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Lees-McRae College New Opportunity School for Women Accepting Applications for Three Week Summer 2024 Session this June

March 25, 2024 The Lees-McRae College New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) is now accepting applications for the program’s 20th annual summer session. This year’s session is held Sunday, June 2−Saturday, June 22. NOSW is seeking 14 women to take part in this year’s session. The three-week residential program is free for participants, and assistance with travel and childcare costs are available. Throughout the session participants explore career options, set educational goals, and develop leadership skills, all while enjoying the college’s historic campus and the beautiful mountains that surround it.

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Avery County Sheriff Mike Henley Graduated from the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute and Earned a Diploma for the Achievement

March 20, 2024 This week, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association hosted sheriffs newly elected in November, 2022 for the fourth and final week of the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute in Chapel Hill. Sheriffs from across the state including Avery County Sheriff Mike Henley attended. The Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute is held at the Rizzo Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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App State’s “Frontline to Farm” Upcoming Training in Boone to be Held June 24-28 for New Trainees and June 27-28 for Training Alums

March 20, 2024 Frontline to Farm, a program of Appalachian State’s College of Fine and Applied Arts, is planning its 2024 farmer veteran and beginning farmer training to be held Monday, June 24-28, for new trainees and June 27-28 for training alums. The training focuses on sustainable farming in the region and is intended to support veterans transitioning into farming as a livelihood and is supported by a USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program grant. This is the fourth year the training will be offered and the third year it is being offered in person here in the High Country. Classroom training will be held on the campus of Appalachian State University, and farm visits will include cattle and crop farms in and around Boone.

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 Celebrate National Library Week April 7-13

March 20, 2024 Watauga County Public Library encourages all community members to visit the library during National Library Week, April 7-13. On Monday, April 8, beginning at 1:53 pm, we’ll have activities for kids, light snacks and a livestream of the eclipse in the meeting room. Maximum coverage will be around 3:11 pm. Thanks to the Friends for their support. For adults, we have Chair Tai Chi on Monday, April 8 at 10 am; the High Country Writers will host Joseph Bathanti, local author and former NC Poet Laureate as their guest speaker on Thursday, April 11 at 10 am and Oliva Burke returns to talk about the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway at 5:30 pm.

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Educator Workshops Return to Grandfather Mountain; Courses for Individuals Seeking Certification as an N.C. environmental Educator

March 18, 2024 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is excited to announce its lineup of four educator workshops, free to attendees, for the 2024 season. These workshops, provided specifically to environmental educators in various professions, offer opportunities for career growth and professional development by using the wonders of Grandfather Mountain to further participants’ expertise.

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Burnop Sworn in as Avery County Board of Education Member

March 15, 2023 Michelle Krege Burnop was sworn in as the newest Avery County Board of Education member during the Board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, March 12 at the School System’s Central Office in Newland. Besides Burnop, all other Board members were present at the meeting–Chairman John Greene, Vice-Chairwoman Kathey Aldridge, Pat Edwards, and Randy Singleton—as well as Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman.  By Tim Gardner

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Registration is Open for App State’s Camp Crinkleroot for Children on the Autism Spectrum

March 15, 2024 Appalachian State University’s Camp Crinkleroot — an annual free day camp for children ages 8 to 14 on the autism spectrum — is now accepting applications for campers. The camp will be held April 12–14 at the Optimist Clubhouse in Boone. Camp Crinkleroot is sponsored by the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness, which is part of the Beaver College of Health Sciences. The camp is staffed by trained App State student volunteers.

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Grandfather Mountain Announces An Inspiring Slate of Special Events for the Upcoming Year 

March 14, 2024 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has lined up an inspiring slate of events for the coming months. This year’s calendar kicks off with an event for the upcoming solar eclipse and also features a list of favorite annual happenings on the mountain – with some exciting updates. “Our event season is just around the corner,” said John Caveny, director of conservation and education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “We continue to try to cultivate and offer an event lineup that satisfies and intrigues a variety of guests and ties into our mission to inspire conservation.”

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The Blowing Rock Academy Officially Opened Its Doors to Infants and Toddlers on Monday March 4

March 14, 2024 The Blowing Rock Academy officially opened its doors to infants and toddlers on Monday March 4, 2024.  The Academy is a 1,750 square foot state of the art child care center that will serve the children of Town of Blowing Rock employees. The Academy is not open to the general public.  The Academy can serve up to 30 total children from the ages of infant to school age, and is located at the former Ruritan/Town Community Club House building.  The Academy is a revolutionary idea to have on-site affordable child care for the full-time and part-time employees of the Town

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Wilkes Community College Dental Assisting Students Volunteer at Give Kids A Smile Event

March 6, 2024 The dental assisting students at Wilkes Community College volunteered at the Wilkes Public Health Dental Clinic on Friday, February 2, 2024, as part of the Give Kids A Smile program. The program was created by the American Dental Association Foundation in 2003 to provide oral health care services and education to underprivileged children. The students contributed to providing care for approximately 60 patients, all of whom were Wilkes County natives with no dental insurance coverage. The event was made possible by the volunteering of dentists, hygienists, assistants, and students, and over $34,000 worth of treatment was provided free of cost to these patients. The patients received a range of dental procedures, including preventive and restorative care

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CCC&TI Partners with Local Eye Care Physicians to Offer First Ophthalmic Apprenticeships in NC

March 1, 2024 Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and professionals with Morganton Eye Physicians, Graystone Eye and Western Carolina Eye Associates have recently partnered together to offer new pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for students interested in entering the field of ophthalmology. These agreements are the first of their kind in the state and offer local students the opportunity to get hands-on experience and training in the clinical setting.

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App State Gospel Choir Uplifts Campus and Local Community Through Song

February 28, 2024 For nearly 50 years, members of the Gospel Choir at Appalachian State University have been uplifting the campus and local community through song in the Black religious tradition. According to hundreds of its alumni, the choir serves as more than just an elective course for students; it’s a vehicle for cultural expression and a welcoming family that provides a sense of home. Established in 1976 as part of App State’s Black Expo Week, the choir was formed by retired App State Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Willie Fleming ’80 ’84, who was a first-year student at the time, along with his friends and App State alumni Daisy Logan Hoyle ’77 and Daryll Howell ’78. They wanted to help inform the campus community about African American cultural traditions during a strained time in American history, Fleming said.

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App State Celebrates Mountaineer Pride with 11th Annual iBackAPP Event March 6

February 28, 2024 App State’s 11th annual iBackAPP event — the university’s day of giving and celebrating all things App State — will be on Wednesday, March 6. In 2023, thousands of donors made gifts to more than 200 funds — setting records for donor participation, providing support to every major area of campus and meeting crucial needs for the university. During iBackAPP, all members of the App State Community are encouraged to wear App State gear and black and gold colors, post photos and videos on social media using #iBackAPP, and consider making a gift of any amount to support present and future Mountaineers.

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App State Public Health AmeriCorps Program Boosts Public Health Resources in WNC

February 23, 2024 Fueled by a three-year, $1 million grant, Appalachian State University is implementing a Public Health AmeriCorps program to enhance public health preparedness and mental health training, resources and support in 25 rural Western North Carolina counties. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. Public Health AmeriCorps is a new initiative made possible through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and AmeriCorps, with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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Two Watauga County School Students Wesley Coatney and Grayson Elliott Named Morehead-Cain Scholarship Recipients

February 22, 2024 Two Watauga High School seniors recently received notification that they were the recipients of the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Wesley Coatney and Grayson Elliott immersed themselves in the rigorous application process and were chosen to receive this merit scholarship. The Morehead-Cain Scholarship program was the first merit scholarship program established in the United States at the first public university, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recipients receive a fully-funded,world-class education. In addition to covering all expenses for four years of study at UNC-Chapel Hill, the scholarship also provides fully-funded summer enrichment activities and independent research, internship and international study opportunities

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App State Partners with Foundation to Improve Literacy in the High Country and Catawba Valley

February 22, 2024 The Mebane Charitable Foundation has donated $100,000 to Appalachian State University to fund the expansion of reading assistance services for K–3 students in Watauga and Catawba counties. These services will provide critical literacy resources to local families, building on the model established at the Anderson Reading Clinic — which is located in the Reich College of Education (RCOE) on the university’s Boone campus and is the oldest university-based reading clinic in North Carolina

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Erik Mortensen named 2024 Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year

December 7, 2023 Watauga County Schools recently received notification from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction that Mr. Erik Mortensen was selected as the 2024 Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year. Mortensen was named the 2023 WCS Teacher of the Year in May and was one of 16 teachers in the district 7 region in the running for this title.Mortensen was one of the first people superintendent of schools Dr. Leslie Alexander met when she joined the district. She shared that she was impressed by him because he was such a kind person.“He is optimistic and very helpful,” Alexander said. “He wants the best for others and to help in any way possible. I think that is what his students feel. He cares about them as individuals, and he will do anything he can to help.  He is obviously an expert in his field, but his ability to combine his expertise with his genuine concern for each student is why he is the Teacher of the Year. We are so proud of him.”

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Watauga County Special Education Parent and Teacher Associates Holds First Meeting

November 1, 2023 The Watauga County Special Education Parent and Teacher Association (SEPTA) held its first meeting October 2nd at the Blue Ridge Energy Conference Room in Boone, NC. The formation of this organization (that aims to bring together families, educators, support persons, and community members within Watauga County) is an exciting and somewhat groundbreaking endeavor. This initial meeting generated much interest, was well attended, and considered a success by all who participated. In addition to brainstorming needs and setting goals, a dedicated panel of officers were elected and installed.

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CCC&TI Students Sign Apprenticeship Agreement with Local Employer

November 1, 2023 Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and FleetGenius, LLC recently announced the latest group of students to sign a formal apprenticeship agreement with the local employer. Students and officials from both CCC&TI and Fleet Genius were on hand for a special signing ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 5 on the college’s Caldwell Campus in Hudson.

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Study Reveals How High Country Counties of Avery, Watauga, Ashe, and Mitchell Rank in School Funding, Teacher Pay, and Related Trends

October 2, 2023 The Public School Forum of North Carolina has released its annual Local School Finance Study, highlighting trends in local spending in public schools across the state’s 100 counties. The report, which is based on data from the 2020-2021 school year,  reveals significant disparities in counties’ ability to allocate funds to public schools. Specific details about the Public-School Forum findings in the High Country counties of Avery, Watauga, Ashe and Mitchell are highlighted in this article.  By Tim Gardner

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App State’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies Presents Lecture by Dr. Leonard Rogoff

September 25, 2023 BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (CJHPS) will host Dr. Leonard Rogoff for a lecture and colloquium on Thursday, Sept. 28.Rogoff has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and North Carolina Central University. A former president of the Southern Jewish Historical Society, Rogoff currently serves as historian and president of Jewish Heritage North Carolina.

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Avery County Board of Education Fails to Appoint Fifth Member After Deadlock Vote August 15

August 17, 2023 A vote to fill a vacancy on the Avery County Board of Education failed during its regular monthly meeting August 15.All Board members were present at the meeting–Chairman John Greene, Vice-Chairwoman Kathey Aldridge, Pat Edwards, and Randy Singleton.There are normally five Board of Education members. But a vacancy has remained on the Board since the resignation of Ruth Shirley in June, 2022. By Tim Gardner

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Girls on the Run of the High Country Awards $1,000.00 Scholarship to Kendall Clark

June 29, 2023 BOONE, N.C. — Avery High School graduate Kendall Clark has been named the recipient of the 2023 Girls on the Run of the High Country scholarship and will receive a $1,000 toward her first year of tuition at Appalachian State University.Girls on the Run of the High Country has offered a scholarship for the past four years, said Mary Sheryl Horine, outreach director for App State’s Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services, which organizes GOTR and other community outreach initiatives.

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