North Carolina
How country music’s Eric Church is helping support Western North Carolina after Helene
Country singer Eric Church talks about his love for Western North Carolina
Country singer Eric Church talks about his love for area of Western North Carolina hard hit by Tropical Storm Helene
BANNER ELK – A few days after he performed at an epic concert that raised nearly $25 million for Western North Carolina, country music star Eric Church quietly toured Banner Elk with Gov. Roy Cooper, viewing Tropical Storm Helene damage and relief efforts.
“It’s the most special place in the world to me, the mountains of this area,” Church said.
Church grew up in Granite Falls and now spends about half the year in his Banner Elk home. He’s been helping support WNC since Helene hit, raising money and developing plans for long-term recovery.
Most notably, Church and fellow country singer/North Carolina native Luke Combs managed to quickly bring together acts like James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and more for the “Concert for Carolina” on Oct. 26 in Charlotte. Over 80,000 people attended the Bank of America Stadium show, a news release said, which Church himself opened with “Hallelujah.”
“I’ve never played a show closer to my heart,” he told the audience.
The millions the concert raised will benefit Helene victims through nonprofits such as Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, as well as Church’s own nonprofit, Chief Cares.
Eric Church announces ‘Blueprint for Blue Ridge’ homebuilding effort
At the concert, Church announced another effort to help Helene victims: a Chief Cares initiative called “A Blueprint for the Blue Ridge” that will build 100 homes for families in Avery County and the surrounding area. He spoke about it Oct. 31 in Banner Elk.
Chief Cares is partnering with Clayton Homes for the project, he said, and a team will be in Avery County next week to locate suitable land.
“Once we deliver the land to them, they’ll put 100 homes in Avery County in 100 days,” he said of Clayton Homes.
There’s no construction timeline yet, and Church did not yet know how families will be selected for the homes.
Other goals of “Blueprint for the Blue Ridge” include addressing “longer-term needs like creating jobs, rebuilding schools, and supporting local businesses,” the Chief Cares website says.
In another long-term effort, Church is signing over the publishing royalties from his song “Darkest Hour,” his first solo song in over three years, to “the people of North Carolina,” a news release said.
“We’ve been helping with boots on the ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery,” he said. “This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever.”
North Carolina
Bill Belichick’s future at North Carolina in doubt: Report
First-year head coach Bill Belichick appeared to find his groove with the University of North Carolina by early November.
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The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse and Stanford in back-to-back weeks after starting out 0-3 in ACC play.
However, UNC lost its third consecutive game on Saturday as rival NC State mauled Belichick’s program 42-19 in front of 56,919 fans at Carter-Finley Stadium. North Carolina dropped a close 32-25 game to rival Duke in Week 13.
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Following the loss to the Wolfpack, Belichick finished the regular season 4-8.
During the season, Belichick was linked to the New York Giants after Brian Daboll was fired. Belichick put those rumors to rest as he finished the season with the Tar Heels.
“Look, I’ve been down this road before,” Belichick said before North Carolina played Wake Forest. “I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. Next week it’ll be to our next opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best I can for this team.”
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the former New England Patriots head coach is expected to draw interest from multiple NFL teams this offseason.
“Some think one or more pro franchises will explore hiring Belichick, who can leave at any time for a buyout of only $1 million,” Florio wrote. “However, he has received only one interview during two hiring cycles since the Patriots fired him after the 2023 season.
“The 73-year-old Belichick took the UNC job last December, apparently due in part to the unwillingness of any NFL team(s) with a current or expected vacancy to indicate that he’d be hired. This time around, he’s available to be discreetly interviewed. If anyone chooses to interview him.”
Belichick should draw at least a discreet interview.
The head coach of six Super Bowl victories has 302 wins, which is third all-time in the NFL behind George Halas (318) and Don Shula (328). Belichick would have a chance to pass both in a few seasons if he had success with a new team.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
North Carolina
What a Loss Would Mean for North Carolina
Saturday marks the end of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ 2025 college football season. Regardless of whether the Tar Heels win or lose, Saturday will be their final game played this season. North Carolina’s failure last week against the Duke Blue Devils officially eliminated it from bowl eligibility.
Bill Belichick’s team enters Week 14 with a 4-7 record. Last season, under Mac Brown, the Tar Heels finished with an 8-4 record and played in the Fenway Bowl against the Connecticut Huskies.
Hiring Belichick was supposed to elevate the football program while supplying substantial hardware. Clearly, that did not happen this season, and North Carolina will have to settle for a moral victory on Saturday.
What would a loss mean for the Tar Heels moving forward?
It goes without saying that Belichick’s tenure at North Carolina has gotten off to a rough start. Not only would a loss be the final nail in the coffin for this season, but it would bring North Carolina to 4-8, the opposite record it boasted last season under a different coaching staff.
Under Belichick, the Tar Heels have lacked ingenuity and creativity, which has left a bland brand of football this season. Because of that, North Carolina is our gene 19.3 points per game, which ranks 236th in the country.
The 73-year-old head coach has brought little life and energy into a program that, though his arrival would deliver success and hardware.
It is already the worst season for the Tar Heels in seven years, as it marks the first time during that span that the team will not be featured in a bowl game.
Losing on Saturday would add more fuel to the fire while also casting doubt on Belichick’s ability to develop a winning culture in Chapel Hill. There would also be more speculation about Belichick’s overall future.
Earlier this week, Senior NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that NFL teams could be calling Belichick to return to the league.
If the Tar Heels lose on Saturday, would it raise the probability of Belichick jumping ship and departing for an NFL head coaching job? Also, would North Carolina lose players to the transfer portal? Both are plausible outcomes in the event that the Tar Heels close out the season with three straight losses.
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North Carolina
UNC’s Austin Blaske Mindset for Upcoming NC State Matchup
The North Carolina Tar Heels’ season will officially conclude after this weekend, regardless of the result on Saturday against North Carolina State.
However, the Impact of this game against North Carolina State means much more since it is an in-state rivalry matchup.
While speaking with the media during his press conference availability center Austin Blaske previewed the matchup while revealing what he has learned from his head coach during the season.
The Tar Heels’ season has been a roller coaster, which is one of the main reasons the team failed to qualify for a bowl game. Blaske understands that it has not been the season that many fans hoped for, but it served as a learning experience for the program.
Although Blaske’s final season does not conclude with a bowl game appearance, the six-year senior did have an opportunity to learn from Bill Belichick. The veteran center spoke on that experience and how it helped him develop as a player.
The Tar Heels’ 2025 season is inching closer to the end, but 2026 could spell much more success with another recruiting class arriving, paired with the experience gained from the current regime.
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