North Carolina
GROW NC director defends Helene recovery role, clarifies no direct funds distribution
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — News 13 spoke with the director of the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), Matt Calabria, which is an entity set up by N.C. Governor Josh Stein.
Calabria clarified that GROW NC was created to oversee Helene recovery programs and it does not directly touch any of the funds or distribute them.
“The way GROW NC works is we are a new organization that sits within the Governor’s office that works to accelerate recovery across all the agencies that tries to make sure we identify and resolve right-hand, left-hand problems,” said Calabria. “And make sure we have the most robust effective efficient recovery we possibly can.”
Calabria said GROW NC was established five months ago and is making sure North Carolina agencies do their best to expedite and facilitate recovery funds and that work gets done.
WEATHER WARN DAY ISSUED FOR OVERNIGHT ACROSS WNC, UPSTATE
“We want the work of debris removal to be managed by North Carolina Emergency Management. We want environmental protection work to be done by North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality,” said Calabria. “GROW NC oversees the recovery but is not a pass-through for any funds. Funds don’t go to us they go rather to departments.”
On Tuesday, May 20, GROW NC went live with a new recovery fund tracker showing the Helene damage need and allocations on the state and federal levels so far.
“There was about half a billion dollars approved through HB 47 in the March time frame,” said Calabria responding to questions by lawmakers on getting funds out the door,” said Calabria. “And with each one of those, about a dozen line items we worked, as soon as the legislation was passed to issue request for proposals, to make sure whether it be farmers or others had an opportunity to apply to utilize those funds. That’s where those funds are. It’s part of a natural process for distributing those funds. We have to make sure whether it be small governments or others have an opportunity to apply for those funds.”
He said it took a month for the State Office of Budget and Management to “certify” the funds.
State Representative Mark Pless(R-118) said, so far, he’s been disappointed with GROW NC and the work the team has overseen.
GOV. STEIN’S NEW PLAN FOR HELENE RELIEF AIMS TO BOOST SMALL BUSINESSES
“GROW NC is the agency with which the governor’s office has set aside to rebuild Western North Carolina,” said Pless. “They have been up into the mountains, they have spoken with many communities, and they have said, this is who’s going to redo this. We are going to redo this the correct way. But they have still not gotten any of the money out that we gave them in March. It’s all still sitting there. There’s money for housing. There’s money for private roads and bridges; There’s money in there for debris removal. There’s a lot of things we did in March, the money’s just sitting there.”
“There are a number of deadlines coming up,” said Calabria. “That will enable us to start to move those funds out the door, but by and large they tend to be in procurement processes right now, or out for applications, but we hope to get those funds out as quickly as we can.”
Calabria detailed more on appropriations.
“The funds that were appropriated by the State that we were able to move out the door, we have to the greatest extent possible, we have put to work about 80% of the funds that were available to be distributed,” Calabria said. “We’re working through approvals to get the rest of the money out as quickly as possible.”
“The other thing to keep in mind is a lot of appropriations from General Assembly are either contingent on certain triggers or certain requirements being met, or they come in the form of loans and loans are constrained by the demand for those loans,” Calabria said.
Click here to view GROW NC’s Helene recovery fund tracker.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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