North Carolina
A buzzing threat? Yellow jackets swarm in North Carolina after Helene destroys their homes
Officials in the state have taken steps to help by ordering medications for people who are stung by the insects.
Watch: Container crushed like soda can in Helene floodwaters
Onlookers in Swannanoa, North Carolina watched as the floodwaters carried a container and slammed it into a pylon, completely crushing it.
The devastation from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the Southeast has left more than 200 dead, swallowed entire towns and left thousands without power or drinking water. Now, another problem has arisen from the storm: yellow jackets.
Severe flooding in the state stirred up colonies of the insects as their habitats were likely destroyed by floodwaters, a phenomenon that, according to an emailed statement from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, is fairly normal.
“It is normal for bees, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects to be temporarily disrupted after a Hurricane,” the statement said.
“Basically, if their nest is destroyed, then they have nowhere to go back to,” Matt Bertone, director of the NC State Entomology Department, explained to the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. “If they’ve escaped, if they haven’t drowned, they’re gonna be out and about, not knowing what to do.”
However, officials are taking the threat of these insects seriously, as they have taken measures to make sure medications like Benadryl and epinephrine will be readily available in the affected areas.
“We are actively working to ensure Benadryl and epinephrine are readily available in western NC for those who may be allergic or have been stung,” the statement said.
Why these medicines?
Medications like Benadryl help deal with symptoms associated with wasp or bee stings. Although the majority of people are not allergic to stings, medications like Benadryl help reduce symptoms like pain, itching or swelling that could develop after a sting.
On the other hand, epinephrine injections, more commonly known as EpiPens are used for people who do have severe allergic reactions to stings from bees, wasps or in this case yellow jackets.
“We have made a large purchase of epi-pens and Benadryl and are filling requests and distributing through EMS, hospitals, providers, etc,” the department said.
Yellow jackets can be particularly dangerous
Yellow jackets are typically more aggressive than bees, as they can both sting a person multiple times but can signal other yellow jackets to attack the same person, swarming them, according to insect repellent company Raid.
Officials in North Carolina are also taking steps to allow people to refill allergy prescriptions to avoid any complications.
“The NC Board of Pharmacy has flexibility so that people can get emergency refills on their prescribed allergy medicines. We are working to issue a standing order for Epi-pens for people to get medicines if they do not have a prescription from a provider,” the email said.
Contributing: Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Sunday’s matchup will be a step down in competition, as the North Carolina Tar Heels’ recent schedule has featured Michigan State, Kentucky, and Georgetown in the last four weeks. With all due respect to the USC Upstate Spartans, they are not in the same class as any of the three teams mentioned above.
North Carolina’s coaching staff and personnel should not view this game as a pointless outing, as the Tar Heels can utilize this matchup to continue developing key features that will serve them well down the road.
With that being said, here are a couple of expectations for North Carolina in a home matchup against USC Upstate.
Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar Should Continue Dominance
The Tar Heels’ frontcourt, consisting of Veesaar and Wilson, has been the team’s driving force on both ends of the floor. That trend should continue on Saturday against USC Upstate, as the Spartans are an undersized team, with their tallest player at 6-foot-9.
This season, Wilson is averaging 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Veesaar is averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6 percent from the field.
Both players could total career highs in points and rebounds in this game, which could easily translate to 20+ in each category.
Another Steppingstone for the Backcourt
North Carolina’s backcourt produced a complete group effort against Georgetown on Sunday, with Kyan Evans and Derek Dixon having standout performances. Evans totaled seven points and four assists, which all occurred in the opening minutes, but it set the tone for the Tar Heels. Dixon scored 14 points, while shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.
Head coach Hubert Davis highlighted both players’ performances against the Hoyas during his postgame press conference.
- “I thought the start that [Kyan Evans] had was huge for us,” Davis said. “I mean, it’s not just the shots that he made. He was confident, he was aggressive, he was on point. It’s been five out of eight games where he’s gotten into foul trouble, so we’ve [got to] find a way to keep him out there on the floor.”
- “I really like [Kyan] and Derek [Dixon] on the floor at the same time,” Davis continued. “I’ve always said that I love multiple ball handlers. You can’t take us out of our offense. And with those two, with the way that Georgetown was switching defenses, we always had somebody that can handle the basketball and get us into a set and get us organized.”
That was the first time in weeks where Evans was playing with complete confidence and was not hesitant shooting the ball from the perimeter. As for Dixon, it was the second straight game the freshman guard played a monumental role in the team’s win. Both players have an opportunity to replicate that level of production on Saturday.
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(WLOS) — North Carolina has approved film and entertainment grants for two television series and an independent feature-length film.
According to a release from Gov. Josh Stein, this is expected to create nearly 5,000 jobs and spend more than $113 million during production.
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The productions include season two of “The Hunting Wives,” approved for an award of up to $15 million, filming around Lake Norman and Charlotte, and the new series “RJ Decker” in New Hanover County, which was approved for an award of up to $11.6 million.
The independent thriller “Widow,” which was approved for an award of up to $1.8 million, also recently completed filming in Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin counties.
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“We are excited to have these new productions in North Carolina creating 4,900 jobs for our state’s crew and film-friendly businesses,” Stein said in the release. “North Carolina remains a top state for film, and these grants enable us to continue our strong tradition of TV and film production excellence.”
Additionally, the romantic comedy film “Merv,” which was filmed in New Hanover County and received a North Carolina Film grant, released on Amazon’s Prime Video on Dec. 10.
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Other productions that were recently filmed in North Carolina include the films “Christy” and “Roofman,” as well as the popular series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
“These productions bring direct economic benefits and also raise the state’s visibility among audiences, leading to increased tourist activity and visitor spending over time,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley.
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick has fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement, per ESPN. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
Kitchens, the former Alabama quarterback and head coach of the Browns in 2019, was the Tar Heels’ interim coach in 2024.
Belichick brought Priefer to UNC after two decades in the NFL, and two years out of football.
Under Kitchens, North Carolina’s offense ranked 119th in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).
The Tar Heels finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC.
Kitchens won Alabama’s Mr. Football honor in 1992 as the quarterback at Etowah High School.
Kitchens shared the quarterback duties at Alabama with Brian Burgdorf in 1995 before taking over full-time under center for the Crimson Tide in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
After three more college stops, Kitchens entered the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys’ tight-ends coach in 2006 and stayed in the league for the next 17 seasons, including as Cleveland’s head coach in 2019, when the Browns went 6-10.
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