North Carolina officials charged with leading recovery efforts in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene — as well as parts of eastern North Carolina still struggling from previous hurricanes — told state lawmakers this week that they need more money.

An air quality alert was issued on Thursday at 3:31 p.m. in effect until Friday at 7:15 a.m. The alert is for Burke Mountains, Greater Burke, McDowell Mountains and Eastern McDowell as well as Yancey and Mitchell counties.

Orlando Bloom recently told Entertainment Weekly that Kiera Knightley did “wonderful things” in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, a few months after she revealed that she endured public shaming because of her work in the movies. The two actors starred as love interests Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann in 2003’s “Curse of the Black …

Burgaw Mayor Olivia Dawson will speak Thursday night to other mayors and local officials about her experience dealing with recent flooding in eastern North Carolina.

On Wednesday at 4:07 a.m. the NWS Blacksburg VA issued an updated wind advisory. The advisory is for Ashe, Alleghany, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties.

Wednesday marked four months since Hurricane Helene ravaged the western Carolinas - and residents in McDowell County are facing yet another hardship.

Months after Hurricane Helene disrupted the academic year for thousands of students and their families, spring enrollment is up at the UNC System’s three mountain universities.

Deputies in Rutherford County, North Carolina, arrested a man who is accused of animal cruelty. On Jan. 12, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office was made aware of possible abandoned dogs at a home within the county. Multiple dogs were seized and transported by Rutherford County Animal Control after a search warrant was conducted.

FOX Carolina's Enrique Salinas has the details.

There is a chance for patchy showers tonight. Mild and windy conditions develop before rain moves into the Triad on Friday

As neighbors out west still pick up the pieces, Burgaw Mayor Olivia Dawson says she has travelled to the Asheville area to share experiences and lessons learned with leaders there on equally devastating disasters that have impacted the Cape Fear.