Local

MNJ Photo/Steffen Silvis. Spruce Pine potter Daniel Garver speaks to a prospective buyer.

MNJ Photo/Steffen Silvis. Spruce Pine potter Daniel Garver speaks to a prospective buyer.

The market built of clay

Steffen Silvis
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
The annual Spruce Pine Potters Market, which was held last Saturday and Sunday, brought a packed crowd to the Cross Street Commerce Center. Market veterans were pleasantly surprised by the larger than expected turnout.

Bakersville council seats contested

Mariel Williams
Monday, October 6, 2025
Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Bakersville Town Council in November’s election, while Spruce Pine is holding an uncontested election. The deadline to register to vote is Friday by 4:30 p.m. Municipal elections will be held in both Bakersville and Spruce Pine on Nov. 4.

Spruce Pine awarded $700k grant for water infrastructure

Mariel Williams
Monday, October 6, 2025
The town of Spruce Pine has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, according to town manager Daniel Stines. Stines made the announcement at a special called meeting of the Spruce Pine Town Council last week. The council voted to accept the grant funding.
MNJ Photo/Steffen Silvis. The Spruce Pine BBQ Festival filled Locust Avenue with locals and visitors alike.

MNJ Photo/Steffen Silvis. The Spruce Pine BBQ Festival filled Locust Avenue with locals and visitors alike.

Rotary in action: Barbecue with a side of music

Steffen Silvis
Monday, October 6, 2025
What should have been the 13th annual Spruce Pine BBQ Festival in October 2024 was another victim of last year’s disaster. Not only was the festival ruined but so was its historic venue, Riverside Park. The number 13 was luckier this year, as the festival returned last Saturday.
MNJ Photo/Noreen Nickolas. The Baptists on Mission Rebuild Center in Spruce Pine officially opened on Sept. 24. It will accommodate from 150 to 200 volunteers. Its mission is to restore homes in the area that were damaged during Tropical Storm Helene.

MNJ Photo/Noreen Nickolas. The Baptists on Mission Rebuild Center in Spruce Pine officially opened on Sept. 24. It will accommodate from 150 to 200 volunteers. Its mission is to restore homes in the area that were damaged during Tropical Storm Helene.

Baptists on Mission

Noreen Nikolas
Monday, October 6, 2025
eeting was recently held at the new Baptists on Mission Rebuild Center in Spruce Pine to thank volunteers and others who helped with the Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts and to dedicate the building, which supporters hope will continue its recovery mission for as long as needed.

Board discusses implications of bullying

Mariel Williams
Monday, October 6, 2025
The Mitchell County Schools Board of Education passed a budget resolution but without a full budget at their September meeting — the school district is still waiting on funding decisions from the state government before putting together a budget.
Submitted photo. The Spruce Pine BBQ Festival will be held this Saturday on Lower Street (Locust Avenue) in Spruce Pine.

Submitted photo. The Spruce Pine BBQ Festival will be held this Saturday on Lower Street (Locust Avenue) in Spruce Pine.

BBQ festival returns

Mariel Williams
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
The Spruce Pine BBQ Festival is back this weekend, after skipping last year owing to disaster recovery.
Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press. Scenes from along Locust Street in downtown Spruce Pine on Sept. 11, 2025. The Western NC town sustained major damage during Helene. Many stores have reopened but others are under repair or remain shuttered.

Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press. Scenes from along Locust Street in downtown Spruce Pine on Sept. 11, 2025. The Western NC town sustained major damage during Helene. Many stores have reopened but others are under repair or remain shuttered.

A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

Mitchell News-Journal
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Jack Igelman Carolina Public Press On a mild late-summer afternoon in September, 86-year-old Tom Westall watered the flowers newly planted in the median on Locust Street in downtown Spruce Pine in Mitchell County.
MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. A small crowd gathered on Lower Street (Locust Avenue) to see the first freight train pass through Spruce Pine since Hurricane Helene. The train was pulled by a commemorative engine labeled with the old Clinchfield logo.

MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. A small crowd gathered on Lower Street (Locust Avenue) to see the first freight train pass through Spruce Pine since Hurricane Helene. The train was pulled by a commemorative engine labeled with the old Clinchfield logo.

Spruce Pine sees first freight train in a year

Mariel Williams
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
CSX sent its first freight train since Helene through Mitchell County Thursday. The track officially opened on Tuesday, Sept. 23. The Thursday train carried coal from Eastern Kentucky. It was 6,200 feet long and weighed 15,500 tons, and was made up of 110 cars.