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Blue Ridge Public Radio BPR informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina.

Blue Ridge Public Radio creates and curates content that informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina. BPR cultivates a more engaged, curious, and empathetic public by listening deeply and embracing diversity.

Across Western North Carolina, people are preparing for climate impacts — and making community connections while doing i...
10/14/2026

Across Western North Carolina, people are preparing for climate impacts — and making community connections while doing it. Blue Ridge Public Radio and Grist are excited to highlight some of this amazing work with two FREE community events.

Come out to Buladean Community Center in Bakersville on October 17, from 12-2 p.m., to meet your neighbors, get free food, and learn about two-way radio, solar power and more.

The learning and connecting continues in Asheville on October 19, from 6-8 p.m., at the Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center where folks can meet BPR reporters, share stories and get resources for hurricane recovery and climate resilience.

MORE INFORMATION IN THE COMMENTS 👇

In the immediate days after Hurricane Helene, many towns were cut off from the outside world, and unofficial “chainsaw b...
10/13/2026

In the immediate days after Hurricane Helene, many towns were cut off from the outside world, and unofficial “chainsaw brigades,” manned largely by volunteers, stepped up to clean the mess of fallen trees and restore road access.

In the words of Appalachian poet Gerald Smith, “The sweet, sweet sound of chainsaws “ left an impact on Hurricane Helene survivors – and inspired a new wave of residents to learn how to use them.

Quetzal Jordan, founder of Skills Academy for Women, has led more than 500 people through chainsaw safety workshops since Helene. She’s got another workshop planned for this November. A longtime power tool evangelist, Jordan leapt at the chance to train a new generation of chainsaw operators, who are now realizing the important role these tools play in disaster response.

“I have seen a huge uptick of people interested,” Jordan said. “I've taught people anywhere from 18 to 75 how to use a chainsaw, all across the board. And especially the folks who are older, I feel like they have the most transformative experience.”

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

10/08/2026

In BPR’s new series “Rethinking Resilience,” climate reporter Katie Myers and Helene Recovery reporter Laura Hackett meet people turning what they learned from the storm into something that can help their communities weather whatever comes next. That included everything from solar microgrids to chainsaw safety.

Read the full series at the link in our bio.

💬 Have you gotten involved in a community project since Helene, or picked up a new skill? Tell us about it in the comments.

📽️ Video produced by Grace Powers with footage from BPR News and the Asheville Tool Library

Buncombe County commissioners took steps Tuesday to build more than half a mile of sidewalks in Swannanoa’s historic bus...
10/08/2026

Buncombe County commissioners took steps Tuesday to build more than half a mile of sidewalks in Swannanoa’s historic business district.

The Board of Commissioners accepted two state grants for the work and approved shifting other funds to construct new sidewalks and repair or replace old ones along streets just west of the former site of Beacon Manufacturing Company’s blanket plant, which burned down in 2003.

County officials plan for $400,000 of the money to come from a grant for repairs to homes owned by low- and moderate-income county residents that county government received in December 2022 but has yet to spend.

The sidewalk project is intended to boost business activity and increase safety in the community that was hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

For our fall fund drive, we’re offering a limited-edition BPR thank-you gift with a story only Western North Carolina co...
10/08/2026

For our fall fund drive, we’re offering a limited-edition BPR thank-you gift with a story only Western North Carolina could tell. Made from White Ash timber salvaged from Hurricane Helene, this BPR-branded bottle opener magnet was crafted by Asheville artist Mickey Strivelli for BPR through Echoes of the Forest, a nonprofit that transforms fallen Helene timber into public art and supports local livelihoods. This small piece of WNC history was thoughtfully made from trees that witnessed the storm and are now being given a second life. Donate $120, start a sustaining gift of at least $10 a month or increase your current monthly sustaining gift by any amount. Go to the first comment for the donate link.

Radio broadcasts, emergency phone alerts, sirens, rain and thunder – that’s what a lot of us heard when Helene made land...
10/07/2026

Radio broadcasts, emergency phone alerts, sirens, rain and thunder – that’s what a lot of us heard when Helene made landfall in Western North Carolina two years ago. And afterward, we here at BPR know that radio was one of the few methods of transmission still available when power and internet service was down.

But for Malia Johnson, the warnings didn’t come.

Even as Helene’s rain and wind battered her roof, she slept right through it, she recalled.

“I couldn't hear the radio. I couldn't watch the TV because we started losing power,” she said, as she sat in the warmly lit studio where she works as a massage therapist. “I couldn't get any information about what was happening.”

Malia Johnson is deaf. She lives in Swannanoa in a 55 plus community. She can lip-read and has cochlear implants, but the batteries died and there was no power to recharge them. In the chaos, she struggled to make sense of things. Her neighbors often forgot to look directly at her as they updated her on the storm’s damage. When she went into community hubs for information, there was too much going on and it was hard to pull anyone aside to explain her situation.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Two years after Hurricane Helene and one year after federal funding ended, BPR is building a stronger future powered by ...
10/07/2026

Two years after Hurricane Helene and one year after federal funding ended, BPR is building a stronger future powered by our community. Your support keeps independent local journalism, trusted information, music and cultural programming on the air. For your gift of at least $120, you can opt in to receive a BPR bottle opener/magnet made from timer salvaged from Hurricane Helene. Donate now at https://www.pledgecart.org/home?campaign=50D24FCE-AC44-4291-8693-DD15853315F1

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is awarding a total of $11.2 million in grants to 10 projects that are...
10/05/2026

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is awarding a total of $11.2 million in grants to 10 projects that are expected to bring more tourists to the county and benefit the local community.

The TDA awarded the grants through its Legacy Investment from Tourism fund, also known as the LIFT fund. The recipients were chosen from a total of 24 applicants through a competitive process.

The largest grant, $2.4 million dollars, will go to the North Carolina Arboretum for the construction of a new, pedestrian-friendly education and events plaza.

Another top recipient is the River Arts District Artists Foundation, which will receive $2.1 million to help fund the construction of a new RAD Creative Campus.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Governor Josh Stein capped his four-day trip to Western North Carolina along the French Broad River in Marshall Sunday.D...
09/30/2026

Governor Josh Stein capped his four-day trip to Western North Carolina along the French Broad River in Marshall Sunday.

Dozens of people packed into the outdoor area of the Old Marshall Jail where a new folk art piece was unveiled. The structure's walls stretch about 10 feet into the air. There is a doorway but no roof. It has one window and was constructed using bricks decorated by individual community members who wrote words of hope, faith and love on them.

“ It's a cathedral. It's a monument to place. It's a sense of the feeling of home. It's a place for reflection,” said Marshall business owner Josh Copus.

Stein himself made a brick for the project during a previous visit to the Old Marshall Jail, which houses a hotel and restaurant.

“ I thought long and hard about what did I want my brick to say. What did I feel when I came to Marshall? And I had three words: hope, love and determination,” he said to the crowd gathered Sunday. “That is what you all represent to me.”

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Even before Hurricane Helene, the town of Canton in Haywood County was trying to figure out how to reimagine its future....
09/28/2026

Even before Hurricane Helene, the town of Canton in Haywood County was trying to figure out how to reimagine its future.

In 2023, the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill closed, leaving more than a thousand people without jobs and leaving the town without the industry that had sustained it for over a century.

Now, Canton is working to find a way forward that honors its history while also navigating the new challenges brought on by the storm.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

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73 Broadway Street
Asheville, NC
28801

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+18282104800

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