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Critical Midterm Races For Western NC And Another Healthcare Merger For The Mountains

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Laura Pellicer
Published October 14, 2018 at 1:31 PM EDT
N.C. Legislative Building
www.ncleg.net
/
NC General Assembly
N.C. Legislative Building

Frank Stasio speaks with Blue Ridge Public Radio Morning Edition host and reporter Jeremy Loeb about the North Carolina mid-term election races. He also talks to Blue Ridge Public radio reporter Lilly Knoepp about the latest in the Mission Health sale and the merger between Duke Lifepoint and RCCH Healthcare Partners.

The countdown to the 2018 midterms is on, and all seats in the North Carolina General Assembly are up for election. Democrats are hoping to secure wins in both the House and Senate to break the Republican supermajority. Two competitive House seats in Haywood County may be crucial grabs for the Democrats, while two Democratically-held seats in Buncombe County are also competitive races.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Blue Ridge Public Radio reporter and Morning Edition host Jeremy Loeb about the races to watch, including the N.C. Supreme Court race, and the issues that are top of mind for Western North Carolinians heading into the midterm elections. 

One of those issues is healthcare and the ongoing series of big mergers throughout the region. Blue Ridge Public radio reporter Lilly Knoepp joins the conversation to talk about the latest in the $1.5 billion Mission Health sale and the newer merger between LifePoint and RCCH Healthcare Partners. 

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
Local News
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer