Latest news with #TDA
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP challenger aims to unseat Mark Pless in the primary
May 30—A Republican business owner from Maggie Valley has announced his intention to challenge N.C. House Rep. Mark Pless for the seat representing Haywood and Madison counties. While it's rare for a sitting legislator to face opposition in the primary, the move is a reflection of Pless' strong-arm leadership style rubbing many in his own party the wrong way. A self-avowed political junkie, Ken Brown has closely followed local and state politics, especially as they impact Maggie Valley where he operates MarxBrown Consulting. After seeing politicians in Raleigh attempting to overturn the judgment of locally elected leaders, Brown began toying with the idea of running for the state legislature in House District 118, which encompasses Haywood and Madison counties. Pless' bill to upend the credentialing process for emergency medical technicians across the state was the last straw. After talking to a fire chief in the county about the bill — and learning that the bill had blindsided local EMS workers who were spitting mad over it — Brown said he knew it was time to act. Pless is also a Republican, but Brown said he and the incumbent differ greatly in their approaches to local government. "I'd been noticing a lot of the legislation Pless put forward seems to be working against the autonomy of local government," he said. "I don't even care if I agree with what a town is doing. If local folks want to do XYZ, and it is lawful across the state, it should be up to them." He referred to local bills Pless has introduced that he said undermines local authority, among them a bill that passed to end down-zoning in Maggie Valley; one proposed this session to allow certain properties within Maggie's town limits to de-annex that did not make it out of committee; and one to dissolve the Haywood Tourism Development Authority and eliminate the county's right to collect an occupancy tax. That third bill, if passed as introduced, would have meant about $3 million in taxes collected annually from tourists would disappear. Again, the bill blindsided local business and tourism leaders. Pless has since done an about-face on the TDA proposal, actually proposing to increase the room tax along with reorganizing the TDA's board of directors. "As a conservative, it boiled down to the fact the government that is closest to the people is best. That's why we elect federal, state, county and municipal leaders," Brown said. "To take away something, especially without their involvement, is unacceptable." The candidate sign-up period for state seats isn't until December, but Brown's campaign has already gone public. The primary election is in March 2026, and the winner will go on to face a to-be-determined Democratic candidate in the November general election. A natural next step Brown believes his entire career has shaped the type of leader he wants to be in Raleigh, and that's based on the philosophy of servant leadership. This concept follows a philosophy that prioritizes the needs of others and focuses on empowering them to grow and develop. Brown said servant leaders are motivated to serve and help others — something he's done throughout his entire career, he added. At Eastern Kentucky University, he double majored in business management and information systems and got a masters degree in business from Xavier University in Cincinnati. His career started in 1984 as a systems analyst with GE Aerospace — Jet Engines — and transitioned to sales and marketing three years later. In the enterprise software business, Brown stressed it is vital to "listen a lot more than you talk," which helps identify problems corporations are having and create a roadmap to solve the problems. "The problem-solving part and connecting the dots boils down to a listening and collaboration. My background fits nicely with what's needed as a legislator," he said. Brown and his wife, Beth, bought property in the White Oak community in 2000, and moved to the county full-time in 2005. The duo has an office building in Maggie Valley where she has developed a thriving photography business and he runs MarxBrown Consulting. In 2022, Brown opened a business to focus on helping smaller and start-up companies that couldn't afford and didn't have enough work for a full-time chief revenue officer. He accepts no more than five non-competing businesses at a time. At age 63, Brown said he can adjust his work schedule to fit a campaign and eventual work schedule in Raleigh. A plan While those seeking federal, state or local elected positions can't file for office until Dec. 1, Brown said he has a lot of listening to do to prepare for the job. To lead with humility and empathy, tenets of servant leadership, requires knowing the issues and the stakeholders in House District 118, so he's getting started early. Brown has launched a website that discusses his background, philosophy of servant leadership and a calendar that will show the places he will be as he listens to people across the district. That includes not only local government meetings where he will learn about pressing issues local leaders face, but plenty of regular and special events through the summer and fall where he can connect with people. For now, Brown conceded he's "probably best known as Beth Brown's husband," something he hopes will change as he kicks off his efforts to claim the N.C. House seat in 2026. He will be adding a Facebook and a Linked-In page. For those interested in learning more about Brown and his candidacy, visit call 828-944-9919 or email him at
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP challenger aims to unseat Mark Pless in the primary
May 30—A Republican business owner from Maggie Valley has announced his intention to challenge N.C. House Rep. Mark Pless for the seat representing Haywood and Madison counties. While it's rare for a sitting legislator to face opposition in the primary, the move is a reflection of Pless' strong-arm leadership style rubbing many in his own party the wrong way. A self-avowed political junkie, Ken Brown has closely followed local and state politics, especially as they impact Maggie Valley where he operates MarxBrown Consulting. After seeing politicians in Raleigh attempting to overturn the judgment of locally elected leaders, Brown began toying with the idea of running for the state legislature in House District 118, which encompasses Haywood and Madison counties. Pless' bill to upend the credentialing process for emergency medical technicians across the state was the last straw. After talking to a fire chief in the county about the bill — and learning that the bill had blindsided local EMS workers who were spitting mad over it — Brown said he knew it was time to act. Pless is also a Republican, but Brown said he and the incumbent differ greatly in their approaches to local government. "I'd been noticing a lot of the legislation Pless put forward seems to be working against the autonomy of local government," he said. "I don't even care if I agree with what a town is doing. If local folks want to do XYZ, and it is lawful across the state, it should be up to them." He referred to local bills Pless has introduced that he said undermines local authority, among them a bill that passed to end down-zoning in Maggie Valley; one proposed this session to allow certain properties within Maggie's town limits to de-annex that did not make it out of committee; and one to dissolve the Haywood Tourism Development Authority and eliminate the county's right to collect an occupancy tax. That third bill, if passed as introduced, would have meant about $3 million in taxes collected annually from tourists would disappear. Again, the bill blindsided local business and tourism leaders. Pless has since done an about-face on the TDA proposal, actually proposing to increase the room tax along with reorganizing the TDA's board of directors. "As a conservative, it boiled down to the fact the government that is closest to the people is best. That's why we elect federal, state, county and municipal leaders," Brown said. "To take away something, especially without their involvement, is unacceptable." The candidate sign-up period for state seats isn't until December, but Brown's campaign has already gone public. The primary election is in March 2026, and the winner will go on to face a to-be-determined Democratic candidate in the November general election. A natural next step Brown believes his entire career has shaped the type of leader he wants to be in Raleigh, and that's based on the philosophy of servant leadership. This concept follows a philosophy that prioritizes the needs of others and focuses on empowering them to grow and develop. Brown said servant leaders are motivated to serve and help others — something he's done throughout his entire career, he added. At Eastern Kentucky University, he double majored in business management and information systems and got a masters degree in business from Xavier University in Cincinnati. His career started in 1984 as a systems analyst with GE Aerospace — Jet Engines — and transitioned to sales and marketing three years later. In the enterprise software business, Brown stressed it is vital to "listen a lot more than you talk," which helps identify problems corporations are having and create a roadmap to solve the problems. "The problem-solving part and connecting the dots boils down to a listening and collaboration. My background fits nicely with what's needed as a legislator," he said. Brown and his wife, Beth, bought property in the White Oak community in 2000, and moved to the county full-time in 2005. The duo has an office building in Maggie Valley where she has developed a thriving photography business and he runs MarxBrown Consulting. In 2022, Brown opened a business to focus on helping smaller and start-up companies that couldn't afford and didn't have enough work for a full-time chief revenue officer. He accepts no more than five non-competing businesses at a time. At age 63, Brown said he can adjust his work schedule to fit a campaign and eventual work schedule in Raleigh. A plan While those seeking federal, state or local elected positions can't file for office until Dec. 1, Brown said he has a lot of listening to do to prepare for the job. To lead with humility and empathy, tenets of servant leadership, requires knowing the issues and the stakeholders in House District 118, so he's getting started early. Brown has launched a website that discusses his background, philosophy of servant leadership and a calendar that will show the places he will be as he listens to people across the district. That includes not only local government meetings where he will learn about pressing issues local leaders face, but plenty of regular and special events through the summer and fall where he can connect with people. For now, Brown conceded he's "probably best known as Beth Brown's husband," something he hopes will change as he kicks off his efforts to claim the N.C. House seat in 2026. He will be adding a Facebook and a Linked-In page. For those interested in learning more about Brown and his candidacy, visit call 828-944-9919 or email him at
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
WATCH: US intel's take on TdA gang misses mark on ties to Maduro regime, ex-Venezuela army officer says
A former high-ranking officer in the Venezuelan military is contesting a recent report by the U.S. intelligence community about the massive Tren de Aragua gang present throughout the country. Jose Arocha, who is a former lieutenant colonel in the Venezuelan military, told Fox News Digital that the recent intel community report denying Tren de Aragua is linked to the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is missing a key aspect: the socialist regime's animosity towards the United States and penchant for asymmetric warfare. Tren de Aragua, also known simply as TdA, is a violent Venezuelan gang that has been terrorizing U.S. cities over the last several years. The group is linked to high-profile murders such as the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the seizure of an entire apartment building in Aurora, Colorado. As one of his first moves back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump directed the State Department to designate TdA a "foreign terrorist organization." Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin To Move On Ending Legal Protections For Some Venezuelan Migrants Speaking with Fox News Digital via Zoom, Arocha, a national security expert at the Center for a Secure Free Society, said he agrees with the Trump administration's moves against Tren de Aragua, which he believes is an "asymmetrical warfare" tool of the Maduro regime to sow discord in the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere. Read On The Fox News App "The Maduro regime doesn't need to send troops to the USA. It sends criminals instead," he said. "TdA is a plug-and-play insurgency – assembled in prison, deployed abroad." Arocha's statements, however, contrast with a new public memo released by U.S. intelligence agencies last month that denied any solid connection between the Maduro government in Caracas and the gang. "While Venezuela's permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States," the report states. The report says that the intelligence community based its conclusion "on Venezuelan law enforcement actions demonstrating the regime treats TDA as a threat; an uneasy mix of cooperation and confrontation rather than top-down directives [that] characterize the regime's ties to other armed groups; and the decentralized makeup of TDA that would make such a relationship logistically challenging." Arocha, meanwhile, said that "the missing point here is that the intelligence report is too narrow a lens about the TdA." "It's about crime and migration, but they're missing the warfare dimension," he said. "They are missing that for the Maduro regime, the United States is the enemy, has been the enemy for years." Violent Venezuelan Gang Exploits Technology To Turbocharge Its Dominance: Experts "The TdA is not a gang," he went on. "It's the enabler arm of the Venezuelan regime in the hybrid warfare strategy, the asymmetrical tour of war. That's the missing point. And that is the point that explains how a local gang is right now in more than 10 countries, including the United States. That's incredible, and that is not possible without a state sponsor behind them." While the report points to law enforcement actions the Maduro government has taken against TdA, Arocha explained that in reality Venezuelan prisons, including the "Tocorón" prison where the gang started, are more like resort hotels. "Tocorón, [which] they said is the epicenter of the crime in Venezuela, it wasn't a prison, it was a palace for organized crime. Full equipment, we have a zoo, nightclubs and even a pool for the prisoners there," he said. Arocha also posited that the 2023 raid the Venezuelan government conducted on Tocorón "appears choreographed" and that key TdA leadership was able to escape through pre-made tunnels. "While the regime gained optics of cracking down on crime, TdA's mobility remained intact," Arocha told Fox News Digital. 11 Alleged Teen Tren De Aragua Gang Members Attack Nypd Officers: Police The intel report admitted that the escaped TdA members were "possibly assisted by low-level Venezuelan military and political leaders." But to Arocha, the connection goes straight to the top. He pointed to the kidnapping and murder of Venezuelan political dissident Ronald Ojeda in Chile, which, according to Reuters, is being investigated by the Chilean government as a possible Tren de Aragua operation sponsored by the Maduro government. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage Reuters reported in March that Chilean Attorney General Angel Valencia said that Ojeda's murder "doesn't have the characteristics of a normal crime" and "all the evidence we have at this state of the investigation lets us conclude that a cell or group linked to the Tren de Aragua that was politically motivated that originated from an order of a political nature." The outlet also reported that the Venezuelan government denied the accusations as baseless. Arocha further pointed to former Maduro Vice President Tareck El Aissami, who has alleged ties to Hamas and Hezbollah, as evidence that the Venezuelan government is embedded with America's worst enemies. Venezuelan Illegal Alien, Alleged Tren De Aragua Leader In California, Arrested On Immigration Charges El Aissami was arrested on corruption charges and is currently in prison. "He has a strong influence with Iran and China and Russia, too. Right now, he's in prison, which means that he's living in the palace in prison," Arocha remarked, smiling. "The Venezuelan regime is a proxy of Russia, China and Iran, especially China right now," he went on. "They use Venezuela [to] create chaos in Latin America especially … not confronting directly the United States, but indirectly, using criminals, using disinformation, using every single tool they have." In response, Arocha urged the Trump administration to continue to take a whole-of-government approach in combating TdA. He urged the administration to "increase our scope" by reaching out to Latin American countries with experience with TdA, such as the Chilean government. "They have a knowledge right now about the TdA. We have to understand what they've learned about, and we have to put all the pieces together to have the big picture instead of the local one," he said. "And then I'm very sure that we are going to realize the missing and the main link is in Caracas."Original article source: WATCH: US intel's take on TdA gang misses mark on ties to Maduro regime, ex-Venezuela army officer says
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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Venezuela weaponized Tren de Aragua gang to hurt the U.S., FBI warned in January
A newly surfaced FBI memorandum directly challenges earlier U.S. intelligence assessments and asserts that the Venezuelan regime is actively enabling the expansion of Tren de Aragua, the South American country's most powerful transnational criminal organization, in a campaign to destabilize neighboring countries and the United States. The January 2025 memo, first reported this week by The New York Times, presents a stark portrait of a regime willing to export violence, organized crime and repression to maintain power and gain geopolitical leverage. It describes a coordinated strategy by the Nicolas Maduro government to release violent criminals, facilitate their migration abroad, and deploy them as unofficial enforcers—not only across Latin America but increasingly in U.S. cities. The memo was submitted by the Trump administration on Thursday to a federal judge in Texas overseeing one of a growing number of lawsuits challenging the government's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the gang to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador. According to the FBI, the campaign sought to generate chaos, stretch law enforcement capacity and intimidate Venezuelan dissidents living in exile. Once confined to prison networks in Venezuela's Aragua state, TDA has grown into a sprawling, multinational criminal syndicate. Now classified as a 'megagang,' the group operates across Latin America and, according to U.S. law enforcement, has established a presence in several American cities. The FBI believes this expansion is deliberate. 'Some Venezuelan government officials likely facilitate the migration of TDA members… to advance the Maduro regime's objective of undermining public safety in the United States,' the memo states. The assessment, supported by multiple sources, carries a 'medium confidence' rating due to limitations in source access and corroboration. 'As of November 2023, the Venezuelan government had strategically managed and financed TDA as part of a broader foreign policy goal: to create internal security and social problems for the United States,' the report reads. It adds that Maduro viewed the migrant crisis and social unrest in cities like New York and Chicago as evidence of TDA's success in creating political and security challenges he could use as leverage in sanctions negotiations with Washington. This assessment lends weight to a controversial assertion made by President Donald Trump, who recently invoked wartime powers to expedite the deportation of suspected gang members to a high-security facility in El Salvador. The move relied on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—a rarely used wartime statute—to bypass standard legal protections. Although Trump initially used the act to detain and transfer Venezuelans linked to gangs, federal courts have since blocked the policy. Opposition leaders in Venezuela, including María Corina Machado, have long accused Maduro and top official Diosdado Cabello of masterminding TDA's rise. These accusations gained renewed attention in March, when Trump cited them as justification for invoking the wartime statute. The FBI report contradicts a previously released U.S. National Intelligence Council assessment, which concluded in April 2024 that while Venezuela's permissive environment enables TDA's operations, the Maduro regime likely does not exert direct control over the gang. 'While Venezuela's permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movements to or operations in the United States,' the NIC's April 7 memo stated. It added: 'This judgment is based on Venezuelan law enforcement actions indicating the regime treats TDA as a threat; an uneasy mix of cooperation and confrontation—rather than top-down control—characterizes the regime's ties to armed groups; and the decentralized structure of TDA would make a direct command relationship logistically difficult.' The FBI report — which had been drafted earlier than the National Intelligence Council assessment but only made public this week —presents a much different view. According to the bureau's findings, senior Venezuelan officials are involved in TDA's daily operations, with 'strategic decision-making regarding government use of TDA' reportedly passing through Maduro himself. The president allegedly relies on trusted intermediaries to insulate himself from public links to the group. TDA's criminal portfolio includes drug trafficking, extortion, human smuggling and contract killings. But, as outlined in the memo, its most insidious role is as a covert arm of Venezuela's security state—used to assassinate dissidents, threaten exiled opposition figures, and weaponize migration as a geopolitical tool. The report links this strategy to the legacy of former President Hugo Chávez, who helped institutionalize the use of colectivos—state-sponsored paramilitary groups—for domestic repression. Now, according to the FBI, that same tactic has been exported. Among the memo's most alarming revelations is the claim that high-ranking officials—such as María Iris Varela Rangel, who oversaw Venezuela's prison system, and Diosdado Cabello—have directly orchestrated the release and overseas deployment of TDA operatives. As of February 2024, Varela had reportedly been 'deliberately releasing members of TDA from the prison systems,' encouraging them to leave the country for the United States and, in some cases, assisting with their travel. In at least one instance, TDA leaders were provided with relocation plans for their families, further suggesting a state-sanctioned strategy to extend the gang's global footprint. For Venezuelan exiles who once saw countries like the U.S., Colombia, and Chile as safe havens, the FBI warns those sanctuaries may no longer be secure. Over the next 6 to 18 months, the bureau predicts Venezuelan officials will 'leverage TDA members in the United States as proxy actors to threaten, abduct, and kill members of the Venezuelan diaspora.' That grim forecast may have already begun to materialize. In February 2024, a former Venezuelan army lieutenant and vocal Maduro critic was abducted and killed in Chile. The FBI believes the attack was orchestrated by Venezuelan intelligence and carried out by TDA members. Chilean authorities confirmed the victim had no criminal ties, contradicting Venezuelan claims he was involved in a plot to assassinate Maduro. The regime has a pattern of blaming foreign intelligence services for acts of violence it orchestrates, the memo adds—allowing it to deny responsibility while continuing transnational repression. The implications for U.S. cities are significant. The FBI explicitly names New York and Chicago as urban centers where TDA's presence has contributed to 'border chaos and widespread problems.' The threat, the report emphasizes, is not just criminal but political, with the gang's activities serving the strategic purpose of pressuring the U.S. government on sanctions and immigration policy. In response, the FBI calls for enhanced coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement, increased education on TDA tactics, and robust intelligence-sharing protocols. Legal attachés across the Americas have reportedly built strong partnerships with regional police forces—networks the FBI believes are critical to tracking TDA across borders. Still, the bureau acknowledges ongoing challenges. Proving direct coordination between the gang and the Venezuelan state remains complex. Maduro's use of intermediaries makes finding evidence difficult, and some intelligence sources may be biased, hoping their cooperation will bolster asylum claims. Even so, the report concludes that consistent patterns of state-enabled violence and repression suggest a deliberate strategy with dangerous transnational implications. The FBI assessment concludes that Venezuela has morphed into a 'hybrid criminal state,' where the boundaries between government and organized crime are deliberately blurred. Criminal groups act as de facto authorities in some regions, while the state leverages their violence for political ends. That evolution mirrors trends seen in other fragile states where the rule of law has eroded — but with one key difference: Venezuela's criminal strategy is explicitly transnational, with ambitions that extend far beyond its borders. While invoking the special war powers in March, Trump claimed that Maduro deliberately sent TDA members to the U.S. as part of an 'organized aggression' aimed at destabilizing the country. He asserted that many gang members had infiltrated the U.S. under orders from Maduro and Cabello, describing their presence as an act of 'irregular warfare.' The administration had previously designated Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, while the Justice Department has several indictments accusing Maduro, Cabello and othe top regime members of leading Venezuela's top narco-trafficking group known as the Soles Cartel. 'The regime is perpetrating an invasion and predatory incursion into the United States, which poses a substantial danger,' Trump said in his March proclamation. 'TdA operates in conjunction with the Cartel de los Soles, the Nicolás Maduro regime-sponsored narco-terrorist enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and trafficking of humans, drugs, and weapons.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FEMA has muddied the water on Haywood tourism recovery
May 28—How is Haywood's vital tourism economy faring in the wake of Helene? It's a tricky question to answer, with only one full season — and winter at that — behind us. It's made all the more difficult by the fact that a key metric to measure tourism was skewed in a significant way by outside forces. Overnight stays in Haywood County were down more than 40% in October on the heels of Helene, compared to October the previous year. Come November, overnight stays had nearly fully rebounded to last year's levels. And by December and January? Overnight stays were up compared to the previous year. But does that mean tourism was up? While overnight stays are typically the barometer for tourism performance, an unusual dynamic was at play. Thousands of hotel room nights were being filled by flood victims. Displaced Helene victims finding refuge in Haywood hotels offset what would have otherwise been a significant drop in overnight stays over last year — and in turn spared the county from a more sizable drop in tourism revenue from room tax collections. Following Helene, overnight stays in vacation rentals — like Airbnb's and rental cabins — saw a sharp decline. But overnight stays in hotels and motels saw a big increase. Only hotels and motels were eligible for the FEMA program to house displaced flood victims. So the increase in that sector, while other lodging sectors declined, coincides with the FEMA hotel housing program. However, it didn't last. By March, the FEMA hotel housing program benefits began wind down — and the true picture of a tourism decline became apparent. Diving into the numbers The 4% room tax collected on overnight stays is down $200,000 — or 10% — between July 2024 and March 2025 compared to the same period a year prior. Room tax collections are how the county's Tourism Development Authority, the TDA, keeps tabs on how many travelers are visiting Haywood and when. "We were predicting that we would be down at least through February or March, so the fact that December flipped to being modestly up is fantastic," said Corrina Ruffieux, executive director of the Haywood County TDA, said earlier in the year. However, it didn't quire come to pass that way, and at first Ruffieux was puzzled why tourism had not only rebounded but increased in the wake of Helene. —October room tax collections were down by 43% from the previous year following the Sept. 27 flooding and landslides that accompanied Helene. —November room tax collections were only down by about 4% from the previous year, a remarkable figure, given the circumstances. —December numbers actually rose, up nearly 3% over the previous year. —January's room tax collections were even more impressive, up around 8% from last year. However, it appears that Ruffieux's prediction inevitably came true. Room tax collection for February dropped by 6% over last year. March continued that slide, dropping 12% from last year. FEMA confuses matters After Hurricane Helene, participants in FEMA's Transitional Shelter Assistance program utilized hotel and motel rooms in Haywood for short-term housing. Displaced flood victims found available rooms and FEMA paid the hotels and motels directly for the cost of the stay. And by extension, it paid into Haywood's room tax, undoubtedly skewing the numbers. As of the end of April, Haywood had no TSA participants booking rooms. While it was obvious Haywood room tax collections had a bump that paralleled the FEMA hotel program, just how much it artificially inflated tourism numbers is difficult to parse out. The data doesn't have as much fidelity as anyone would like. Neither FEMA nor the TDA has access to information about exactly what percentage of room stays booked in Haywood County over the last six months were from TSA participants and which were from regular visitors. However, the TDA does keep room tax stats for four lodging sectors: bed and breakfasts and specialty inns, golf resorts, hotels and motels, and vacation rentals. Normally, vacation rentals make up the largest share of room tax collections, followed by hotels and motels. Hotel and motel stays jumped by 81% in November and 73% in December. And in January — the height of FEMA hotel stays and the month posting the biggest room tax increase — hotel and motel stays were up 113%. Meanwhile, vacation rentals over the same period were down: by 32% in November, 18% in December and January, 25% in February, and 24% in February. Since vacation rentals are usually the lion's share of room tax collections, the loss in that sector were enough to account for the overall room tax dip in February of 6% and in March of 12% — albeit not as bad as it would have been without the FEMA hotel stays. But Ruffieux isn't sounding the alarm bells just yet. She pointed to successful winter events like Ice Fest — which sold 1,000 more tickets than it did last year — and a banner year at Cataloochee Ski Area, which had its second best season of all time, according to Sarah Worrell, director of marketing and public relations for the ski mountain. And, Ruffieux pointed out, while the income-generating short term vacation rentals were indeed down, occupancies in golf resorts and bed-and-breakfasts were up over last year in November, December January, February, and March — sometimes significantly. And one of Haywood's biggest warm-weather activities — Cataloochee Valley — is back open just in time for summer. Whether or not that will affect the ongoing trend remains to be seen.
