North Carolina
A local reporter’s experience covering Western North Carolina in the wake of Helene
See Helene’s aftermath over Swannanoa in North Carolina
Drone video from Oct. 3 shows Helene’s floodwaters receding and crews beginning the cleanup process after the storm brought devastation to Swannanoa and surrounding parts in North Carolina
Reuters
It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to pull up to where a family’s home once stood and see mounds and mounds of cracked, beige dirt.
To notice that a wooden, split-rail fence managed to withstand more than 20 feet of swift-moving floodwaters, yet not realize until later that the fence bordered the home’s driveway. To walk next door to a tiling warehouse, where men in white coveralls and muddy black boots are removing storm debris, and ask if there was a house next to their place of business.
And, when one answers in the affirmative, to have him walk you and your photographer to the spot where a family once laughed and cried and prayed together – all while knowing the tragic outcome of their story.
My job is to put these kinds of experiences into words. More than a week later, I’m still struggling to.
I tried to begin this piece – a brief description of my reporting in Asheville, North Carolina, as part of the USA TODAY Network’s Hurricane Helene coverage – in a light-hearted way.
I thought about starting with how we in the Asheville Citizen-Times newsroom had to use gallon buckets to force-flush the toilets because there was no running water. About how bags of cat litter sat in the halls in case reporters needed to take them home to create a makeshift bathroom.
I thought about describing the lovely man I encountered as I traipsed around a homeless encampment, who was all too willing to show me where a tree fell on his tent and legs when Helene swept through Western North Carolina. His rebuilt camp is the tidiest I’ve ever seen – and my beat has taken me through quite a few.
But today, on an unseasonably warm Tuesday in late October, I wrote and rewrote the beginning of this piece. Because this afternoon – and the afternoon before it – my heart is heavy.
It’s heavy for the Dryes and Wiselys, two families who lost almost everyone to the floods, and the other Asheville survivors I spoke to. For the families who are still waiting to hear about loved ones.
For the homeless residents who told me they fear some of their acquaintances who perished in the storm will never be claimed by family because of their transient status. And for the Western North Carolina community as a whole, which is mourning the loss of homes and pets and landmarks and an art colony that disappeared entirely in mere hours.
As students, journalism hopefuls are taught to keep an arm’s length from stories and sources. Reporters must remain objective, professors stress, which means maintaining a certain level of detachment. If you care too much, your feelings might find their way into a piece and influence your ability to tell the story fairly.
But what this (well-intentioned) lesson leaves out is humanity.
How can one travel to natural disaster-ravaged areas, interview families who lost parents and siblings and children and grandparents, and not be impacted?
How can a reporter spend hours at a barricade situation involving an 11-month-old girl and not feel emotional when they’re told a chaplain has been called to the hospital where the baby was rushed following a gunshot wound to her head?
And how can journalists be expected to cover school shootings – as the Texas-based photographer I worked alongside in Asheville did in Uvalde in 2022 – and remain emotionless?
I don’t believe reporters can. And I also believe this is something those in the field have long known.
At the first newspaper I worked at, I had an editor who was decades into his career. He knew I was fresh out of college and hadn’t chosen the breaking news/public safety beat (which I’m so thankful I was assigned to because it’s now my specialty.) He knew that I’d write a lot of hard stories in my career.
So, one day, he offered me a piece of advice: The moment this stuff – the really tragic, heavy stories, he meant – stops getting to you, get out of the profession. Or, at the very least, take a long enough break to where you can feel the humanity of this again.
Eight or so years later, I remember those words like he spoke them yesterday. So, on days when my heart is heavy, I think it’s OK to feel this way.
Because what’s happening in Western North Carolina is heavy – and it will be for that community and those journalists for a while.
Isabel is an investigative reporter covering breaking news and public safety, with an eye toward some of Delaware’s most vulnerable: children, those struggling with addiction, and those with mental illness. She can be reached at ihughes@delawareonline.com or via X at @izzihughes_
On Friday, North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar announced his decision to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, with no intention of removing his name from the process.
Hours after the news broke, the 6-foot-11, 224-pound center shared a heartfelt goodbye to Chapel Hill and the Tar Heel faithful.
What Veesaar Said
- “This journey didn’t happen alone,” Veesaar said in a statement. “To my family – thank you for every sacrifice, every late night, every moment you believed in me before anyone else did. To my friends, teammates and coaches – thank you for being part of the grind and helping shape me into who I am today.”
Veesaar transferred to North Carolina last offseason after spending two years at Arizona. In his lone campaign with the Tar Heels, the junior center averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three-point range. Veesaar spoke on the impact the university has made on him.
- “The University of North Carolina – thank you for the memories, the lessons and the brotherhood. It’s something I’ll carry with me forever. I’m proud to say I’m taking the next step and declaring for the NBA Draft. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the journey.”
North Carolina’s season abruptly ended in the first round of the NCAA against VCU. That did not appear to be the end result, as the Tar Heels held a 19-point lead halfway through the second half. Veesaar, who led the team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, shared his love for North Carolina, which should have been a sign that he was leaning towards entering the upcoming NBA draft.
- “I love the school, I love the people, I love the university, they’ve given me so much,” Veesaar said.
Overall Thoughts
Veesaar declaring for the draft is a monumental loss for head coach Michael Malone and the Tar Heels heading into next season. Now, Malone and his staff must adjust on the fly and plan accordingly. With the transfer portal closing on April 21, the options have dwindled significantly, putting North Carolina’s brass in a serious bind.
While the Tar Heels would love to bring in someone like Arizona State’s Massamba Diop, who was dominant rim protector and effective offensive piece in his freshman season in 2025. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound center does not possess the shooting ability that Veesaar has in his repertoire, but Diop still averaged 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the field.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival returned to downtown Raleigh, continuing on Saturday, bringing thousands of visitors and dozens of breweries together for the second day of the two-day event.
Organizers said Brewgaloo was expected to draw about 50,000 people, with nearly 80 breweries from across the state offering samples.
The festival began Friday evening with a ceremonial keg tapping, followed by a block party. Attendees enjoyed unlimited three-ounce samples, including limited releases, barrel-aged beers, and sours.
Saturday’s street festival ran from noon to 8 p.m. along Fayetteville Street, featuring dozens of breweries, food trucks, vendors and two live music stages. Although some much-needed rain cut the iconic Brewgaloo festival short, many called the festival a massive success.
“It’s nice to be able to see a lot of people from different areas and a lot of different breweries in one location. All I have to do is buy a ticket and I get to support local brewers,” said Raleigh resident Ryan Walker.
Festivalgoers were able to sample more than 350 craft beverages by redeeming drink tickets for either a pint or a three-ounce pour.
Admission to Brewgaloo was free, but tickets were required for beer sampling.
This was the fifth year that Goldsboro Brew Works participated in the festival.
“There’s double the amount of kegs that we normally bring, so here’s hoping,” said Zachary Fein, one of the owners of Goldsboro Brew Works. “Every single time we get people after Brewgaloo, we get them wanting to buy kegs, we get them coming to the taproom on the way to the beach.
“We’re remote, we’re 45 minutes down 70 from here, we’re east,” Fein said. “A lot of these folks have never heard of us before and it’s really kind of great for us to get our name out.”
This year’s event came amid amplified concerns about safety downtown. In the past few weeks, several people were stabbed during a brawl on Fayetteville Street and a man was seriously injured in a shooting in Glenwood South.
“It’s always concerning to see any incident in Raleigh,” Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said. “We are doing several things working with our police chief. Reallocating resources based on data and crime patterns. I think we’ve found that this is going to be one of the areas.”
According to Cowell, the city council is also exploring adding more police officers in the upcoming budget.
For Brewgaloo specifically, Raleigh police had barricades and barriers in place to protect the tens of thousands who were expected to enjoy the festivities this weekend.
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“Overall, Raleigh’s a safe place,” Cowell said. “I think when there’s a lot more people is when we actually have fewer incidents because you’ve got so much activity, eyes on people, feet on the sidewalks.”
This year’s event also came on the heels of recent controversy involving Shop Local Raleigh, the group that organizes Brewgaloo. Executive director Jennifer Martin apologized after making an anonymous social media comment, stating “there is “there’s no such thing as a transgender son.”
The backlash led to the creation of a separate event, the “Y’all Means All” North Carolina Beer Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday at the same time as Brewgaloo. More than 16 breweries are expected to participate in that event, hosted by Raleigh Brewing Company, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh.
North Carolina
North Carolina Central University hosts the HBCU Dope Art Tour at Hayti Heritage Center
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will host a groundbreaking event celebrating Black excellence.
The HBCU Dope Art Tour kicks off on Saturday, April 25. This initiative, led by NCCU alumnus Rahiem James, is a nationwide tour themed “Painting the Legacy of Black Excellence.”
It aims to honor all 110 Historically Black Colleges and Universities through hyper-realistic artwork representing their mascots.
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“It’s really impactful how art can endure over time and foster conversations that may be difficult to have on a daily basis,” said curator and artist Rahiem James.
The art show will feature a hyper-realistic painting of the NCCU Eagle, and a gallery designed to spark conversations about the legacy of NCCU and Durham.
The launch event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Hayti Heritage Center.
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