We Are Mitchell

Mitchell County Assistant Fire Marshal and Fire Coordinator Bryan Brewer joins us to discuss the dangerous wildfire conditions in our region, what the Burn Ban means and how it is being enforced, and steps to take to protect yourself from the threat of wildfires.

The deadline for filing appeals to FEMA on open claims is March 25, 2026. Mitchell Long-Term Resilience Group representative Sophie Phillips joins us to discuss the deadline and what options might be available to those who filed a FEMA claim.

WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer joins us to discuss the severe-level drought that our region has now been experiencing for several months and what that means both for pour weather and for the risk of wildfires in our region.

Spring Fire Season is upon us, and Mitchell County Fire Coordinator Bryan Brewer joins us to discuss the dangers that are out there again this spring and steps you can take to help prevent wildfires.

The second Mitchell County Tourism Summit is March 19. Tourism Development Authority Director Kelly Jones joins us to talk about the summit and the unveiling of a new branding initiative for Mitchell County tourism along with what they expect from tourism for the area in 2026.

Damage to the streams, land, and trees, is a legacy that Helene has left in Western North Carolina. On Saturday, February 21 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development group is coordinating a group of agencies and organizations who are working to either repair that damage or reduce its effects in an Open House being held at the former Bowman Middle School in Bakersville, NC. Zac O‘Donnell with BRRC&D is our guest to discuss the Landscape Recovery Open House and wildfire conditions as we prepare to head into the second spring season after Helene.

The worst of the snow has passed us, but now dangerous cold is setting in WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer shares what to expect as we head for Sunday and a cold start to next week.

As snow returns to our region for the weekend, Mitchell County Emergency Management is getting ready for the storm. John Masters, Assistant EM Director for the county joins us to go over preparations being made to deal with this storm.

Get ready because here it comes! Winter storm #2 is expected to begin in our area Friday afternoon. WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer joins us to share what they are expecting from this storm and the timeline for its effects.

The deadline to enroll for consideration by RenewNC for funds to help repair damage from Hurricane Helene is Saturday, January 31. Stephaie Pitman with the Mitchell County Long-Term Resilience Group joins us to talk about the program, help for those who have questions about RenewNC, and shares more information about the Multi-Agency Resources Center, its mission, and what they are doing for the upcoming winter storm.

WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer is with us to talk about round two of winter weather that is approaching Mitchell County this weekend. Looks like we are going to have the first substantial county-wide snowfall Friday and Saturday. He gives us details on the storm including timing, what to expect, and more.

Mitchell County Emergency Management Director Andrew Brewer joins us with an update on conditions in Mitchell County following the ice/freezing rain storm of the past weekend, plus we discuss another potential winter storm for the end of this week.

WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer has a weather update for Monday afternoon, night, and Tuesday morning (January 26 & 27). It‘s gonna be dangerously cold and we encourage everyone to stay in and stay safe as life-threatening cold combined with icy conditions makes being out treacherous.

Mitchell County Emergency Management Director Andrew Brewer gives an update on the winter storm as of Sunday, January 25, 2026 at noon. He shares what we can expect for the next couple of days.

Precipitation is beginning to fall from the winter storm and WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer has the latest updated forecast for Mitchell County.

Bryan Brewer, Fire Coordinator for Mitchell County, joins us to discuss two important things to remember during this winter weather: guarding against carbon monoxide poisoning and dealing with frozen water pipes during extremely cold weather.

WLOS Meteorologist Jason Boyer joins us with an update on the approaching winter storm and the final steps you should take to prepare for its arrival Saturday afternoon.

County fire Marshal and Interim Emergency Management Director Andrew Brewer and County Manager Allen Cook release a public statement concerning preparations for the winter storm for the weekend of January 24-25, 2026.

Jason Boyer of WLOS television in Asheville joins us to talk about the approaching winter storm, including how the forecast is developed, what is expected to happen in the area for the event, and steps you should take now to prepare.

Mitchell County Fire Marshal and Interim Emergency Management Coordinator Andrew Brewer joins us to talk about the potential winter storm for January 24 & 25. He goes over preparations the county is making for the storm and gives tips on what residents should do to be ready for “The Next 72.”

Merry in Mitchell returns for its second season this Christmas and Kelly Jones, Director of the Tourism Development Authority in Mitchell County joins us to talk about this celebration of the Christmas season and how local individuals, businesses, and organizations can get involved.

NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill joined forces to look at changes in water sources in our region that may be due to Helene's visit in 2024. Today, we talk with Jackie McDonald-Gibson from NC State about POWR, a study on drinking water in Mitchell County that was conducted earlier this year, and we go over general findings the research found in our region.

Mitchell County Cooperative Extension is joining forces with Yancey County Cooperative Extension, EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems, and the Mayland Community College Small Business Center to host an Agricultural Summit at the Mayland Community College Yancey Campus on Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. County Extension Director Brandon Pitman joins us to talk about what will be covered and encourages anyone with agriculture interests in the area to attend. Admission is free and lunch is being served. Visit wearemitchell.org for more information.

Mitchell County Government held a town hall meeting on Thursday, October 23, 2025 in the auditorium of the old Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. This is the audio from that meeting, including questions from attendees. We apologize in advance for some of the lower-quality audio present. There were problems with getting audio from audience members asking questions.

A headlining act will be performing in Spruce Pine October 25 when Old Crow Medicine Show takes the stage as part of a benefit to raise money for Helene recovery. Hilloween founder Gina Phillips is the guest on today's program and she talks about how the concert is coming about, sharing tidbits about the band and their music, along with information on how to get tickets.

The threat of wildfire in Western North Carolina has been greatly increased with the tree and foliage damage caused by Helene. On today‘s We Are Mitchell, our guest is Philip Jackson with the North Carolina Forest Service who discusses what happened to our forestlands and how you can prepare your property to help prevent the spread of wildfires. Plus, Jackson has a special request for individuals who fly drones - stay away from active wildfire sites.

Andrew Brewer, Interim Mitchell County Emergency Management Director, released this statement Friday about potential tropical weather impacting the region the week of September 29-October 3.

Remembering Helene is coming up on Saturday, September 27 at three fire stations in Mitchell County. Sophia Phillips gives one last update on what will be taking place, plus we talk about the project to gather stories about Helene that will be recording at each location on Saturday.

A special series of events are planned for Saturday, September 27 to commemorate the 1st anniversary of Helene striking our region. Sophia Phillips joins us again to talk more about what is happening on that special day.

There is a special set of commemorative events scheduled for September 27 at three fire departments in Mitchell County. Under the collective name Remembering Helene, these gatherings will feature food, giveaways, prizes, a speaker, and more. Sophia Phillips joins the podcast to discuss the plans for each event and to share general information about what will be there. We will have additional discussions with her in the coming weeks.

While the focus of our podcast has been the recovery from Helene‘s fury, there was more going on in the sky in 2024 than the hurricane. There was a solar eclipse, two auroras, and a comet that all appeared in our region last year. And the capper happened a month before Helene: a meteor exploded over Spruce Pine and Altapass setting off a big boom in the early morning hours of August 30 that startled a lot of folks. Today, Dr. Dan Caton of Appalachian State University joins us to talk about these events both from what happened and how historically events like these were treated in the past in terms of seeing them as omens. Of course, the events had nothing to do with Helene striking our area, but we thought you might like to take a look back at all the interesting events that appeared in our skieslast year.

The first Hellbender Festival is coming to downtown Spruce Pine August 30. WTOE‘s Bruce Ikard caught up with Downtown Spruce Pine Director Spencer Bost for a quick discussion of the festival and all the events taking place.

Mitchell County‘s Volunteer Resources Center, which was formed shortly after Helene struck the area last year to organize volunteer groups and match them with needs is merging with the Mitchell County Long-Term Resiliency Group as of September 1st. While the Center is going away in name, its staff and services are continuing. Stephanie Pitman, who has headed up the VRC since its inception, is our guest on the program. She shares what is happening and how this will make providing help for continued recovery from Helene a more unified effort.

There has been confusion over the Private Property Debris Removal program that is trying to get started up in Mitchell County. Allen Cook joins us to try and help clear up some of the confusion and explain what is going on with that program, the public debris collection site in Bakersville, and details on how you can report debris that still needs to be cleaned up on public roads in the county.

It has been a long, hard climb back, but DT's Blue Ridge Java on Lower Street in Spruce Pine is slated to re-open by the end of August. Owner David Niven joins us to talk about the upcoming reopening, what's new and different, and the things they learned by basically rebuilding a hundred year-old building using modern construction practices.

Updates on recovery efforts, including debris removal were the main topics for the August 14, 2025 Town Hall put on my Mitchell County. Here is the audio from the meeting held at 4:30 in the old Bowman Middle School Auditorium. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected].

Mitchell County Emergency Management is rolling out a new app for phones that is a one-stop for information and updates when there is an emergency or disaster affecting the county. John Masters joins the program to talk about the app, what it features, and why it is a good idea to install Mitchell Ready on your phone.

Private Property Debris Removal is on again in Mitchell County. Allen Cook, County Manager, joins us to discuss the changes in the program and the new phone number associated with it, plus he outlines the process as things proceed.

One aspect of the recovery from Helene that is often overlooked is the mental health of all of us who went through the disaster. June was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month and Hannah Weber along with Jordyn Phipps took some time to talk about how PTSD is very real for a lot of Mitchell County residents after Helene and they give tips on how to deal with stress associated with the storm along with providing resources for those who need more help.

Private property debris removal is beginning soon and County Manager Allen Cook joins us to talk about changes to the debris removal programs that are taking place to prepare for the new program‘s start, plus he updates us on the private road and bridge repair program, which has a deadline for application of August 3rd.

With the recent flooding in Texas and from Tropical Storm Chantal in central North Carolina, it has again been demonstrated the vital importance of paying attention to weather forecasts, watches, and warnings. The National Weather Service has been making changes to forecasts in recent years, adding words to help demonstrate the seriousness of weather situations. WLOS meteorologist Jason Boyer joins us to talk about the words in forecasts like "considerable" and "destructive" and what they mean when you hear them. He also gives tips on how to keep track of what is going on with the weather as we head into the heart of hurricane season in the next 6 weeks.

First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine honors veterans each July 4th with a lunch, and with the recovery from Helene well underway, the church is making a special effort to reach area veterans and their families and inviting them to come to eat and be honored for their service to our country. Church pastor Dr. Rocky Branch recently spoke with WTOE's Bruce Ikard about the dinner and all that is taking place on July 4th at noon.

The July Fourth holiday is a time of being outdoors and enjoying barbecues and other activities. Andrew Brewer, interim Emergency Management Coordinator for Mitchell County, joins us to talk about being extra careful this year. In particular, with the increased risk of fire due to the extensive tree fall in our area, Brewer talks about how we should take this into account when planning outdoor activities. We conclude with a discussion of the start of hurricane season. While there is no immediate threat of another storm, Brewer talks about being prepared in case, and discusses how to develop a preparation kit for the first 72 hours following a disaster.

An in-person survey of Mitchell County residents is taking place on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28. The Sustaining Essential and Community Healthcare organization, better known as SEARCH. is conducting interviews on the effects of Helene on our area and residents. WTOE’s Bruce Ikard had a chance to interview Marvin Rogers with SEARCH about what’s taking place.

August 3, 2025 is the deadline to apply for the State of North Carolina‘s program that repairs or replaces private roads and bridges damaged by Helene. County Manager Allen Cook joins us to talk about this program that doesn't just provide money to repair damage. It provides engineers to evaluate and design the repair project along with crews and resources to complete the work. Visit wearemitchell.org to learn more about the program and to access the link to apply or call the NC Disaster Management at 844-746-2326 for assistance.

Even though we are nine months out from the devastation caused by Helene, there are still volunteers and resources available for county residents to get help with repairs. Stephanie Pittman is our guest today, talking about the Multi-Agency Resources Center, which is located in Bakersville at the old Bowman Middle School, and the Long-Term Resiliency Group, an organization that is marshaling resources and volunteers for needs in Mitchell County.

There is exciting news that the famous Rhododendron Gardens atop Roan Mountain. For the first time since 2023, the general public will be able to tour the gardens while they are blooming this week (June 20, 2025). We talk with Alexandra Davidson of the Forest Service about the double challenge of completing a renovation project years in the making on Roan Mountain, only to have Helene come through and make a mess on the mountain. She shares a status report and what plans are moving forward in terms of re-opening Roan Mountain to visitors for the first time in nearly 2 years.

Helene has not dampened the optimism for the 78th North Carolina Rhododendron Festival which is June 20 and 21 in Bakersville. Misti Silver joins us on the program to talk about the events planned and some changes in times and locations for what's happening.

Mitchell County has released a proposed 2025-2026 budget. County Manager Allen Cook joins us on the podcast to go over the budget message and talk about the changes Helene has made to the budget. The public hearing on the budget is June 2nd and the County Commission will vote on it later in June.

Like everyone else in our region, Sibelco, one of the main producers of High Purity Quartz in the world, had to scramble to recover business operations and help the area get back on its feet. Jac Fourie, Executive Vice-President Operations High Purity Quartz and South America, is our guest on this episode. He discusses how Sibelco responded to emergency situations in the community following the storm, providing manpower and materials to assist in roadbuilding and other projects; the first months of recovery for their business; and the Sibelco Spruce Pine Foundation, which is providing businesses and individuals with financial assistance to recover from the storm. To learn more, visit www.sibelcosprucepinefoundation.org.