North Carolina
Many North Carolina students return to class for first time since Hurricane Helene
Valle Crucis, North Carolina — In the hills of Watauga County in western North Carolina, the ride for Valle Crucis Elementary School students was filled with excitement Friday. They were among several thousand North Carolina students who returned to school for the first time since Hurricane Helene tore through portions of the state about a month ago, carving a path of destruction.
“I was worried about them because of the hurricane,” one Valle Crucis student said of his fellow classmates. “And I was super happy, super-duper happy to see them.”
Helene filled Valle Crucis Elementary, a K-8 school, with 4 feet of muddy water and swamped the school buses parked outside the school. As a result, classes are being temporarily held at an old conference center located about a mile from the damaged school.
“Students, faculty and families have been through trauma,” said Watauga County Schools Superintendent Leslie Alexander. “Getting kids back is the first step to normalcy, but we have to realize that people have been through a lot.”
When Helene hit, 459 schools in 28 North Carolina districts were affected. Schools in five of those districts remain closed. Some may not open until early November.
Many students are still carrying a heavy mental load, the pain of losing a loved one or their home, or in some cases, both. At least 98 people were killed by Helene in North Carolina, according to numbers compiled by CBS News, and the hurricane was responsible for at least 217 deaths across six states.
On Friday, extra counselors were on hand at Watauga County schools for any staff and students who wanted to talk.
“For the first couple weeks, I started to feel anxiety from not seeing anyone, so it was really refreshing when I heard that this week we were going back to school,” 12-year-old Valle Crucis student Georgia said.
Georgia was with her parents, James and Heather, when their home began to flood and their community was washed away.
“When the rain stopped and we went and walked around,” Heather said of her daughter. “She said, ‘I’m not learning academically right now, but I’m learning a lot about survival.’”
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
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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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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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