Latest news with #Helene-affected
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor Josh Stein announces $890 million budget proposal for western NC relief efforts
UNION MILLS, N.C. (WNCN) – Governor Josh Stein is urging North Carolina lawmakers to set out more than $891 million in additional relief funding for Hurricane Helene recovery. Stein visited Carolina Domes in Union Mills on Monday morning, announcing his second budget proposal related to assisting the rebuilding efforts in the western part of the state. 'Western North Carolina is coming back strong, but there is much more work to do,' Governor Stein said. 'I urge the General Assembly to pass a second round of funding so that the rebuilding and recovery efforts can continue as quickly and effectively as possible.' PREVIOUS: NC Governor Stein appeals FEMA decision to not renew 100% match for Helene recovery Stein's proposal includes the following: $260 million to spur economic recovery by supporting businesses and local governments and promoting western North Carolina's tourism industry. $239 million to strengthen critical infrastructure by repairing damaged schools, expanding debris clean-up and investing in projects to safeguard against future disasters. $113 million to advance housing recovery and provide assistance to families who have struggled with rent, mortgage and utility bills. $105 million to rehabilitate waterways and land used by farmers as well as fund wildfire prevention and response. $23 million to address food insecurity in western North Carolina and the needs of affected community colleges. $152 million for required state matching of federal disaster programs, investments in communication and disaster system improvements, as well as existing requirements that are not funded by state or federal dollars. Stein said his administration remains laser-focused on rebuilding western North Carolina with $55 million already distributed to over 2,000 businesses in Helene-affected areas. The state also launched an additional $55 million state infrastructure program, allowing local governments to apply for up to $1 million to rebuild public infrastructure that small businesses rely on, like sidewalks and sewers. Click here to read the governor's full recovery budget proposal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC House approves Disaster Recovery Act for hurricane relief in Western Carolina
RALEIGH, NC (WNCT) — Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025, legislators from the North Carolina House of Representatives approved the fourth-round of hurricane relief measures. The 'Disaster Recovery Act of 2025,' House Bill 47, allocates $524 million for the hurricane relief efforts in Western North Carolina, which brings more than $1.4 billion total relief funding from the General Assembly across all four legislative packages. Key funding provisions in House Bill 47 include: $200 million to Helene-specific crop-loss and farm restoration $120 million for rebuilding and repairing homes $100 million for repairing private roads and bridges $55 million for small business infrastructure grants $20 million to remove millions of cubic yards of debris $10 million to support essential volunteer organizations $10 million for volunteer fire departments $9 million for learning recovery for students in Helene-affected counties $4 million for travel and tourism marketing $217 million to close out home rebuilding operations in Eastern NC $110 million to assist farmers with non-Helene-related crop loss 'We are proud to have worked alongside the Senate to craft and approve this vital relief legislation that continues Western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene,' Helene Select Committee Co-Chair Dudley Greene said. Alongside hurricane relief, the bill includes $217 million to complete rebuilding homes in Eastern North Carolina and nearly $110 million in state-wide relief for farmers in addition to Helene-specific agriculture funding. 'This bill is a needed helping hand to farmers across our state who have fallen victim to the devastating impact of natural disasters,' House Agriculture and Environment Committee Senior Chair Jimmy Dixon said. The final bill includes additional education funding for Western North Carolina and increased funding for farm relief across the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
06-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Georgia's budget sets Hurricane Helene aid and tax rebates. Here's a look by the numbers
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an amended state budget on Thursday that will boost state spending on relief for Hurricane Helene and provide another round of state income tax rebates. The measure, which covers the remaining months of the current budget year ending June 30, also increases spending on Georgia's troubled prison system. 'The budget gives relief to Georgians devastated by Hurricane Helene, makes our schools and communities safer through strategic investments, and yet again returns hard-earned money to the taxpayers,' the Republican governor said before signing House Bill 67. Here's a by-the-numbers look: $4.4 billion State government will spend $4.4 billion more of its own money, thanks to tax collections exceeding Kemp's earlier estimate, as well as dipping into $11 billion in accumulated surplus. The state will spend nearly $75 billion this year, including $40.5 billion in state funds and $75 billion overall once federal money and other funds like college tuition are included. $862 million The spending plan adds $862 million for Hurricane Helene relief after the storm caused billions of damage when it cut across the eastern half of the state in September. That includes another $185 million for low-interest loans to farmers and to remove downed trees from private lands so they don't become a fire hazard. There's also $25 million in grants to nonprofits that are supposed to go to help individuals. The state will spend more money to cover the state and local share of debris removal, provide grants to rural hospitals in Helene-affected areas, pay to replace damaged materials and equipment in public libraries and cover the nearly $100 million in lost transportation tax revenue after Kemp declared a gas tax holiday. $250, $375 and $500 The budget sets aside $1 billion for another round of state income tax rebates, but before they can go out the Senate must pass House Bill 112, after the House passed it 175-0 on Thursday. If the bill passes as expected, individual taxpayers would get back up to $250 from their state income tax payments, while single people who head households could get back up to $375 and married couples could get back up to $500. No one could get back more income tax than they paid, which means some low-income taxpayers would get less. The rebates would come automatically if the bill becomes law. 5.19% Georgia's state income tax rate would drop to 5.19%, retroactive to Jan. 1, under House Bill 111, which passed the House 110-60 on Thursday and moves on for Senate debate. Georgia's flat income tax rate dropped to 5.29% on Jan. 1. A 2022 law ended the old system of tax brackets and called for annual 0.1% cuts until reaching 4.99%. Kemp and Republican lawmakers — citing consistent surpluses thanks to a strong economy and limits on spending — have pushed larger cuts ahead of the yearly schedule, and now the governor wants again to double this year's reduction, going down to 5.19% for all income earned in 2025. State government would forgo an estimated $149 million in revenue in the budget year ending June 30, and then $744 million a year going forward, administration officials estimate. The impact would be small for most taxpayers — a single person making $44,000 a year would pay about $30 less. Democrats fought the decrease, saying it's starving state government of needed revenue for services while mostly delivering benefits to the richest Georgians. 'We are giving a massive, wasteful tax cut for the wealthiest Georgians and not investing in programs that serve everyone in this state,' said Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, a Smyrna Democrat. $346 million Spending would rise for $346 million for Georgia's prison system, which Kemp and legislative leaders say will help improve prisons troubled by inmate violence and deaths, contraband smuggling and a critical lack of prison guards. That would include $50.9 million for new correctional officer positions because fewer guards are quitting after salary increases in recent years. There's also $80 million to buy and set up four 128-bed modular prison units to let the state shift inmates out of current prisons to renovate them and install secure locks on cells.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How President Trump, Josh Stein rank in approval from NC voters
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Their inaugurations were mere weeks ago, but approval ratings are already taking shape for President Donald Trump, now in his second term, and Governor Josh Stein. In a poll released Thursday by Meredith College, Stein achieved an approval above 50% while Trump fell a bit short of that level. His tenure as governor started on January 1, which doesn't leave a whole lot of time to form an initial opinion. That's why 22% of poll respondents said they had no opinion on Stein's work as governor. For those who did have an opinion on it—58% approved compared to 19% who said they did not approve of what he's done since taking the highest office in the state. Most North Carolina residents express confidence in integrity and accuracy of 2024 election in new poll Director of the Meredith College poll, David McLennan, said overall 'Governor Stein has had a good start to his term as governor as he was offered to work across the party aisle on Hurricane Helene recovery. He has traveled to the Helene-affected areas several times.' Pointing to where Stein's approval rating could be headed, McLennan said it's possible to soon see his favorability among Republicans take a downturn. 'It is likely,' he said, 'that as partisan fights start with Republicans in the General Assembly over budget and proposed laws that his support among Republicans and others may wane.' Polling data showed that among demographic groups, Stein had strong support among Republican voters as well as As for Trump and his standing with N.C. voters, 47% approve and 49% disapprove. These are his strongest approval ratings in the state since early 2017, according to polling from Meredith College. His approval rating puts him 'only slightly below water,' according to pollsters. Perhaps unsurprisingly, three-quarters of Democrats disapprove of Trump's work (75.2%) while more than nine out of 10 Republicans approve (91.1%). For unaffiliated voters, a slight majority approve. Trump visits Western NC, talks ditching FEMA, promises more money for Helene recovery The numbers being so close to each other is significant as his approval numbers since 2018, including during his campaign for a second term, were in the mid-40s. Despite how close together the numbers of approval/disapproval are, there are stark gaps in how different demographic groups feel about his work. 'Trump's approval ratings among minority voters, as compared to his support among these voters in November, should be a red flag for the president, who claims a mandate for his policies,' said McLennan. When looking at voters by gender, Trump is favored among men with a narrow majority approving (51.1%). Also, when broken down by race, majority of white voters approve at a rate of (57.6%). Demographically speaking, the majority ends there. Among Black voters, 70.2% disapprove; among Hispanic voters, 66.7% disapprove; and among female voters, a narrow majority disapprove as well (50.2%). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
4 months later: 18-wheeler cab removed from Swannanoa River as recovery efforts surge following Hurricane Helene
SWANNANOA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The cab of an 18-wheeler, stuck in the Swannanoa River since Hurricane Helene made its way through western North Carolina, is now finally out of the water. Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with contractors and crews from Buncombe County Solid Waste Management, took part in the effort to get the vehicle removed. The work is a part of large debris removal taking place in the area. The Army Corps of Engineers has been taking part in various projects in Helene-affected areas for months, with much of the work focusing on right-of-way debris removal. The work has since shifted to large debris and removal work on private properties. Popular Boone concert hall, Legends, to be demolished after Helene damage Colonel Brad Morgan with the Army Corps of Engineers noted that the process for getting some of the work done has involved a more intensive process behind the scenes than people realize, which involved pinpointing the areas and issues most in need. 'We had to get our contractors plan how-how do they plan to get into the waterways and execute this removal and retrieval of this debris,' said Col. Morgan on Wednesday's cleanup. 'Then, once we had that, then we can go through the environmental, historical permitting process to make sure that we're not disturbing any cultural, historical properties, along the waterways as well as any type of endangered species.' Col. Morgan noted the issues surrounding the terrain of western North Carolina have created an issue with response to some Helene-affected areas, but has not made it impossible to get those issues addressed. Cut-off Watauga County community still recovering four months after Hurricane Helene As one official noted to Queen City News Wednesday, the perception that the response has been slow or inadequate does not equate with the work that has been done so far, and continues to be done, but the progress being seen is at a rate that is no faster or slower than any other disaster. Residents in Swannanoa are aware of the issues, noting the extent of the damage in their town. 'There's so much, and we get that,' said Kristen Hicks. 'I mean, if you drive around, there's just too much of a need.' The work on removing the cab from the Swannanoa River was the latest step in the cleanup of that waterway. Residents noted other cleanup work has continued in that same area over the last couple of days, addressing other issues nearby in the river. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
