Felicia Sonmez
Growth and Development ReporterFelicia Sonmez is a reporter covering growth and development for Blue Ridge Public Radio.
Prior to joining BPR, Felicia worked for more than a dozen years as a print journalist, including as a national political reporter for The Washington Post. From 2013 to 2018, she was based in Beijing, where she worked as a China correspondent for the international wire service Agence France-Presse and as an editor for The Wall Street Journal. She also spent a year in advanced Chinese language study as a Blakemore Fellow at Tsinghua University.
A native of Hackensack, New Jersey, Felicia graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Government. She loves hiking, backpacking and listening to live music. She is the proud owner of a tuxedo cat named Yogurt.
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The meetings come after federal authorities — again — placed Mission Hospital in “immediate jeopardy,” the most serious sanction a hospital can face.
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At a briefing Friday morning, the governor said unsafe driving conditions remain a top concern. -
Hurricane Helene recovery and the cost of living were also among the issues the candidates tackled during the event at A-B Tech. -
The awards recognize culinary excellence across the United States. -
The proposed passenger rail line is one of seven projects currently in the planning phase. -
The projects were among those highlighted Monday at the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Year Ahead event. -
As of the end of 2025, more than 97% of the state-maintained roads damaged by Helene have reopened. Residents who live near the remaining 3% are still waiting for repairs. -
Attorney General Jeff Jackson said North Carolina will “get back the $17 million that Congress promised.” -
'We have to be better prepared:' Stein highlights $270 million in water infrastructure funds for WNCNearly five-dozen water and septic system projects in 26 western counties will receive funding through the state Department of Environmental Quality. -
The county’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in September. But the leisure and hospitality industry is still struggling.
