North Carolina
Couple helps hard-hit North Carolina farmers one Christmas tree at a time
Newnan business sells trees for N.C. grower
Morgan’s Market in Newnan is helping a tree farmer from North Carolina stay afloat by selling trees for them. Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina, severely damaging the N.C. growers crop.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. – A local business in Georgia is stepping up to support a North Carolina Christmas tree grower whose livelihood was threatened by Hurricane Helene. The storm devastated crops in western North Carolina, leaving farmers with limited options to bring their trees to market in time for the holiday season.
Tommy and Meg Morgan, owners of Morgan’s Market in Newnan, have been making a difference since the hurricane struck. Morgan’s Market, known for selling North Carolina Christmas trees annually, is part of Coweta Greenhouses, a major plant distributor in Georgia.
Meg Morgan says she saw a social media post from the grower about the damage caused by the hurricane. “And I met up with a friend up there, and it turned into a collaborative idea and started a nonprofit,” she said.
Morgan’s Market purchased a trailer load of trees from the affected grower and transported them to Coweta County. In a move to further support the farmer, the Morgans decided not only to sell the trees locally but also to send all the proceeds back to the grower. “And they said, ‘Yeah, come and get them.’ So, we had an empty trailer to haul back. We took our trailer up there. They loaded it down,” said Tomy Morgan.
“So, when we brought these in, and we unwrapped them, they were all still covered in dirt and sand from the river,” said Meg Morgan.
This effort is just one facet of the Morgans’ commitment to agricultural relief. Meg Morgan, whose background is in horse farming, has founded a charity called M.I.R.A.C.L.E. Ag Relief to assist farmers impacted by disasters. The charity reflects the couple’s dedication to helping those in need within the agricultural community.
While Morgan’s Market’s regular North Carolina supplier was unaffected by the hurricane, the addition of the hurricane-damaged trees has provided customers with a chance to contribute to a meaningful cause during the holiday season.
“They’re looking at losing the farm because it’s not… I think they’re… and a lot of the tree farms as well. It’s the damage to the land, not just the trees that are there, it’s the pollution, the soil. At this point, it’s being able to get things cleaned up to replant at this point,” said Meg Morgan, adding that it could take a decade for the farmers to recover.
Thanks to the Morgans’ initiative, the North Carolina growers can salvage part of their season despite the devastating storm.
“And we sold just about every one of them that they brought back,” said Tommy Morgan.
And for customers in Newnan, each tree purchased carries a story of resilience and generosity.
The Source: FOX 5’s Doug Evans spoke with Tommy and Meg Morgan, owners of Morgan’s Market in Newnan, for this FOX 5 Atlanta original report.
Auburn’s latest incoming transfer brings experience and production to what was a position of weakness last season.
Former North Carolina tight end Jake Johnson signed with Auburn on Saturday, a source confirmed to AL.com. Johnson is the third transfer tight end Auburn has signed since the portal opened, joining Jonathan Echols and Xavier Newsom.
Johnson, however, is the most proven of Auburn’s signees at tight end. He brings four years of experience at North Carolina and Texas A&M, catching 16 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 2025.
His best season came with the Aggies in 2023, during which he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings versatility to Auburn’s tight end room and may be the best pass catching option.
With Johnson now signed, Auburn’s tight end room is now up to five players, putting the Tigers in a good spot going into the 2026 season.
The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.
Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.
North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.
With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.
Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?
While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.
- “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”
Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.
Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable
We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.
For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.
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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — As of Friday, Jan. 9, there are a total of 310 measles cases in South Carolina, mostly in Spartanburg County, including 99 new cases since Tuesday, according to S.C. health officials.
North Carolina is also dealing with measles, with a case recently confirmed on Friday in Rutherford County. This raises the state’s total to five cases since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
While the number of measles cases in western North Carolina is in single digits, health officials are warning the public about just how quickly and easily it can spread, along with several other illnesses.
Health officials continue to remain focused on stopping it from spreading.
NEW MEASLES CASE CONFIRMED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY; 5TH CASE IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE DECEMBER
“Currently, we do not have a community spread of measles in Buncombe County. The cases that we’ve had have been connected to the South Carolina outbreak that is right across the state line,” said Buncombe County Public Health Director Dr. Ellis Matheson.
The measles case in Polk County, confirmed on Dec. 31, 2025, was the first in N.C. believed to be linked to the S.C. outbreak, after an unvaccinated child traveled to Spartanburg County, as News 13 previously reported. The next three WNC measles occurrences, which NCDHHS announced on Jan. 6, were siblings in Buncombe County who also traveled to Spartanburg County.
Measles continues to be an issue in North Carolina.
In Friday’s case update, Matheson said if you feel like you’ve been exposed and are already experiencing symptoms, let the clinic or hospital know before coming in.
“Please call ahead so that we can really reduce any potential exposures to possible measles,” Matheson said.
If you haven’t been vaccinated but have been exposed, Dr. Matheson added that even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you’re being asked to quarantine for 21 days from the date of exposure.
NC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE VACCINES AMID MEASLES AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SURGE
She’s also encouraging those who were exposed to measles on January 4 between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. at Mission Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting room to contact them right away.
“We are in general seeing community spread of both varicella and whooping cough,” Matheson said.
As for chickenpox, outbreaks have not spread to additional schools, but community spread has continued, including an outbreak at Fairview Elementary School, which is why she’s encouraging everyone to take steps in prevention.
“So once again, I would just strongly encourage that people are making sure that they are up to date on recommended vaccines for everything that we have vaccines for,” Matheson said.
Buncombe County health officials are holding free vaccine clinics every week. For more information or if you want to book ahead, call (828) 250-6100.
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