Politics & Government

Six candidates – three Republicans and three Democrats – are vying for three seats on the board.

Election officials have limited the hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but expanded dates to include weekends during the early voting period, which ends November 2.

Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina. The visits were temporarily suspended after reports emerged over the weekend that FEMA employees could be targeted by militia members.

Currently, commissioners live in assigned districts but are elected at large, meaning Watauga voters can choose their commissioners whether they live in the district or not. This year, commissioners will be chosen only by residents in those individual districts under a bill approved last year.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted more than $7 million to residents affected by Helene in Avery, Ashe and Watauga counties.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has announced a lawsuit against CNN over its recent report alleging he made explicit racial and sexual posts on a pornography website's message board. He made the announcement Tuesday and calls the reporting reckless and defamatory.

The Biden-Harris administration announced plans to provide up to $750 million in direct funding to Wolfspeed, with the money supporting its new silicon carbide factory in North Carolina that makes the wafers used in advanced computer chips and its factory in Marcy, New York.

Banner Elk officials still want people to stay off the roads unless travel is essential, and they are asking those who planned to visit in October to reschedule.