High Country Press

February 15, 2019 The Beech Mountain Banked Slalom event for skiers and snowboarders is returning to Beech Mountain Resort on February 23rd; marking the sixth year in a row the competition has been held on the mountain. Recess, a local skateboard and snowboard shop in Boone, NC will be sponsoring and presenting the Banked Slalom event again this year. “It’s a little bit different than your typical gate-racing event. You have berms instead of just the gates, so it adds uniqueness as far as banked slalom goes,” said J.P. Pardy, owner of Recess along with his wife Ashley, “Beech Mountain Banked Slalom is going to be both ski and snowboard, timed separately, with different age groups. This is the only individually timed, ‘best-time-wins’ banked slalom in the area. The next closest one would be in West Virginia.” By Joe Johnson / Read more…

February 15, 2019 Garrett Riley has been hired as an assistant football coach at Appalachian State University, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz announced Friday. Riley will coach the Mountaineers’ running backs. “We’re excited to welcome Garrett and his family to the App State family,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re looking to be cutting edge on offense, and we expect him to continue to push that. His experience coaching in North Carolina will also benefit our program.” Drinkwitz, who became Appalachian State’s head coach on December 13, 2018, has completed all his assistant coach hires for his first Mountaineer staff. He also hired Anwar Stewart to coach the defensive line on Friday. Three assistants Drinkwitz previously hired resigned after joining the staff—all in a span of only twenty days. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 15, 2019 Residents and visitors alike will be sure to head to the slopes this weekend with a lot of people taking advantage of the three-day holiday weekend. President’s Day will be recognized on Monday. Appalachian Ski Mountain is once again 100 percent open with all 12 trails as well as six lifts open with a 72-125 inch snow base. The mountain also has a big weekend of plans, starting with Friday night’s Midnight Blast session from 5 p.m. until midnight. On Saturday, Grill on the Hill will be happening from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with burgers, hot dogs and more served right there on the slopes. There will be another Midnight Blast session on Saturday night from 5 p.m. until midnight. In addition to the skiing specials, there will be a pair of ice skating specials happening on Saturday. A special family skate session will happen from 5-6:30 p.m. for a $15 package and a Moonlight Ice Skate session will happen from 9:30-11 p.m. The night wouldn’t be complete without a fantastic fireworks show by the Famous Zambelli at 9 p.m. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 15, 2019 On Friday, Appalachian State University head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz announced the hiring of former Canadian Football League player and coach Anwar Stewart as an assistant coach in charge of the Mountaineers’ defensive linemen. Stewart replaces Buddy Wyatt who resigned after spending only 26 days on the Appalachian State staff to become an assistant at Kansas State University. “Anwar brings great energy, passion, enthusiasm and a standard of championship football from his experience of winning four Grey Cups in the CFL,” Drinkwitz said. “He was a captain of his pro team and at Kentucky. He showed the true spirit of a Mountaineer by recently completing his college degree. Championships are won in the trenches, and I can’t wait to see him lead our defensive line. We’re excited to welcome Anwar, his wife and daughter to our family in Boone.” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 15, 2019 During the Town of Newland’s regular monthly meeting, Alderman Greg Seiz announced he is stepping down from the post. His resignation became official then. Mayor Valerie Calloway Jaynes read a letter from Seiz, stating his intentions to resign as an alderman. Seiz said he is moving his residence to Linville Ridge Resort in Linville. When doing so, he would become ineligible to serve as a Newland Alderman as all elected town officials must reside within its limits. Seiz’s resignation marks the third time in only sixteen months that a Newland Alderman’s seat has become open for reasons other than a sitting member not seeking re-election or losing an election. Donetta McKinney also resigned as an alderman in October 2017. The then-Board of Aldermen voted for Seiz to fill McKinney’s two-year term (until 2019’s election) by a 3-0-1 (for-against-abstained) vote.  Seiz’s appointment gave him an automatic win of sorts for a Board seat as he had previously filed as a candidate for one of three other seats open in the November 2017 election.  Aldermen voting in favor of Seiz’s appointment then were Kenny Caraway, Dave Calvert and Roxanna Roberson.  Alderman Thomas Jackson abstained.  By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 15, 2019 The Blowing Rock Town Council unanimously voted against possible zoning changes for the downtown area that were put forth by Blowing Rock Planning Director Kevin Rothrock. Despite the recommendations from the planning department, public opposition to these zoning changes has grown as the special meeting date grew closer. The Blowing Rock Civic Association was one of the biggest detractors of the zoning changes and sent a letter to the High Country Press that was published on January 15 to let people know what the proposed changes were and providing contact information for how citizens could share their opinions with elected officials. The changes included eliminating the density of residential units on downtown property, increasing the building height above the sidewalk from 30 feet to 35 feet, increasing the allowable total of building height and reducing the amount of green space required in a building setback area from 75 percent to 40 percent.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 15, 2019 John Mangan, a member of the Board of Directors at Linville Resorts, Inc. has received one of the University of Georgia Athletics Department’s most prestigious honors. Mangan, a letterwinner and All-America tennis player at the University of Georgia, as well as a highly-successful businessman and philanthropist, was named the Hartman Award recipient for the past 2018 year at the university’s annual Circle of Honor Gala February 8th. Named for the late Bill Hartman, Georgia’s longtime kicking coach and chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund (Bulldog Club), the Hartman Award is one of the greatest honors given to a former University of Georgia student-athlete. The Hartman Award has been presented annually since 1992 and recognizes former Georgia student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and/or in service to others by 20 or more years of superior performance after graduation. Only former varsity athletes who have received a baccalaureate degree from Georgia can be considered for the award.  By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 14, 2019 There is never a boring day at the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center in Boone, but rarely is there one any more exciting than Valentine’s Day. This year’s celebration of love was no exception, as the center’s regular clients, staff, interns and visitors came together to celebrate the festive occasion on Thursday. A two-hour mid-morning party, complete with refreshments, games, music, dancing, an auction and a lot of fun was enjoyed by all, with the highlight of the event , as usual, surrounding the announcement of the king and queen.  By Joe Johnson / Read more…

February 14, 2019 Public officials from the town of Boone and Watauga County will gather on Tuesday, February 19 to talk about possible changes to the original draft of the Highway 105 Superstreet proposal with officials from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The meeting is not open to the public, however it will be used to gather information and present possible changes at a later date. “What we may be able to change, we will set up a game plan with the NCDOT to get the word out to the public,” said Ward. “This meeting is in response to the initial letters that the town council, county commissioners and others sent.” Ramie Shaw, the Division 11 Project Team Lead, confirmed the meeting will be taking place and will present possible changes to the town and county officials. “We’re still looking at the process of the project and have taken the public comments and have some adjustments to the design that we would like to have the town and county look at and get their thoughts on it before we move forward with anything and go back to the public with those alternate plans,” said Shaw on Thursday afternoon. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 14, 2019 The Town of Boone is waiting for a final inspection from the USDA for the long-awaited completion of the New River Water Intake project. According to Boone Town Manager John Ward, that inspection should be coming up in the next week. “We are within a week of doing the final walk through with the USDA. Once we are complete with that, then we will be able to potentially announce that at the town council meeting on (February) 19 or 21 the outcome of that inspection,” Ward said. When the new water intake goes online, residents will not notice anything different in their water, according to Ward.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 14, 2019 During the past year meeting with constituents in Ashe and Watauga counties, it’s clear that we need more news from state government in Raleigh. What we do in Raleigh probably has greater impact on your daily life than the 24/7 coverage of events in Washington, DC. But there’s almost no news reaching northwest North Carolina from our state government. To address this void of news coverage from Raleigh, I hope to provide a newsletter every couple of weeks to let you know what important issues are being discussed and to let you know what I am doing. You elected me to represent you. You deserve to know what’s happening! I hope you find them helpful and informative.  / Read more…

February 14, 2019 Boone, North Carolina has a new National Champion as Elijah Kiser won a gold medal at the USA Climbing Bouldering National Tournament, Sunday, February 10 in Redmond, OR. Kiser, an 18-year old Boone native, won the National title in the Youth Division. This competition brought together the top climbers in America that are 18 years and younger, many of which have experience competing in Open Nationals, where the best climbers in the country compete, regardless of age. To qualify for the National tournament, competitors had to place in the top ranks within their State and division. Boone climbers participate within the Southeastern US Division. Kiser trains at Boone Area Chamber of Commerce member Center 45 Climbing & Fitness in Boone and has quickly ascended the ranks as one of the Nation’s top competitors after picking up the sport just 3.5 years ago.  / Read more…

February 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

February 13, 2019 SAVOR Blowing Rock Wine and Food Festival will be returning this year from May 2nd to May 5th to showcase the greatest food, wine, craft beer, and distilled spirits the Blowing Rock and High Country regions have to offer. “It started as the Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival back in 2007. In 2016 we changed it from Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival to ‘SAVOR’ and we’ve been SAVOR now for 3 years,” said Charles Hardin, President & CEO of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, “It started as a North Carolina wine festival. Over the years it has evolved into also having craft beer and distilled spirits. SAVOR has evolved and had various different components over the years. But now, this year, we are going to move the main Saturday tasting event to Main Street. We’re going to close Main Street from Sunset Drive to Morris Street and make it pedestrian-only. We’re going to go back to our basic, original wine-dominant focus with food. We will still have craft beer but they will be done by partner businesses in town. We will also have distilled spirits featured at partner businesses in town. But our main event on Saturday will be focused on wine.”  By Joe Johnson / Read more…

February 13, 2019 Schools are always a breeding ground for the flu, colds and stomach viruses, however one area county seems to have been hit extremely hard. Ashe County Superintendent Phyllis Yates made the decision to close all public schools this past Friday following increases in cases of the flu, strep throat and a stomach virus. “All intense cleanings were completed over the weekend, so I plan to have school on a regular schedule barring any inclement weather. The flu virus only lives 24 hours so I feel good about our process. We continue to encourage those who do not feel well to please stay home,” Yates said in a statement. Over 450 students and 30 teachers across the county’s five public schools were out of school last week due to illness. With that many teachers sick as well, it was a frantic search to find substitute teachers to fill in, another reason for the decision to close school on Friday.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 13, 2019 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce held their 32nd annual assembly yesterday, February 12, at the Meadowbrook Inn. The assembly serves as both an awards luncheon and the organization’s annual meeting. After calling the meeting to order, the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce welcomed the special guests: Charlie Selllers, Mayor; Albert Yount, Mayor Pro-tem; Doug Matheson, member of the Town Council; Virginia Powell, member of the Town Council; and Tracy Brown, Executive director of the TDA. David Barker, outgoing Chairman of the Board, was also recognized.  By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

Feb. 13, 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…

February 13, 2019 At Tuesday’s Beech Mountain town council meeting, Fred and Margie Pfohl were surprised with a proclamation celebrating the 40th year of Fred’s General Mercantile in the Beech Mountain community. Fred, who is a committee member for recreation in the town, came to the meeting believing there was an issue involving recreation that was added to the agenda. The event came as a total surprise for the Pfohls. Longtime friend and former employee Jim Brooks was there to speak about the store and its importance to everyone in the community. “It’s been fun following the store from the ground breaking and through the years. We are very lucky that Margie and her family moved here permanently to the vacation home on Pond Creek Road and married Fred,” said Brooks. Fred’s General Mercantile came into fruition after the couple noticed the high cost of food and the limited inventory of items available at the 7-11, which happened to the only store in town. Having to pay those high prices was hard on families, Brooks said. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 13, 2019 As part of its Visiting Writers Series, on Thursday, Feb. 28, Appalachian State University will host Beth Macy, author of the recent New York Times bestseller “DOPESICK: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.” Macy’s book has been described as a “terrific, highly readable book about many facets of the opioid crisis in Appalachia and Southwest Virginia, in particular.” Macy’s afternoon and evening presentations are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with a strong community response expected, said Susan Weinberg, representing App State’s English Department/Creative Writing Dept., and the Visiting Writers Series. In light of the current opioid crisis that is plaguing America — not excluding the High Country in destroying individual lives, families, hopes and dreams — it is Weinberg’s hope that Macy’s visit will resonate within our community.  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

February 13, 2019. Valentine’s Day is huge in the retail world. A recent consumer report indicates average spending in the U.S. for that day alone tops $13 billion, with the average person spending $130.97. The top three gifts are cards, candy and dinner, with 85 percent of cards purchased by women. The report further stated that annual revenue from jewelry store sales for Valentine’s Day is $2.2 billion, with over $400 million in flower sales, alone. Roses, 196 million of which are produced for Valentine’s Day, is the bloom of choice, of course, and yes, 73 percent of those are purchased by men. Something we need to all keep in mind, however, is the fact that it’s not always the money we spend on others that makes the difference. It’s usually the gifts from the heart that have the greatest impact – and a few treats from the kitchen never hurt. Here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day spent with those you love the most. / Read more…

February 13, 2019 The luck of the Irish returns to Boone on March 16, 2019, for the Town of Boone’s second annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Make plans to come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boone; you might even get a chance to see a real leprechaun! The celebration kicks off on March 16, at 2:00 P.M. on King Street in Boone with the parade. The parade begins at the Poplar Grove Extension traveling east on King Street through Boone, concluding at Appalachian State University’s Legends parking lot, located on Hardin Street.  / Read more…

February 13, 2019 If you’re looking for employment that provides a fun and rewarding work experience, Tweetsie Railroad may be the perfect fit. Come to the park’s annual Job Fair Saturday, February 23, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tweetsie Palace (300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock) to learn more about seasonal employment for 2019, including special events positions. Tweetsie hires approximately 250 employees to operate the park and entertain guests.  A diverse range of opportunities are available in ticket sales, accounting, entertainment, ride operations, food service, retail sales, security, ground maintenance, custodial services, first aid, and the Deer Park Zoo.  / Read more…

February 13, 2019 WHS Principal Dr. Chris Blanton, art teacher Dacia Trethewey, Watauga County Hunger and Health Coalition Director Elizabeth Young and craft teacher Brett McDonough with WHS students Caroline Edwards, Sadye Franklin and Vann Small attended the board meeting to give information on Empty Bowls, a charity event that raises money for the local hunger coalition. Empty Bowls will be held March 30 at WHS from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The board recognized the work of school counselors. Board Chairman Ron Henries thanked the counselors for the tireless work — both in their assigned roles and countless other lesser known capacities in their schools. Left to right are Sandra Ruppert from Green Valley, Sheryl Little from Bethel and Lindsay Gough.  / Read more…

February 13, 2019 The high winds that continue to blow in the High Country brought a new record wind gust to Grandfather Mountain early Wednesday Morning. At around 4 a.m. this morning, the weather station at Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge had a gust recorded at 121.3 MPH, breaking the previous record of 120.7 MPH set at 7 a.m. on December 21, 2012. Over a 24-hour span at Grandfather Mountain, wind gusts jumped from 34 MPH at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning to the new record o 121.3 MPH this morning. The first triple digit wind gust of the morning was recorded just after midnight with a gust of 106.2. A wind gust of 100.6 MPH was recorded as late at 7 a.m. By Nathan Ham / 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

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce February 2019 After Hours Event to be held Wednesday, February 13

Rural Transportation Coordinating Committee to Meet February 20

Watauga County Public Library Offering a ‘Blind Date With a Book’

The Walker Center Presents Mike Farris and The Fortunate Few on February 28

Solar Jobs Down Three Percent Nationwide in 2018, But Some Key States See Job Growth

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce announces 2019 Schedule of Annual Community Events

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

February 12, 2019 The Watauga County School System has something else to be proud of after it was named as the second best school system in the state by a project compiled at Niche.com. Watauga finished with an A- grade behind only Chapel Hill/Carrboro city schools that got an A+ grade. The rating system was based on different factors including student grades, teacher absenteeism and salary, parent surveys, per pupil spending, extracurricular activities, class size and diversity. According to the data provided, Watauga County’s 10 schools and 4,402 students received grades of A in Teachers and College Prep, A- in Academics, Clubs and Activities and Health and safety and a B- in Diversity. The student-teacher ratio of 13:1 earned some positive points for Watauga County. That is below the national level of 17:1. The data also took a look at the teachers serving Watauga County and they too got an exceptional rating. Watauga County was ranked at the third best place to teach in North Carolina and third out of 115 districts with the best teachers in North Carolina. The average teacher salary in the county came in at $41,642.  By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 12, 2019 The fifth race of the 2019 Sugar Mountain Adult Race League (SMARL) took place Monday night at Sugar Mountain Resort on Oma’s Meadow. SMARL takes place on six Mondays in January and February and is now in its 14th year as an after-work, “beer league” for local skiers and snowboarders in the High Country. SMARL is sponsored by Sugar Mountain Resort and Ski Country Sports. Temperatures were a little on the warm side of early February skiing, however that did not slow down the racers in the next to last week of the SMARL season. “Skiing was awesome, we really had a ton of snow. We’re excited, it has really been a good season,” said Bill Leonard, owner of Ski Country Sports in Banner Elk. “Going into the last week it is tied up and everybody is going to be in full force next week to determine who ends up being in first place.” This week’s dinner for the racers was provided by Banner Elk Cafe.   By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 12, 2019 Each year since 1972, the Ashe County Little Theatre has been a staple of the arts community in the county. The theatre presents three to four plays each year, and this year, the group is expecting to present four productions for your enjoyment. “It’s a wonderful line up with some really diverse offerings,” said Jane Lonon, Executive Director of the Ashe County Arts Council. All shows will be presented at the Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson. The season will begin with the production of “Is He Dead” from March 29-31. Next up will be the summer performance of the Braodway musical “Gypsy” from June 20-24. The third show of the year is set for August 22-25 and will be the production of “Calendar Girls.” The final show of the 2019 Ashe County Little Theatre season will be “Who’s On First” presented October 13-15. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 12, 2019. The following are recent obituary notices from Austin and Barnes and Hampton funeral homes in Boone and Reins-Sturdivant in Newland. / Read more…

February 11, 2019 A soft opening of the Horton Hotel in downtown Boone took place on Sunday night with a select group of customers and friends giving the hotel and bar a test run before the official opening on February 13. “We are just so pleased with how everything came together. Our staff was incredible, the guests were so enthusiastic and positive. It was just wonderful to see people in this space,” said Denise Lovin, who co-owns the Horton Hotel with her husband, Fulton. “We hope it’s a wonderful place to try something new in downtown.” “A lot has been leading up to last night. It was invitation only, we had six rooms stay here overnight and we also had some guests come in and enjoy the lounge space and see some of the open rooms that were not occupied,” said Andrea Morton, the Director of Hotel Operations, on Monday morning.
By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 11, 2019 Watauga County Schools were lucky last week to end up in the middle of a bout of mid-winter warm weather, but that didn’t stop students at Cove Creek School from taking to the slopes as part of their physical education classes with the help of Beech Mountain Resort and Edge of the World Snowboard Shop. The ski resort and outfitter joined forces to bring snowboarding lessons to third through fifth grade PE classes at Cove Creek. Students learned to get the feel of a downhill slope as they were towed around the gym on boards pulled by volunteers from Edge of the World. Others worked on their balance and posture on a host of training tools the two companies brought down the mountain to prepare the students for a day at the slopes. Kelly Walker, Principal of Cove Creek, said the visit was an excellent opportunity for her students to learn about a recreation that was a such a big part of our community.  / Read more…

February 11, 2019 A hiker from Charlotte who planned on taking a day hike on Saturday afternoon was located on Sunday evening by area search crews. Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue as well as several other agencies located Frank Sanady, 67, of Charlotte and was able to safely rescue him at approximately 5:10 p.m. on Sunday evening. According to Sergeant Shane Robbins of the Boone Police Department, Sanady began his hike at noon on Saturday. When he did not return by early Saturday evening, Blowing Rock Emergency Services were notified and launched a search and recovery operation. Crews worked overnight to find the hiker and were eventually able to locate him on Sunday morning at around 11:30 a.m. It took rescuers over five hours to bring Sanady to safety. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 11, 2019 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce new artist additions for MerleFest 2019: Amos Lee, The Milk Carton Kids, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Del McCoury Band, The Casey Kristofferson Band, and David Holt. 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, April 25-28. MerleFest is pleased to welcome these six distinguished acts to the 2019 lineup: Amos Lee: Singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s creative take on folk and soul style continues to evolve. Over the course of more than a dozen years and six studio albums, Lee has continued to develop and challenge himself as a musician and now producer. Amos Lee will make his MerleFest debut on Friday evening.  / Read more…

February 11, 2019 “The Lego Movie” was one of my favorite movies of 2014. It should have won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that year, its snub in the category only explainable by a sort of unofficial disqualification due to its live-action climax. The finale was the icing on an already-delicious cake, a touching sequence where we learned that the mostly-silly computer-animated adventure that had preceded it was actually a mask for a strained father/son relationship. The father (Will Ferrell) realized that by spending all his free time building elaborate Lego sculptures alone, he was cutting his family out of his life. He decided to allow his son to play with his vast collection of Legos, as well as his daughter with her Duplo blocks. The son wasn’t 100% okay with this, as the Duplos were sure to interfere with his Lego adventures.  By Bob Garver / Read more…

February 11, 2019 Fast becoming a favorite winter sporting event locally, Dodge Ball for Hope is returning once again to benefit Hope Pregnancy Center of Boone. The excitement heats up at Watauga High School on Saturday, February 23, with minor league action (co-ed, ages 8-12) starting things off at 2 p.m., followed by women only (ages 13 – plus) at 3:30 p.m. and the major league (co-ed, ages 13 – plus) hitting the floor at 4:30 p.m. Now in its sixth year, and in a new location for 2019, not only does the interest, attendance and fundraising efforts of the event continue to increase annually, but so does the benefit to the clients who enter Hope Center on a daily basis.  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…