Feature Stories

Situado en las Montañas Blue Ridge de Carolina del Norte, el pequeño pueblo de Chimney Rock quedó devastado por el paso del huracán Helene, dejando decenas de casas en ruinas cerca del popular destino turístico del lago Lure. En los meses siguientes, iglesias, movidas por su fe, se unieron para apoyar al pueblo, proporcionándole alimentos […]

As Media Milwaukee reporters drive into Barnardsville, North Carolina on an overcast April afternoon, dark clouds roll over the sky and a slight wind picks up. It’s not raining right now, but it will be later. The Ivy Creek that runs through town rolls in the distance, and only grows louder as the reporters pull […]

Harper Leich spent two decades in Asheville, North Carolina, building her life around her passion for painting. Asheville, known for its thriving arts scene, draws creatives from across the country to its River Arts District, a vibrant neighborhood along the French Broad River known for converted warehouses and industrial buildings now housing artists’ studios, galleries, […]

Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and only 12 minutes from Asheville, North Carolina, the small town of Swannanoah faced the power of Hurricane Helene, not standing a chance against the flooded river that swept their homes. Hundreds of people were forced to flee their communities, and hundreds more are living in campers amidst the […]

After working out of a cramped apartment for eleven years, stepping into his own studio space was a dream for Colton Dion. Dion is an artist who was born and raised in the Asheville area. He focuses on sculptural painting and canvas work, with an emphasis on traditional landscapes and surrealism. He’s had a love […]

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the small town of Chimney Rock was devastated as Hurricane Helene tore through, leaving dozens of homes in ruins near the popular tourist destination of Lake Lure. In the following months, churches driven by their faith came together to support the town, providing food and aiding […]

It was a rainy Thursday morning when three curious journalism students set out to explore the wilderness with Asheville native Callie Warner. A born environmentalist with mud on her boots and mountains in her soul, Callie carried a quiet reverence for the land, the kind of understanding that reshapes how outsiders see the world. Her […]

Between the tourist destinations of Asheville and Black Mountain, lies a rural town called Swannanoa. During Hurricane Helene this small town suffered devastating flooding, washing away homes, businesses and infrastructure. The storm knocked out power and cell services, leaving the town’s citizens stranded with no way to contact the outside world.  Six months later, the […]

When driving through the streets of Pacific Palisades, Latino workers are seen sifting through debris in search of anything salvageable. Trying to clear the properties to prepare for the demolition and rebuilding process for their employers, people are seen at work throughout the neighborhood. In the distance, the crashing of the waves, the whistling of […]

Environmental journalist Ray Ford is based in Santa Barbara, California, and has been there his whole life. When he first got on the phone, Ford wanted the reporter to have a mental picture of the area in which they were traveling. He described the geology of the land, the ways the mountains don’t only move […]

Elvis Santiago moved to Los Angeles from Mexico in 2001 when he was 21 and after two years was able to start his landscaping business. He was able to branch out his business to Pacific Palisades where he has worked ever since. Unfortunately, due to the impacts caused by the fires, work for Santiago has […]

The air is muggy and dense in downtown Pacific Palisades – more accurately, what’s left of it. A once-bustling Sunset Boulevard is now eerily vacant, with only a few charred buildings spared from destruction. Along the side of a parking lot that used to serve a now-ravaged Ralph’s grocery store, half-a-dozen food trucks line the […]