December 6, 2021. Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center announces that Holston Camp Preschool is open for Spring 2022 enrollment. Enrollment is limited to 15 three to five year olds. Class begins on January 4 and concludes May 13 for a total of 18 weeks. Holston Camp Preschool is awarded a letter of compliance with the NC Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Child Development and Early Education licensing requirements. This award represents a high degree of oversight by the state to ensure the Holston Camp Preschool child care program is safe and maintains a superior level of accountability. The program includes a Christian faith component. Children must be out of diapers and able to use the toilet with little assistance. Holston Camp Preschool will operate Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is an option for early drop-off at 7:00 am and late pickup at 6:00 pm. The holiday schedule will follow the  Avery County Schools calendar.

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December 6, 2021. Networking Today International-High Country Connect is partnering with WAMY Community Action for a Santa for Seniors Brunch, a gift drive benefitting senior citizens who are shut-in, staying in assisted living or hospice care. The event will take place on Thursday, December 9, 10-11:30am at Cupcrazed of Boone located in The Standard at 773 Blowing Rock Road in Boone. Tickets to the event are $20 and include refreshments, holiday music from DJ Karl Mohr with More Fun Entertainment and free parking. Attendees are asked to bring newly purchased items such as socks, blankets, winter accessories and word puzzle books. All proceeds will help spread holiday cheer to our neighbors in need. In 2020, WAMY (Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey) delivered 800 holiday gift bags to senior citizens through the Santa for Seniors program. With hopes of exceeding last year’s goal, WAMY needs your help more than ever.

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December 3, 2021. Shortly before Thanksgiving, firefighters from Boone, Meat Camp, Foscoe, Blowing Rock and Cove Creek all had a chance to take part in live firefighting training on Saturday, November 20 during a controlled burn of a house on Johnson Street behind Watauga Medical Center. Firefighters were in full gear and prepared to learn and experience real-life training scenarios. “It is immeasurable the amount of training and experience that comes from being able to do something like this,” said Mike Teague, who is the Assistant Chief with the Boone Fire Department. “This home had been damaged in the past and was not repairable, but it was still a structurally sound and safe house. We got all the permits and we had fire instructors that set fires and the firefighters go in.” The training exercises give younger firefighters additional training to prepare for when they have to respond to a real emergency. “It allows us to mesh crews together and put people together to come help and suppress these fires. It gives us very valuable experience,” Teague said.  By Nathan Ham

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November 30, 2021. For the thirteenth consecutive year, Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina, the nonprofit agency that serves as the point of entry for all homeless services in Ashe, Avery, Wilkes, Watauga, Alleghany, Mitchell, and Yancey counties, is offering William Mangum’s Honor Card this holiday season. Through a chance meeting in 1987 with Mike Saavedra, a homeless man, North Carolina Watercolor artist William Mangum’s perspective on life was forever changed. That good Samaritan outreach gave Bill a new perspective on how he could use his artistic talent to help those less fortunate. Ever since then, Bill has been a hands-on advocate for the needs of North Carolina’s homeless population, donating his artistic skills and publishing gifts to make The Honor Card program one of the most successful charitable programs in the country. Since its inception in 1998, The Honor Card has raised over to nine million dollars to assist the homeless families and individuals of North Carolina.

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