Dan DeWitt

Brevard

Founder and Writer at Brevard NewsBeat

Writer/editor Brevard NewsBeat. Reporter for Tampa Bay Times, 1989-2017. Education: Kenyon College, University of Michigan.

Articles

Masters Golf and the Argument for Keeping Some Things as They Are

1 week ago | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

CEDAR MOUNTAIN — Dogwoods and redbuds, dwarf irises and violets. Flawless blue sky and a cool morning warming into shirtsleeve weather by noon. Sunday was one of those spring days that practically demand that you head outside, breathe fresh air and soak in all the reminders that, despite everything, the world isn’t ruined yet. So, what did I do?
The Fight Against the "Very Real" Threat of the Record-Breaking Table Rock Fire

2 weeks ago | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

CEDAR MOUNTAIN — Robb Davis, the assistant regional forester who led the North Carolina Forest Service’s fight against the Table Rock Fire, isn’t given to dramatic talk. Driving past fire-blackened slopes on a dirt road along the South Carolina state line Tuesday afternoon, he provided a detailed account of the nearly week-long battle against advancing flames in restrained, professional terms.
“Transformative?” Not so much. New Pisgah Health Leader Talks Scaled-Back Plans

3 weeks ago | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — Pisgah Health Foundation arrived on the local nonprofit scene in 2019 with a big bank account and big ambitions. Formed after the sale of then-nonprofit Mission Health to industry giant HCA Healthcare Inc., it was funded with a pledge of $15 million over three years from the deal’s proceeds.
Examining the Present (and, Hopefully, the Future) of Trumpism in "Trumpistan"

1 month ago | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

PICKENS, SC — The Village Inn restaurant is the informal government seat of the city of Pickens, South Carolina, the actual seat of the same-named county of 138,000 that extends from the Blue Ridge Escarpment in the north to Clemson University and fast-growing suburbs of Greenville in the south.
My Coffee with Charlie: A Republican and a Democrat Manage to Have a Civil Conversation about Trump

2 months ago | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — Charlie Brendle and I talked about the late, great Asheville author, Thomas Wolfe. He’s one of my all-time favorites. Brendle owns a historic house in Pisgah Forest where Wolfe did, actually, come home again, or at least back to the mountains, regularly visiting another famous writer who owned Brendle’s property in the 1930s. We talked sports. Brendle, 84, was a very good college athlete. I’m very good at being a fan.
Winter's Here. I'm Hibernating.

Jan 11, 2025 | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

It’s time for a break. You could call it a hiatus, a sabbatical or, given the weather, a hibernation. That may be the best comparison because, , I’ll be up and around occasionally. I’m just pausing paid subscriptions to give myself time to develop stories that inspire me and to, maybe, explore other writing projects.
County Manager’s “Rock Star” Status Gives Her Power. Critics Question Its Use.

Dec 19, 2024 | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — The words from Transylvania County Manager Jamie Laughter have stuck with former Schools Finance Director Gabi Juba for nearly two years. The scene was a County Commission meeting in March of 2023. Laughter had just finished a presentation pushing back on Juba’s assertion that the county had shortchanged the district on sales tax revenue legally required to pay for school upgrades.
From Business Bust to Healthcare Boom. Pardee Plans $18 Million Center at Old Plaza

Dec 6, 2024 | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — Omelets and wraps, bagels loaded with lox and cream cheese, built-to-order, just-about-football-sized burritos packed with beans, meat, salsa and veggies. They have fueled workdays in Transylvania County for more than two decades and they’re still available if you know where to look for their much-loved purveyors, Sunrise Cafe and Pescado’s Burritos.
Consolidating Law Enforcement Can Save Money and Boost Service. In Brevard, It’s A Non-Starter

Nov 26, 2024 | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — The first thing Mocksville Town Manager Ken Gamble wants you to know about dissolving the town’s police department — it had nothing to do with “defunding police.”In fact, far from shrinking the presence of law enforcement, the contract Mocksville signed with the Davie County Sheriff’s Office to take over the department’s duties has led to a 75 percent increase in the number of sworn officers patrolling the town’s streets, said Gamble, a one-time police chief.
From Discord to Accord? County and Schools Near “Huge” Deal to Resolve Differences

Nov 15, 2024 | brevardnewsbeat.substack.com | Dan DeWitt

BREVARD — Could it all be over? The long delays? The accusations of “double dipping” from one side and bullying and misleading presentations from the other? The general acrimony between the Transylvania County School Board and County Commission that has prevailed since voters approved a $68 million school bond sale six years ago? That is the hope after County Manager Jaime Laughter announced the terms of a proposed interlocal agreement between the two parties on Tuesday.