TALKING TOURISM: Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville, addresses the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board during an Oct. 29 meeting. Board Chair Matthew Lehman is at right.

Many Western NC towns that would normally see a surge of tourists for fall leaf season are not only recovering from the storm’s aftermath but also struggling due to the drop in visitors. Asheville, ...

Extensive personnel shortages at the NC Forest Service hampered the agency’s ability to manage the wildfires that raged in Western North Carolina this spring, state and county officials say. "Instead ...