The following are fire updates from today on WLOS. Please click the story title for full descriptions of all the many fires in WNC.
1 p.m. | Transylvania County fires update
Transylvania County remains under a State of Emergency due to danger from three fires:
12:45 p.m. | Black Cove Complex update
The North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) reports that a total of 458 personnel are working on the Black Cove Complex Fires in Polk and Henderson Counties.
12:15 p.m. | Polk County update
Polk County announced that due to ongoing firefighting operations, 3526-5445 Holbert Cove Road is closed.
12 p.m. | Rattlesnake Branch Fire update
The U.S. Forest Service for National Forests in North Carolina confirms that the Rattlesnake Branch Fire is now at 1,200 acres and 20% containment. The fire is burning in the Cruso area of Haywood County.
11:30 a.m. | Swain County EM update on Alarka Five Fire
Swain County Emergency Management reports that fire crews continue to monitor the Alarka Five Fire, which is being managed by Southern Area Gray Incident Management Team.
10:45 a.m. | Buncombe County now at "Be Ready" evacuation status
Buncombe County confirms that a Level 1 readiness alert (Be Ready) will remain in place for the county until weather conditions improve.
10:15 a.m. | Alarka Five Fire morning update
Swain County Emergency Management confirms that there will be an Alarka Five Fire community meeting this evening at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Alarka Fire Department, located at 3601 Alarka Rd.
Swain County officials also advise residents have a bag packed and ready to go in case of an emergency. This bag should include important documents, medications, water, food and more.
10 a.m. | Transylvania County morning update
Transylvania County officials released a March 29 morning update as fire crews continue to battle the Table Rock Complex Fire.
The North Carolina judge at the heart of a controversial attempt to overturn the state's 2024 Supreme Court election has been implicated in a new personal scandal involving a racist incident from his college days.
According to freelance journalist Bryan Anderson, new evidence shows that when Judge Jefferson Griffin was at the University of North Carolina, his Kappa Alpha fraternity held a traditional "Old South" ball in which the members donned military uniforms from the Confederate rebels during the Civil War. A picture obtained by Anderson shows Griffin among those in the getup.
This photographic evidence "comes at a delicate time for Jefferson Griffin, a Republican appellate judge who is seeking a spot on North Carolina’s highest court," noted the Associated Press. "Griffin, 44, is facing mounting criticism – including from some Republicans – as he seeks to invalidate over 60,000 votes cast in last November’s election, a still undecided contest in which he is trailing the Democratic incumbent by over 700 votes.” <More>
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Qualla Enterprises, LLC, and Great Smoky Cannabis Company have announced an historic collaboration with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) to establish a new K-9 program. Aimed at addressing critical needs in drug detection while aligning with modern cannabis policies, this initiative underscores our commitment to supporting community safety and innovation.
Recognizing the challenges faced by law enforcement in the region, including limited funding for K-9 programs and the evolving landscape of cannabis legalization, Qualla Enterprises is funding the purchase of a specially trained K-9 for the CIPD. Unlike traditional police dogs, this new K-9 will be trained to detect hard drugs, such as opioids and methamphetamines, while deliberately excluding cannabis detection from its repertoire. This cannabis-friendly approach reflects the realities of legal cannabis in the region and ensures that enforcement efforts are focused on combating the proliferation of dangerous substances.
“It is an honor to partner with the Cherokee Indian Police Department on this initiative,” said Jonee Taylor, culture & community relations manager of Qualla Enterprises, LLC. “By funding this specially trained K-9, we’re addressing a critical gap in regional law enforcement resources while supporting a program that aligns with the legal cannabis industry’s role in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together. This partnership represents the strength of our collective efforts to create a positive impact, and we look forward to the meaningful work ahead.”
The CIPD’s new K-9 will be a fully certified police dog, equipped to assist officers in detecting and preventing the spread of dangerous narcotics–enhancing public safety in Cherokee and surrounding areas. <More>
The collection of exclusive, previously unreleased music worked on at West Asheville’s Drop of Sun Studios features songs by MJ Lenderman, Animal Collective, Squirrel Flower, Reggie Watts, Fust, Green-House, Sophie Thatcher, Maral, Nightlands, Horse Jumper Of Love, Hello Mary and Floating Action.
“The remarkable breadth of these previously unreleased tracks reflect Drop of Sun’s core principle of fostering an environment for artists to freely and boundlessly create,” says Drop of Sun co-founder Adam McDaniel in a press release. “Being a resource to the Asheville arts community has yielded wonderful, long-lasting relationships, amazing songs like these and a platform to communicate and cope during hard times. We are thrilled to share these exclusive songs with you.”
The digital edition costs $11. Limited edition vinyl pressings are $25 (translucent orange vinyl special editions are $35) and include an exclusive bonus track by Animal Collective. avl.mx/ema
“Spring is coming, spring is coming, spring is in the air! Crocus, lily, daffodilly, spring is everywhere!” This catchy little line from a song my son sings at his school has been playing over and over in my head and not just because he sings it — a lot! The energy of springtime is taking root, and with it comes new growth, beautiful blooms and a bright future for our region. As your springtime-self ramps up, please send any gardening questions to me at gardening@mountainx.com.
Easy-peasy please, what are the easiest kinds of flowers to grow?
Oh, the beauty of blooming! I actually worked on a commercial organic flower farm for two years, so I’ve known many kinds of flowers, from the exuberant self-seeders (like calendula) to the very finicky (like lisianthus). At this point, I love interspersing flowers throughout the veggie garden to boost biodiversity and bring delight to everyone.
My go-tos for ease and abundant color are marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, calendula, tithonia (Mexican sunflower) and monarda (bee balm). These are all annuals that are easy to grow from seed, except monarda, which can be perennial. Well, to be totally accurate, some Mexican marigolds can also be perennial, but not in our climate. Marigolds, cosmos, calendula and monarda will readily self-seed, meaning that once you grow them in a spot in your garden, it’s likely they’ll pop up near there, all on their own in future years, as long as you keep the area somewhat weeded. <More, including reigning in bamboo>
Thanks for reading, wish all a powerful weekend! Happy Spring!
“Be safe out there.” Lamont Cranston
