News across North Carolina: Helene grants, food festival Saturday and high insurance costs

kAmr92C:E23=6 @C82?:K2E:@?D DFAA@CE:?8 =@?8\E6C> C64@G6CJ :? H6DE6C? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 4@>>F?:E:6D 27764E65 3J wFCC:42?6 w6=6?6 42? 2AA=J 7@C 8C2?ED 7C@> E96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 r@>>F?:EJ u@F?52E:@? s:D2DE6C #6=:67 uF?5]k^Am

kAmp3@FE Sd >:==:@? :D 2G2:=23=6 7C@> E96 7F?5[ H9:49 H2D 4C62E65 E@ DFAA@CE =@?8\E6C> C64@G6CJ[ 255C6DD F?>6E ?665D 2?5 3F:=5 4@>>F?:EJ C6D:=:6?46 2?5 AC6A2C65?6DD] vC2?E 2H2C5D 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ C2?86 7C@> Sad[___ E@ S`__[___]k^Am

kAm~C82?:K2E:@?D 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ C6G:6H AC@8C2> 56E2:=D[ :?4=F5:?8 6=:8:3:=:EJ[ C6DEC:4E:@?D 2?5 2AA=:42E:@? :?DECF4E:@?D[ @? E96 7@F?52E:@?’D H63D:E6 367@C6 2AA=J:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 2AA=:42E:@? H:== 4=@D6 2E ?@@? @? }@G] `g] pAA=:42E:@?D DF3>:EE65 27E6C E96 5625=:?6 H:== ?@E 36 C6G:6H65] vC2?ED H:== 36 2H2C565 :? 62C=J a_ae]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 AC@8C6DD 92D 366? >256 :? C6@A6?:?8 2?5 C63F:=5:?8 H6DE6C? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 @G6C E96 A2DE J62C[ H6 <?@H E96C6 :D >@C6 E@ 5@[” D2:5 y6??:76C %@==6 (9:E6D:56[ AC6D:56?E 2?5 rt~ @7 E96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 r@>>F?:EJ u@F?52E:@?] “(6 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ DFAA@CE:?8 677@CED E92E C6DE@C6 2?5 DEC6?8E96? E96 A6@A=6[ A=246D 2?5 DJDE6>D 27764E65 3J wFCC:42?6 w6=6?6]”k^Am

kAm%9:D 8C2?E\>2<:?8 AC@8C2> H:== DFAA@CE =@?8\E6C> C64@G6CJ 677@CED :? H6DE6C? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ H:E9 2 AC676C6?46 7@C @C82?:K2E:@?D D6CG:?8 E96 >@DE\D6G6C6=J :>A24E65 4@F?E:6Di pD96[ pG6CJ[ qF?4@>36[ qFC<6[ r2=5H6==[ r=6G6=2?5[ w2JH@@5[ w6?56CD@?[ |25:D@?[ |4s@H6==[ |:E496==[ !@=<[ #FE96C7@C5[ %C2?DJ=G2?:2[ (2E2F82 2?5 *2?46J]k^Am

kAmk6>m\}]r] r@>>F?:EJk^6>mk^Am

kAmk6>mu@F?52E:@?k^6>mk^Am

k9amu@@5 76DE:G2= D6E 7@C $2EFC52Jk^9am

kAm|~#vp}%~} — %96 !2C:D9 u@@5 u6DE:G2= :? |@C82?E@? :D D4965F=65 7@C $2EFC52J[ }@G] g]k^Am

kAm%96 aa?5 2??F2= 76DE:G2= H:== 36 7C@> `` 2]>] E@ b A]>] 2E $E] r92C=6D q@CC@>6@ r2E9@=:4 r9FC49[ =@42E65 2E fag (] &?:@? $E][ |@C82?E@?]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 2FE96?E:4 7@@5D 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ E96 76DE:G2= H:== 92G6 52?46 2?5 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 7C@> 4@F?EC:6D H9@D6 72>:=:6D 92G6 92?565 5@H? EC25:E:@?D 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D] %9:D :D 2 76DE:G2= J@F H:== H2?E E@ 2EE6?5 9F?8CJ 2?5 2?E:4:A2E6 E96 6IA6C:6?46D E92E H:== :?DA:C6 2== J@FC D6?D6D[ 2 C6=62D6 7C@> $92C@? y23=@?D<:[ E96 5:C64E@C @7 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 rF=EFC2= 2?5 rC62E:G6 s6G6=@A>6?E 7@C E96 4:EJ @7 |@C82?E@?[ D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 76DE:G2= :D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 6?;@J 2? 27E6C?@@? >:==:?8 2C@F?5 7C@> 3@@E9 E@ 3@@E9 E2DE:?8 2 G2C:6EJ @7 7@@5D 7C@> `e 4@F?EC:6D[ H9:=6 6?;@J:?8 A6C7@C>2?46D 3J vF2E6>2=2? 2?5 |6I:42? 52?46CD[ G2C:@FD >FD:4:2?D 2?5 2 DA64:2= 8F6DE A6C7@C>2?46 3J (:==6EE6 |4x?E@D9] s6=:89E :? E96 DJ>>6ECJ @7 E96 vF2E6>2=2? =25:6D >2<:?8 E@CE:==2D @C H2E49:?8 E96 7C6D9=J AC6A2C65 w>@?8 688C@==D 4@>6 9@E @FE @7 E96 7CJ6C] $2>A=6 EC25:E:@?2= !@=:D9 A:C@8F6D[ 2?5 9@E @77 E96 8C:== !@=:D9 D2FD286D H:E9 pF?E $@A9:6’D 72>@FD D2F6C<C2FE C64:A6] p?5 ;F>A :? =:?6 62C=J 7@C E96 }656C=2?5’D q:EE6C32==6? 2?5 pAA=6 %2CE @C {632?@?’D $9:D9 q2C2< 2?5 q2<=2G2 @C t= $2=G25@C’D 7C6D9=J >256 AFAFD2D]k^Am

kAms@?’E 7@C86E E@ AFC492D6 D6G6C2= C277=6 E:4<6ED E@ 86E :? @? E96 AC:K6Di %H@ S`[___ :? 42D9[ Sd__ p>2K@? 8:7E 42C5[ Sad_ s:4<D 8:7E 42C5[ Sad_ (2=>2CE 8:7E 42C5 2?5 2 Sad_ u@@5 {:@? 8:7E 42C5] %:4<6ED 2C6 Sd @C 7:G6 7@C Sa_] %96C6 2C6 E9C66 E:4<6E 3@@E9D[ @?6 2E 6249 6?EC2?46 2?5 @?6 :?D:56 |FCC2J w2==] p >2A 2?5 =:DE @7 7@@5 3@@E9D 2C6 2G2:=23=6 @?\D:E6]k^Am

kAmk6>m\r:EJ @7 |@C82?E@?k^6>mk^Am

k9amq:8 :?DFC2?46 9:<6D 4@F=5 36 4@>:?8k^9am

kAm#p{txvw — %96 DE2E6H:56 >@?E9=J AC6>:F> :?4C62D6 7@C E96 a_ae 7656C2= 962=E9 :?DFC2?46 >2C<6EA=246 H:== 36 :? 2 C2?86 @7 `e]hT E@ be]cT[ E96 }]r] x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E 4@?7:C>65 (65?6D52J]k^Am

kAm%96 :?4C62D6 :D 2 5:C64E C6DF=E @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? =6EE:?8 E2I 4C65:E DF3D:5:6D 6IA:C6 @? s64] b`]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ 4@?DF>6C 25G@424J 8C@FAD H2C? AC6>:F> 9:<6D 4@F=5 D@2C FA E@ acfT 56A6?5:?8 @? D6G6C2= 6?C@==>6?ED 724E@CD E92E :?4=F56i E96 4@F?EJ H96C6 E96 2AA=:42?E =:G6Dj 9@FD69@=5 :?4@>6j ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 4@G6C65j 286 @7 A2CE:4:A2?ED `h E@ ecj 2?5 E96 DF3D:5J =6G6= @7 E96:C a_ad A=2?] qJ 4@>A2C:D@?[ AC6>:F> :?4C62D6D H6C6 :? E96 cT E@ fT C2?86 :? AC6G:@FD 6?C@==>6?E A6C:@5D]k^Am

kAm~A6? 6?C@==>6?E CF?D F?E:= y2?] `d 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]w62=E9r2C6]8@GQmHHH]w62=E9r2C6]8@Gk^2m] !@=:4J 9@=56CD >FDE D:8? FA 3J s64] `d E@ 6?DFC6 E92E 4@G6C286 368:?D y2?] `] r@G6C286 7@C E9@D6 D:8?:?8 FA 27E6C s64] `d H:== 368:? u63] `]k^Am

kAm%96 }]r] qF586E U2>Aj %2I r6?E6C 6DE:>2E6D 2D >2?J 2D be[___ }@CE9 r2C@=:?:2?D 4@F=5 5C@A @FE @7 E96 >2C<6EA=246 3642FD6 E96:C a_ad A=2? H:== 364@>6 F?277@C523=6 :? a_ae]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46 D2:5 E92E “H:E9@FE 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 24E:@? E@ 6IE6?5 E96 p77@C523=6 r2C6 p4E DF3D:5:6D[ `df[___ }@CE9 r2C@=:?:2?D H:== 364@>6 F?:?DFC65 2?5 2?@E96C ggg[___ H:== D66 E96:C 962=E9 42C6 AC6>:F>D 5@F3=6]”k^Am

kAmk6>m\%96 (:?DE@?\$2=6> y@FC?2=k^6>mk^Am

k9am}@ 492C86D :? ~4E] `h 72E2= 4C2D9k^9am

kAmsFC92> A@=:46 E@=5 pqr`` E92E E96 5C:G6C H9@ 9:E EH@ H@>6? :? E96 H6DE3@F?5 =2?6 ?62C !286 #@25 =2DE >@?E9 H:== ?@E 7246 492C86D]k^Am

kAm%96 ~4E] `h 4C2D9 <:==65 ac\J62C\@=5 qC:;6EE6 q2D56?] $96 H2D 2 $92H &?:G6CD:EJ 8C25F2E6 2?5 D49@@= E62496C :? (:=D@?]k^Am

kAm$96 2?5 96C D:DE6C H6C6 EC2G6=:?8 E@ z6C?6CDG:==6 H96? E96J DE@AA65 E@ DH:E49 5C:G6CD]k^Am

kAmq2D56? 5:65 7C@> 96C :?;FC:6D] w6C D:DE6C :D DE:== C64@G6C:?8]k^Am

kAmq2D56? H2D 2 E62496C 2E $2==:6 q] w@H2C5 $49@@=[ H9:49 96=5 2 42?5=6=:89E G:8:= E@ 9@?@C 96C]k^Am

kAm“$96 H2D 2? 2?86= 2?5 D96 H2D D@ =@G65] p 362FE:7F= D>:=6 2?5 2 362FE:7F= A6CD@? :?D:56 2?5 @FE] %92E’D H9J :E 5:5?’E E2<6 =@?8 2E 2== 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 6>3C246 96C[” D2:5 y@2??6 (@@52C5[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C]k^Am

kAmk6>m\pqr `` :? sFC92>k^6>mk^Am