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MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. While traffic on the streets of downtown Spruce Pine is slower these days many small businesses are finding ways to rebound in the wake of destruction. The Market on Oak has opened its doors to four small businesses: Treasures in the Pines, Spruce Pine Florist, HairCraft, and Treehouse Realty. L&L Furniture Company cleared space for D.T.’s Java Jr. in their lawn and garden furniture showroom. Spruce Pine businesses are showing that the business community is stronger when together

MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. While traffic on the streets of downtown Spruce Pine is slower these days many small businesses are finding ways to rebound in the wake of destruction. The Market on Oak has opened its doors to four small businesses: Treasures in the Pines, Spruce Pine Florist, HairCraft, and Treehouse Realty. L&L Furniture Company cleared space for D.T.’s Java Jr. in their lawn and garden furniture showroom. Spruce Pine businesses are showing that the business community is stronger when together

‘Scars of the storm’

Mitchell News-Journal
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Jane Winik Sartwell  Carolina Public Press With the county’s supermarket, downtown restaurants, manufacturing sites and prisons struggling to reopen in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, Mitchell County now has the highest unemployment rate in North Carolina at nearly 9 percent — almost three...
Submitted photo. From left, Finance Officer Crystal Young, retiring Town Manager Darlene Butler and Parks and Recreation Director Michael Wood pose at Butler’s retirement reception.

Submitted photo. From left, Finance Officer Crystal Young, retiring Town Manager Darlene Butler and Parks and Recreation Director Michael Wood pose at Butler’s retirement reception.

Spruce Pine manager retires after 27 years

Mitchell News-Journal
Monday, January 6, 2025
Sarah Atkins mnjreporter@gmail.com After 27 years of working with and for the people of Spruce Pine, Darlene Butler seeks travel and adventure in retirement. Butler has served the Town of Spruce Pine as Town Manager for the past four years.

FEMA extends app deadlines

Mitchell News-Journal
Monday, January 6, 2025
At the request of Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene survivors now have until Feb. 6 to apply for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a FEMA release.
MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Mitchell County Manager Allen Cook speaks at a town hall meeting in Bakersville.

MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Mitchell County Manager Allen Cook speaks at a town hall meeting in Bakersville.

“Town hall” addresses recovery concerns

Mitchell News-Journal
Monday, January 6, 2025
Mariel Williams editor@mitchellnews.com Dozens of Mitchell residents came out for a community meeting in Bakersville Thursday, to hear updates on hurricane recovery.
MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Mitchell Medics honored four employees recently for their efforts to save a teenager in a medical crisis the morning Hurricane Helene knocked out communications in Mitchell County. From left are Dr. Gabriel Cade of Blue Ridge Regional Medical Center, patient Devon Hughes, and Mitchell Medics staffers Alex Brown, Jared Stickle and Evan Stern, holding Millicent Stern.

MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Mitchell Medics honored four employees recently for their efforts to save a teenager in a medical crisis the morning Hurricane Helene knocked out communications in Mitchell County. From left are Dr. Gabriel Cade of Blue Ridge Regional Medical Center, patient Devon Hughes, and Mitchell Medics staffers Alex Brown, Jared Stickle and Evan Stern, holding Millicent Stern.

First responders honored

Mitchell News-Journal
Friday, December 27, 2024
Mariel Williams editor@mitchellnews.com Mitchell Medics recently honored four staff members for fighting through storm damage to reach a medical emergency the day massive flooding and infrastructure outages hit the area in September. Emergency room physician Dr.

Regional library system will survive

Mitchell News-Journal
Friday, December 27, 2024
Mariel Williams editor@mitchellnews.com Regional Director Amber Westall Briggs gave an update on the AMY (Avery Mitchell Yancey) Regional Library System at a recent meeting of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners.
MNJ photo/Sarah Atkins. The Mitchell Middle and High School Bands perform Christmas songs for friends and family.

MNJ photo/Sarah Atkins. The Mitchell Middle and High School Bands perform Christmas songs for friends and family.

School bands put on Christmas concert

Mitchell News-Journal
Friday, December 20, 2024
Sarah Atkins mnjreporter@gmail.com This past Thursday evening, the Mitchell High School and Mitchell Middle School bands hosted a Christmas concert for the county.
MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Downtown Spruce Pine is looking to fund another round of grants for storm-damaged businesses. Hurricane Helene left Lower Street (Locust Avenue) full of debris from gutted businesses and floodwaters from the North Toe River.

MNJ Photo/Mariel Williams. Downtown Spruce Pine is looking to fund another round of grants for storm-damaged businesses. Hurricane Helene left Lower Street (Locust Avenue) full of debris from gutted businesses and floodwaters from the North Toe River.

Canipe back as interim manager

Mitchell News-Journal
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mariel Williams editor@mitchellnews.com The Spruce Pine Town Council voted to hire Richard Canipe as interim town manager. Canipe served as town manager for 21 years before retiring in 2020. Under his new contract, he will run Spruce Pine after Darlene Butler’s retirement on Dec.

Spruce Pine approves temporary housing

Mitchell News-Journal
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mariel Williams editor@mitchellnews.com The Spruce Pine Town Council voted recently to amend its zoning codes to allow for temporary housing construction, in order to help disaster victims live on their own properties while rebuilding.

Sign up today for emergency alerts

Mitchell News-Journal
Monday, December 16, 2024
Noreen Nickolas MNJ Correspondent Mitchell County is encouraging residents to use the Hyper-Reach message system to stay on top of emergency alerts. Hyper-Reach is a mass emergency notification service that Mitchell County has used since 2016 to communicate with residents during emergencies.