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Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column:It’s Just Food For Thought, Folks


October 16, 2024 . There’s likely nothing I could say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve tried hard to process and relay, but for some reason, I’ve had such a hard time expressing my thoughts in recent days. I feel sure that I’m not alone. The devastation and desperation our High Country has experienced since Hurricane Helene passed through three weeks ago is beyond anything any of us could have imagined, let alone something for which we could have adequately prepared.  By Sherrie Norris

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Monday’s Updated Avery County Government Statistics from Hurricane Helene Effects

October 16, 2024 Avery County Government has updated statistics and related information daily about the destruction Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Helene caused when it struck the area nearly two weeks ago.  The latest totals were confirmed as of Monday morning, October 14. There have been four fatalities confirmed in the county and three persons are currently missing. Fifty-eight (58) injuries have also been confirmed, including three (3) more to Emergency First Responders. Additionally, 202 people are staying in the two official shelters the county is offering for those who need them. By Tim Gardner

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Avery County Public Schools to Tentatively Reopen on Wednesday, November 6

October 15, 2024 Dr. Dan Brigman, Superintendent of Avery County Schools, has announced that all of the county’s public schools–elementary, middle, and the high school–will tentatively reopen on Wednesday, November 6. School on that day will be on a two-hour delay with dismissal at regular school times. School buses will run on primary roads only. Elementary schools in the Avery Public School System are Riverside, Banner Elk, Freedom Trail, Newland, and Crossnore.  Cranberry and Avery Middle are its two middle schools. Avery County High is its sole high school. By Tim Gardner

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LETTERS: Sweeting – Wrong for Watauga County

October 15, 2024 Letters to the Editor. By Victoria Smith / The best way to tell how someone will perform in the future is to look at how they have performed in the past. For that reason, the following are a few reasons we should REJECT Sue Sweeting for Watauga County Board of Commissioners. 1. Recused by her peers on Blowing Rock Town Council for Conflict of Interest. 2. “Vaccinate or Terminate” 3. Not able to work with the County or Board of Education

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Blue Ridge Energy Achieves Full Power Restoration at 9:54 pm Sunday Evening

October 14, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (4 pm Monday, October 14, 2024) – After the most devastating storm in recent history hit western North Carolina over two weeks ago, an army of over 500+ line technicians, tree specialists and grading crews have Blue Ridge Energy members fully restored with power as of Sunday, October 13, at 9:54 pm. While wind-related outages are sporadically occurring today, full restoration was possible Sunday evening after a 24/7 response when outages began from Hurricane Helene on September 27.

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Ensemble Stage Theatre Condition and Status of Upcoming Scheduled Shows Following Hurricane Helene 

October 14, 2024 Sorry it has taken so long for you to hear from us. For the first week after the storm we were without power, water, internet, or cell service. Since we were also unable to get to the theatre during that time, we decided to wait until we could provide you with as much accurate information as we could before sending this update. There’s some specific local hurricane information at the bottom of this email. First things first. If you, your friends and/or loved ones, live in any of the areas affected by Helene or Milton, we hope you made it through without any major issues. The building Ensemble Stage is in (the Historic Banner Elk School) did not appear to receive any structural damage, and is currently being used as the primary disaster relief station for the Banner Elk area.

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Carlton Gallery Host 42nd Autumn Group Exhibition on Saturday, October 19, 2:00 to 5:00

October 14, 2024 Carlton Gallery’s 42nd Autumn Group Exhibition – “Collective Artistic Odyssey – Visionaries Unveiled” begins with an Opening Reception on Saturday, October 19, 2-5.  Toni Carlton extends an invitation to everyone to view the outstanding Art in various media by the gallery’s artisans who work in Paintings, Glass, Wood, Clay, Wearable Fiber, and Jewelry. Some of the standing gallery artists plan to attend to meet visitor and patrons, and light hors d’ oeuvres can be enjoyed. This exhibition showcases Toni Carlton’s artwork rendered in oil/cold wax; acrylic/ink, and calligraphy.

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Revised Watauga County Early Voting Schedule: October 17 through November 2

October 14, 2024 The Watauga County Board of Elections Early Voting sites have remained the same, but the schedule has changed slightly. All 6 sites will be open from Monday through Saturday, October 17 until November 1 from 9am – 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm – 5pm on October 20 and 27. Saturday November 2 will be the last day of early voting and the hours will be 8am – 3pm. We are pleased to be able offer full weekend availability for the first time. This board decision was made to allow more flexibility to voters’ schedules and to maximize daylight driving conditions, both impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, as allowed by recent Helene legislation.

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LETTERS: Sue Sweeting: A Proven Leader 

October 14, 2024 Letters to the Editor. By Cullie Tarleton Rogers / I’m writing in support of Sue Sweeting as the Watauga County Commissioner for District 5 (Blue Ridge, Blowing Rock, Elk and Stony Fork) in the 2024 general election. I have known Sue for well over 20 years. She has always been a hardworking and dedicated individual. As a former elected official myself, I know firsthand the time it takes to be an effective elected official. You have to listen, know the issues and be willing to make bold decisions. Sue checks all these blocks

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Save the Date: High Country Food Hub Local Meat Sale is Thursday, October 24th

October 14, 2024 Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture will host the third annual High Country Food Hub Local Meat Sale to offer local meat at a discounted price as many farmers face an early end to the growing season and so that people can begin to restock their freezers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The Local Meat Sale will take place from 10:00AM-2:00PM on Thursday, October 24th, 2024 at the High Country Food Hub in the Watauga County Conference Center at 252 Poplar Grove Road. The Local Meat Sale will feature a variety of local meat producers, samples to try unique cuts of meat, a burger lunch fundraiser, and a 6.9 Cubic ft.freezer raffle. All proceeds will benefit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture’s Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps make local food more affordable for those in need.

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Movie Review: “Terrifier” Now Playing at Boone Regal

October 14, 2024 Here’s a movie that certainly surpassed expectations. The low-budget “Terrifier” franchise is not usually one that makes big bucks. The first film from 2016 made less than $1 million. The second, in the glorious year for horror that was 2022, was lucky to pass $10 million. Now comes a third entry that not only made more than the other two movies combined in its opening weekend with $18 million, it took the #1 spot at the domestic box office.

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Message from Appalachian State University Interim Chancellor Heather Norris


October 11, 2024 . Today (Friday) at 5 p.m., we will reopen the university, after being closed for more than two weeks. This is a significant event in our 125-year history, marking just how devastating the effects of Hurricane Helene have been on our community. We witnessed amazing acts of kindness and humanity during this time. Members of our community rescued others from rising and rapidly moving water. When landslides and downed trees blocked access, those who were able dug and chainsawed their way through to get others to safety. They walked, boated and rode horses and mules to deliver supplies to family, neighbors, friends and strangers.

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Like All Other Places Struck, Avery County Continues Recovery from Hurricane Helene

October 11, 2024 The long recovery continues from what’s being called the worst catastrophe ever in the North Carolina High Country, including in the 113-year history of  Avery County (founded in 1911). No one in this area has ever seen anything like this. Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Helene was predicted to bring significant flooding to the North Carolina High Country, but it delivered far more inches of rain than expected.  It’s hard to fathom how much destruction has been wrought in the region.  Upwards to 31 inches of rain fell over Avery County and other parts of the High Country on September 25, 26, and 27 with winds at times over 60 miles per hour. By Tim Gardner

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Daniel Boone Park Area Usage by FEMA Update in the Wake of Hurricane Helene

October 11, 2024 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approached the Town of Boone about using the Daniel Boone Parking Lot at 591 Horn in West Drive as a temporary staging area for all FEMA employees. At this staging area, FEMA employees will be housed to prevent taking up valuable short-term housing that is desperately needed by community members displaced by Hurricane Helene. This spot was chosen as the Town of Boone is the centralized municipality in the High Country region devastated by Hurricane Helene and has access to other surrounding counties and communities. Here, FEMA can conduct recovery efforts for our mountain community without taxing our temporary housing inventory.

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Blue Ridge Energy Friday Power Restoration Update: Work Continues for the Final

October 11, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (4:30 pm, Friday, October 11, 2024) – Line technicians, tree specialists and grading contractors will continue restoration Friday night and over the weekend until the final 1,140 members impacted by Hurricane Helene are restored with power. As of 4:30 pm Friday, crews are working to restore 678 members in Watauga County, 425 in Ashe County, nine in Caldwell County and 28 in Wilkes County.

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Help Mountaineers in Need by Giving to the App State Disaster Relief Fund

October 11, 2024 In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a harsh reality faces many students, faculty and staff of Appalachian State University. Some have lost everything — their homes, their vehicles, their driveways and bridges, and family heirlooms that can never be replaced. To assist community members during this difficult time, the university has established the App State Disaster Relief Fund, which is providing unrestricted funds to Mountaineers in need. Contributions to this fund are directly helping App State students, faculty and staff who have been impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene:

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Watauga County Farmers’ Market Reopens After Hurricane Helene, Announces New Location for Remainder of the Season at Leon Levine Hall

October 11, 2024 The Watauga County Farmers’ Market successfully reopened on Saturday, October 5th, after much uncertainty following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. While the market space at Horn in the West Drive is currently being shared with the Town of Boone for storm debris storage, creative solutions have allowed the organization to resume operations and continue serving the community. However, due to ongoing recovery efforts and space limitations at the current site, the market is excited to announce a new location for the remainder of the season: Leon Levine Hall, 1179 State Farm Road in Boone, NC. Starting October 12th, vendors and visitors will gather at this new location, just 5 minutes away from the original site, ensuring a seamless transition for our community and vendors. The market will continue its regular hours of 8 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays, providing the same fresh, local goods.

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Blue Ridge Energy Thursday Update: Power Restoration Countdown: Additional Crews Mobilized to Watauga, Ashe Counties

October 10, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (4:30 pm, Thursday, October 10, 2024) – With nearly 97% of Blue Ridge Energy members restored with power after Hurricane Helene left 63,000 members in the dark, the cooperative is able to move additional manpower from its 500+ line technicians, tree workers and road graders to the hardest hit areas in Watauga and Ashe counties although crews continue work in all areas. As of 4:30 pm Thursday, crews are working to restore the final 2,535 members: 1,451 in Watauga County, 930 in Ashe County, 82 in Caldwell County, 49 in Wilkes County, 15 in Alleghany County  and 8 in Avery County.

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App State Classes Will Resume on Wednesday Oct. 16

October 10, 2024 App State classes will resume on Wednesday Oct. 16. On Friday Oct. 11 at 5 p.m., Adverse Weather Condition 1 (Reduced Operations) will go into effect and remain in effect until further notice. Students should check their email and monitor ASULearn and course webpages. If in-person and/or remote learning is not possible, students are encouraged to reach out to their faculty or department chairs.

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Wednesday Update from the Town of Banner Elk

October 10, 2024 Avery County and the Town of Banner Elk remain under a State of Emergency due to the extensive flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Helene.  Messages received here may not be responded to.  If your matter is urgent, please call Banner Elk Town Hall.

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App State, the Town of Boone, Watauga County and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce: Area Leaders Focus on Recovery from Helene

October 9, 2024 BOONE, N.C. — Today marks 12 days since Hurricane Helene hit the Boone area on Sept. 27. The storm brought wind gusts in excess of 40 mph and, combined with a predecessor rain event, dumped upwards of 10 to 21 inches of rain across the county, leading to massive flooding, significant damages to homes and businesses and two deaths in Watauga County.

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Power Restoration Countdown: Blue Ridge Energy Crews Have Outages Down to 3,909

October 9, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (4 pm, Wednesday, October 9, 2024) – Blue Ridge Energy crews are making tremendous progress rebuilding its electric system in the cooperative’s heavily damaged service area and additional manpower has been mobilized to the most devastated areas with remaining outages. As of 4 pm Wednesday, outages stand at a total of 3,909 with 2,242 of those in Watauga County, 1,461 in Ashe County, 106 in Caldwell County, 51 in Wilkes County, 25 in Avery County, and 24 in Alleghany County.

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Avery County Government Releases Updated Statistics from Hurricane Helene Effects

October 9, 2024 Avery County Government has updated statistics and related information about the destruction Hurricane Helene caused when it swept through the area nearly two weeks ago.  The totals were confirmed as of Wednesday morning, October 9. A State of Emergency declared by the county’s Board of Commissioners on September 25 at noon remains in effect. A curfew ordered by Commission Chairman Tim Phillips from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. is also in effect until further notice. Transportation in the county is limited due to some roads still not open and many being repaired from being flooded, including some that had pavement ripped off.There have been four fatalities confirmed in the county and four persons are missing. Fifty-eight (58) injuries have also been confirmed. By Tim Gardner

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