Home Care In Candler, NC

CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Produce management at the Ingles Market on Sand Hills Road in Candler has responded to online allegations that the store has been repackaging and selling Taylor Farms products amid concerns over a cyclosporiasis outbreak.

According to the Associated Press, Taylor Farms has been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as the most likely origin point of lettuce products infected with a diarrhea-causing parasite called cyclospora. The bacteria has caused at least 1,645 people to sicken across the United States in 2026.

In North Carolina, 561 cases of cyclosporiasis, the disease caused by cyclospora, have been detected as of July 20, 2026.

Rumors circulated on Facebook on Tuesday, July 21, and today, Wednesday, July 22, alleged that bags of Taylor Farms produce, including broccoli, had been removed by produce employees at the Candler Ingles and resold in unlabeled plastic containers.

Produce management at the Ingles said that while the grocery store occasionally uses bags of Taylor Farms produce to fill chopped vegetable containers, the Candler location has intentionally steered away from the brand since the cyclosporiasis outbreak began.

However, a produce manager did confirm that an Ingles produce department employee had mistakenly pulled Taylor Farms produce off the shelf two to three days ago and filled the containers with the product. According to the manager, once the issue came to the attention of produce management, the containers were quickly taken off the shelves. Taylor Farms products have not been used to fill the containers since.

The manager said that while there has been no formal recall order, for the time being, Taylor Farms products were not being ordered to the Candler Ingles. The Taylor Farms bags that are currently on the shelves are not selling, they said, and will be removed after their expiration date on July 24.

The manager assured 828newsNOW that even before the cyclospora outbreak, Taylor Farms products always undergo an extensive washing procedure when Ingles employees repackage them. According to the manager, a recent visit from health inspectors did not find an issue with Ingles’ produce procedure.

SEPT. 24, 2026 - Missed Path Sanctuary co-owners Marc DiFrancia and Mike Cooper meet state Rep. Brian Turner in Candler, N.C. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

CANDLER, N.C. (WLOS) — A News 13 investigation that ended with a direct invitation brought a western North Carolina lawmaker to a Candler horse sanctuary still dealing with damage from Helene.

Last month, Missed Path Sanctuary co-owner Marc DiFrancia challenged state Rep. Brian Turner to visit the property and see the damage for himself.

"I would love Brian Turner to come out here and see this with his own eyes," DiFrancia said during the original investigation, "and explain to me why this didn't matter."

The invitation was passed along to Turner. He agreed to come. This week, Turner arrived at the sanctuary, shook hands with DiFrancia and co-owner Mike Cooper, and began a tour of the property.

"Good to meet you, Brian. Thanks for coming," Cooper said.

"Yeah, absolutely," Turner responded.

Seeing the damage firsthand

DiFrancia and Cooper had spent nearly two years trying to explain the damage through applications, phone calls, photographs and interviews. This time, they could simply point.

"One of the key components of this job is to have an intellectual curiosity and a willingness to go and see firsthand," Turner said. "It's imperative for me to do my job right that I'm able to have that firsthand knowledge."

The first stop was the edge of the property, where the owners say Helene washed away a section of land and later storms have continued eating into the bank.

"The thing that’s horrifying to us is that land used to go straight up,” DiFrancia told Turner.

He pointed toward the driveway above the eroding slope.

'WE'VE BEEN SCREAMING INTO THE VOID': NONPROFIT WAITS FOR AID NEARLY 2 YEARS POST-HELENE

“This is just going to slough off at some point,” DiFrancia said. “And when it does, there is no protection for the driveway anymore.”

Turner looked over the edge.

“I mean, basically, we need like one more good-sized named storm,” he said.

The driveway connects DiFrancia and Cooper’s home, nonprofit sanctuary and the rescued horses that depend on them.

During the tour, Turner met the horses and learned more about the sanctuary’s work with children, older adults and people with disabilities.

“We’re trying to do Helene recovery and help an organization, help two people who are also helping others recover,” Turner said. “They’re caring for people who come here. They’re caring for these horses, and we have an obligation to help care for them.”

Recovery arriving in pieces

DiFrancia and Cooper shared some progress during the visit, but said their recovery continues to move through several different programs and agencies.

Cooper said FEMA approved a payment, but the money had not arrived.

“I’ve been told now for three weeks running that our payment has been approved and that they’re trying to get it out to us,” Cooper said. “I don’t have a check, and I don’t have any money in my account.”

Cooper also said the state’s Private Road and Bridge Repair and Replacement Program had agreed to replace the bridge that serves as their only way in and out.

“The Private Road and Bridge Program are now going to replace our bridge for us, which we are very grateful for,” Cooper said.

But the bridge is only one part of the damage.

“If another storm comes through and the driveway disappears, we’re then going to have a really great bridge that leads to nowhere,” Cooper said.

DiFrancia and Cooper said they are also waiting for answers from programs that could potentially help with culverts, landslides, stream-bank stabilization and other damage across the property. Until they know what those programs will cover, they say it is difficult to decide which repairs to begin on their own.

"It's stable until it isn't"

Turner asked the owners to show him how they move horse trailers and other heavy vehicles across the property.

They walked down the hill to the bridge. Cooper pointed to a gate that no longer closes as it once did.

“The gate used to have like a two- or three-inch clearance,” Cooper said. “So we know that it’s moving.”

$111M IN HELENE CARE STATION INVOICES: NORTH CAROLINA AUDITOR ASKS HOW USE WAS TRACKED

Standing near the bridge, Turner was asked what he believed had gone wrong during the nearly two years since Helene.

“There’s the funding issue,” Turner said. “Then there’s the overlapping bureaucracies issue.”

He described the questions that can leave property owners moving between agencies and programs.

“Was this a state issue? Is this an Army Corps issue? Is this a private property issue?” Turner said. “So we ended up with a lot of overlapping jurisdictions that caused a lot of confusion.”

Turner said the problem extends beyond Missed Path.

“For every one of the Missed Path Sanctuary that ends up on WLOS, there’s probably 10 or more that are probably just over the hill over there who are dealing with the same problems,” Turner said. “They just don’t know who to call or how to call. Or maybe they don’t have internet, and out here, they may not have cell phone reception.”

What happens after someone listens?

The original investigation centered on DiFrancia and Cooper’s concern that government representatives had listened to their story without producing clear action.

The follow-up visit ended with the same question: What happens after someone listens?

Turner said he would contact GROW NC before the end of the week.

He said he planned to ask about the FEMA payment, the property approvals connected to the bridge project and the expected construction timeline.

“Before the end of the week, I’m going to be reaching back out to GROW NC,” Turner said. “What’s the status of the FEMA check?”

NEWS 13 INVESTIGATES

Turner also asked DiFrancia and Cooper to send him a list of their other pending applications so his office could seek updates from the agencies involved.

“That way I can be like, ‘Hey, here’s the list,’” Turner said. “And while it shouldn’t take an email from a legislator, it does help.”

Turner acknowledged that his office cannot guarantee every requested repair or payment. He said the goal is to make sure the case reaches the people who can provide an answer.

“It’s easy to say no,” Turner said. “Let’s find ways to say yes. And let’s get creative.”

The bridge is not rebuilt. The bank is still moving. DiFrancia and Cooper still do not have a construction date.

But their invitation produced a visit, and the visit produced a list of specific questions Turner promised to take to state recovery officials.

The next test is whether those questions come back with answers, and whether those answers lead to work on the ground.