1000 x 90

Musical Artists Announced for 2023 Summer Concert Series at St. John’s Valle Crucis, Banner Elk, Junaluska Choirs, and Wild Blue Yonder Celtic Band

May 26, 2023 VALLE CRUCIS, NC – There is a framed needlepoint artwork in the choir room at Holy Cross Episcopal Church that reads, “For heights and depths no words can reach, music is the soul’s own speech.” While the author of that phrase is unknown, the revered saying could well be the mantra for an upcoming series of musical concerts.The line-up of artists has been announced for the popular Summer Concert Series at historic St. John’s Church in Valle Crucis with monthly events planned from June 4 through August 6. A summer mission of Holy Cross Episcopal Church, the picturesque chapel, consecrated in 1862, is located in the Watauga County countryside and provides marvelous acoustics for music with its wooden walls and floors forming a natural sounding board for live performances.

Read more

Body Found in Winkler Creek Identified

May 25, 2023 Boone NC- On May 24th, 2023, around 3:45 p.m., a subject conducting research in Winkler Creek located a deceased individual in the creek behind the Broyhill Wellness Center, located at 232 Boone Heights Drive. Members of the Boone Police Department, Boone Fire Department, and Watauga EMS responded and confirmed the subject was deceased.Detectives of the Boone Police Department responded and identified the deceased as Christopher Lee Strickland, age 35. Strickland was last known to be camping along the bank of Winkler Creek upstream from where he was located. His next of kin have been notified of his death. 

Read more

High Country Real Estate: High Country Snapshot

May 25, 2023 The High Country is made up of seven counties, a lot of small towns, vibrant communities and an amazing amount of charm and character! It would be impossible to cover every community when looking at Real Estate in the High Country but occasionally, we like to take a look at  some of the larger communities in the area and tell you about some of the real estate that has sold in the past 90 days. Paige Carter, REALTOR, Blue Ridge Realty & Investments, LLC

Read more

National Geographic Society CEO to Speak at App State’s Appalachian Energy Summit June 7th

May 25, 2023 BOONE, N.C. — National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler will give the keynote address at the 2023 Appalachian Energy Summit, hosted by Appalachian State University’s Office of Sustainability on Wednesday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.The talk is free and open to the public, with reserved tickets available at the Schaefer Center box office. Attendees are encouraged to secure their tickets early. 

Read more

Avery Board of Commissioners Compile Proposed 2023-2024 County Budget Featuring No Over-all Tax Increase 

May 25, 2023 After spending months in deliberation about the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget, the Avery County Board of Commissioners, which consists of Chairwoman Martha Hicks, Vice-Chairman Tim Phillips, Dennis Aldridge, Wood Hall (Woodie) Young, Jr. and Robert Burleson, has finished a proposed 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.The proposed General Fund budget totals $37,131,691.00 and includes $2,625,210.00 in appropriated fund balance. Under its terms, the county’s tax rate will be 40 cents per $100 valuation. That includes 33.5 percent in general tax and 6.5 percent in fire tax. The proposed budget includes no over-all tax increase.  But the fire tax was increased by one cent from 5.5 cents. By Tim Gardner

Read more

Reservations are now open for “Grandfather Presents: William Mangum”

May 24, 2023 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that you may now reserve your seat for the first of the Saturday presentations in its 2023 Grandfather Presents speaker series. Artist William Mangum will present “North Carolina Beautiful” on June 3.

Read more

Shilling Wins CCC&TI Academic Excellence Award

May 24, 2023 Billie Shilling began working as a housekeeper at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Boone while in high school. Her manager saw tremendous potential and encouraged her to further her career by enrolling in Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Hospitality Management program on the Watauga Campus. Shilling, a first-generation college student, enrolled at CCC&TI in Fall 2020. As she learned new skills, both on the job and in the classroom, she worked her way up to the Operational Supervisor position while attending school full-time. Her success in the classroom has not only helped her professionally, it also recently earned her the highest annual honor given to a CCC&TI student.

Read more

Count Basie Orchestra Headlines 2023 High Country Jazz Festival 

May 24, 2023 BOONE, NC – “We’re bringing 88 years of classic ‘Count Basie Jazz’ directly to you,” said Scotty Barnhart, director of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra about their Appalachian Theatre debut performance that is headlining the 2023 High Country Jazz Festival. “I’ve programmed something from every decade of the orchestra’s existence that will feature each of the 19 artists on stage, including new charts added to your program that haven’t been played in years!”

Read more

Fun for All Ages at Ashe County Safety Day

May 24, 2023 Jefferson, NC– If you are looking for a fun filled day with family and friends, while learning about safety and interacting with emergency personnel and law enforcement, this is the event for you! The Ashe County Safety Day is an educational event that is free and open to all ages – families included! The event will be held Saturday, June 3rd from 10am to 2pm at the Ashe County High School.

Read more

Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: The Unofficial Kick-off To Summer Begins Here and Now


May 17, 2023 As if we need a reminder that summer is almost here, the Memorial Day weekend and the end of another school year together usually signal the “unofficial”  beginning of a long-anticipated break from the mundane. For many families picnics, cookouts, vacations, camps and fun days in the park and local attractions take the place of our regular schedules of school and work.While most of us can’t have every day filled with exciting adventures away from home, we can still make every day fun with the simple things in life. A quiet, mid-morning brunch on the front porch, a picnic lunch on the back patio and/or a walk through the woods after dinner on the deck are just a few of the countless ways we can spend enjoyable summer days with those we love. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

10 Facts About NC’s Photo ID Requirement for Voting

May 23, 2023 RALEIGH, NC – The following are 10 facts about North Carolina’s photo ID requirement for voting:
1. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in North Carolina, starting with the 2023 municipal elections. Those elections occur in September, October, and November, depending on the town or city. (Find your local election details at ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election.)
2. Most voters will simply show their NC driver’s license, but many other types of photo ID will be accepted. See the list of acceptable IDs atncsbe.gov/voter-id.

Read more

Hugh Fields Crossnore Children’s Gold Classic Celebrates 25 Years

May 23, 2023 CROSSNORE, N.C. (May 16, 2023) — Crossnore Communities for Children celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Hugh Fields Crossnore Children’s Golf Classic on May 15, 2023 at Linville Golf Club. The tournament was created to support current needs at the agency by Phyllis Crain, Ed.D., executive director at Crossnore until her death in 2012. With the support of Hugh Fields, longtime trustee at Crossnore before his death in 2011, the tournament has raised more than $1.5 million in the last 25 years. The tournament is a lasting legacy to the work of Dr. Crain and Hugh Fields.

Read more

Hardin Park Teams Find Success in Regional, State Battle of the Books Contest

May 23, 2023 BOONE — Teams of students from Hardin Park School took their prowess in the annual Battle of the Books competition on the road last month, scoring a win and a high placement in the state and regional competitions.The Golden Eagles’ most-keen readers took home a victory in the Region 7 contest held on the campus of Appalachian State University, and netted a respectable fifth place in the statewide contest held in Fayetteville.

Read more

Six Watauga County Residents Receive Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards

May 23, 2023 Six Watauga County residents each received the 2023 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Award during an evening ceremony on Thursday, May 18, at the Blue Ridge Energy Community Room in Boone.William Butler, Ken Connelly, Lisa Shelton, Judith Phoenix, Curt Gillespie and Gerald Traudt are among the  state’s most dedicated individuals currently being recognized across the state for their selfless sacrifices of time, talent and energy. The local event was sponsored by High Country United Way, the assigned coordinator for the governor’s volunteer recognition  program in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties;  presiding was the organization’s Executive Director, Rebeca Hall, assisted by Director of Operations, Susan Stuber. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Deep Gap Ruritan Awards $4,500 in Annual Scholarships 

May 22, 2023 During its monthly meeting on Thursday, May 11, Deep Gap Ruritan Club awarded scholarships totaling $4,500 to three deserving residents of the community. Recipients Moriah Bollman, Amelie Fawson, both graduating seniors from Watauga High School, and Cassidy Johnson, a rising junior at Appalachian State University, were recognized individually for their accomplishments, presented with their scholarships, and with family members, enjoyed an evening meal prepared by the club members. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Artists Alley: Building a Creative Community in Blowing Rock Opens Friday, May 26th

May 22, 2023 Blowing Rock, NC – BRAHM (Blowing Rock Art & History Museum) is pleased to announce a new exhibition, Artists Alley: Building a Creative Community in Blowing Rock, which explores the rich history and artistic output of the legendary Blowing Rock artists’ enclave of the same name. Artists Alley opens to the public on Friday, May 26th in BRAHM’s Rankin West Gallery and will remain on view through November 11, 2023.

Read more

Movie Review: “Fast X”

May 15, 2023   As the tenth (non-spinoff) installment of the “Fast” franchise, “Fast X” has a certain duty to its fans. It needs to up its game from every chapter that came before it. It needs to contain a development so huge, the series will never be the same. It needs to be worthy of having a letter as cool as “X” in its title. Instead what we get is an okay-at-best movie at a point when “okay” is unacceptable.  By Bob Garver

Read more

Blowing Rock Art in the Park Celebrates Six Decades of Show

May 22, 2023 Visitors to Blowing Rock’s first Art in the Park of 2023 strolled through more than 75 fine arts and crafts booths on Saturday, May 20 in downtown Blowing Rock. Presented by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, Art in the Park is a juried art event with prizes awarded to the four top artists.   By Kris Testori

Read more

Blowing Rock Historical Society: Preserving the Past

May 22, 2023 With its majestic scenery and charming, quaint downtown, the Village of Blowing Rock has a storied history of captivating people from all over. The Blowing Rock Historical Society (BRHS) plays a vital role in protecting and documenting the town’s historic character. Founded in 1985 by local residents, the foundation’s mission is to preserve and protect the historical character and charm of the village. By Kris Testori

Read more

Largest Fentanyl Seizure in Avery County History

May 19, 2023 The Avery County Sheriff’s Office would like to announce a significant arrest in our efforts to discourage illicit drug sales in Avery County. On April 14, 2023, Avery County Criminal Investigations and Narcotics Division investigators served a search warrant on a residence in the Ingalls community and located what is being described as the largest Fentanyl seizure in Avery County history. The Fentanyl located was both in powder form and pressed pill form. Investigators also located a large amount of Methamphetamine and handguns in the residence.

Read more

Flags Over Our High Country Veterans

May 19, 2023  On Saturday, 15 April 2023, members of the High Country Chapter Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), in conjunction with members of the Appalachian State University ROTC Scabbard and Blade Club, met at Mount Lawn Cemetery in order to place marking decals on the tombstones of local military veterans. The purpose of the placement of the decals on the gravesites was to identify who the veterans are and where specifically they are buried. This is part of a new MOAA program initiative called, “Flags Over Our High Country Veterans.”

Read more

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery to Host June 7 Benefit for Casting Bread Featuring Adam Church and Food From Eleven80 Eatery

May 18, 2023 BLOWING ROCK, N.C. – Casting Bread announces an evening at Grandfather Vineyard & Winery on Wednesday, June 7 from 6:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The event will feature a performance by local favorite Adam Church. Tickets are $50.00 and include wine and a meal from Eleven80 Eatery Smokehouse’s barbecue food truck. “We are grateful for the support from Grandfather Vineyard, Eleven80 and Adam Church,” stated Sam Garrett, Casting Bread’s executive director. Proceeds from the June 7 event will help the organization supply food for its free, client-choice pantry. 

Read more

+ More Articles