RALEIGH, North Carolina, Sept. 26 -- The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality issued the following news release: * * * DEQ continues to prioritize Helene recovery one year later * For the past 12 months, the top priority of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has been to help communities in western North Carolina recover and rebuild from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Staff from almost every division have devoted thousands of hours to the effort.  more