We Are Mitchell

Blacksmith Festival Returns - Spencer Bost

The 19th Annual Blacksmith Festival is returning to Lower Street in Spruce Pine April 26th. Spencer Bost with Downtown Spruce Pine joins us to discuss why the festival is coming back even with the damage to the buildings on Lower Street.

Bakersville’s Future - Andy Palmer

Many are wondering what the future may hold for areas of Mitchell County. A group of interested citizens in Bakersville are meeting Thursday and Friday, February 20 and 21, to talk with the Design Assistance Team, a group of experts who are working with the community in rebuilding and the recovery process. Andy Palmer, co-owner of In Tandem Gallery and a Bakersville Town Councilman, joins us to talk about the meeting and what DAT is and will be doing to help the town recover from Helene.

Hospitality House - Sean Morris & William Holley

Homelessness has been a big problem in our region for quite some time, and Helene has only made it worse. Today, we talk with Sean Morris and William Holley of the Hospitality House, a Boone, North Carolina-based agency that works with the homeless in Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey Counties. They share what their organization does, how to get help, and talk about a recent survey they conducted in our area of the homeless. It's an important topic and we hope we can shed light on it and how Hospitality House can help.

NC DOT Road Update - Gabriel Johnson & David Uchiyama

One of the most impressive feats pulled off during the recovery from Helene has been how rapidly the North Carolina Department of Transportation got roads opened and functioning again. On this program, we get an update on the roads in Mitchell County with DOT representatives Gabriel Johnson & David Uchiyama. In addition to the update, they note upcoming closures of roads in the county to complete repairs.

Thoughts on Helene - Mark Sudduth

Helene’s wrath was surprising to many people, and Mark Sudduth who is a professional researcher of hurricanes and other weather, along with a serving as a reporter on Fox Weather, joins the podcast to share his thoughts on the storm. Mark’s parents, Doug and Billie Ruth Sudduth, lived in the Ledger area for 30 years, so he has been to our region quite a bit and has interest in what happened and in our recovery. The program is a bit long (37 minutes) but it is chock full of information on the storm through the eyes of a professional.

Mark has several social media accounts where he publishes videos and other comments on weather. His handle on social media is @HurrianeTrack and you can find his work here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hurricanetrack

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneTrack

 

X / Twitter: https://x.com/hurricanetrack

 

Fox Weather: https://www.foxweather.com/

Fire Danger in the Mountains - Andrew Brewer, Fire Marshal

McDowell County dealt with three wildfires on Wednesday, January 29th which rapidly intensified due to both windy conditions and the fact that there is so much tree and vegetative debris on the ground due to Helene. County Fire Marshal Andrew Brewer joins us to talk about why we will see more fires like this and how you can help prevent their spread.

Tourism Stakeholders Meeting on February 13 - Kelly Jones

Businesses and local leaders will gather on Thursday, February 13 at 8 a.m. at Cross Street in Spruce Pine for updates on recovery efforts from Helene focused on tourism and the businesses and locations that depend on it. Kelly Jones, Mitchell County Tourism Development Authority Director, joins us on the program to talk about the meeting and what will be discussed. The meeting is open to anyone who is interested in tourism. Please email tda@mitchellcountync.gov with questions or to RSVP for the meeting.

Preparing for the Cold Weather - Andrew Brewer

As extremely cold weather arrives in Mitchell County later this weekend, now is the time to make preparations to protect you, your family, pets, and to be prepared if you lose power. County Fire Marshal Andrew Brewer joins us to discuss The Next 72 - how to prepare by having supplies to survive for 72 hours in an emergency situation.