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Celebrating 20 Years of SMARL with Five Folks Who Have Raced In All 20 Seasons, Plus 100’s of Pictures From Many Previous Years

February 18, 2026 In the Fall of 2005 Bill Leonard of Ski Country Sports dreamed up the idea of organizing a High Country race series for local adult skiers. The point of the series was to have fun, as well as to enjoy some good natured competition. Bill pitched his idea to Gunther Jochl, owner of Sugar Mountain Resort, and the Sugar Mountain Adult Race League was born with the first series of races commencing with the 2006 ski season. That first year the league filled up its 100 person limit and the series has been going strong ever since.

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SMARL Wraps Up Its 20th Anniversary Season with the Awards Party on Monday Night

February 17, 2026 Sugar Mountain Adult Ski League SMARL ended its 20th Anniversary 2026 racing season with a bang as perfect conditions for racing and an exciting Awards Night of celebrating in the Sugar Mountain Lodge unfolded. Up on the slope, our reporter on the scene for the six Monday night races, Matt Leonard, said the vibe on the course felt Olympic as racers pushed to improve their end of the season points tally for an opportunity to earn a gold, silver or bronze medal for the 2026 season. “Once again the conditions were perfect, just like the last two weeks with this week being the faster yet,” said Leonard. “They made it quite a challenging course for the last race!” 

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MOVIE REVIEW: “Wuthering Heights”

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 –         “Wuthering Heights” is based on a classic novel by Emily Brontë. I’ve never read the novel, which is probably for the best. Reports of the movie differing from the novel are actually quite relieving to me. They’re relieving in the sense that I do not have to lose respect for people who like the novel, which I would do if this movie were any indication of its quality. I’m fine with not judging a book by its movie, especially when the movie is this terrible.

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Want to level up your WALK without adding time or intensity

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 -First, posture and balance. When the load is evenly distributed across the torso, your body instinctively organizes itself. You stand taller. Your core engages more naturally. Your gait becomes more intentional. Walking the rolling hills of the High Country — even just around the neighborhood — becomes subtle balance training. Over time, that improves stability and proprioception, two things that become increasingly important as we age.

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Mountainfilm on Tour returns to Lees-McRae for High Country Film and Speaker Series 2025–26

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 -This year’s Mountainfilm on Tour event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 in Hayes Auditorium on the college’s North Campus. Live music will begin at 6:15 p.m. with performances by Annie and Ellie Davis, students in the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music program at East Tennessee State University. The film screenings will follow at 7 p.m.

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App State’s Department of Government and Justice Studies to host Lab iMPACTLY Nonprofit Workshop April 9

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 -Under the theme “The Future-Proof Nonprofit: AI-Driven Storytelling and Strategic Governance,” participants will explore how to navigate an era in which funding landscapes shift rapidly and digital tools are redefining engagement. By converging artificial intelligence with storytelling and pairing it with robust governance strategies, the workshop aims to offer a roadmap for organizations to not just survive the next decade, but to lead in community impact.

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Western Youth Network’s (WYN) mentoring program rolled strikes at its bowling party at High Country Lanes on February 9, 2026!  

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 -Angela McMann, WYN Director of Mentoring, called the event “A beautiful opportunity to share with the community what mentoring is all about. This brought together so many aspects of the mentoring relationships. We are hopeful that some of the perspective volunteers will be able to pair up with some of the youth that were in attendance. This event was a tremendous success.”  

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‘Local Love’ Lineup Revealed for FloydFest 26~Daydream (July 22-26, 2026)

February 12, 2026 CHECK, VA – February 12, 2026 — At the heart of FloydFest’s annual purposeful programming, Across-the-Way Productions, Inc. and Blue Cow Arts Foundation, Inc. showcase their love and admiration for the remarkable local music scene by offering patrons a taste of regional talent via the ‘Local Love’ lineup. Across-the-Way Productions and Blue Cow Arts Foundation welcome 13 bands as 2026’s ‘Local Loves’

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It Was a Classic Night of Racing at Monday Night’s SMARL Event With Awesome Conditions

February 11, 2026 Matt Leonard reported it was a classic night of racing on the slopes of Sugar Mountain Monday night with some of best conditions in a couple of years. The course was super fast with scores dipping down into the high twenty second range with faster than usual times for everyone. This was the fifth race before next week’s final race and award ceremony where we will find out which teams and individuals will be crowned as the fastest for the SMARL’s 20th Anniversary season.

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SMARL Was Back Out on the Slopes on Monday after Missing Last Week’s Weather Delayed Race

February 4, 2026 After missing last week’s race do to the brutal weather conditions, SMARL was back out on the slopes this pass Monday for their 4th race of the season. Out on the slopes it was cold just like it’s suppose to be this time of year said Matt Leonard. “Good course, good snow and we probably had a 75% turnout for this one,” said Leonard. “Good fast course which is the way most of us like it!” It has been announced that the series will be extended a week to make up for the missed January 26th race making the final awards night race fall on February 16th. Team Sugar leads the series by 2 points with Ski Country Sports close behind. On the snowboard side The Lodge is out there all by itself with 65 points.

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MOVIE: Send Help

By Bob Garver             Did you know that getting stranded on a deserted island has a way of shaking up social hierarchies? I suppose that was a big part of the plot for recent Best Picture Oscar nominee “Triangle of Sadness.” As well as the literary classic “Lord of the Flies.” And it’s represented on television in everything from “Survivor” to “Lost” to “Gilligan’s Island.” And it was at the center of a play I did in high school called “The Admirable Crichton,” where I played a rich snob who gets taken down several pegs. Director Sam Raimi is hoping you’ve somehow avoided all of these precursors, plus others I’m sure I’m forgetting, because only then can you find originality in “Send Help.”             Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, a doormat of an employee in the strategy and planning department of a financial consulting firm. She does great work, but she doesn’t have the best social skills, and her bro-y male colleagues take her work for granted while overlooking her as a person. This is especially true of her boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who gives a college buddy a promotion over her and is ready to boot her from …

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“Mercy”

January 18, 2026 Boone, NC – January 18, 2026 -The whole thing is ridiculous. It’s so ridiculous, in fact, that it warrants being seen by people who like ridiculous movies.

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2026 WinterFest Cancelled due to Extreme Icy Conditions

Provided by: Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Blowing Rock, NC – Due to the extreme icy conditions, the weekend forecast and the winter storm warning the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel WinterFest 2026. The Cancelled events are: – Polar Plunge – Rotary Chili Challenge – Speckled Trout Beer Garden – Cocoa and Hayrides The Chamber made the decision based on a philosophy of “safety first” for participants and guests. The ice sculptures will be placed on Friday and available to stroll, view, and snap a few selfies! The Live Ice Sculpture Demo will take place from 12-4 on Saturday at Memorial Park.  Ticket holders are being notified by the Chamber.

LETTER: Boone at a Crossroads: growth without the infrastructure to survive it?

Written by: Ryan Abrams, Boone Boone presents itself as a town that is growing, modernizing, and adapting. New apartment buildings rise near campus and along key corridors. Student-oriented developments expand upward and outward. Parking decks, large institutional buildings, and dense multifamily projects continue to reshape the landscape. On the surface, this looks like prosperity and momentum. But beneath that visible growth lies a much older, quieter system — stormwater drains, culverts, creeks, and sewer infrastructure that were never designed to handle what is now being built above them. There are efforts underway. The Town of Boone has not ignored infrastructure entirely. A town-wide stormwater inventory has been funded to locate and assess existing drainage assets, though flooding remains a known recurring problem due to Boone’s terrain and stormwater patterns. (Stormwater infrastructure page, Town of Boone). The Howard Street downtown project includes replacement of water and sewer lines and the addition of new stormwater piping. Targeted creek restoration projects aim to stabilize eroding channels and reduce localized flooding. Routine maintenance continues on an aging water and wastewater system. These actions matter. They demonstrate awareness of the problem and provide incremental relief in specific locations. But the uncomfortable truth is that these …

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10 Tips to Prepare for The Severe Winter Storm This Weekend

Written by: Sam Garrett BOONE, N.C. — As winter storms are arriving across the mountains of North Carolina. We will receive a mix of heavy snow, ice, high winds and rapidly changing conditions. The Governor has declared a state of emergency. Emergency managers urge everyone to prepare early and avoid unnecessary travel starting Friday, January 22 through the weekend. Below is a quick checklist of how to prepare for the weekend. 1. Monitor forecasts closely.Weather can change quickly in the High Country. Check updates from the National Weather Service, Ray’s Weather, WATA FM 96.5, High Country Press along with social media for the latest weather conditions. Pay attention to winter storm watches and warnings, which signal increasing or decreasing risk. 2. Stock up before the storm hits.Grocery stores can empty fast when snow is in the forecast. Have at least three days of food and water for everyone in your household. Choose items that don’t include cooking in case the power goes out. 3. Prepare for power outages.Heavy snow and ice often bring down trees and power lines. Keep flashlights, extra batteries, blankets and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio on hand. If you rely on medical equipment that needs electricity, …

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Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Showcases New Exhibitions at “Fizzy First Friday” on February 6

Boone, NC – The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts will host an evening of ARTtalks, a juried photography competition, hands-on artmaking, and community engagement during Fizzy First Friday on Friday, February 6 from 4-8pm. The event features the opening of new exhibitions, artist conversations, refreshments and desserts, and music by a DJ, all in celebration of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC). Schedule of Events: 4-8pm: Fizzy First Friday Celebration, all galleries open 4-5pm: ARTTalk with Artist John Shorb (Dieu Donné, NYC) 5-6:30pm: AMPC ARTtalk and Awards Reception 5-7:30pm: Drop-In Artmaking in Moskowitz Gallery 7-8pm: DJ Set with Ty Murray/DJ Soularia All events are FREE and open to the public. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts provided with a cash bar. Exhibitions and Activities Overview: 23rd Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition and Exhibition This year’s theme, “I Know Why the Mockingbird Sings,” was chosen by juror Ty Murray, artivist and Director of Art & Communications at The Bottom, a nonprofit cultural organization in Knoxville, TN. Murray describes the inspiration behind the theme: “Joy is at the heart of my creative practice. My gears were turning for a theme that could convey the freedom that joy embodies—like the feeling of an …

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