I own a small apartment house in Asheville. It doesn't make much money, I mainly do it to maintain my connection to the community and have a place to stay, all the rents are below market and I have a diverse group of folks there. I'm proud I'm able to participate in this way.

Lots of trees came down in the yard, thousands of dollars in damages, from Helene. I called FEMA. Their response was it's not your primary residence, no love. What about the other tenants? Common areas are not 'primary residences.' So I expressed some frustration, and the FEMA person really sucked at their response.

They said it was totally fair that I should be responsible, out of pocket for trees. I asked why that was? Their reponse was "this conversation is over," and they hung up. The answer from a decent person would be, I understand your frustration, but FEMA isn't set up to handle this circumstance. Please reach out to SBA.

Here's why this sucks. If I were a recent transplant to Asheville with my multimillion dollar single family residence right next door to my apartment house, thousands of dollars would flow to you from FEMA for your tree damage. I, and my low income tenants, get squat. That is a shameful misallocation of resources.

I've looked, and there is apparantly no assistance to folks in my situation (and nothing available to my tenants). Had the consequences been worse, I would be forced to sell my property, and five decent, hardworking folks would now be forced to find substandard housing. What a world we live in.

Hello fellow Tildians,

I'm considering a move from Northern Virginia (NoVa) to Raleigh, NC, and would love some insight from those familiar with the area. I'm in my 20s and curious about the scene down there.

Although I haven’t spent much time in NoVa, one of the main reasons I’m looking at Raleigh is that NoVa feels like it has a more transient population. There's nothing inherently wrong with that (and I realize I’m contributing to it myself), but I’m hoping for something with more rooted connections.

How easy is it to make friends or date in Raleigh? I know it’s a broad question, but if anyone has lived in both places and can compare, that would be super helpful!

Additionally, are there any neighborhoods or locations I should avoid? I’m considering purchasing a home but want to stay within 15-20 minutes of Raleigh.

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Local live news:

https://www.wcnc.com/live-video

https://www.wsoctv.com/live-stream

Currently there are 2 confirmed dead and 4 injured, 3 of who are in critical condition. The shooter is in custody and police are currently sweeping the buildings.

I can see the helicopters from my dorm.

Some news articles:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article229873794.html

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article229889929.html

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/breaking-shots-reported-near-kennedy-building-at-uncc/944969501

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/2-dead-at-least-4-injured-on-unc-charlotte-campus-one-suspect-in-custody-officials-say/275-80c0b677-9a93-4251-ac14-ecffba2c3153

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/30/718852278/2-dead-and-4-injured-in-shooting-at-university-of-north-carolina-charlotte-campu (text version: https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=718852278)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/unc-charlotte-shooting.html

Update: The campus is still on lockdown while the rest of the buildings are cleared. A candlelight vigil has been planned for May 1 (tomorrow) at 6 PM.

Update 2: Today was the last day of classes, with exams starting Thursday. All exams before next Sunday will be canceled (not sure if they'll be rescheduled yet).

Update 3: As of 5:20 AM, the lockdown has been lifted and campus is all clear. The names of the injured have been released.

The shooter has been charged with:

• 4 counts of attempted first degree murder

• 4 counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury

• 1 count of discharge of a firearm on education property

• 1 count of possession of a gun on educational property

• 2 counts of murder (they did not specify which degree)

All of these are felony charges.

It should be noted that the shooter was arrested before he even had the chance to leave the classroom. That was an extremely fast police response.

Edit 4: Due to exams being cancelled through Sunday, all exams are now optional. Looks like I might only have to worry about 1 final now.