Preston Blakely: What wielding a vacuum has taught me about power
Cleaning and vacuuming taught the mayor of Fletcher, N.C., a small Western North Carolina town near Asheville, what a gavel never could about leadership and how to be a mayor.
Opinion: It’s not yet time to look back at Hurricane Helene
On the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, two Western North Carolina leaders say too much of the recovery from the storm remains unfinished to see the storm as a memory.
Preston Blakely: My grandmothers couldn’t vote freely. I’m now the Mayor.
Mayor Preston Blakely of Fletcher, N.C., reflects on his legacy and the struggle for Civil Rights that he inherited from his family.
Preston Blakely: Political assassinations in Minnesota call for a reminder of our shared humanity
A small town North Carolina mayor reflects on the recent violence and how we can change the tide of growing violence and intimidation against our leaders.