Kerri Wilson and Zoe Clarke are nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville. Wilson works in the cardiology wing, Clarke in the intensive care unit.

Both of them spoke to Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy recently for our ongoing Bad Medicine series. They say the hospital is severely understaffed, so much so that it could be a danger to patients. 

“I go home nearly every day feeling guilt about something that happened, feeling regret, feeling bad about something, wondering if some call I made or something I did led to a patient suffering or led to a patient dying,” Clarke says.

The problems at Mission are not happening in a vacuum. Many hospitals across the US—especially hospitals in rural places—are reporting serious staffing issues. Finding qualified nurses is at a premium.

On top of that, cuts to Medicaid and rising health care premiums will knock people off health insurance, reducing access to the preventive care that keeps people out of the hospital in the first place. This is a must-read.

Mission Hospital nurses, including Kerri Wilson, center, and Zoe Clarke, right, have been fighting for improved staffing levels for several years.

Anybody else think it’s too cold outside? Here’s what’s in today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter: 

Cardinal & Pine reader Kim Mack saw all of your photos of birds in the snow and decided to outdo you with this shot from Denver, NC. 

Award-winning folk group Admiral Radio, one of many folk and bluegrass acts playing at the Winter Ramble in Henderson County, NC. (Admiral Radio)

3 things happening in NC is back with a full slate of culture. This week’s dominated by places that are rebounding from the devastation of Hurricane Helene in 2024. 

Moral support is nice for these recovering places. But financial support is pretty great too. 

This week’s happenings include the Winter Ramble in Hendersonville, featuring award-winning acts like Admiral Radio (above). There’s also a hot film festival and a one-of-a-kind chance to catch the very old art of glassblowing. 

Check it out.

1. NC man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago came from family of Trump supporters, cousin says. WRAL

“Family members said the Moore County man shot and killed Sunday by Secret Service at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort was reserved and rarely talkative.”

2. An NC mother went missing in 2001. She was just found ‘alive and well.’ USA Today

“A North Carolina mother who went Christmas shopping 24 years ago and disappeared was found alive – but said she does not want to be contacted by family – area authorities confirmed.”

3. Schools closed, remote due to snow in NC mountains: Full list. WBTV

“The schedule changes come as snow and subfreezing temperatures impacted the area over the weekend and overnight.”

4. North Carolina keeps expanding its role in immigration enforcement. Here’s what changed and why it matters. NC Local

“The last 10 years have been pivotal in shaping North Carolina’s immigration policy. NC Local takes a closer look.”

The campus of Fayetteville State University. (2C2K Photography/CC BY 4.0)

Historically Black colleges hold a unique place in our culture and in the history books. 

They are the product of an era that demanded a separate education for Black people. There are few products of that time that we celebrate anymore.

But HBCUs are special because they sprang up in a time and place that was actively hostile to higher education for Black people, and they created new generations of Black leaders anyway. They’re still doing the work today.

In a new piece from Cardinal & Pine contributor Britteny Dee, we take a look at some of the most important HBCUs in our state’s history—like Fayetteville State University (above). 

As Dee writes, Fayetteville State was launched by seven Black men who wanted to educate Black children in their community. The curriculum focused on reading, writing, practical math, and more.

If you ever wanted to get a crash course in NC’s HBCUs, this is the one to read.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from Michael McElroy, Ryan Pitkin, and Britteny Dee. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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