Hey guys, I want to first start off with saying how much I love your part of the country. Absolutely beautiful!

We like to visit the mountains during winter break. We’ve gone to Gatlinburg but it’s a bit too tourist trappy for us. We’ve also done Boone/blowing rock for a few years in a row and absolutely love it. Were just trying to do something different/see other parts of NC.

We’re looking for other towns in the mountains that are closer to blowing rock vibes than gatlinburg vibes. We like nature trails, snow tubing and scenic views. Having some restaurants and small town to walk is also a plus.
Any recommendations is greatly appreciated. The kids also like the possibility of seeing snow as we don’t get any at home. Obviously that’s up to the weather and nobody can predict that but I understand higher elevation increases the chances.

Just looking for recs. Waynesville, Maggie valley, banner elk???

Thanks in advance

TLDR: recommend family friendly areas to rent a cabin on winter break

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Income tax cap: Lowers the existing cap from 7 to 3.5 percent

• It is not a tax cut. It applies to both the corporate and personal rate. Both rates are already scheduled to be below 3.5 percent next year.
• The NC General Assembly has been cutting income taxes for 13 years. This has disproportionately benefitted large corporations and those with very high incomes.
• State revenue is falling as our population and costs grow. This is unsustainable and has led to underfunding of services and programs, and local governments paying for what are supposed to be state costs.
• Income tax cuts lead to increases in fees and sales taxes, and cuts to vital public services.
• The income tax amendment would lock us into this situation effectively permanently, so future lawmakers hands will be tied.
• NC has never had a rate this low, and it will be locked into the constitution. This leaves the state unprepared for economic downturns and unforeseen circumstances like natural disasters.

Property Tax Levy Limit: Caps what local governments can collect, NOT your bill

• It is not a cap on an individual’s property tax bill. It is a cap on the total revenue a local government can collect in property taxes.
• State lawmakers already have the power to set a levy limit, so the constitutional amendment is not necessary.
• Increasingly, local governments have been taking on costs that are supposed to be covered by the state and/or federal government. This amendment is likely to lead to service cuts as local governments struggle with state and local revenue constraints.
• It does not address housing unaffordability and would disproportionately benefit large corporate landowners like tech companies and corporate landlords.
• What the limit would be and how it would be derived is not public, so there is little recourse or accountability.

Before voting, consider the impact these amendments will have on your community:

• Who would benefit from these changes and who would be negatively impacted?
• What would these amendments mean for the funding of quality of life services my family and community rely on, like emergency services, community centers, libraries, public schools, water and sanitation…?
• How would these revenue constraints impact the ability of the state and local governments to provide services for a growing or aging population and respond to natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances in the future, especially as costs rise?
• What are specific projects prioritized by our community that are most at risk for delay or cancellation if state funding is uncertain and local government cannot collect sufficient revenue from property taxes to supplement decreases in state investment? 
• How have state and federal funding levels changed over the last 5-10 years? What state funding responsibilities has my local government taken on over that same period?
• What specific funding shortfalls are we experiencing now, including staffing shortages, school closures, or services interruptions?
• What are the other methods of generating revenue if income tax and property tax revenue is constrained? Will our locality be forced to rely more on unpopular fees?

Learn More From These Non-Partisan Resources:

• https://ncvoteagainst.org
•  https://ncvoteagainst.org/faq
• https://ncbudget.org/amendments/
• https://nchousing.org/no-real-relief-levy-limit-will-reduce-county-budgets-by-hundreds-of-millions-without-helping-homeowners/

New to the area (Saluda area) and I’m curious if any kind of mosquito treatment around the house is worth it. Got termite and other pest stuff set up and they’re offering mosquito control stuff too. Any idea if it’s necessary or worth it? Thanks!

Hi - Any ISKCON followers in the area? Looking to connect

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who came out to my “Hey, Shelby Rae!” book signing! We had a great turnout!

For those who didn’t get to come, you can still order your copy at https://tylermcook.com/hey-shelby-rae/.

A portion of all proceeds will go to the Appalachian Animal Rescue Center.

I am not sure who at the DOT schedules roadwork during peak leaf season but if you are traveling via 321 please be aware of roadwork between Granite falls and Lenoir that includes grooved payment. Motorcycles please be careful it’s not a long stretch but it is deep with a bump included so y’all come see us but be safe.

im helping plan a proposal next weekend (10/24-10/25) and am looking for someone in the boone area who is available to take pictures. thank you!

Looking for a spot to fill up my thermos with soup in Waynesville before heading out to the trails. Ingles is usually our go-to for convenience, but if anyone has recommendations for places open early in and around town, I would greatly appreciate it.

TOMORROW: Tyler will sign copies of his new book, “Hey, Shelby Rae!” Paperback and hardback copies will be available, as well as copies from his previous books.

10 am - 12 pm

Avery’s Creek Community Center
899 Glenn Bridge Rd SE
Arden, NC 28704

A portion of all proceeds will go to the Appalachian Animal Rescue Center.

Hi everyone. I would appreciate some raw honesty about UNC Health Cardiovascular and Thoracic Critical Care Unit (CTCCU). Specifically from a nursing perspective. I am a new graduate RN contemplating a move to Chapel Hill for this position. It seems to be a good fit for someone who has goals on wanting to go to CRNA school. The area that I live in just doesn't have the high acuity ICUs that would set me apart from others. I would appreciate any help in making an informed decision, like how is the unit culture? ratios? acuity?

I'm a bit confused because it seems like an ICU position, but it says it is a mixed acuity unit...

Thanks so much in advance. xoxo

Hey everyone! My name is Elijah Skipper. I'm an investigative reporter with News 13 in Western North Carolina.

With all the attention on data centers, I wanted to go back to one that's been here for years and find out what life has actually been like next door.

Our station investigated generator noise at Facebook's Forest City site in 2013. I tracked down two of the neighbors from that report, Jim Bennett and Tommy Doggett, and went back to see them.

We watched their old interviews together, then went into Jim's backyard beside the site. They say it's much quieter now. Both believe the sound-absorbing material and trees helped.

Something that stayed with me was how much credit they gave the original reporting for getting Facebook to listen. They also wanted to acknowledge that the company became a better neighbor.

But getting there took time. In our 2015 follow-up, neighbors were still saying the noise was a problem.

I went back through the earlier coverage and state records and kept following up with Meta about what changed, when, and whether Forest City influenced its practices elsewhere. At publication, its spokesperson was still trying to track down answers. We hadn't obtained a current generator testing schedule or written agreement showing what hours apply now.

I think there's something useful here for other WNC communities having these conversations. Hearing that things improved matters. So does understanding what residents had to do to get there and what commitments they can actually rely on.

If you live near the Forest City site, what has your experience been? For people elsewhere in WNC, what would you want settled before a data center is approved near homes?

I'm happy to answer questions about the reporting. Feedback and suggestions for what deserves another look are welcome, too.