The pesky emerald ash borer is the main reason the beautiful White Ash Tree is suffering and, in many cases dying, in the Smoky Mountains (North Carolina and Tennessee). Jack Igelman of Carolina Public Press shares these details and how The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is doing their part to make a difference.

WUNC Education Reporter Liz Schlemmer sat down to talk about her story, "Parents Can Expect Childcare Costs To Rise This Year." Can advocates for childcare in North Carolina get support from state lawmakers to help struggling families afford a place for their young children to stay while they work? It's one of many financial struggles that families are experiencing.

Reporter Andrew Jones of Asheville Watchdog returned to More to the Story to share the latest on Mission Hospital and HCA Healthcare, entering June. Numerous doctors, nurses, and staff have excited the hospital for some time and many citizens in the region feel like they are not receiving quality care. In this report, Andrew shares that the future of Mission's Urology Services is now concerning as well.

Ely Portillo of WFAE Public Radio (Charlotte), Senior Editor for News, sat down with WNCW. Based on statewide data, Ely recapped a story on how, when construction site deaths occur, they involve Latino employees more than any other ethnic group. An accident last year took the lives of several hispanic workers in Charlotte. He also talked about The Charlotte Art League, which was experiencing better news after surviving some dark days.

A shortage of nurses is nothing new for North Carolina or the nation, for that matter. In this report by Grace Vitaglione of Carolina Public Press, more is required to prevent this dilemma from increasing in North Carolina. A report from The N.C. Institute of Medicine Task Force gives eight recommendations, including retention and recruitment.

Asheville Watchdog reporter John Boyle reviewed his recent update on Asheville's homeless situation. John discussed how the city's last "Point-In-Time" count showed a significant difference from homeless numbers in January 2023 compared to 2024. That number was 573 last year but up to 739 this year.

The rural journalism group, The Daily Yonder recently presented a series called "Home-Cooked: A 50-Year History of Meth in America." Host and Producer of the series, Olivia Weeks was our guest. She talks about certain parts of the series, including "Old Meth - New Meth", and "Made in the USA". We also hear about the biggest difficulties for law enforcement as they try to prevent access to meth.

Asheville Watchdog Report - John Reinan talked about his story on the River Arts District and how there's been a significant change due to development. Some artists have already departed the district because renting space and/or selling their artwork has become too expensive. Reinan tries to answer if the district has become too upscale and what the future might hold.

Carolina Public Press Democracy Reporter - Mehr Shurr joined WNCW to recap her story on how registered voters receive a massive amount of political campaign messages by either robocalls or robotexts. North Carolina is a victim of these messages more so than any state nationwide. Often these messages are not from a legitimate source. This interview originally aired Feb. 28, 2024.

A Winston-Salem Official says the city's effort to convert a motel into supportive housing for those experiencing homelessnesss is not likely to move forward. The very same thing happened with plans for this in Asheville. Behind both projects were Step Up on Second and Shangri-La. WFDD Reporter April Laissle is our guest. This interview originally aired Feb. 21, 2024.