[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6334187,"mediaKeyId","2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41","parentId",2298119,"title","Commissioners approve transfer station repairs, water-main work and lease extension; other routine items passed","audioSeconds",249,"startMs",4841000,"endMs",5090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41&start=4841&end=5090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41/thumbnail_4841000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6334187/McDowell-County/North-Carolina/Commissioners-approve-transfer-station-repairs-water-main-work-and-lease-extension-other-routine-items-passed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334187-2c599b1040efbc43dd63be7ef3efaee5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204466&Signature=Cfu0rWeNDMt1cu2PauuJoJ-PqTI3nHfwOv3x9Wc-RXEnj6UPOS6LKdpfgyNLv3W~GbUQcykkdoYpjh4aud26uH3utpNVifK5g0FiBxAfSJVTYa0ZrWAGoJk9Ycu5O15hxPcrkiu9l4mdOnfepajtqv3bMTtRXr9DLyTb3cGiIDZSEIUh1X6zS5ViOrzXNI3KBL7MMcg5XafQ52-E7QEKiDveJFls8nzcOFyobqRhN~Wfp20Pv9xuqjn2ympTxXP9go63lv2jUMTCJcduDUliGT8Myq0hrtIz9YiTZSvgjRlQjHm7uyKEfZKgU7~RK80BEdVMAVG7BQDUnmIfe8Y1Vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","McDowell County, NC","date","2025-02-12T00:27:16Z","article","The McDowell County Board of Commissioners voted on a series of procurement, contract and administrative items during its February 2025 meeting.

Transfer station repairs: The board approved a low bid recommendation to repair the county transfer station. Staff reported the lowest responsive bidder (after disqualification of an incomplete submission) was Bloom (bid amount described as roughly $1.9 million). Commissioners approved the award and agreed to use ARPA funds to cover the county share. The motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded.

Water system (NEBO / East End): Commissioners awarded a construction contract to Hyatt Pipeline for an East End water-system project. Staff stated the total contract amount is about $2,500,000 and that the work is paid by a previously awarded grant. The motion to approve the contract carried by voice vote.

Grading/CDBG-linked bid related to reentry housing: The board recorded GM Constructors as the low bidder for required grading work at $114,771.80 and approved proceeding; staff said the Community Development Block Grant will pay the grading costs.

Lease extension for elections office: Commissioners approved an extension of the lease for the Board of Elections office with an increase described in the meeting as $3,600. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were read.

Other administrative approvals: The board approved administrative items presented by staff, including vehicle financing resolutions (Truist Bank financing for one ambulance and two Toyota Tacomas), EMS uncollectible-transport write-offs, approval of the tax-advertisement schedule (publication date proposed 03/18/2025), and reappointment of a Transportation Advisory Board member (Megan Webster). The board also approved committee assignments and several routine budget and tax matters.

Votes at a glance (selected items)
- Transfer station repairs: award to Bloom (low responsive bidder) — outcome: approved; county to use ARPA funds.
- East End water project: award to Hyatt Pipeline (~$2.5M, grant-funded) — outcome: approved.
- Grading (CDBG): award to GM Constructors — amount: $114,771.80 — outcome: approved.
- Lease extension (Board of Elections building): rent increase stated as $3,600 — outcome: approved.
- Administrative items: vehicle financing resolution, EMS write-offs, tax-advertisement date March 18, 2025 — outcomes: approved.

Ending: Most motions were approved by voice vote; the meeting record does not include roll-call tallies for these items. Commissioners also added a closed session for personnel earlier in the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 2025 McDowell County Board of Commissioners Meeting (NC)","oneSentenceSummary","At the Feb. 2025 regular session the board approved multiple procurement and administrative items including a $1.9 million transfer-station repair contract, a $2.5 million water-system contract funded by grant, a lease extension for the elections office and several routine finance and board-appointment items.","taxTitle","McDowell County, North Carolina","taxId",52003,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6334192,"McDowell register of deeds reports preservation of early county volumes, finds historic deeds including city boundary and slave records",432,2603000,3035000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41&start=2603&end=3035","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41/thumbnail_2603000.jpg","/articles/6334192/McDowell-County/North-Carolina/McDowell-register-of-deeds-reports-preservation-of-early-county-volumes-finds-historic-deeds-including-city-boundary-and-slave-records","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334192-5ff4b03d923acd22da3b8fa34059b07e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204466&Signature=LWZ83FlzvkUOQxXXf2D9dmnRtwEGrnjpv4gLT3Fy8FeYAhVOEDhsnJA3v44QQhfmmFIJTAZGLoWTWnziD0qHvYSkvlI6ybvuRHzmFEVAzsmDbTL~gYSBMRhjaSAIrl2JqJqHY8oSlxvM82sw-FhyqIqOqJjldv50ua3V2uZPX3D4YTsbKkyjDXRRwHDJFD0UpY9~i03rCttfVKjN4EIGnnn5wAfEBAV3ctc3AChumgg-YVqNo5Buz9auiTnExmvmxB5hJiaYHhNOrB2dOrgHv3QZDzfIiD5ayfL1N9BBv5~~n~25IhP3nkiuQdqji6d0zeU2xYS6frfUIcYgOtlAmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lydia, McDowell County’s elected register of deeds, told the Board of Commissioners the office completed initial preservation work on the county’s earliest deed volumes and found historically significant records during the process.

She said the first three volumes were professionally restored with funding from a matching grant and the office’s automation fund. The office produced before-and-after examples for commissioners and brought the original Volume 1 for review in the meeting. Lydia said Volume 1 contains the 1843 deed that established the original boundaries of the city of Marion — “the deed for the city of Marion’s original boundaries dated May 17, 1843” — and that immediately after that deed the team located five slave deeds on page 39.

Lydia said the preservation work revealed additional volumes in need of care and that the office plans a review with volunteers and interns to identify the most vital remaining records. She said the office hopes to preserve an additional three to four volumes over the next year. Lydia also listed recent technology and records upgrades the office completed since 2020, including server replacement, cloud backups, updated workstation hardware and secure credit-card chip readers.

Ending: Lydia asked for continued partnership between the register’s office and county administration on preservation work and said the archive project will continue to identify and preserve historically vital materials.","Registrar Lydia described a preservation project for early county deed volumes funded with a matching grant and automation funds; staff located the original Marion boundary deed and several slave-deed records and plan further preservation and cataloging.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6334197,"Local reentry group outlines prison pre-release program and plans 44-unit transitional apartments",979,3391000,4370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41&start=3391&end=4370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41/thumbnail_3391000.jpg","/articles/6334197/McDowell-County/North-Carolina/Local-reentry-group-outlines-prison-pre-release-program-and-plans-44-unit-transitional-apartments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334197-6306795df1a92e9f85fdaa017725f885/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204466&Signature=Ct-vxzQakpn8jPD2yBVnfkYHV6ZQLxjPPpzlHzvO-8o1IHY9yN73nZQYI7wNrHrWzckQRVhOlN-zmS7CFQTh0UZ19U84-x0T~QWyLsAVbjPxkEczJC6MgwdR~8OEtCXundb0La3Bn9uOc52V4hwZEXVq-3eo9rOdCdDa3nc-f1s90~0Z48a46Di2H5NB70YGAb-w9zOogBbr6PewYrRv0AYoTm95~NzlO0I5mcnU1G4NBut9LQCYXz3oDb0ScLn5qNC2l7qZ4viB2zrwxbnndKggmLt64LqFr5wZ85xgbIgbjw1ap4yfyvZ1-YlaS6Z84ny9ZjxfY6SxEa7QHAp70w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Danny (Freedom Life) told the Board of Commissioners the nonprofit’s reentry work now spans pre-release in correctional facilities through community transitional housing and long-term support.

Danny said the organization is operating an 18‑month pre-release program for people in prison who are within 18 months of release and that, after release, participants enter additional community-based support. “We will be able to work with an individual for over 3 years intensely in helping them begin to learn how to rebuild their lives,” Danny said.

He said the group has served more than 7,000 people in jail and prison programs since its start, and more than 4,000 post-release in the community. Danny said Freedom Life’s current development plans include a 44-unit, program-based apartment complex intended to provide stage‑2 transitional housing. He said the project is intended to be income- or incentive-based, include on-site case management, random drug testing and inspections, and aim to move residents toward stable, market housing by teaching money-management and employment skills.

Danny told commissioners the project has cleared federal environmental reviews and he expects to break ground in March. He also described an earlier stage‑1 “life stabilization” model—three houses serving up to 12 people at a time—plus plans for a future 20‑bed stage‑1 facility if additional grant funding is secured.

Commissioners voted to accept the low bid for associated grading work under a Community Development Block Grant. The board recorded GM Constructors of McDowell as the low responsive bidder for grading at $114,771.80 and approved the award; the county stated the CDBG will pay grading costs. The motion to award the low bid passed by voice vote with no roll-call tally recorded.

Ending: Freedom Life asked for continued partnership with county and regional agencies as it seeks grant funding and plans a phased expansion of housing and reentry services.","Freedom Life described a pre-release-to-community continuum and said it expects to break ground in March on a 44-unit transitional apartment complex; commissioners approved a related grading contract paid by a CDBG award.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6334201,"McDowell County emergency team says major roads reopened, debris and housing needs remain after Hurricane Helene",1250,125000,1375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41&start=125&end=1375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2298119-2e72fda9af63140963d80418b797ae41/thumbnail_125000.jpg","/articles/6334201/McDowell-County/North-Carolina/McDowell-County-emergency-team-says-major-roads-reopened-debris-and-housing-needs-remain-after-Hurricane-Helene","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334201-e43c82b20cfdffb97c74c1ec310be2f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204466&Signature=S2NpAVWzop1cCpt3MP--zp~E1h8WnwT8xkQOTcjbfairdcxGnkltXh0rG4EcPYgcBSgjLK2gFTePUSa7ooQgH9i4Szf7SHd2ktdC63HXuKwIdC5G9lBowjeWKxcyJSBlB1OfqdSMkW6ljs6u0Ya1Y4vLJidgjowgUoNKUtnjLBZfFM2xRbZKjy6qb7lSzP49LnXj6C32Javg1MEmglsqwYfAHhD5sCTtx1RUw~L-IYPFQNAp2CvpDUbdDljTbr9bLJW6kpGAjCIXC2zLdpGXTrpCxYjNsQEhe0W2JI54lEDht1u~i7tjDl6BW3EOc3ui4aLGKC5ig25Ipcol0KeLcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","William Keller, the county's emergency operations coordinator, told the McDowell County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 2025 that response and recovery operations related to Hurricane Helene remain active on day 139.

Keller said temporary bridges reopened traffic on two routes — a temporary structure on U.S. 221 North at Mountain Paradise Campground and another on U.S. 70 West at Curtis Creek — and that the reopening helped emergency services and local business access. “This will be the last time that you see roads on our situation update other than NC 80,” Keller said, and he noted a temporary bridge on U.S. 221 North opened the afternoon before the meeting.

Keller reported debris removal totals and recovery-center usage. As of the update, crews had removed 54,509 cubic yards of debris (an increase of about 9,400 cubic yards since the previous update) and 36,275 tons of silt (up roughly 8,500 tons). He said waterway debris removal is underway, beginning with Newberry Creek and Curtis Creek, and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expand operations across other waterways.

The emergency operations center (EOC) is tracking several risks as forecasters predict 3 to 4 inches of rain through Friday and another system on Saturday; Keller said Duke Energy returned one hydroelectric unit to service at Lake James, allowing controlled water movement after the lake sat below full pond. He warned the EOC is watching both the river/flow situation and a winter-weather advisory for the next day.

Keller described temporary housing and disaster-recovery resources. He said 64 individuals were in FEMA-provided hotel vouchers (down from 74 on the prior Friday) and that six households were in the FEMA direct-housing queue for trailers or direct leases. The FEMA disaster-recovery center remains open at the lower level of the senior center Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; Keller urged residents who receive FEMA denial letters to appeal and use the recovery center to submit documents in person.

The county is also working PPDR (personal property debris removal) applications for private-property debris that lie beyond 10 feet of public rights-of-way. “If it is not within 10 feet of the state right away or the private road right away, then you have to file an application for personal property debris removal,” Keller said; applications are available at McDowellGov.com/helene and are processed at the county level for FEMA approval.

On hazard mitigation programs, Keller outlined three lanes: acquisition (voluntary buyouts), elevation grants and landslide mitigation. He said 29 parcels have applied for acquisition buyouts, 16 have applied for elevation assistance and eight have applied for landslide work. Keller cautioned buyouts and some mitigation actions can be lengthy because older structures require environmental review.

Keller described progress on appeals of initially ineligible waterway points, saying local appeals reversed many denials after staff supplied local knowledge about structures or hazards. He also said the EOC submitted more than 700 points for waterway debris removal and expects rapid Corps activity.

Keller announced three community information events called “Hope After Helene”: the first at North Cove Elementary School, 5–7 p.m.; a Saturday morning event at Emergency Services Headquarters, 8:30 a.m.–noon; and a following Tuesday session at the Bud Hogan Community Center in Old Fort. He listed agencies that will attend, including the county health department, building inspection, soil and water conservation, DSS, FEMA and volunteer organizations.

Keller closed by listing next steps: continuing debris operations on state right-of-way and waterways, advancing private- and public-property debris removals, pursuing hazard-mitigation applications, tracking FEMA reimbursements and scheduling site visits to ensure county repairs comply with federal requirements. He said recovery has signs of progress but that substantial work remains.

Ending: Commissioners and staff asked clarifying questions during the meeting about outreach, selling chipped mulch, dredging vs. waterway removal, private-road funding, and railroad impacts; Keller said he would follow up on questions about selling mulch and the parkway/railroad status. The board received the update with no formal action recorded during the presentation.","County emergency operations staff reported progress reopening major roads and expanding debris and housing work but warned recovery will continue for months, citing FEMA appeals, waterway cleanup and funding gaps for private roads.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve transfer station repairs, water-main work and lease extension; other routine items passed

McDowell register of deeds reports preservation of early county volumes, finds historic deeds including city boundary and slave records

Local reentry group outlines prison pre-release program and plans 44-unit transitional apartments

McDowell County emergency team says major roads reopened, debris and housing needs remain after Hurricane Helene