As the federal government shutdown drags into its second week, Western North Carolina has so far escaped major impacts — but that could change quickly. Some federal agencies have curtailed operations, some public lands have opened and closed in cycles and some regional offices are bracing for deeper impacts if the impasse lingers.
Federal courts remain open, including the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, with updates posted at ncwd.uscourts.gov.
The IRS has scaled back operations, though in-person taxpayer assistance centers, including Asheville, continue to accept appointments through irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office. The website, however, says the office is currently closed…