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Avery Commissioners Approve Council of Aging Spending Plan and Transportation Authority State Grant Application with County Funding 

September 6, 2024 Adoption of a grant resolution with approval of the County’s funding amount for the Transportation Authority and approval of the Council on Aging’s spending plan for the Home & Community Care Block Grant funds highlighted a September 3 heavy agenda meeting of the Avery Board of Commissioners.The commissioners unanimously (5-0) approved the Avery County Council on Aging’s spending plan for the Home & Community Care Block Grant funds. According to the County’s Senior Services Director Phillip Adams, the plan assists in funding Older American Act Services and includes Senior Center General Purpose Funding, Transportation (contracted with the Avery County Transportation Department), In-Home Aides Level 1 and Level 2, Congregate Nutrition, and Home Delivered Meals.  The spending plan’s total funding is $229,977.00, counting grant funds, and $20,597.00 in County funds. By Tim Gardner

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Arts Council Director Helps Paint The Picture for Deep Gap Community Club’s Future

September 6, 2024 During the August monthly meeting of the Deep Gap Ruritan Club, Amber Bateman, Executive Director of Watauga Arts Council, shared with club members the mission and vision for the organization she leads and how it can assist local communities with their hopes for future endeavors. Bateman had connected with the Ruritan club/officers earlier this year as they formed a committee to pursue the possibility of developing a park-like recreation atmosphere that would attract residents and visitors, alike. Having Bateman agree to serve on the newly formed committee was a  “win-win” for Deep Gap Ruritan, according to club President Les Gentry; he (Gentry), along with Bateman, Keron Poteat, Director of Watauga Parks and Recreation, and club members Billie Rogers and specifically, Ron Hancock who is also a senior planner with Destination by Design, are leading the way. By Sherrie Norris

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Award Winning Christian Worship Leader, Singer, Songwriter, Travis Cottrell, Coming Home for Benefit Concert on September 27

September 5, 2024 For three decades, Boone native Travis Cottrell has risen in the ranks in the world of contemporary Christian music, and is coming home again for a good cause. On Friday, September 27, Cottrell will appear in concert at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone as a fundraiser for The Hope Center of Boone. Excitement is building around Cottrell’s return to his hometown and those closest to the event realize what a unique opportunity it is to have him back on a local stage. In a recent interview with Cottrell, High Country Press was reminded that, regardless of the time and distance between Boone and his current residence in the Nashville area, that he will always have a special place in his heart for the High Country. By Sherrie Norris

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Avery High to Honor Military Veterans and Emergency First Responders at School’s Football Game Friday, September 6

September 5, 2024 Avery County High School officials would like to invite all Military Veterans and Emergency First Responders (medical, fire, law enforcement, and dispatch) to come and watch the Vikings football team play Bessemer City on Friday night, September 6, and be honored for their service during a special ceremony on the MacDonald Stadium turf. All Military Veterans and Emergency First Responders will be admitted free to the game.  They will receive a complimentary meal provided by the Avery High School JROTC and Hospitality/Culinary Departments as well as be recognized at the center of the MacDonald Stadium field with the presentation of the school’s new giant 50-foot by 30-foot “Old Glory” American flag during the playing of the National Anthem. By Tim Gardner

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Holmes Drive Parking Deck Now Open on App State’s Boone Campus

September 5, 2024 App State’s Holmes Convocation Center Parking Deck offers 600 parking stalls, increasing the number of Boone campus parking spaces available for faculty, staff and students by 460 from the former surface lot on which it stands. The primary use for the new deck is for faculty, staff and student parking, with event parking as needed. App State university has the flexibility to offer visitor parking in select lots as needed upon demand. The additional parking also supports events at the App State’s Holmes Center as well as the 30,000-seat Kidd Brewer multipurpose stadium that is about a half-mile away.

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App State Awarded $35 Million Grant to Expand GEAR UP College Access Program 

September 5, 2024 The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant to Appalachian State University’s College Access Partnerships in the Reich College of Education. The award represents the largest single grant ever awarded to the university. GEAR UP is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-based services to students, families and teachers, the GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment rates.

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Lees-McRae College to Host Homecoming 2024 Celebrations for Campus and Local Community Beginning October 4th

September 4, 2024 Lees-McRae College will host the annual Homecoming celebrations this year Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6. The weekend is scheduled full of athletics events, family fun, and Bobcat cheer for all ages, and this year, Lees-McRae extends an invitation to the community to join in on the celebration. Local organizations and businesses will have booths to promote their products and services, and all-ages events will be held throughout the day on Saturday. Community events throughout the weekend are as follows:

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Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: National Chicken Month Happening Now


September 4, 2024 . It’s interesting what a food columnist can learn with just a little “Googling” — It’s National Chicken Month!  September gives us an official reason to celebrate something most of us already love in one way or another and unknowingly honor nearly every day. What would we do without chicken in our freezers, in the fridge and/or on our favorite drive-through menu? Let’s just say that I can’t imagine life without chicken. “Americans can benefit from National Chicken Month when eating chicken both at home and in restaurants,” said Sue Quillin, chairman of the National Chicken Council Promotions Subcommittee. “The poultry industry works together to create a promotion that provides real cost savings and top value for the dollar.” And, it’s no coincidence that National Chicken Month is sponsored every September by a joint collaboration of the National Chicken Council and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association to help extend the summer selling season. And the question remains . . . Which came first? I love them both, and I would say they go hand and hand, but, well, I guess we all can figure out why that’s not exactly how it goes.The NCC does tell us that Americans consume more chicken (young meat chicken and fowl) than anyone else in the world – 101.1 pounds per capita in 2023 – and It’s the number one protein consumed in the United States. There are so many more stats related to our feathered friends, but we’re here for cookin’ and eatin’, so let’s move on! By Sherrie Norris

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Skiing History Magazine Showcases North Carolina’s “College That Taught the South to Ski”

September 4, 2024 This summer’s issue of Skiing History Magazine is honoring the rich, almost outrageous history of the French-Swiss Ski College at Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, NC. With now millions of ski lessons taught, and the recent retirement of co-founder Jim Cottrell, Skiing History and High Country ski writer Randy Johnson were inspired to tell the story of the “The ‘College’ That Taught the South to Ski.” By Randy Johnson

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This Week at Edgewood Cottage… Lucas Hundley, Woodworking, and Crystal Hurt, Watercolor/Shadowbox Art

September 4, 2024 Lucas Hundley, woodworking, and Crystal Hurt, watercolor/shadowbox art, will close Edgewood Cottage’s  2024 Artist in Residence Program this summer.  Come enjoy their work from September 2 – September 8, 10-5 p.m. daily, with a free artist reception on Thursday, September 5 from 5-7 p.m. Function, beauty, feeling and fun drive Lucas Hundley’s  work.   Lucas’s  hope is that the energy he invests in every woodworking piece flows to the users and enriches their lives.  Whether his creations are functional or decorative, the wood he uses is sourced responsibly from local woodlands. Every twist, curl, knot, bug hole, shake ring or rotten spot speaks to the life of the tree and the environment in which it grew. And did I mention his work is beautiful?

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Competing in National Pageant Paves the Way for New Opportunities

September 3, 2024 In a dazzling culmination of grace, talent, and commitment, Yvette Amadora Fay, a Newland, North Carolina resident, has been crowned America’s United States Ambassador. This prestigious title was awarded during the recent America’s United States Pageant, marking a significant milestone in Yvette’s journey and opening new avenues for growth and community service.

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Watauga Rescue Squad Unveils Monument Honoring the Memory of Two Former Community Heroes

September 3, 2024 “Grief does not have an expiration date.” Those words were aptly spoken by the Rev. Brad Hinton during a memorial service in Boone on  Thursday evening, Aug. 29, honoring the late Travis Gryder and Randy Collins, two community servants whose lives ended way too soon. Nearly 100 people came together for the unveiling of a permanent marker dedicated to the duo who were faithful members of Watauga County Rescue Squad. The impressive ceremony held at the squad headquarters in Boone, and hosted by their comrades, highlighted not only the accomplishments of the two men within the organization, but also paid tribute to the impact that each had on the community, in general. By Sherrie Norris

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High Country Caregivers to hold “A Night at Chetola” on Thursday, September 12

September 3, 2024 Sponsored by one of the North Carolina Mountains’ most worthwhile and needed charitable organizations—High Country Caregivers (HCC)–the 5th Annual “A Night at Chetola” will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2024. This much-anticipated event will begin at 5:30 p.m. under the tent by the lake at the Chetola Resort, located at 185 Chetola Lake Drive in Blowing Rock. This exclusive fundraising event, set against the majestic and picturesque backdrop of Chetola Resort’s lakeside, promises to be an extraordinary experience with a delectable meal, an open bar, a captivating silent auction, and live music with dancing entertainment.

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Town of Boone Awarded the Accessible Parks Grant; Will Go to Rivers House Project

September 3, 2024 The Town of Boone was recently awarded $250,000 from the Accessible Parks Grant Program through the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.. With this award, the Town will renovate the detached garage of the Rivers House into publicly accessible ADA-compliant restrooms. The Town has also committed $50,000 of local funds toward this project. The Rivers House and the Rivers House Park, located at 150 Clay House Drive, were willed to the Town of Boone by Ms. Rachel Rivers-Coffey, a prominent member of the Boone Community.

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App State Football Pulls Away for Decisive Win to Open 2024 Season 38-10

September 2, 2024 By game’s end, App State Football had gained separation from ETSU and provided reason for celebration from another above-capacity crowd. Three consecutive scoring drives to begin the 2024 opener and three straight touchdowns toward the end of it bookended a 38-10 victory against FCS neighbor ETSU on Saturday with the third-largest attendance figure in Kidd Brewer Stadium history being recorded. The attendance figure of 36,232 ranks behind only the matching 40,168 totals from the 2022 home opener against North Carolina and the 2023 visit from East Carolina.

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eCourts Expanding to Avery, Watauga, and Ashe Counties in 2025

September 2, 2024 The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) has announced plans to complete the eCourts expansion to trial courts across all of its 100 counties in 2025. The eCourts Portal application provides the public with no-cost access to digital court and other public records online anytime instead of limiting access to in-person visits during business hours to obtain paper files. eCourts currently serves approximately half of North Carolina’s population in its three largest cities (Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro) and 38 counties across the coastal, piedmont, and mountain regions that have already had their eCourts systems implemented.

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Hospitality House Celebrates 40 Years by Buying Boone Lunch at F.A.R.M. Café and Throwing a Birthday Party at The Appalachian Theatre

September 2, 2024 Hospitality House of Northwest N.C. officially turns forty years-old on September 7th and to celebrate they are hosting two fun and free events in the coming days. On Thursday September 5th they are buying Boone lunch at F.A.R.M. Café (located at 617 W. King St.) from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. “Buy Boone Lunch” is a F.A.R.M. Café sponsorship program where a business covers the average daily cost of food and operations. Every additional dollar donated for the meal is utilized to fight food insecurity in the High Country.

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Movie Review: “Reagan”

September 2, 2024 Nobody is going to mistake cut-rate biopic “Reagan” for a great movie. At best, it’s a pretty standard greatest-hits collection of important moments in the former President’s life. At worst, it’s a laughably underfunded production made by people who, for whatever reason, want to sell America on Ronald Reagan in 2024. But the movie is not always at its worst. It’s a subpar movie that I think some critics are mistaking for a terrible movie. Reagan’s life story is told by former KGB agent Viktor Petrovich (Jon Voight) as he teaches a young Russian politician about the mistakes the Soviet Union made in underestimating Reagan in the 1980’s.

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Meteor Seen in High Country with Fragments Possibly Landing in Avery County Amid Loud Booming Sounds

August 31, 2024 According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), fragments (meteorites) from a meteor likely fell to the ground in the Ingalls community, located on the southern end of Avery County as well as in Mitchell County in the town of Spruce Pine and the Altapass Community early Friday morning, August 30. Spruce Pine and Altapass are approximately 8 and 10 miles, respectively, from Ingalls. Video clips broadcast on WBTV in Charlotte showed a reflection of a meteor as it passed over the Vilas area, near Boone in Watauga County, shortly after 1:00 a.m. Friday morning (August 30). In it, a ball of light could be seen flashing by, leaving behind a trail. By Tim Gardner

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Avery County Agriculture & Horticulture Fair will Hold a Draft Pull on Saturday, August 31

August 30, 2024 On Saturday, August 31, the Avery County Agriculture & Horticulture (A&H) Fair will hold its Sixth Annual Draft Pull on the Avery Extension Service Grounds, located at Heritage Park, 661 Vale Road in Newland. The draft pull is a family-friendly event involving large draft horses and ponies pulling weighted sleds in competition. These horses are cared for immaculately and loved by their owners. Avery Livestock agent and Draft Pull Coordinator Michelle South said: “Both owners and horses enjoy competing in draft pull events.”. By Tim Gardner

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23rd Annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Music Festival Slated for Sept. 13-15

August 30, 2024 Plan your strategy for the 23rd annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival! The event’s free mobile app has dropped, along with the full schedule, and single day passes are on sale now! The three-day event is slated for Sept. 13-15 along State Street, where Tennessee and Virginia meet and the 1927 Bristol Sessions created the “big bang of country music.” Produced by the nonprofit Birthplace of Country Music and presented by Ballad Health, Bristol Rhythm is listed among USA Today’s top 10 music festivals in the country.

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BRAHM Partners with Absolut Vodka to Celebrate Artist Maud Gatewood

August 30, 2024 The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) along with Absolut Vodka are announcing a marketing collaboration for a multi-location promotion celebrating the work of esteemed North Carolina artist Maud Gatewood. The partnership will bring attention to an exhibition, titled “The Hard Edge & The Soft Line: A Retrospective of Maud Gatewood,” on view through January 5, 2025, in BRAHM’s Fort, Atwell, and Rankin West Galleries. Local and statewide bars and restaurants featuring Absolut Vodka will showcase art by Gatewood throughout the exhibition. Participating venues will offer special drink menus inspired by Gatewood’s art. Additionally, promotional materials such as posters and coasters celebrating Maud Gatewood and the exhibition will be displayed in participating establishments.

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