North Carolina
North Carolina Helene victims ‘left behind’ get help from star-studded Concert for Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – More than 80,000 Americans from across North Carolina and the country traveled to Charlotte for Concert for Carolina on Saturday, a benefit show donating 100% of proceeds to those impacted by Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state.
Country music stars Luke Combs and Eric Church, who are both from western North Carolina, organized the star-studded show that included performances from James Taylor, Keith Urban, Billy Strings and others, plus surprise appearances from Nicole Kidman and Randy Travis, to help those impacted by Helene and ended up raising $24.5 million.
“I have been volunteering with the hurricane relief, and I see where they need a lot more help than what they’re being given, so this is a great opportunity to listen to music, which I love, and help the people who need it most who have been left behind by the people who should be helping them,” Jessica White of eastern Tennessee told Fox News Digital.
She added that people are still “sleeping in tents” as temperatures drop in the mountains.
LUKE COMBS AND ERIC CHURCH RAISE OVER $24.5 MILLION FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS AT STAR-STUDDED CONCERT FOR CAROLINA
Jessica White, who has been volunteering in western North Carolina, says people impacted by Hurricane Helene have been “left behind.” (Fox News Digital)
“That’s horrible. And it’s even more horrible when we have illegals sleeping in hotels but our own taxpaying citizens are sleeping in tents because a hurricane destroyed their home,” White added.
Sherry from Denver, North Carolina, echoed that same sentiment.
HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF CONCERT BRINGS COUNTRY STARS LUKE COMBS, ERIC CHURCH BACK HOME TO NORTH CAROLINA
Sherry from Denver, N.C., thinks “a majority of the country has moved on and has no idea there are still people sleeping in tents.” (Fox News Digital)
“I think if we did for our American citizens what we did for illegal entrants into this country, we’d be in a much better place,” she said, adding that she thinks “a majority of the country has moved on and has no idea there are still people sleeping in tents.”
“Good old friends and neighbors have stepped up, and I think they’ll be alright.”
Many of the attendees who spoke to Fox News Digital on Saturday had seen the destruction in areas around Asheville themselves when they drove hours from their homes to deliver supplies and volunteer their time to help people rebuild.
Many of the attendees who spoke to Fox News Digital on Saturday had seen the destruction in areas around Asheville themselves when they drove hours from their homes to deliver supplies and volunteer their time to help people rebuild. (Fox News Digital)
One family from Avery County said a tree fell on their home during the storm, and they drove to Charlotte for the concert to escape some of the stress they’ve dealt with over the last month.
Church announced during the show that his charitable organization, Chief Cares, was donating 100 homes to those in need after Helene, which killed 98 people in North Carolina alone and more than 250 across the Southeast. North Carolina Gov. Cooper estimates that damage to the state totals about $53 billion.
Luke Combs and Eric Church perform at Concert For Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024 in Charlotte, N.C. (John Shearer/Getty Images for Concert For Carolina)
“We’ve come up with a plan called Blueprint for the Blue Ridge. We’re going to put 100 families in homes that have lost their homes in Avery County and the surrounding areas — one of the worst hit areas. In an area that I spent half of my years, an area I’ve had a lot of inspiration and gained a lot of inspiration, in an area I’ve made five records in. And we’re going to go and keep those people in their community, put a roof over their heads, let them interact with their community, let them be a part of their community, and let them help rebuild the community.”
Hosts Marty Smith of ESPN and Caleb Pressley of Barstool Sports announced during the show that Dolly Parton had directed $1 million to Concert for Carolina through a donation from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, which he dedicated to Dolly specifically “to direct to causes that she cares about,” Smith said on Saturday.
ERIC CHURCH SUPPORTS HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS BY DONATING ROYALTIES FROM NEW SONG: ‘THEY’RE IN NEED’
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman speak at the Concert For Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (John Shearer/Getty Images for Concert For Carolina)
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 15-year-old New Bern boy after police say he was abducted at gunpoint from a motel early Saturday morning.
According to the New Bern Police Department, officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to the Palace Motel, located at 1901 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., after receiving a report of a child abduction.
Police said two adults inside the motel room told officers they had been asleep with two boys — 15-year-old Isaiah Kavon Owens and 13-year-old Kenneth Brantley Jr. — when they were awakened by someone banging on the door.
According to investigators, Larry Tompkins opened the door and encountered multiple people, including Kenneth Lee Brantley Sr., the father of Kenneth Brantley Jr.
Police said Brantley pointed a gun at Tompkins before taking both boys from the room and leaving in a black 2012 GMC Yukon Denali XL with South Carolina license plate XFH752.
Authorities said Brantley may be traveling to his residence in Marion, South Carolina. A statewide BOLO (Be On the Lookout) has been issued for the vehicle.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued an AMBER Alert Friday morning at the request of the New Bern Police Department.
Isaiah is described as a Black male, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants and red-and-blue sneakers.
Police said Isaiah is autistic and has a speech delay.
Investigators said arrest warrants have been obtained for Brantley charging him with the abduction and endangerment of Isaiah Owens.
The New Bern Police Department said it is working with local, state, out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies to locate Isaiah and ensure his safe return.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Bern Police Department at 252-633-2020, their local law enforcement agency, or call 911 immediately.
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Authorities advise the public not to approach Brantley.
A man once given the nickname Cardiac Kemba due to his heart-stopping heroics at the University of Connecticut, Kemba Walker is back to breathe life into the 704’s youth basketball community.
The Charlotte Hornets’ legend officially opened the Kemba Walker Sports Academy in Concord, North Carolina this afternoon, a multi-sport facility just north of Charlotte that’s mission is “to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for athletes to learn, grow, excel and compete.”
At a ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the 54,000 square foot facility, Walker took some time to answer questions from assembled media about his latest venture that was created with community in mind.
“It’s really bigger than, you know, basketball,” said the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer this afternoon when talking about the academy. “We want the kids to have some discipline and really teach them how to work hard you know? That’s what we’re chasing. We’re chasing something that’s much bigger than the actual sport.”
It’s a bold vision, and one that Walker has dreamed of fulfilling since he was a kid suiting up for his childhood AAU program, the New York Gauchos.
“(The Gauchos’ facility) is probably not quite like this. It’s not as big as this. But that was my safe space, you know? That was the place I was able to go to, to enjoy the game of basketball and meet some of my closest friends that I still have to this day who actually run this place.”
Walker has been a pillar of the grassroots basketball community in Charlotte since he was a baby-faced, 20-something-year-old suiting up for the Bobcats. And even though he spent some time playing elsewhere in his professional basketball career, the four-time All-Star has considered the Queen City his domain since draft night.
“I never left, first of all” said Walker when asked about returning to the Hornets as an assistant coach and being able to now give back to the community that embraced him with open arms when he was drafted in 2011. “Obviously, I went to a couple of different teams and, you know, my path took me to a couple of different places, but I always kept my house here, and my family was always here, and whenever I had time in the summer, something like that, I was always here.”
“But it is amazing to be back. I love Charlotte.”
And Charlotte loves him back.
Walker stamped his name in the franchise record books with a successful career on the court, but he forever endeared himself into the community by embracing the basketball-crazed city he didn’t have a single tie to until he was drafted there.
The Kemba Walker Sports Academy will host its first grassroots basketball event this weekend, the Kemba Walker Invitational, where AAU teams from across the country (including Walker’s own New York Gauchos) will convene in Concord to christen the facility.
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Home sales in western North Carolina have increased since last year, according to the latest report from a realtor group.
Canopy MLS, a subsidiary of the Canopy Realtor Association, reports that May home sales across the four-county Asheville area (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties) reflected a spring market that remains “active and competitive.”
NETWORKING EVENT FOCUSES ON HELENE RECOVERY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, PLANS MOVING FORWARD
A total of 592 homes closed in May, representing a 6.3 percent increase compared to May 2025 and a 2.1 percent gain over April, the report said. Buyer demand continued to strengthen, with pending sales, a leading indicator of future closings, surging 22.4 percent year over year as 728 properties went under contract during the month.
“The strength of buyer demand in May is encouraging and reflects continued confidence in the Asheville region as a place to live, work and invest,” said Dave Noyes, a Realtor/Designated Managing Broker with eXp Realty and Canopy MLS Board of Director, in a news release. “
ASHEVILLE HOUSING MARKET SHOWS STEADY STRENGTH AS INVENTORY RISES ACROSS REGION
Contract activity also increased 7.1 percent compared to April, signaling that buyers remained engaged despite mortgage rates averaging approximately 6.5 percent throughout May, the report said.
“Buyers are adapting to today’s mortgage rates and taking advantage of the increased inventory we’ve seen over the past year. Although fewer new listings came onto the market in May, homes continue to attract strong interest, which is helping maintain a healthy balance between supply and demand as we head into the summer months,” Noyes said.
While buyer activity increased , new listing activity moderated. Sellers introduced 1,165 homes to the market in May, a 6.7 percent decline compared to the same month last year and a 7.7 percent decrease from April. Even so, the region’s inventory of homes for sale continued to expand, rising 3.2 percent year over year to 3,092 properties at report time. Months of supply, however, declined from six months in May 2025 to 5.4 months this past May, suggesting that the pace of buyer demand is absorbing available inventory faster than new listings are being added.
The report said that although buyers have more choices than a year ago, the market remains relatively balanced, with strong contract activity continuing to support overall sales momentum.
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