Welcome to DKos Asheville
EST 2/13/2011
This space appears each weekend with links to news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina, and the floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this still beautiful part of the world.
“Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.”
We were supposed to get 3-6’ of snow through last night for the first time in several years. I’m north of Asheville and got 1”. It was the same with several people I talked to. Disappointed and relieved. It’s beautiful, but with minimal trouble, just perfect.
FEMA has extended the move-out date for its first round of eligibility review from Sunday, Jan. 12, to Tuesday, Jan. 14.
According to a release, FEMA activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) Program at the state's request after Hurricane Helene. The program mandates that individuals and families receiving assistance be "periodically reviewed for continued need and eligibility."
FEMA EXTENDS TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE STAYS FOR 24 HOURS DUE TO WEATHER
The release said the first round of eligibility reviews for continued housing assistance is complete. If occupants are no longer eligible for the TSA program, they will begin receiving aid on Jan. 3.
These occupants were initially told that they would need to vacate no later than Jan. 11.
The release said that due to the winter weather currently affecting the Western North Carolina region, the move-outs scheduled for Jan. 11 were extended until Jan. 12.
The state health agency finally released a list of storm-related fatalities this week, more than three months after Tropical Storm Helene, but it includes a woman who died of breast cancer and other inconsistencies that conflict with the agency’s own records.
For months, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) denied public records requests from Asheville Watchdog and other media outlets for information about the deceased. Death certificates, autopsy reports and related documents are public records in North Carolina, but agency spokesmen said officials were waiting until the death investigations were complete.
On Jan. 6, DHHS sent a list to the media, but it contained names only — no ages, circumstances or causes of death, or even a county where each person lived or died.
The Watchdog has provided the only full accounting of the deaths in Buncombe, which suffered the most fatalities of any county. Reporters identified the deceased by combing through more than 850 death certificates, opening each PDF one at a time, to find those attributed to the storm and tracking down relatives and friends.
“The Lives We Lost” profiled each of the 41 people for whom death certificates have been filed in Buncombe. You can read the 10-part series here.
Most of the snow expected for the Western North Carolina region accumulated in the higher elevations, causing both road challenges and economic benefits.
During snowfalls like this one, many businesses anticipate good revenue from in- and out-of-state visitors to Skis & Tees or other nearby ski resorts, including the one in Cataloochee.
HEAVY SNOWFALL BLANKETS HAYWOOD COUNTY; NCDOT WORKS AROUND THE CLOCK TO CLEAR MAIN ROADS
Dylan and Anna St. John drove from Atlanta, G.A., to visit Skis & Tees, a resort located in Maggie Valley.
"[We] just got our gear — now we're going to go up to Cataloochee," Dylan said.
The couple has put money into a local Airbnb for their visit, telling News 13 that she and her husband "woke up to a beautiful view with all the snow" and that during their ski expedition, they "tumbled down the mountain a couple of times."
Plows from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) were out all night on Jan. 10, addressing major thoroughfares such as I-40 and Highways 19, 209, 276, and 110. Crews scraped away snow, ice, and freezing rain, which can make roads slippery.
Snow falls on a majestic horse in Asheville, N.C. (Courtesy of Donna Adams)
Thanks for stopping by, wishing all great weekend.
“Be safe out there” Lamont Kranston
