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.

Over 800,000 acres of timberland in Western North Carolina have been destroyed or adversely affected by Helene. Now comes the cleanup. Mitchell County Cooperative Extension is offering a special program to anyone with timber on their property to learn about programs to help clean up and manage these resources. Brandon Pitman, County Extension Director, joins us to talk about the Forest Recovery Workshop scheduled for Wednesday, May 14 at the old Bowman Middle School in Bakersville from 1 to 4 p.m. The workshop is free and open to all, but Brandon asks that you register to come by calling (828) 688-4811 this week to sign up.