High Country Press

November 11, 2019. Friday will mark a new date in history for Appalachian Ski Mtn. This will be the earliest opening day since the early 1990s. “It will be a historic day, it will be the earliest we’ve opened in a quarter-century so that’s pretty cool. Conditions are going to be amazing, November cold fronts aren’t usually quite this perfect for snowmaking so we’re doing as much as we can and we should have several slopes, if not the majority of the slopes open at peak season conditions,” said Drew Stanley, the Marketing Director at Appalachian Ski Mtn. There will be at least one and possibly two of the terrain parks open on Friday as well. Stanley said he would know more for sure about the terrain parks on Thursday. As has become a tradition at Appalachian Ski Mtn., the first 100 guests on opening day to purchase their ticket at the cashier window will receive a free ticket for use at a later date. The timing could not have been much better, especially with the first holiday weekend of the ski season quickly approaching. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 13, 2019. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

November 13, 2019. WAMY, celebrating its 55th year serving the communities of Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties, is launching their Santa for Seniors program this holiday season. The Santa for Seniors program partners with shut-ins and hospice patients throughout the community and aims to bring them Christmas gifts in order to spread Christmas cheer to those who aren’t able to leave home. Create a box or bag of small gifts or have your Sunday school class or organization put together gifts as a project and drop them off at one of the designated locations during the drop off window! Donations can be dropped off on December 3 – December 15 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m at the WAMY offices located at 225 Birch Street Suite 2, Boone, NC 28607 or at 496 Balsam Ave, Spruce Pine NC. By Joe Johnson / Read more…

November 13, 2019. The brutally cold temperatures on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning led to a new record low temperature for this date in history. The overnight low was recorded at 14 degrees in Boone, breaking the previous record set in 1950 of 15 degrees, according to data provided by Ray’s Weather Center. Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain and Snake Mountain had the lowest recorded temperatures as each weather station recorded low temperatures of 5 degrees. Schools in Watauga, Avery and Ashe all opened today but were on delays, thanks to some frozen patches of ice on some roadways and the cold temperatures that everyone woke up to across the High Country. For the rest of the week, high temperatures will stay in the mid-40s for the most part with lows hovering in the upper 20s and lower 30s, which might feel like a heatwave compared to the single-digit and below zero wind chills that were felt overnight Tuesday and Wednesday morning.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 13, 2019. App State Football received another accolade in its season of firsts as the College Football Playoff committee placed the Mountaineers at No. 25 in this week’s rankings. App State (8-1) once again achieves something no Sun Belt Conference school had before, becoming the first league school to crack the CFP rankings. The Mountaineers are at No. 24 in this week’s Amway Coaches Poll and are one spot shy of an Associated Press Top 25 ranking this week. Two weeks ago, their No. 20 ranking in the AP poll was the highest ever by a Sun Belt school. At the end of the season, the CFP poll’s highest-ranked conference champion from Group of Five leagues will earn a berth to the New Year’s Six Cotton Bowl. App State joined fellow Group of Five schools No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 18 Memphis, No. 21 Boise State and No. 23 Navy in this week’s rankings. The Mountaineers, led by first-year head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, won 20-15 at South Carolina last week to become the first Sun Belt school to capture two victories over Power Five opponents in the same season. They also won 34-31 at North Carolina on Sept. 21. / Read more…

November 5, 2019. The following are recent obituary notices from Austin and Barnes and Hampton funeral homes in Boone and Reins-Sturdivant in Newland. / Read more…

November 13, 2019. Isn’t it amazing how we become such creatures of habit? I mean, how many of us really do eat pumpkin pie in the summer? I’m sure it’s just as good in July as it is in November. Do we enjoy pickled eggs and potato salad at any other time of year as much as we do at Easter? What about red velvet cakes, fudge and peppermint candy — does it really taste the same in August as it does at Christmas? How many of us plan a picnic for New Year’s Eve — even if it just means spreading a blanket in the living room floor by the fireplace? You get my drift, because we do have those long-standing traditions that are not easily broken. So, now, as we do every November, we’ve got to get those pumpkin pies rolling! Enjoy the season and make every moment count — regardless of what you do, when or how By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

November 13, 2019. On Saturday, November 16th, at 3 PM through 4:30 PM, the West Jefferson Christmas Holiday Parade will begin, marking the start of the holiday shopping season. The parade is coordinated and organized by the West Jefferson Lions Club, an organization dedicated to helping individuals in need of eye care. The parade is sponsored by the town of West Jefferson and the Parker Tie Company. The Ashe County High School Husky Vanguard Band will be performing during the event, along with a variety of other bands. In addition to the musical talent, the parade will include creative community entries, ranging from horse owners, civic clubs, dance teams, and fire & rescue displays. Serving as grand marshal for the parade will be WBTV’s John Carter. By Adam Estabrook / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

What’s Happening This Week at Lost Province Brewing

NCNPS Blue Ridge Chapter Reminder to Attend Grandfather Mountain Presentation on Climate Change November 13

CCC&TI Announces Spring Semester Registration Begins November 14

TSA PreCheck Enrollment at Tri-Cities Airport Through November 15

Get Lit Returns with Another PUB-lish on November 20

Banner Elk Cafe Live Music and Entertainment Schedule

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

November 12, 2019. If you have ever had questions or concerns about signing up for the right health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, now is the time to put those concerns to rest. Alex Noriega at High Country Community Health in Boone is here to help. “We don’t pressure people to sign up for anything. We’re not brokers, so we’re not making a commission or anything. We are certified application counselors here to help people,” said Noriega. Each year, uninsured individuals visit the online health insurance marketplace to look at the numerous plans available and choose the one that best fits their needs. However, many times it is much easier and cheaper if you use the free help offered by these certified counselors to make sure you are getting the coverage you want. “It’s through the marketplace where people can sign up for their health insurance and apply for a tax credit based on household income and household size,” said Noriega. “Once we finish the application, it is a real-time process so they are able to immediately see the plans offered to them through the marketplace. I highly recommend people come in and look at all the options being offered, you never know if you might be able to save some money.”  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 12, 2019. The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance presents the 2019 Fall Appalachian Dance Ensemble (FADE). This dance showcases features eight pieces having world premiere performances this month. The production takes place in the Valborg Theatre  at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 through Saturday, Nov. 23, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 24. All shows are general admission and ticket prices are $17 for adults, $15 for faculty and staff, and $10 for students. For more information, call the Schaefer Center box office at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or visit the website. / Read more…

November 12, 2019. The busy summer selling season has yet to end for local Realtors, with sales in October at a 14-month high. It was the third consecutive month of near-record sales for members of the High Country Association of Realtors, which represents real estate professionals in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties. They sold more homes in August, September and October than all but one other month since 2005. The median sold price in each of those three months – the price point at which half of all homes sold above or below – was above $240,000. That’s according to the High Country Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Going back to May, local Realtors have sold more than 200 homes each month, peaking in October when they sold 290 residential and multi-family homes worth $86.12 million. Dating back to 2005, only in August 2018 have Realtors sold as many homes in a month (295). / Read more…

November 12, 2019. If you ever thought it was impossible to make a difference in the world from the comfort of your home, think again. One of the easiest opportunities to impact the world — and especially, its children — is practically at your fingertips and at your front door. By participating in the annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox project, sponsored by the Boone-based ministry of Samaritans Purse, you might give a child the first gift he or she has ever received. OCC is considered the world’s largest Christmas outreach of its kind, having delivered more than 168 million gift -filled shoeboxes to millions of children affected by war, poverty, natural disasters and other crisis in more than 160 countries and territories. Last year alone, more than 8.8 million shoeboxes were collected in the United States for distribution, with more than 10.6 worldwide. In 2019, the project hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 11 million children.. By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

Nov. 12, 2019 Veterans Day is not a holiday one typically associates with new movies, either in terms of box office or subject matter. With box office, there’s a clamor over which movie gets to dominate Christmas weekend, Thanksgiving, Easter, even the similarly military-themed Memorial Day, but ironically there’s not much of a battle over Veterans Day. In terms of subject matter, every year is going to bring a few war movies, but barely any of them choose to capitalize on Veterans Day, usually opting to open as a summer blockbuster or December awards-season darling. This year is different, however. This year, Veterans Day weekend was won by “Midway,” a war movie whose business strategy included conquering Veterans Day and not much beyond that. It beat out the too-late-for-Halloween “Shining” sequel “Doctor Sleep” by an estimated $3 million and the too-early-for-Christmas “Last Christmas” by an estimated $6 million. I guess the lesson is to open at the appropriate holiday. By Bob Garver. / Read more…

November 12, 2019. MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the initial lineup for MerleFest 2020, which will be held April 23-26. The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “For over 30 years, one of the major factors that has built and sustained MerleFest has been the quality of the artists and performances that our guests see over the 4-day festival,” says Ted Hagaman, Festival Director. “People truly feel that the festival is a great value and that is why music fans and families return year after year. We feel that the 2020 lineup again reflects the diversity and quality of performers, and we look forward to another successful festival in April.” The complete lineup for MerleFest 2020 will be announced over the next few months. / Read more…

November 12, 2019. The High Country saw its first real widespread snowfall on Tuesday morning with Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties all canceling school for students. Some higher elevations saw between three and four inches of snow while areas around Boone, West Jefferson and Banner Elk saw a couple of inches that led to some slushy road conditions throughout the area. Classes at Appalachian State University were not affected by the weather, however, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga Campus will delay its opening until noon today. The wintry precipitation will leave the area this afternoon, but the bone-chilling temperatures are just now arriving. According to the latest weather forecast from Ray’s Weather Center, the low temperature in Boone tonight is expected to drop down to 14 degrees. Higher elevations such as Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain and areas around Grandfather Mountain will see low temperatures drop into the single digits.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 11, 2019. The popular Monday night Sugar Mountain Adult Racing League (SMARL) is back for another wild ride down the mountain for the 13th year of good times, cold beer and friendly competition. Registration just began for a spot in the 2020 racing league which will begin on January 6 and takes place on six consecutive Mondays in January and February. Registration forms can be picked up in person at Ski Country Sports located at 3149 Tynecastle Highway in Banner Elk or give them a call at 828-898-9786 to register. The cost to join the league has remained the same for each of the 13 years at $40 per person. “We will typically fill up by the first of December so if anybody is interested in signing up, now is the time. This is our 13th year and it has filled up every year,” said Bill Leonard, the owner of Ski Country Sports and founder of the racing league. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 11, 2019. Today, November 11, 2019 is Veterans Day. To celebrate the lives of those who have served and sacrificed in the military, the 13th annual Veterans Day Commemoration was held at the Boone Mall, and sponsored by the High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, the Boone Mall and the Watauga Community Band. The Watauga Community Band also led the event with a prelude of patriotic music, as well as the service branch theme songs, and the closing ceremonies. Veterans from decades of service were in attendance, stretching from WW2 up until more recently, those who fought against the war on terror. By Colby Gable / Read more…

November 11, 2019. For several years, the Watauga County Register of Deeds Office has provided much-needed support and encouragement to our local veterans, and this year is no exception. According to Amy Shook, since November, 2015, her office has provided the “Thank you for your Service” program, in which local businesses agreed to offer special discounts and services to veterans when their “Thank A Vet” card is presented. “Many of our veterans have already obtained their cards and have enjoyed discounts at some of their favorite businesses,” Shook said. “We are very happy and excited to announce that we have been able to add a number of new businesses to the list, including those in Watauga County and some from surrounding counties.” To show their appreciation to Watauga County veterans, Shook and her staff are hosting a special event at their office on Wednesday, Nov.13, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. “We will have updated copies of the list of participating businesses, as well have refreshments and treats for the veterans to enjoy as we try to show our appreciation to them for their service.” By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

November 11, 2019. Anticipating another Veteran’s Day observance, Melvin Norris was reclining in his chair on Thursday at Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living in Boone, reminiscing about his military career and looking forward to local upcoming celebrations. “I like to go to all of them that I can and I like to wear my uniform. That’s not something every veteran (my age) can still do.” But, Melvin Norris is not your typical veteran, either. While most served one stint in the military, he not only was drafted into World War II, (“I received an official invitation from the government,” he said with a chuckle) but later reenlisted during the Korean War and eventually gave 30 years to the Navy Reserve. At 95 years of age, Norris still has a clear recollection of those days — and he loves talking about his service. For any details that may escape him, he has scrapbooks and photographs that help tell the story, in addition to video documentation, depicting his service and a long life well lived. There is also quite a collection of commendations he’s received through the years, from the military, his church and various community organizations. By Sherrrie Norris / Read more…

November 11, 2019. For the eighth consecutive year, the Appalachian Musical Theatre Ensemble at Appalachian State University is producing an all-student run musical with the international smash hit Mama Mia! This jukebox musical is based on the award-winning catalog of songs by the Swedish pop music group ABBA, one of the most popular international groups of all time. Performances are scheduled in Legends Concert Hall on the university campus at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 15, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 16, and at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 17. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults and may be purchased online at appmusicaltheatre.com, in person in the Plemmons Student Union the week of the show and, if available, at the door one-half hour prior to each performance. Admission is $10 for students and $15 for the general public. / Read more…

November 10, 2019. The Appalachian State Mountaineers held off a valiant South Carolina rally to beat the Gamecocks 20-15 Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. Appalachian State moves to 8-1 on the season with this non-conference victory. The Gamecocks fell to 4-6. A last-ditch South Carolina drive ended at the Appalachian State 19-yard line. The Gamecocks lacked offensive consistency against the nation’s No. 8 ranked pass defense. South Carolina freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski’s school record streak of 180 throws without an interception ended with 1:51 left in the second quarter when Nicholas Ross intercepted him and returned the ball 20 yards for a touchdown. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

November 9, 2019. Sugar Mountain Resort opened for skiing and snowboarding on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. Skiers and snowboarders were showing up at the resort a little after 8:00 looking to get their first runs in for the season. Lifts opened at 9:00 as the Sugar Mountain crew put the finishing touches on operations to be ready for opening day.  Kim Jochl, Vice President at Sugar reported that for opening day they had six slopes open with three lifts running and from 5 to 20 inches of snow on the slopes. “We like to open as early as possible so we can be in business.” said Kim. “It stirs excitement and gets us rolling for the season.” / Read more…

November 8, 2019. A large crowd filled Boone United Methodist Church on Thursday for the 64th Annual Farm-City Banquet with an evening of music, door prizes, awards and an overall celebration of the impact of farming and agriculture in the High Country. The theme for this year’s banquet was continued over from last year, honoring all of the “High Country Grown” products that impact our lives in these mountains almost every day. “We decided to continue the theme of High Country Grown this year because it fits every single thing about this banquet. From the food to the music to the awards we present, to the entertainment, to the items in those baskets that we’re going to be giving away as door prizes, everything about Farm-City Banquet here in Watauga is High Country Grown,” said Jim Hamilton, the Cooperative Extension Director for Watauga County. “The High Country Grown initiative is helping local farmers while promoting restaurants and businesses that use locally sourced products. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 8, 2019. The Avery Chamber Annual Celebration was held at the Best Western Mountain Lodge on November 7 and was sponsored by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. The Avery Chamber of Commerce honored several organizations and individuals throughout Avery County during the proceedings due to their significant contributions to the community. Guest Speaker Jeff Davis, who honored each of the night’s award recipients with an introduction describing the recipients’ accomplishments, hosted the event. By Joe Johnson / Read more…

November 8, 2019. In an effort to honor veterans of the Unites States Armed Forces and celebrate their service to our great nation, the Avery County Rotary Club is hosting its fifth annual Veteran’s Day celebration on 2019 Veterans Day–Monday, November 11th. This county-wide event will include a luncheon and special program for the veterans. This celebration will be held at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk, beginning at 11:30 a.m. and lasting until 1:00 p.m. All Avery Countians are invited to attend. Veterans and their family members receive a complimentary, free lunch.   The meal also will be available to other guests for $8 per person  By Tim Gardner / Read more…

November 8, 2019. Ray Russell, Founder and Owner of RaysWeather.Com, will launch his campaign for reelection to the 93rd North Carolina House Seat on November 12th. The Re-Election Rally will be Tuesday, November 12, 2019, at Ransom in Downtown Boone (747 W. King Street). The event starts at 6 PM with the formal program beginning at 6:30 PM. Ray believes North Carolina needs principled leadership that combines RESPECT for people, LISTENing to your voices, and LEADing with skill and honor.” Since January 2019, Ray has sponsored or co-sponsored 125 bills in the NC House and was the first Freshman Democrat to have a bill, for which he was a primary sponsor, signed into law. His legislative work focused on the issues he campaigned about in 2018. / Read more…

November 8, 2019. As the 2019 Fall Visiting Writes Series for Appalachian State University comes to an end, the last featured author of the event, Jacinda Townsend, will be attending her part in the series on November 12th. Townsend is the Appalachian Writer in Residence at Berea College. She is the author of Saint Monkey (Norton, 2014), which is set in 1950s Eastern Kentucky and won the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction. Saint Monkey was also the 2015 Honor Book of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Townsend grew up in south central Kentucky and at age 16 took her first creative writing class at Harvard, where she earned her B.A. While at Duke University Law School, she cross-registered in the English department and took several formative writing workshops. By Colby Gable / Read more…

November 7, 2019. Veterans across the High Country will be honored during numerous Veterans Day celebrations, kicking off Friday morning at Parkway Elementary School. The celebration at 8:30 at the school is open to the public and is always one of the largest Veterans Day events that the Watauga County School System organizes. Appalachian State University will begin its Veterans Day tribute at 9 a.m. at the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building Veterans Memorial. This event, as are all of these events, is free and open to the public. Remarks will be provided by App State alumnus and retired U.S. Army Maj. Ali Donnell Davis ’95 ’01. A reception will follow in the administration building lobby. In case of adverse weather, the ceremony will be moved to the lobby. Maj. Ali Donnell Davis, of Charlotte, joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1989. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 7, 2019. Yesterday, Blue Ridge Conservancy with its partners like the town of Blowing Rock, New River Conservancy, Watauga County, and local community businesses, revealed the trailhead for their new Middle Fork Greenway path. While funding for the Greenway path has come through a variety of sources, it has been a main part of the NCDOT Hwy 321 widening project, so all infrastructure used for construction was provided by the NCDOT. Mike Pettyjohn, NCDOT District Engineer, commented a little about the importance of the project from the state’s point of view, saying, “Whenever possible, the NCDOT supports pedestrian infrastructure in our community projects. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to get these capital projects completed.” By Colby Gable / Read more…

Nov. 7, 2019. A look at the recent deed transfers in Watauga County. The information comes courtesy of the Watauga County Register of Deeds. Compiled by Debbie Carter / Read more…

November 6, 2019. Judge Susan Bray denied a preliminary injunction by the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Watauga County School Board that would have stopped the land purchase for the property that the county is eying for the construction of a brand new Valle Crucis School. The plaintiffs in the case, listed as the Mast Farm Inn, Deschamps Holdings LLC, Deschamps Enterprises, Henri Deschamps, Marie-Henriette Deschamps and Danielle Deschamps, filed a lawsuit on October 10 against the Watauga County Board of Education, board chairman Ron Henries, vice-chair Brenda Reese, and board members Dr. Gary Childers, Steve Combs and Dr. Jay Fenwick with the hope of forcing the county to abandon its plan of construction a new, much-needed school on a 14.4-acre plot of land known as the Hodges Property. The county has the plot of land under contract, however the plaintiffs feel that the land is not the most suitable place for construction of a new school, citing environmental concerns having the school in a flood-prone area, the purchase price of the property, the appraisal used to define the property’s value and the protection of the Valle Crucis Historical District.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

November 6, 2019. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

November 6, 2019. The death of David Watson of Boone, occurring Monday, Nov. 4, has claimed yet another of our local World War II heroes. Having experienced a rather rapid decline in health in recent months, Watson spent the last few weeks of his life in a nursing home near his son in Carthage. His contribution to our country, and to Watauga County in general, is not one that needs to be forgotten, especially as we are just days away from honoring all American veterans who fought for our freedom” Born April 20, 1925, Watson was the youngest of nine children in the Deep Gap family of General Dixon Watson and Annie Greene Watson. He was not only proud of his role as a veteran of the US Navy, but he was also proud of his family heritage; he loved sharing memories of his life with one of America’s most well-known musicians, his brother, the late great musician, Doc Watson. By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

November 6, 2019. Last night marked the return of college basketball across the country, including the start of Appalachian State’s 2019-2020 season where they began in Ann Arbor, losing a resiliently played game 79-71. While the Mountaineers started off struggling as they gave up 11 straight points to Wolverines’ center, Jon Teske, and found themselves down 46-25 at halftime, there were certainly some positive takeaways for Appalachian to consider postgame, despite the final on the scoreboard. Actually outscoring Michigan in the second half is one of these side notes, as App was able to get some offensive rhythm going in the second half, predominantly thanks to Junior, Justin Forrest. The 6’2 guard out of Decatur, Georgia, was the Mountaineers’ Number 1 offensive go-to as he ended the game with a total of 27 points on a phenomenal 47% field goal percentage at 10-21 shooting overall and going 2-5 from the 3 point line. By Colby Gable / Read more…