Paul Maddox has spent decades studying sickness. A cancer researcher, tenured professor and lifelong learner, he’s spent much of his career exploring how to heal the body. Now, Maddox says, he’s ready to heal something else.

Hurricane Helene recovery czar Michael Whatley is blaming Democrats for the growing chorus of criticism over his job performance — but in heavily Republican Western North Carolina, it’s not just Democratic voices calling for Whatley to be replaced or step down. 

It’s not a lot of money, but it’s the principle — the hurricane-ravaged Town of Clyde is out more than $3,400 due to a baffling disconnect between FEMA reimbursement guidelines and a state program meant to ease the burden of debris removal on private land. 

Gov. Josh Stein is highlighting Renew NC’s work to repair and rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. Western North Carolinians who are seeking assistance in rebuilding Helene-damaged homes have until Dec. 31 to submit an application to the state’s Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program (SFPH).  

Last September, when Hurricane Helene brought flooding to much of the region, the little league baseball field behind the Waynesville Elks Club was swamped by several inches of water, dugouts were destroyed and lights were carried downstream along with tons of other debris. But now, hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of person-hours later, action has returned to that hallowed diamond. 

The title of this week’s column is a lyric from a song by rising singer-songwriter Angela Autumn. The melody, “Electric Lizard,” is an incredibly haunting number, especially the solo rendition (just her and guitar) on the EP under the verbiage “Live from NYC.”  

Waynesville isn’t just another mountain town still recovering from Hurricane Helene — it’s Haywood County’s economic, cultural and governmental hub. Nearly everything that happens in the largest municipality in the state’s western seven counties has ripple effects beyond its borders, from disaster recovery and infrastructure planning to affordable housing and fiscal stability.  

This cycle, Canton’s ballot carries the weight of five hard years. A global pandemic. Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. A mill closure in 2023 that upended municipal finance. Hurricane Helene in 2024. The next four years will test the town’s ability to finish flood recovery, modernize water and sewer, help redevelop the mill site and keep taxes predictable while still paving streets and paying bills. 

The U.S. Forest Service has made major progress repairing the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests a year after Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Across the Southeast, forests suffered from flooding, landslides, and wind damage that closed roads, trails, and campsites critical to the region’s outdoor economy. 

As Western North Carolina settles in for what could become a protracted federal government shutdown, a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson tells The Smoky Mountain News the agency’s disaster response operations remain fully funded and active, with payments to survivors, debris removal and other essential recovery work continuing uninterrupted.