The Town of Blowing Rock was promised $585,495 from the NC Rural Economic Development Center. Funds were to pay for water and sewer lines for the new Appalachian Regional Medical Center. The center was shut down after audits determined too much of its funding was going toward overhead, and another too much lacked oversight. The Department of Commerce was directed to handle the dangling financial affairs, and to date it has administered $3.4 million to 60 grants owed. Blowing Rock still awaits its receivables.