North Carolina

How country music’s Eric Church is helping support Western North Carolina after Helene

Published

1 year ago

November 1, 2024

How country music’s Eric Church is helping support Western North Carolina after 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.”

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North Carolina

Behind enemy lines: Kentucky basketball vs North Carolina

Published

5 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Press Room

Behind enemy lines: Kentucky basketball vs North Carolina

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have not enjoyed a fairytale start to their season, but Tuesday evening’s matchup against North Carolina presents an opportunity to redirect their trajectory. Currently sitting at 6-2, this game could provide crucial insights into where Kentucky stands in the broader landscape of college basketball.

The Wildcats faced a setback against Michigan State, suffering an 83-66 defeat that raised questions about their ability to compete with top-tier teams. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 88-46 victory over Loyola Maryland, followed by a dominant performance against Tennessee Tech, winning 104-54 just days ago.

Despite their storied history of finding ways to win, the challenge remains: can Kentucky consistently triumph over elite opponents? Losses to Louisville on the road and Michigan State exposed vulnerabilities in their defense and tempo control. In both games, Kentucky struggled with interior defense and depth issues.

Looking ahead, there is still plenty of basketball left in the season, including Tuesday’s late-night showdown at Rupp Arena—a clash between two blue blood programs from the ACC and SEC. Historically, North Carolina leads the series against Kentucky 25-18. This year’s Tar Heels roster features some of the most lethal players in college basketball. If Kentucky allows North Carolina to dictate the pace of play, they risk facing another long night and missing out on a significant opportunity.

For Kentucky to succeed, controlling tempo will be paramount as they confront this talented Tar Heels squad. Mark Pope’s team must focus on containing North Carolina’s “Big Three”: freshman forward Caleb Wilson (averaging 19.9 points per game), junior center Henri Veesaar (15.9 PPG), and freshman guard Luka Bogavac (a key scorer adept at navigating ball screens). Collectively, these three players contribute significantly to UNC’s offensive output.

Limiting Wilson, Veesaar, and Bogavac is essential if Kentucky hopes to avoid another loss. Should they fail to do so, North Carolina will likely capitalize on second-chance scoring opportunities.

The Tar Heels currently shoot 46.8% from the field but struggle from beyond the arc at just 31.8%. This presents a potential opening for Kentucky; if they can restrict UNC’s effectiveness inside the three-point line, they may have a chance to stifle one of their primary sources of offense.

However, North Carolina boasts depth with multiple capable shooters. The Wildcats must prioritize protecting the paint and preventing any easy scoring chances—an area where they faltered against larger opponents like Louisville and Michigan State.

Another vulnerability for UNC lies in turnovers; they average 11.6 per game—a statistic that could allow Kentucky to seize control of the game’s direction if exploited effectively. Despite recent struggles, Kentucky possesses athleticism on the perimeter that could be advantageous in setting an early tempo against UNC.

Tuesday presents a significant opportunity for the Wildcats to demonstrate their ability to compete against formidable opponents like the University of North Carolina. A victory in this matchup could alter the trajectory of Mark Pope’s team. Despite some recent missteps, analytics platforms such as KenPom project a favorable outcome for Kentucky, predicting a score of 84-75 over UNC.

The Tar Heels will undoubtedly present numerous challenges, and Coach Pope will need to carefully assess his roster based on player availability leading up to the game. Nevertheless, Kentucky has the potential to redefine its season. It is important to remember that it is still early in the basketball calendar; any sense of urgency to push the PANIC button just yet on this team’s performance may be premature.

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at Rupp Arena.

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Bill Belichick’s future at North Carolina in doubt: Report

Published

22 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Press Room

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.

More News: Texas’ Steve Sarkisian Calls Out Notre Dame

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.

More News: Florida AD Receives Major Backlash Amid Jon Sumrall News

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.

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What a Loss Would Mean for North Carolina

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Press Room

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.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images / William Howard-Imagn Images

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?

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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.