A year after Helene, a group of raft guides embarks on a river clean

ERWIN, Tenn. — When Amelia Taylor learned that whitewater outfitters near the Nolichucky River would remain closed this season, she had to figure out how to make up for the lost income.

9 months after Hurricane Helene, food scarcity is still real in western North Carolina

The town of Swannanoa is a mess after Helene. Some businesses may never reopen — including the only grocery store. “Swannanoa is a food desert,” says the head of a nonprofit that brings in fresh food.

So she went from being a professional whitewater river guide to being a “professional trash lady,” Taylor says. “I’m very proud of it. It’s an honest day’s work.”

Taylor has been a whitewater river guide in the area for about sixteen years. She says picking up trash along the river is not terrible despite the occasional