and another nine were on their way, while trucks and cargo planes were arriving with food and water, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell surveyed damage with North Carolina’s governor Monday. [Source]
FULL REPORTING
Flooding Response: (Anne Blythe and Will Atwater, NC Health News, 9/30/24) The powerful remnants of Hurricane Helene that deluged western North Carolina with fierce winds and raging stormwaters left a wide swath of the state in desperate need of potable water.
As of early Sunday afternoon, 145 water systems were either without power, suffering infrastructure damage or under boil-water alerts, depriving individuals, businesses and health care systems of a fundamental resource. State emergency officials and the National Guard have started flying and trucking water and food to a region that’s largely been isolated since major roads buckled under the weight of a storm that left at least 30 people dead in Buncombe County.
“There is significant damage to water systems throughout western North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper told NC Health News during a storm update Sunday. “There is a massive effort going on now to move water and other supplies into these affected areas because we know that they’re going to be needed.”
The more than 1 million power outages reported in the aftermath of the storm had been cut in half by midday Sunday, but phone and internet service remained spotty. “Many people are cut off because roads are impassable,” Cooper said. “They don’t have power or communications.”
Of the 93 water systems under boil-water advisories on Sunday, 33 were awaiting lab tests, according to Will Ray, director of state Emergency Management. “We know that a combination of power, loss of power, is one contributing factor, but we also know that there’s significant infrastructure damage from the amount of water. … A number of these communities … are going to have significant rebuild impacts for these water systems to come on line,” Ray told NC Health News at the Sunday briefing with the governor.
State emergency officials are working with federal partners to get an evaluation of the systems from an engineering standpoint to determine whether the repairs will be “simple” fixes or require an “extensive overhaul” of a jurisdiction’s water system.
Todd Hunt, adjunct general of the North Carolina National Guard, told reporters during the Sunday briefing that 34,000 pounds of commodities — food, medicine, water — had been trucked and flown into western North Carolina. That total includes 13 pallets of water, totaling 3,500 gallons, according to an Emergency Management spokesperson.
More than 500 National Guard members are working in a variety of roles to aid in storm recovery. Some are helping with search and rescue missions; others are tending to administrative needs. They’re getting trucks and aircrafts loaded and en route for people hungering for assistance.
“We’ve had no power, no cell, no internet,” state Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, told NC Health News by text. Corbin said power to his home was restored on Sunday, and he was able to connect to the town of Franklin’s Wi-Fi that afternoon. “Things are bad all over western North Carolina from what we can tell,” Corbin said in his text to NC Health News.
Kody Kinsley, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, told NC Health News at the governor’s Sunday briefing that his team had been in communication with health care facilities in western North Carolina over the past several days. “Right now, all of our hospitals remain operating, albeit many of them on backup generator power and temporary water supply,” Kinsley said.
Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, who leads the state Senate, issued a statement Sunday calling the images and reports from the devastated region “heartbreaking and devastating.”
“I’ve been in contact with the senators in the area and other state and local officials as they continue to assess the damage and impact of Hurricane Helene,” Berger said. “It will take time to know the full catastrophic nature of this storm, but the General Assembly stands ready to take the necessary steps to help our neighbors in Western North Carolina.”
Supply Delivery: (Santiago Ochoa, WFDD Radio, 9/29/24) Multi-agency efforts to clear the roads leading into western North Carolina and deliver supplies to those affected by Hurricane Helene continued through the weekend. During a press call on Sunday hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said everything from insurance claims to power restoration is being addressed by both federal and state governments.
Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Daniel H. Hibner says in North Carolina, the Army has been handling debris management and is gearing up to establish temporary power supplies near Asheville.
“We’re doing a reconnaissance in the Asheville area to establish a generator staging base,” he says. “And we are actually actively deploying another temporary power team to Charlotte and they will establish a staging base for generators so that we are ready when called to provide temporary emergency power in North Carolina.”
FEMA officials say supplies for those stranded in western North Carolina have been staged for delivery. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, those supplies have begun to be airlifted into the area.
Aid Groups: (USA Today Network, 9/30/24) As the flood waters begin to recede Monday, hope has begun to appear on the devastated landscape around Asheville. Communities came together during the toughest of times. Global relief organization World Central Kitchen will distribute free meals for the public beginning at Noon on Sept. 30. WCK will set up additional distribution locations outside of Asheville later.
Hearts with Hands will continue relief efforts by distributing food boxes and water until 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at the outreach ministry’s outreach’s warehouse. The organization intends to add hot meal food distribution later. Asheville City Schools will be closed the entire week, at least.
FEMA is trucking dozens of trailers containing food and water in North Carolina to support the state as it sets up care and distribution sites.
Price Gouging: (State Affairs Pro, 9/30/24) The office of Attorney General Josh Stein provided an update Monday on price gouging complaints in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The North Carolina Department of Justice has received 64 complaints alleging price gouging in western North Carolina. Most complaints are about hotel rates, grocery prices, and fuel prices and are most frequently about Watauga, McDowell, and Cleveland counties, according to a news release. The AG’s office is investigating the complaints and has sent three civil investigative demands to learn more.
On Sunday, Stein said he was heartbroken by the devastation the hurricane had on communities. “I’ve seen so many images, I’ve talked to people, I’ve been texting folks, and it’s just devastating,” he said. “The impacts are going to be so much greater than any of us could possibly imagine. This is going to be a cleanup and a restoration that is going to take years to complete.”
North Carolina’s law against price gouging — or charging too much in times of a crisis — goes into effect when the governor or the legislature declares a state of emergency. In some cases, heavily impacted businesses and industries have a reasonable need to increase prices in order to resupply, but they should disclose these increases so people can make informed purchasing decisions. Businesses cannot, however, unreasonably raise the price of goods or services to profit from a state of emergency.
Deputy Death: (WTVD News, 9/30/24) A sheriff’s office in western North Carolina is mourning the loss of a deputy killed in a storm-related off-duty accident in Macon County. According to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, a call was received Friday morning around 11:30 a.m. about a truck in the river on Fulton Road. Witnesses told officers they saw someone in the truck before it went underwater. While investigating, officers were able to determine it was Jim Lau, a courthouse security officer. Lau hadn’t returned to work from lunch and his truck matched the description of the one seen in the river. A joint search that included swift-water rescue, a drone and other emergency agencies. The sheriff’s office said Lau’s body was found and recovered from the river shortly after the search started.
Tech Disruption: (NPR, 9/30/24) A Town in North Carolina that’s just been devastated by hurricane Helene could end up severely disrupting the global supply chain for microchips and solar panels. Spruce Pine is a source of high-purity quartz. Helene dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the town, destroying roads, shops and cutting power and water.
“As far as we know, there’s only a few places in the world that have ultra-high-quality quartz,” according to Ed Conway, author of Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization. Russia and Brazil also supply high-quality quartz, he says, but “Spruce Pine has far and away the [largest amount] and highest quality.” According to an annual report from TECHCET, a market research firm, quartz equipment is a $2.12 billion industry and growing.
Lake Lure Damage: (Nick de la Canal, WFAE Radio, 9/30/24) Among those surveying the damage left by the remnants of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina this weekend was Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari. On Sunday, the Republican councilman jumped into a black SUV with a friend and drove about 100 miles to Lake Lure, where his friend wanted to check up on his home and loved ones who hadn’t made contact with friends and family in Charlotte.
Bokhari said it was difficult for photos and videos to truly convey the extent of the damage, and that Lake Lure itself was unrecognizable. “We’re not just about clean up here and restoring power,” Bokhari said, “there’s an entire economic aspect of this that’s going to have to be contemplated, and it’s something we need to start thinking about right away.”
Concert Plans: (Luke Tucker, WBTV News, 9/30/24) North Carolina native Luke Combs said he is planning “something really special” after Helene battered much of the western part of the state last week. Asheville was one of the hardest-hit communities, and is home to A.C. Reynolds, where the country music star attended high school. Another area that was hit hard was Boone, home to Appalachian State University, where Combs also attended.
“Absolutely heartbroken for everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene,” he said in a social media post on Saturday. “I think we’ve got something really special lined up to help the Carolinas as much as we can.” He did not elaborate on what was being lined up, but said more details are coming.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson headed for western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sunday after announcing the day before that he was pausing his campaign schedule to assist in local recovery efforts.
Since then, Robinson has been posting a series of updates, videos and photographs to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In a video released Monday afternoon, Robinson stands on a section of interstate that has been partially washed away, flanked by four North Carolina State Highway Patrol Troopers.
Motorists must stay home, he says. “Folks, I know the lack of ability to travel out west is frustrating, but hear me out. It is NOT safe. But we have a plan to address it.”
In another post, Robinson takes a swipe at the media for concentrating on the city of Asheville while many small communities are overlooked.
“What the media will probably not be reporting on are the dozens of smaller communities across western North Carolina that too find themselves without water and life-saving supplies,” he wrote. “Many of these communities have received virtually ZERO state or federal support. We are working tirelessly to ensure that these areas are not forgotten.”
On Sunday, Robinson called on Gov. Roy Cooper to increase the number of National Guardsmen deployed. “Folks, there’s no way to sugarcoat it,” he wrote later in the day. “The situation in Western North Carolina is becoming more dire by the hour. Residents are still without power and do not readily have access to food and water. I am urging Governor Roy Cooper to send in more help immediately. We need to deploy more National Guard personnel, and surge additional Search and Rescue teams.”
In the stream of tweets, Robinson is shown in high quality photographs meeting with local officials and citizens, inspecting structures and thanking frontline police and emergency workers. In another video, he warns off motorists hoping to deliver supplies, directing them instead to an area sheriff’s office.
The disaster in the mountain counties takes place against the larger backdrop of a highly charged political election in a battleground state. On X — often an opinionated battleground in its own right — Robinson supporters are finding positive comparisons in his actions and messages.
“While other politicians are continuing to campaign, you sir are with your people,” commented one viewer. Another wrote: “Great communication. Keep it up. People need to see and hear from someone in leadership on the ground.”
On Sunday, the Lieutenant Governor’s office issued a press release on his western travels in the name of Krishana Polite, who is serving as chief of staff following the departures of several senior staffers last week after a CNN report linked Robinson to a series of lewd comments on a porn site years ago. Robinson has denied the reports.
“To our fellow North Carolinians affected by this storm: help is on the way,” Robinson said in the press release. All other communications from Robinson have been delivered on X.
The next campaign events listed on Robinson’s website are meet-and-greets on Friday in Person and Alamance counties.
Campaign Shifts
The Associated Press, 9/30/24
Hurricane Helene’s deadly devastation has scrambled the presidential candidates’ campaign plans, with Kamala Harris returning early from a campaign visit to Las Vegas to attend briefings and Donald Trump heading to Georgia to see the storm’s impact.
In addition to being humanitarian crises, natural disasters can create political tests for elected officials, particularly in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign. North Carolina and Georgia, two of the states hit by the storm, are key battlegrounds in November’s presidential election.
At the beginning of a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Harris said “we will stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild.”
Trump, speaking in Erie, Pa., on Sunday, described the storm as “a big monster hurricane” that had “hit a lot harder than anyone even thought possible.” He criticized Harris for attending weekend “fundraising events with her radical left lunatic donors” in California while the storm hit.
“She ought to be down in the area where she should be,” Trump said.
He escalated his criticism on Truth Social, his social media website, where he said that he’s bringing “lots of relief material, including fuel, equipment, water, and other things” to Georgia.
Trump said he wanted to stop in North Carolina but is holding off because access and communication is limited in hard-hit communities. He claimed without evidence that the federal government and the state’s Democratic governor were “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” Asheville, which was devastated by the storm, is solidly Democratic, as is much of Buncombe County, which surrounds it.
The White House said Harris would visit impacted areas “as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations.” She also spoke with Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and she received a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell while she was traveling.
President Joe Biden described Hurricane Helene as “a historic, history-making storm” during remarks at the White House on Monday. He plans to visit areas affected by the storm later this week, with efforts to not disrupt response efforts. “I want them to know, we’re not leaving until the job is done,” he said.
Tuesday, U.S. Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, along with U.S. Reps. David Rouzer and Greg Murphy, will take an air tour of Tropical Storm Helene storm damage in Western North Carolina alongside N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler. After the tour, they will be joined by U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards for an operational review of the recovery effort. [Source]
Political Response
Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, The News & Observer and Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 9/30/24
Former President Donald Trump complained about North Carolina’s disaster response on social media on Monday, claiming without evidence that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper isn’t helping Republican-leaning areas of the state impacted by Hurricane Helene.
President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday that Trump is lying.
The Republican presidential candidate targeted Cooper in a social media post about how he was going to Valdosta, Georgia, “in order to pay my respects and bring lots of relief material.” He goes on to say that he “was also going to stop into North Carolina, which has really been hit hard. I have a lot of supplies ready for them, but access and communication is now restricted, and we want to make sure that Local Emergency Management is able to focus on helping the people most affected, and not being concerned with me. I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!”
Trump did not explain where he was getting “reports” of some people not being helped because of their political party affiliation.
Biden, asked Monday about Trump’s comments on Cooper’s Helene response, angrily interjected before a reporter finished asking the question, according to the White House pool report. “He’s lying,” Biden said. “I don’t know why he does it … that’s simply not true, and it’s irresponsible,” Biden said.
Cooper surveyed the damage Monday, joined by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and leaders of the departments of transportation, public safety and Health and Human Services, which are part of his Cabinet. “People are working around the clock to provide help to them right now — food, water, working hard to make sure that we’ve got shelters open all across this area, and working to get power back on,” Cooper told reporters in a press briefing at the Asheville airport on Monday, when asked about the speed of the response. “When you have a situation where communities are completely cut off, when first responders can’t even get in, because water is still there, and rivers are rising right now, as we speak.”
“A lot of work is done. What we want to tell people is that more help is on the way, and help is continuing. This is our main mission right now, and this is a massive coordinated effort to help this area, both in the short term and in the long term,” Cooper said.
Also at the briefing in Asheville with Cooper were Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards and Republican N.C. Sen. Tim Moffitt.
Edwards and Republican House Speaker Tim Moore surveyed damage via a helicopter on Monday, Edwards said in a news release. “We’ve had a very disappointing response from FEMA, and a very disappointing response, initially, from the North Carolina Emergency Management services,” Edwards, who represents far western North Carolina, said in an interview with McClatchy. “But we’re seeing resources start to show up. Today, the governor has given us assurances that there will be more and I think we’re on our way to a good solid recovery.”
Edwards said it was Cooper’s responsibility to oversee North Carolina Emergency Management, which is responsible for the initial response in a disaster.
“I had a call from the White House earlier today, saying, Congressman, we know that the response from FEMA has been slow, but tell me what you need me to do,” Edwards said. “And my response is, ‘I don’t need people to continue to ask me what I need them to do. I need people to do things.’”
Edwards said to White House officials’ credit, they told him to put together a list of immediate needs and promised to help check things off that list.
N.C. Emergency Management Director William Ray said that state officials are using ground routes to distribute water and food that they can access “reliably and safely,” including through Interstate 40 and Interstate 26. “We know there are many areas of the western part of the state that still have major access challenges, which is why we put in place the operation you see here of moving, using aircraft to move commodities into those impacted areas,” Ray said at the Asheville airport.
Cooper activated more than 400 service members in the N.C. National Guard. The National Guard has rescued 422 people since the storm, out of more than 500 total rescues that includes search and rescue teams from 27 states and 18 federal teams. Of those rescued, 42 were critically injured people and four were infants. There were 64 animals rescued as well. The Guard has also delivered 306 pallets of water and 230 pallets of food.
Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk said Monday she wanted to see more from Cooper’s office. Only six members of the National Guard were on the ground in Avery County, she said. “We don’t have enough National Guard,” Foxx told McClatchy. “Last night, they had sent out 400 National Guard for 25 counties. That’s a very small number.” [Source]
Election Effect
Kyle Ingram, The News & Observer, 9/30/24
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in Western North Carolina, concerns have emerged about whether residents affected by the storm will be able to cast their ballots in the November election.
Disruptions to the postal service, destruction of polling places, missing or damaged IDs and more could all pose challenges to voters with only 36 days left until the election.
“This is all a cascading series of disasters,” Gerry Cohen, a member of the Wake County Board of Elections, said.
On Sunday, the U.S. Postal Service announced it had temporarily suspended services in much of Western North Carolina, including any areas with ZIP codes starting with 286, 287, 288 and 289. It also listed 39 post offices whose operations would be suspended until conditions are safe. These closures could present challenges to voters in Western North Carolina seeking to vote by mail.
So far, nearly 250,000 North Carolinians have requested an absentee ballot for this year’s election. Nearly 10,000 requests have come in from Buncombe County, which was severely impacted by Helene.
Phone lines for several of the counties hit hardest by Helene were down on Monday as The News & Observer attempted to contact board of elections offices.
Most absentee ballots went in the mail just a few days before Helene hit Western North Carolina.
“I suspect if these things were in people’s mailboxes Thursday and Friday, a lot of these counties, you can see stuff just completely washed away,” Cohen said.
In addition to that, voters now have a shorter deadline to get their absentee ballots in. State lawmakers passed a bill last year that requires all mail-in ballots to be received by the county board of elections office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Previously, any ballots that came in within three days after the election would still be counted, so long as they were postmarked by Election Day. Voters concerned about postal delays can deliver their absentee ballot in person at their county board of elections office.
Flooding and destruction may make polling places unusable as election workers prepare to begin in-person early voting on Oct. 17. Changes to a county’s early voting plans can still be made, but state law sets out certain limitations.
Previously, the executive director of the State Board of Elections could exercise emergency powers to respond to the impact natural disasters might have on elections. Last year, however, state lawmakers stripped the director of that power and instead gave it to the State Board of Elections itself. That board is currently comprised of three Democrats and two Republicans, who would have to use these emergency powers in an open meeting.
There also isn’t much time left to make changes to early voting sites. State law requires all early voting sites within a county to be open for the same number of days. That would appear to make any changes to polling sites difficult after Oct. 17.
Having usable polling sites isn’t the only concern for counties conducting early voting. With many residents displaced by Helene, counties may have difficulty staffing polling sites. [Source]
The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved an emergency resolution to allow Tropical Storm Helene-affected county boards greater flexibility to hold meetings to review absentee ballots.
County boards are mandated by North Carolina general statute to hold meetings every Tuesday from Oct. 1 until Election Day to review applications for absentee ballots.
“In our western counties, being able to meet tomorrow may be an actual impossibility — even next Tuesday,” state board General Counsel Paul Cox said. “We want to make sure that these boards are able to get a quorum …. with all the things that the board members are going to have to deal with moving forward.”
The emergency resolution allows county boards the option to reschedule their absentee board meetings while still providing the necessary 48-hour notice.
“It is a tough time in the mountains of western North Carolina,” board member Stacy Eggers IV of Boone said. “A lot of our infrastructure has been damaged, much of it quite significantly. Main roads and side roads both have mudslides that are associated with them, and much of the infrastructure has been undermined. … It’s going to take quite some time to dig out from this.”
Eggers said for many western North Carolina counties, holding an absentee meeting this Tuesday would be “next to impossible.”
State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said 14 of the 22 counties that her agency has been in contact with in western North Carolina were closed Monday and anticipate being unable to operate for the next few days. Brinson Bell said she has not yet received a status report from Haywood County.
“We know that we are in good shape in terms of our county board of elections offices,” Brinson Bell said, adding that the state board is in contact with North Carolina Emergency Management and the National Guard. “Many are without water, power, internet and some have access issues with damaged roads or roads that are blocked still.”
Brinson Bell noted that one field specialist in Buncombe County walked four or five miles to their county office to be of assistance.
The State Board of Elections will hold a news conference Tuesday to provide information about options for voters affected by the storm and how to declare a natural disaster as a reason for not being able to provide photo identification when voting. A dedicated webpage to provide accurate information to voters is in the works. Brinson Bell said that information will be available to the public at ncsbe.gov/helene.
Board member Kevin Lewis said the resolution provides counties with as much flexibility as possible under the circumstances. The board unanimously approved the emergency resolution. As counties potentially cancel future absentee meetings, Brinson Bell said that information can be added to the board’s Helene information webpage.
“As we have said many times through other hurricanes, pandemic and natural disasters, we do not stop an election,” Brinson Bell said. “We figure out how to proceed.”
Unrelated to Tropical Storm Helene, a water line at the State Board of Elections office in Raleigh broke over the weekend. Brinson Bell said her office had difficulty receiving and returning phone calls Monday, but restoration services have been brought in and operations have resumed virtually.
Governor Poll
Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, The News & Observer, 9/30/24
Support among Republicans for their party’s candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, has dropped by 20 percentage points, according to a new poll released Monday by East Carolina University. Among all voters polled, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein now has a 17-point lead over Robinson.
ECU conducted the poll Sept. 23-26, days after the bombshell CNN KFile report tying Robinson to a series of offensive posts on a pornography website.
The ECU Center for Survey Research poll shows a major shift in the governor’s race compared to its last poll, just a few months ago. The new poll has Stein with 50% of the vote, compared to Robinson with just 33%. ECU’s poll in August showed Stein with only a 6-point lead, at 47% to Robinson’s 41%.
In ECU’s previous poll, Robinson had the vote of 83% of fellow Republicans. That support has dropped to 63% of Republicans. Robinson used to lead male voters, but now Stein has the lead. Robinson’s support has also dropped among white voters and Black voters. The poll surveyed 1,005 registered voters in North Carolina via a random sample, and polls were done by mobile phones and landline phones. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. [Source]
A new ad from the gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Josh Stein features Hall of Fame UNC Tar Heel basketball coach Roy Williams, who endorses Josh Stein and says the Democrat would be a governor who “fights to make our public schools the best in the country.”
The ad launched over the weekend, during the UNC Chapel Hill vs. Duke football game, according to a news release.
“Josh Stein will be a governor who fights to make our public schools the best in the country, raising teacher pay so we can recruit the best and brightest and expanding vocational programs that teach job skills,” Williams says in the ad. “He’ll be a great Governor.”
UNC Lawsuit
Korie Dean, The News & Observer, 9/30/24
A former UNC-Chapel Hill business professor is suing the university for retaliation after his contract was not renewed this summer, a move that followed administrators recording the professor’s classes without notice to him. Larry Chavis, who worked as a clinical professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School for 18 years, filed the federal lawsuit Thursday.
In the complaint, he alleges the university used “unlawful and unconstitutional employment practices” against him in violation of the First Amendment. He also alleges the university ended his employment in retaliation “for his public criticisms” of the university after he learned that business school administrators had recorded several of his lectures this spring and for his comments “regarding discriminatory practices at the business school.”
The revelation of his classes being recorded generated conversation and concern around the university, as well as media coverage, throughout the spring. Chavis continued to post and speak publicly about the situation throughout much of that time.
The lawsuit also argues that recording Chavis’ classes could be a violation of North Carolina law, which requires one party within a conversation to consent to be recorded.
The university did not have a formal policy on recording classes prior to the incident involving Chavis’ classes, but the university’s provost has since committed to developing a policy on recording classes in the wake of the incident. Chavis is requesting a jury trial, as well as relief for economic damages such as lost wages and attorney’s fees. [Source]
Protester Pleas
Tammy Grubb and Korie Dean, The News & Observer, 9/30/24
Three protesters charged at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at UNC-Chapel Hill in April accepted plea bargains Monday in a court hearing in Hillsborough. The deferred-prosecution agreements require them to perform 24 hours of community service and pay court costs.
The district attorney’s office has agreed to dismiss their second-degree trespassing charges if they meet those requirements and stay out of trouble for six months. All 40 people charged with misdemeanors stemming from the April 30 and May 8 campus protests, including UNC students and area residents, have been offered deferred prosecution or a conditional discharge requiring them to perform community service.
More than half have decided to take their cases to trial before an Orange County District Court judge in December or at a future, undetermined date, their attorneys have said. Others have not decided yet whether to accept plea bargains, defense attorney Gina Balamucki said. Any who are found guilty can appeal their cases to Superior Court for a jury trial, she said.
Most of the protesters were charged with trespassing after refusing police orders to end a four-day “Gaza solidarity encampment” on April 30 at Polk Place, outside UNC’s South Building. Six were taken to jail to face additional charges.
Demonstrations resumed after students returned in August for fall-semester classes, resulting in damage to town and UNC buildings. The Chapel Hill Courthouse on East Franklin Street was spray painted with anti-police and anti-prison graffiti during an Aug. 24 march through downtown organized by the group Triangle Stop Cop City.
On Sept. 19, roughly 150 protesters entered buildings and disrupted classes on UNC’s campus, resulting in more vandalism and spraypainted graffiti, including at the NROTC Naval Armory building.
The demonstrators are protesting the war in Gaza, which has killed over 40,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 2 million others since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking another 250 people hostage. [Source]
Dredge Permits
Coastal Review, 9/27/24
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives met to “determine a path forward” with Dare County officials a week after all five of the county’s permits were suspended for dredging deeper and wider channels than allowed.
The Corps Wilmington District on Sept. 18 suspended the permits authorizing work in Oregon and Hatteras inlets because of a third recorded instance of noncompliance. Data from the National Dredging Quality Management Program, which monitors operations and efficiency through sensors placed on dredges, between September 2023 and June 2024 “shows that work was unnecessarily conducted by dredging well outside the authorized widths and depths of the navigation channels,” the Corps said.
Dare County Commissioner Steve House, who is chairman of the Oregon Inlet Task Force, Dare County Manager Bobby Outten and the county’s consulting engineers met with Corps representatives in Wilmington Wednesday, according to county officials. The Oregon Inlet Task Force advises Dare County commissioners, and serves as the liaison between the county and the federal agencies involved in the continual maintenance of Oregon Inlet. At the meeting, it was agreed that the Corps will provide data that was previously not available to the county or the contractor so that all parties are working from and can reference the same information, and clarification for some of the ambiguities in the permits. Dare County staff and engineering consultants are to review the newly available dredging data to ensure compliance by the county’s dredging contractor, according to the county. [Source]
Appointed
News Release, 9/30/24
Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the appointment of Jamie Adams as District Attorney to replace retiring District Attorney Reece Saunders in Prosecutorial District 21, serving Anson, Richmond and Scotland counties.
“Jamie is an experienced prosecutor and is prepared to step into her new role,” said Cooper. “She will serve the people of this district with distinction and I am grateful for her service to her community.” Currently, Adams serves as the Chief Assistant District Attorney in District 21. Previously, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in both Prosecutorial District 25 and 26.
Economic Index
Richard Craver, Winston-Salem Journal, 9/30/24
Economic activity in North Carolina remained in neutral during September with the index compiled by N.C. State economics professor Michael Walden rising by 0.1% from August. The index, which measures leading state economic indicators, serves as a forecast of North Carolina’s economy for the next four to six months. The biggest factors were building permits increasing by 5.6%, while new state unemployment claims jumped by 15.5%.
“The index has shown little change in the last year, suggesting the state economy will continue to expand at the current rate,” Walden said. “The sideways movement in the index is actually good news in today’s uncertain economy because it suggests no recession in North Carolina in the near future.” Walden said the biggest current economic concern is a “weakening labor market.”
“On the positive side, the state’s building sector continues to expand at a very healthy pace,” he added. [Source]
Investment Acquisition
BusinessNC, 9/30/24
The Rise Companies, the investment firm founded by eastern North Carolina investor Harry Smith, bought R&D Specialties, a 40-year-old family business based in Odessa, Texas. It’s the first acquisition in the Lone Star State by Rise, which also owns four companies in North Carolina and one in Florida. Terms weren’t disclosed.
R&D is a systems integrator whose products include making control panels used to protect electrical equipment in harsh conditions such as oil and gas fields. Rise’s corporate strategy is to add one to three companies in the Southeast annually, with the goal of reaching $500 million in annual revenue by the end of 2025, Smith said. Existing management will continue running R&D. “Together we will focus on advancing technology and expanding our reach in the industry,” Smith said. [Source]
Officer Assault
Glyniss Wiggins, WNCN News, 9/30/24
Durham police said Monday that a former officer has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and sexual assault. On August 21, the Durham Police Department said it received a complaint from a community member regarding the inappropriate conduct by on-duty police officer, Rayshawn Taylor. He was placed on administrative duty hours after the incident was reported and later resigned on August 22, before the completion of an internal investigation.
Based on the preliminary investigation, a decision was made to open a criminal investigation into the incident. Durham police investigators also contacted the FBI due to the nature of the allegations, and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation later joined the investigation as well.
According to police, Taylor was acting in his official capacity when the alleged incident occurred.
On Monday, September 30, investigators obtained warrants against Taylor and arrested him in Mebane. He was charged with first-degree kidnapping, sexual servitude and sexual battery. Police said that a search warrant was also conducted at his home and the FBI is currently conducting an ongoing investigation. Taylor is currently in custody at the Durham County Detention Center. [Source]
Pender COO
Port City Daily, 9/30/24
Pender County Schools announced Russ Gurganus as the district’s new Chief Operations Officer on Monday following his approval by the board of education during its Sept. 10 meeting. Gurganus joins the district with extensive experience in construction management and school operations. Most recently, he served as a project manager at T.A. Loving Company, where he led multi-million-dollar projects overseeing all aspects from pre-construction to completion. Prior to that, he worked with Brady Trane as a project manager and estimator, specializing in large commercial HVAC projects.
Gurganus also has experience in public education, having served as the director of facilities for Dare County Schools and director of maintenance, safety, security, and compliance for Beaufort County Schools. In these roles, he managed large-scale capital improvement projects, school safety initiatives, and maintenance operations. [Source]
Game Land
The Transylvania Times, 9/26/24
Duke Energy has donated approximately 1,250 acres in Burke County to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for use as the North Bend Game Land. “Duke Energy has long been a valued partner of NCWRC for helping to provide public recreation opportunities across our state,” said Ryan Jacobs, the Mountain Eco-Region supervisor in the NCWRC’s Land and Water Access Division. The property consists of three tracts of land located below Lake James along the Catawba River and will be enrolled into the state’s game land program to expand hunting opportunities for deer and turkey, fishing access on the Catawba River, boating access on part of the newly constructed North Bend Boating Access Area and the development future hiking trails. [Source]
GOP gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson headed for western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sunday after announcing the day before that he was pausing his campaign schedule to assist in local recovery efforts. Since then, Robinson has been posting a series of updates, videos and photographs to X, the social …
A new ad from the gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Josh Stein features Hall of Fame UNC Tar Heel basketball coach Roy Williams, who endorses Josh Stein and says the Democrat would be a governor who “fights to make our public schools the best in the country.” The ad launched over the weekend, during the …
“This is looking to be Buncombe County’s own Hurricane Katrina.” Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder, on the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Helene. (Asheville Citizen Times, 9/28/24) Western Floods Josh Meyer and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9/28/24 Helene’s swath of destruction has caused historic rainfall, flooding, power outages and 140-mile-an-hour winds across the Southeast. But …
The Mark Robinson for Governor campaign announced late Tuesday afternoon the hiring of the Binnall Law Group to investigation CNN reports that the Republican candidate described himself as a “Black nazi” on a social media porn forum. In a report published Thursday afternoon on CNN, Robinson is linked to a series of highly objectionable comments made years …
