Emily Cochrane

SWANNANOA, N.C. — In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's devastation in western North Carolina, the public meeting in Rutherford County last Wednesday was essential business.

SWANNANOA, N.C. — As people headed toward First Baptist Church Swannanoa on Sunday, it was impossible to forget what had happened to their small mountain community in western North Carolina.

Dozens of volunteer doctors, nurses and psychologists traveled to the region to treat people whose routines, including medical appointments, were disrupted by the storm.

Hurricane Helene has severely impacted western North Carolina, where storm damage has left vulnerable rural communities struggling to access essential health care amid widespread closures and infrastructure loss.

Tina Abbott had already been struggling to stay on top of her medical issues. There was the pain from a tear in her arm tissue, the cyst on her spine and the chronic breathing problems that required a portable oxygen tank, which she had refinanced her car to afford.

Gloria Johnson’s bid to unseat Senator Marsha Blackburn appears destined to fail, but she still sees an opening to start chipping away at Republican dominance in the state.

A House district in Alabama was redrawn to empower Black voters, changing what had been a safe Republican seat into a highly competitive and potentially consequential battleground.

Desperate to compete with other growing cities, Nashville’s leaders are trying once again to convince voters that a sales tax increase is worth the price.

It could take days to know the winner, as it did in 2020, because counting mail ballots takes time. But returns on election night could also offer clarity.