Latest Updates

A bicyclist was struck and killed by a driver Saturday night, August 8th on US-70 West near Major Conley Road in McDowell County. According to Emergency Services Director William Kehler, emergency personnel were called to the scene. Upon arriving they found one person pinned under a car. EMS paramedics pronounced that person dead at the scene. The accident happened just before 9 p.m. The driver ...(more)

Anyone who may have seen this person on July 31 or  August 1 at the Black Mountain trail head in Yancey County to contact the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office at 828-682-2124 ...(more)

A widespread power outage occurred Friday afternoon at 6:08 pm. The outage affected over 15,000 of the 38,000 French Broad Electric customers in a 6 county area. Many Duke Energy Customers were also without power. French Broad Electric said the interruption was caused by a feed line coming into their system.  Power was restored around 7:35pm. The USGS reported, a significant earthquake took ...(more)

The USGS reports, a significant earthquake took place near Sparta, North Carolina around 8:07 am Sunday morning, August 9th. The quake registered at 5.1 on the Richter Scale, one of the stronger to occur in this region in decades. Reports of feeling the earthquake were reported from all across Western North Carolina, and as far south as Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. The ...(more)

...(more)