We Are Mitchell

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...

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 discu...

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 startl...

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...

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 info@mitchellcountync.gov.

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 t...

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 join...

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...

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 act...

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...

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 resou...

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...

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.