The National Weather Service said Helene had cleared most of western North Carolina as of 11:21 a.m. Friday, but significant impacts, including severe flooding, were expected to continue into the weekend.

Many areas and towns along the French Broad River are experiencing flooding and the river continues to rise.

Landslides are still possible in the mountains, especially until the last rain subsides on Friday afternoon or evening.

Here is some of the damage in the area caused by local social media posts and our staff:

Asheville River Arts District:

The French Broad River reached over 16 feet at 11 a.m. on Sept. 27, flooding most of the River Arts District, seen here from the Haywood Road bridge.

More: ‘The worst storm damage I’ve ever seen’: Helene hits Fletcher and Henderson in historic flooding

Live updates: Rivers are still at flood level on Saturday

More: Due to massive flooding and a mudslide, Interstate 40 between Tennessee and North Carolina is impassable

Tropical Storm Helene: The storm passes, the effects continue, the flooding worsens. Everything you need to know

Landslide near Old Fort:

UNC Asheville:

Asheville: I-40 facing US 74

Boone, northeast of Asheville:

Swannanoa, outside Asheville

Yankin River

Hendersonville:

Marshall:

Charlotte

Outer Banks

This article originally appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times: Check out post-Helene flooding in Asheville and western North Carolina

Balatro is now on mobile! Explore the metaverse on the go with these tips for a seamless experience. Download the app and start your virtual adventure today!

Balatro, the once desktop-bound Metaverse platform, has finally made its way to mobile devices. This groundbreaking step opens up a world of possibilities, allowing users to explore virtual realities, connect with friends and participate in immersive experiences wherever they are.

Balatro is a metaverse platform that allows users to create and explore virtual worlds, interact with others, and participate in various activities. It is a place where imagination knows no bounds, offering opportunities for socializing, gaming, education and even business ventures.

The move to mobile is a strategic move to make the metaverse more accessible. With smartphones becoming an integral part of our lives, Balatro can now reach a wider audience and drive greater engagement.

The Balatro app is available for download from both the App Store and Google Play Store, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices.

Navigating the Mobile Metaverse: Tips for a Seamless Experience

• Use the touch interface: The mobile app is designed with intuitive touch controls that make navigation a breeze. Experiment with gestures like swiping, pinching, and tapping to interact with the virtual environment.
• Optimize your device: While Balatro is designed to run smoothly on most modern smartphones, it is recommended that you close all unnecessary background apps to free up resources and ensure optimal performance.
• Customize your avatar: Express your unique personality by customizing your avatar with a wide range of clothing, accessories and hairstyles. Let your virtual self shine!
• Connect with friends: With the mobile app, it’s easier than ever to stay connected with your friends in the metaverse. Join groups, attend events, and explore virtual worlds together.
• Discover new experiences: Balatro offers a wealth of experiences, from attending virtual concerts to participating in interactive games. Leave your comfort zone and discover something new every day.
• Pay attention to battery life: Diving into the metaverse can be immersive, but it’s important to keep battery life in mind. Consider bringing a power bank or charger to ensure uninterrupted adventures.
• Stay safe and protected: While Balatro strives to maintain a safe and welcoming environment, it is important to exercise caution and avoid sharing personal information with strangers. Report inappropriate behavior to the platform’s moderators.

The arrival of Balatro on mobile marks a new era for the metaverse. The platform’s accessibility and intuitive interface make it an ideal starting point for anyone wanting to explore virtual realities. So what are you waiting for? Download the app and embark on your own Metaverse adventure today!

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens meet in Week 4 of the NFL season in what looks like a typical Sunday Night Football matchup.

The Bills were one of the most impressive teams to start the season, going 3-0 and scoring 31 or more points in each win. Last week, Josh Allen threw four touchdowns and led the Bills in rushing yards with a spectacular performance, while Buffalo’s defense held the Jacksonville Jaguars to just 2.9 yards per pass attempt with a stifling performance.

NFL analysis:Josh Allen’s new approach is paying off in a big way for Bills

Baltimore, meanwhile, is trying to continue its recovery from a disappointing 0-2 start. The first step was the 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, although that win should have been more comfortable. Dallas scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, turning what seemed like a big win into a blowout. However, a dominant performance from Derrick Henry (151 rushing yards, two touchdowns) highlighted the Ravens’ potential and set up this exciting battle at M&T Bank Stadium.

Bills vs. Ravens odds, moneyline, over/under

According to BetMGM’s NFL odds, Baltimore enters this game as a slight favorite. Would you like to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promotions in 2024, including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

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• Spread: Ravens (-2.5)
• Money line: Ravens (-145), Bills (+120)
• Over/Under: 46.5 points

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, tips and spreads brings you the odds for Monday Night Football.

New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can score exclusive promos and bonus codes at the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.

NFL Week 4 odds, predictions and picks

Giants vs Cowboys | Hawks vs. Saints | Panthers vs Bengals | Bears vs. Rams | Packers vs Vikings | Texans vs Jaguars | Colts vs Steelers | Jets vs Broncos | Buccaneers vs Eagles | Cardinals vs. Commanders | 49ers vs. Patriots | Chargers vs Chiefs | Raiders vs. Browns | Ravens vs Bills | Dolphins vs. Titans | Lions vs. Seahawks

USA TODAY: Bills 27, Ravens 21

Lorenzo Reyes said: “Buffalo is the most complete team in the NFL right now. Baltimore should be at the top given their roster, but this is an inconsistent team that doesn’t finish games. Baltimore is great at stopping the rush, but I suspect Josh Allen could torch this secondary that has given up too many big plays.

Sports Illustrated: Bills 28, Ravens 27

Hans A. Hansen III says: “The Bills drained the Jaguars so much that it became almost impossible to prevail against them. Josh Allen appears ready to go to Baltimore and add another big game to his MVP campaign as a defensive player.” will be just enough for Buffalo to go 4-0.

CBS Sports: Ravens 24, Bills 21

Pete Prisco says: “The Bills are playing as well as anyone at 3-0, while the Ravens are coming off an impressive road win over Dallas. The Ravens did it straight to the Cowboys, and they will do the same in this game. Josh.” Allen has been outstanding, but how much will he have the football when Derrick Henry is running well?

Tribune report: Bills 28, Ravens 24

Wes O’Donnell says: “The Ravens have looked pretty good in the last two games if you ignore the fourth quarter where they were outscored 32-7. The Bills, meanwhile, were largely ahead. Josh Allen is destroying his career. Completion rate, has yet to throw an interception and has just 85 yards on the ground in three games. The Ravens are giving up a league-high 291 yards per game, but are allowing a league-best 50 yards per game on the ground.”

CARTER COUNTY, Ky. – The Kentucky sheriff charged with first-degree murder in the death of a county judge pleaded not guilty Wednesday in his first court appearance since the killing that shocked the small Letcher County community.

Shawn “Mickey” Stines, 43, remains jailed without bail following an arraignment that took place remotely in a Carter County courtroom, 100 miles from the courthouse where Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was shot six days earlier.

Prosecutors presented no evidence during the arraignment, so a possible motive for the killing remains a mystery. Stines appeared remotely from the Leslie County Detention Center.

Stines also did not comment on the allegations during the hearing, but Judge Rupert Wilhoit asked him about his finances after Stines confirmed he wanted a court-appointed attorney.

The judge expressed skepticism about whether Stines, who said he owned two homes and earned $115,000 as sheriff, was truly indigent.

“Sir, from what I understand, he is obviously in the process of losing his job as Letcher County Sheriff and will have no future income,” public defender Josh Miller told the judge.

A preliminary hearing to present evidence in the case was scheduled for Oct. 1 before a different judge in Morgan County, a different courtroom far from the crime scene.

Authorities said what happened in the judge’s office shortly before the fatal afternoon shooting is still being investigated. Other people were in the building when the judge was shot, but no one else was in his chambers, said Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart.

According to the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association, Stines’ job meant he was responsible for security in county courts, including the personal safety of judges. He now faces a first-degree murder charge, and it’s unclear who will take his place as sheriff.

Cameras will be installed inside the building and all witnesses will be interviewed, said Gayheart, who stressed that this is the first time a tragedy “of this magnitude” has struck the county.

Stines and Mullins had lunch together hours before the shooting, court clerk Mike Watts told CNN affiliate WKYT.

“The whole county is just devastated by this,” Watts told WKYT, pointing to the gap that has been created in the local justice system. “Not only did we lose our sheriff and county judge, but I also lost two personal friends that I worked with on a daily basis.”

Just days before the shooting, on September 16, Stines was deposed in an ongoing federal trial against a former deputy who forced a woman to have sex with him in 2021, CNN previously reported.

The lawsuit alleges that the sexual allegations against the deputy “were not adequately investigated by Sheriff Stines, who fired the deputy in 2022.”

Jonathan Shaw, the attorney representing Stines in his official capacity in the lawsuit, told CNN in an email that he was not authorized to speak on Stines’ personal behalf in the federal lawsuit or the murder case.

An act of violence between two men “I loved like brothers,” says the district attorney
Many residents knew the two prominent community figures, and friends of the sheriff and judge said they were stunned by the killing and had difficulty understanding why it happened.

The quiet, seemingly routine court day turned chaotic when police received a 911 call shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday reporting shots fired from inside the courthouse, state police said.

When they heard reports of an active shooter in the courthouse, Court Security Officer Wallace Kincer and Clerk Watts sprang into action, guiding attorneys and court staff away from the unknown danger lurking in the chambers, according to Letcher County Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Butler.

Fear spread throughout the county as Letcher County Public Schools students went into lockdown just before 3:30 p.m

Mullins was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Butler retired himself and his office from sheriff’s law enforcement because he and the judge married two sisters and their children act more like siblings than cousins, he said in a statement last week. “Our community has suffered an act of violence that appears to have occurred between two men with whom I worked for seventeen years and loved like brothers,” Butler said in a social media post.

Some residents, including Butler, are calling for more appropriate security protocols at the courthouse, such as installing a metal detector and additional security at the entrance.

“The Letcher County Courthouse is one of the last that you can enter without a metal detector or security guards at the front door,” said Butler, who called it “unacceptable.”

Mullins is survived by his wife and two daughters, his obituary said. “He died in his courthouse chambers, where he spent his career helping people,” the obituary said.

CNN’s Dalia Faheid and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

The CNN Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Cost	2024	2025	Difference
Average monthly Medicare Advantage premium	$18.23	$17.00	-$1.23 (-6.75%)

Medicare open enrollment begins October 15 and runs through December 7, 2024. During this time, any Medicare enrollee can switch from Original Medicare to a private Medicare Advantage plan (or vice versa), switch between Medicare Advantage plans, or Enroll in or switch between Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Changes will come into effect on January 1, 2025.

The numbers in the table above are based on projections CMS received from Medicare Advantage providers and are weighted by enrollment numbers. So if you have a less popular plan, your premium may be very different. For example, using 2024 CMS data, our calculations show that the monthly average for all Medicare Advantage premiums in 2024 was $23.05.

The CMS also said the number of special needs plans (SNPs) for Medicare recipients will increase by 9% next year, with SNPs making up about a quarter of all Medicare Advantage plans. Special needs plans provide additional benefits for people with certain chronic illnesses or disabilities, those enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, or those living in certain facilities. An additional 7.2 million people are expected to enroll in these plans in 2025.

The average Plan D premium is also expected to decline

The average monthly cost for standalone Part D plans is also expected to decline to $46.50 in 2025, a decrease of $7.45, or 13.8%, from $53.95 in the year 2024 corresponds. These figures do not include those who do not pay premiums due to the Extra Help program.

CMS says premiums will be even lower on average for people who get prescription drug coverage through Medicare Advantage. Premiums are expected to decrease to $13.50 in 2025, a decrease of $2.06 (13.2%) from $15.56 in 2024.

In 2025, there will be a new limit of $2,000 on the amount you must pay out of pocket for Part D. Although this could ultimately lead to insurers raising their premiums, most providers currently participate in a voluntary premium stabilization plan, under which the government pays them a subsidy to limit rate increases. The CMS said 99% of people now enrolled in a standalone Part D plan are with companies that have opted into that program.

What the changes in 2025 mean for you

These numbers can help you plan for upcoming changes to your insurance coverage and give you a general idea of ​​what average Medicare Advantage costs will be in 2025. If you are already enrolled in an MA plan, be sure to read your annual change notice, which you may have already received in the mail. This letter will provide you with details of your specific coverage and costs, which will come into effect in January.

You have the option to switch to a different plan if you want to start starting October 15th, when open enrollment for Medicare begins, and again during open enrollment for Medicare Advantage, which runs from January 1st to March 31st running.

If you haven’t signed up for Medicare Advantage yet but are thinking about it, you can use this average cost as a benchmark for any plans you’re considering. Detailed plan information should be available on the Medicare.gov website by October 1st. Learn how to choose a Medicare plan or call 1-800-MEDICARE once open enrollment begins for more information and assistance.

The Boise State Broncos look to defeat an undefeated Pac-12 team in a Saturday night showdown with the Washington State Cougars on the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium. The game is scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT), with TV coverage on FS1 and Streaming on demand.

• How to watch: Live streams of the Boise State vs. Washington State game are available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), SlingTV (low adoption rate) And DirecTV Stream (Free Trial).
• For a limited time, FuboTV offers $30 off in the first month after the free trial period. With a $30 offer, plans start at $49.99.

Washington State Cougars (4-0) at #25 Boise State Broncos (2-1)

NCAA football matchup at a glance

When: Saturday, September 28, 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT)

Where: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

TV channels: FS1

Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low adoption rate) | DirecTV Stream (Free Trial)

Boise State may have shown more in its only loss this season, a 37-34 setback to No. 8 Oregon, than it did in victories over Georgia Southern (56-45) and Portland State (56-14). With an average of 311.3 yards through three games, the Broncos have the No. 3 rushing attack in the country.

On the other hand, Washington State is 4-0 with a 37-16 win over Texas TEch, a 24-19 win over rival Washington and a wild 54-52 double overtime win over San Jose State. The Cougars can move the ball and score and rank 10th nationally in total offense (515.3 YPG), but give up the second-most passing yards (319.5 YPG) and the seventh-most total yards (470.8 YPG).

Boise State Broncos vs. Washington State Cougars: Know your live streaming options

• FuboTV (free trial) – outstanding viewing experience with huge library of live sports content; The length of the free trial varies. The monthly rate after the free trial starts at $49.99 for the duration of the first month’s discount of $30.
• SlingTV (low adoption rate) – The discounted first month is best if you’re out of free trials or looking for more than a month of TV
• DirecTV Stream (Free Trial) – Not the same viewing experience as FuboTV, but the standard 7-day free trial is still the longest in streaming.

The Broncos and Cougars are scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. ET on FS1. Live streams are available at FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (Free Trial) And SlingTV (low adoption rate).

IIFA Utsavam 2024: The star-studded awards ceremony brought together the brightest stars of South Indian and Bollywood cinema. The three-day celebration of IIFA Utsavam is dedicated to the southern film industry – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

• Golden Legacy Award: Nandamuri Balakrishna
• Outstanding Excellence in Kannada Cinema: Rishab Shetty
• Best Debut (Female – Kannada): Aradhana Ram (Kaatera)

Who participated in IIFA Utsavam 2024?

The glamorous event was attended by South Indian stars like Mani Ratnam, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Chiranjeevi, AR Rahman and Rana Daggubati. Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Karan Johar, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi were also present at the event.

On the second day, stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Karan Johar will hit the stage to entertain the audience by hosting the IIFA Awards night.

On the second day, Rekha also returns to the IIFA stage after a long time.

On the gala evening, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor and Vicky will add charm to the performance with their performances.

IIFA 2024 ends on September 29th with the exclusive invitation-only IIFA Rocks. Artists like Honey Singh, Shilpa Rao and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform live for the audience at the closing ceremony.

Hezbollah has confirmed the death of its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah after Israel said it killed the 64-year-old in an airstrike on Beirut.

Nasrallah, the former leader of Lebanon’s militant Shiite Islamist movement, was one of the best-known and most influential figures in the Middle East.

Before his death, Nasrallah had not been seen in public for years because he feared he would be assassinated by Israel.

And on Saturday, the Israeli military said it had killed Nasrallah in an attack on the Lebanese capital.

Nasrallah was a shadowy figure with close personal ties to Iran who played a key role in making Hezbollah the political and military force it is today. He was revered by the group’s followers.

Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah helped train fighters from the Palestinian armed group Hamas and militias in Iraq and Yemen, and procured missiles and missiles from Iran for use against Israel.

He steered Hezbollah’s evolution from a militia formed to fight the Israeli troops occupying Lebanon into a military force stronger than the Lebanese army, into a power broker in Lebanese politics, a major provider of Health, education and social services and an important part of the support of their supporter Iran’s pursuit of regional supremacy.

Hassan Nasrallah was born in 1960 and grew up in the eastern Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Hammoud, where his father, Abdul Karim, ran a small greengrocer. He was the oldest of nine children.

After the civil war in Lebanon in 1975, he joined the Amal Movement, then a Shiite militia. After a brief stay in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf to attend a Shiite seminary, he rejoined Amal in Lebanon before he and others split from the group in 1975. In 1982, shortly after Israel moved in response to attacks by Palestinian militants in the Lebanon was invaded.

The new group, Islamic Amal, received significant military and organizational support from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stationed in the Bekaa Valley and proved to be the most prominent and effective of the Shia militias that would later form Hezbollah.

In 1985, Hezbollah officially announced its creation by publishing an “open letter” in which it identified the United States and the Soviet Union as the main enemies of Islam and called for the “extinction” of Israel, which supposedly occupied Muslim territories.

Nasrallah worked his way up the ranks of Hezbollah as the organization grew. He said that after serving as a fighter, he became its director in Baalbek, then throughout the Bekaa region and then in Beirut.

He became leader of Hezbollah in 1992 at the age of 32 after his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi was assassinated in an Israeli helicopter attack.

One of his first actions was to retaliate for the assassination of Musawi. He ordered rocket attacks in northern Israel that killed a girl, an Israeli security guard at the Israeli embassy in Turkey was killed by a car bomb, and a suicide bomber attacked the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 29 people.

Nasrallah also managed a low-intensity war with the Israeli forces, which ended with their withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. However, he suffered a personal loss when his eldest son Hadi was killed in a firefight with Israeli troops.

After the withdrawal, Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah had won the first Arab victory against Israel. He also promised that Hezbollah would not disarm and said it believed that “all Lebanese territory must be restored,” including the Shebaa Farms area.

Relative calm reigned until 2006, when Hezbollah militants launched a cross-border attack that killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two others, triggering a massive Israeli response.

Israeli warplanes bombed Hezbollah strongholds in the south and southern suburbs of Beirut, while Hezbollah fired about 4,000 rockets into Israel. During the 34-day conflict, more than 1,125 Lebanese died, most of them civilians, as well as 119 Israeli soldiers and 45 civilians.

Nasrallah’s home and offices were attacked by Israeli warplanes, but he survived unhurt.

In 2009, Nasrallah released a new political manifesto designed to highlight Hezbollah’s “political vision.” It dropped reference to an Islamic republic in the 1985 document but maintained a hard line against Israel and the United States and reiterated that Hezbollah must keep its weapons despite a U.N. resolution banning them in southern Lebanon.

“People evolve. The whole world has changed in the last 24 years. Lebanon has changed. The world order has changed,” Nasrallah said.

Four years later, Nasrallah declared that Hezbollah was entering a “completely new phase” of its existence by sending fighters to Syria to help its Iranian-backed ally, President Bashar al-Assad, crush an uprising. “It is our fight and we are up to it,” he said.

Lebanese Sunni leaders accused Hezbollah of dragging the country into the war in Syria, and sectarian tensions worsened dramatically.

In 2019, a deep economic crisis in Lebanon sparked mass protests against a political elite long accused of corruption, waste, mismanagement and negligence. Nasrallah initially expressed sympathy for calls for reform, but his stance changed when protesters began demanding a complete overhaul of the political system.

On October 8, 2023 – the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen that sparked the war in Gaza – previously sporadic fighting between Hezbollah and Israel escalated.

Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions in solidarity with the Palestinians.

In a speech in November, Nasrallah said the Hamas attack was “100% Palestinian in both decision and execution” but that the shootout between his group and Israel was “very important and significant.”

The group fired more than 8,000 rockets into northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It also fired anti-tank missiles at armored vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded with air strikes and tank and artillery fire on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

In his recent speech, Nasrallah accused Israel of detonating thousands of Hezbollah members’ pagers and radios, killing 39 people and injuring thousands more, and said it had “crossed all red lines.” He acknowledged that the group had suffered an “unprecedented blow.”

Shortly thereafter, Israel dramatically escalated attacks on Hezbollah, launching waves of bombs that killed nearly 800 people.

BEAUMONT, Texas (KPLC) – Police in Beaumont are asking for the public’s help in finding a person involved in a murder who may be hiding in the Sulfur area.

Beaumont Police Department investigators say 21-year-old DCorey Bershard Shillow is involved in the Sept. 26 murder of 39-year-old Ebonie Gilbert.

According to police, Shallow has family in both Beaumont and the Sulfur area.

Surveillance camera video from the crime scene shows what police say was a “brutal, cold-blooded murder.”

The video shows homeowner Gilbert interrupting the break-in of her vehicle in her own driveway. As she confronts the burglars, they appear to shoot at her at close range before running away.

Anyone with information about where Shill may be is asked to call Beaumont police at 409-832-1234.

Information can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas at 409-833-TIPS (8477) or by downloading the P3 Tips app on your smartphone. All Crime Stoppers tips are anonymous and you may be eligible for a reward.

Copyright 2024 KPLC. All rights reserved.