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Daily Thread’s Grand Opening at Shoppes on the Parkway

March 31, 2023 The Daily Thread ethos is best defined by three core pillars: Fashion. Brands. Value. The strategy? To channel our company’s unrivaled manufacturing and distribution resources directly to consumers for the ultimate in style and value. Our commitment has paid off and we are proud to have been named one of the fastest growing retail chains in the United States. The future is looking bright at The Daily Thread and 2023 is set to be our most exciting year to date as we continue making waves in the retail space by opening several new stores in the U.S. in 2023.

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Yellow Fever Vaccine Now Available at Boone Drug

March 30, 2023 Boone, NC: Boone Drug at Deerfield, located at 345 Deerfield Rd, Boone, NC, is now listed with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Yellow Fever Vaccination Center.  Boone Drug Pharmacist, Emily Miller, PharmD, has worked diligently with providers and government organizations to bring this service to Watauga County and surrounding areas. “This service will be a tremendous help to traveling patients in the community in need of this vaccine, which can be challenging to find in our region of the state.” says Boone Drug Vice President, Spencer Hodges. 

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Farmer Foodshare Donation Station returns for its 8th season at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market

March 30, 2023 BOONE, N.C. – On April 1, Hospitality House, Hunger & Health Coalition, F.A.R.M. Café, and Casting Bread will kick off the eighth year of the Farmer Foodshare Donation Station program at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. The Farmer Foodshare Donation Station is a simple concept that began in 2016. 1. Volunteers from one of four partner organizations work at the donation station. 2. Farmers’ market guests make a small or large cash donation. 3. Toward the end of the day, the partner organization purchases food from farmers at the market. 4. The donations support local farmers and help partner organizations get fresh, healthy food for the people they serve. 5. Everybody wins!

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Press Release from Avery County Sheriff Mike Henley about Pistol Purchase Permit Applications No Longer Being Issued By Any North Carolina Sheriff

March 30, 2023 Effective immediately, pistol purchase permits will no longer be issued by any sheriff in North Carolina.  The Avery County Sheriff’s Office has stopped processing pistol purchase permit applications including pending applications. All state laws regarding the issuance of pistol purchase permits by sheriffs in North Carolina were repealed on Wednesday morning (March 29, 2023) following a vote by the General Assembly to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 41, Guarantee 2nd Amendment Freedom and Protections.

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High Country Real Estate: Article VII

March 29, 2023 Sometimes words (and their meaning/concepts) are so closely related, it is difficult to discern the difference. A great quote to demonstrate this is from the humor writer, Cynthia Heimel, when she wrote, “We must eschew anything trivial. We must embrace all that is frivolous.” At first glance, this might seem like a contradictory statement; at least until you truly think about the difference between the trivial and the frivolous.  By Bill Aceto

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Watauga County Board of Education Special Meeting Called

March 29, 2023 The Watauga County Board of Education will hold a special called meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 13th at Watauga High School. The purpose of the meeting is to conduct preliminary interviews with Superintendent semi-finalists in closed session. No action will be taken.

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Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: Keeping Easter Traditions Alive


March 29, 2023 When Easter comes to mind, I often think of those my childhood, when my mother dressed her two little girls in the best her family could afford. Even then, likely the only “new” items were white shoes, frilly socks and maybe a dress. The older three kids were already past the age of dressing up too much, but my younger sister and I loved the Easter bonnets, white gloves, shoes and of course, our Easter baskets. Times sure have changed and with it, many traditions have fallen by the wayside. But, to me Easter dinner cannot be altered By Sherrie Norris

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From Doc Watson to The Cockman Family— Local Musicians Have Their Place of Honor in Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame

March 29, 2023 From Doc Watson’s induction as one of the first recipients of the Blue Ridge Hall of Fame in 2008, to The Cockman Family as one of the most recent inductees on Saturday, March 24, 2023, there’s no doubt that local talent is revered within this region. The 15th Annual Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was a huge success, said organizers following the sold-out event held at the Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro.  It was much more than a ceremony, most agreed, as the audience was treated to numerous performances throughout the evening, featuring not only those well-recognized names on the impressive list of inductees, but also their sidemen and women who brought their talent to the stage.  By Sherrie Norris

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High Country Association of REALTORS® has extended the deadline for submission of scholarship applications to April 15th, 2023

March 29, 2023 High Country Association of REALTORS® has extended the deadline for submission of scholarship applications to April 15th, 2023. The High Country Association of REALTORS® awards four scholarships to the four-county jurisdiction they cover: Watauga, Avery, Alleghany, and Ashe Counties. One scholarship is granted for each county. This includes homeschoolers in these counties. This scholarship can be used for any student pursuing a degree in post-secondary education.
Please access the application via the HCAR.Realtor website or contact the association at 828-262-5437. Please email your completed application to [email protected] or drop it off in person at our office, 4469 Bamboo Rd, Boone, North Carolina.

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LOCAL SMALL TOWN PREPARES FOR ALIEN INVASION: Alien Festival Returns to Small town of Spruce Pine, NC.

March 28, 2023 SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — UFO Enthusiast and Alien lovers will descend upon Downtown Spruce Pine, NC in the hopes of encountering extraterrestrials on June 10th, 2023. Many area residents and locals have reported an astounding number of unexplained UFO sightings in and near the small town and it is no small wonder that the event will be packed with UFO and Alien believers.

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A Tribute Concert to Legendary Fiddlin’ Red Wilson to be Held on Saturday, April 15 at Mitchell County High School

March 28, 2023 A tribute concert to the iconic Fiddlin’ Red Wilson will be held on Saturday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. at Mitchell County High School, located at 416 Ledger School Road, just off Highway 226 in the Ledger Community, between the towns of Spruce Pine and Bakersville, North Carolina. The concert will feature area singers and musicians who came under “Red’s” influence and will be celebrating his legacy through their music, including: Rhonda Gouge, Bruce Greene, Kathy Kuhne, Rob Levin, Sam McKinney, William Ritter and Nathan Stewart.  By Tim Gardner

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Outdoor Adventure Seekers Have a New Place to Shop and Sip

March 28, 2023 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce celebrated the official opening of Speckled Trout Outfitters with a ribbon cutting Friday afternoon. More than 150 people attended the event. “I think this is probably one of the largest crowds we’ve ever had at a ribbon cutting,” said Cathy Barker, Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s membership engagement director. The outdoor shop and tap room are located at 916 Main Street, next door to the Speckled Trout Restaurant and Bottle Shop.   By Kris Testori

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No Fooling For Local Kids on April 1 — BuildFest is Back!

March 28, 2023 The pandemic might have played dirty tricks on lots of events around the area and beyond — including forcing the cancellation for two years of the signature Children’s Playhouse event known as Buildfest— but this year’s adventure, even if it is happening on April 1, promises to be everything but a joke. By Sherrie Norris

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Movie Review: “John Wick: Chapter 4”

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March 27, 2023 There’s something about a fourth movie in a series that tends to be dangerous for a franchise’s legacy. “Batman and Robin” led to the Caped Crusader being taken off the big screen for eight years. “Terminator: Salvation” is better remembered for its miserable production than anything in the finished film. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was widely seen as a severe disservice to the iconic character. Even the Oscar-winning “Toy Story 4” was criticized for not leaving a perfectly good trilogy alone. Yes, “Mad Max: Fury Road” was a rousing success, though fans seemed to care very little about the “continuation” aspects of the movie. “John Wick: Chapter 4” didn’t have a 30-year gap to make sure things were just right.  By Bob Garver

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Juanita Smith at 100: “I never dreamed of living this long!”

March 24, 2023 Just days before reaching her 100th birthday in January, Juanita Smith said, “ I never dreamed of living this long. To say that I’ve lived a century just doesn’t seem possible. When I was a small child, I couldn’t imagine even living to be 50. That seemed like a long time for me — forever, you  might say. But, now here I am at 100.” By Sherrie Norris

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Movin’ on: Appalachian FC advances in Open Cup after win over Fusion in OT

March 23, 2023 BOONE, N.C. —Another chapter in Appalachian FC’s storied beginning was written on March 22. Call them the Sasquatch Armada, if you will, or even call them a motley crew, but the Boone-based, semi-pro soccer team is for real after a stirring, double overtime win decided with penalty kicks against North Carolina Fusion at Ted Mackorell Soccer Stadium.  By David Rogers

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Watauga County Schools names teachers of the year

March 23, 2023 BOONE — Watauga County Schools has named its 2023-24 teachers of the year — one from each school in the district. Chosen by their peers, the group was selected from a group of more than 300 teachers district-wide at all grade levels.
This year’s group includes Pam West from Bethel, Brittany Bolick from Blowing Rock, Kylie Bolick from Cove Creek, Sierra Jackson from Green Valley, Amy Atkins from Hardin Park, Amy Thomas from Mabel, Kari Riddle from Parkway, Shelby Hatton from Valle Crucis, Erik Mortensen from Watauga High School and Ashely Brown from the Watauga Virtual Academy.

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Hardin Park teams win Battle of the Books competition

March 23, 2023 BOONE — Watauga County Schools’ most-enthusiastic readers met last week to test their skills at the district-wide Battle of the Books competition. Teams from Hardin Park School took home the win in both the middle and elementary contests.
A long-standing tradition in Watauga County Schools, each year Battle of the Books tasks teams from each school in the district to a competition that tests students’ ability to recall specific details and answer questions on books from a state-promoted list they’ve read over the past year. Each team plays every other team once in the competition and each round consists of 12 questions — six posed to each team.

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Local grant allows Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation to make improvements to elk habitats

March 23, 2023 LINVILLE, N.C. – Thanks to the ongoing support of the High Country Charitable Foundation, and most recently a $19,000 grant, Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, was able to make improvements to its elk habitat.
High Country Charitable Foundation, based in nearby Banner Elk, N.C., is a nonprofit organization with a vision to help the Avery County, N.C., community by providing for neighbors and animals in need. This specific funding allowed for two important updates to the behind-the-scenes area of Grandfather Mountain’s elk habitat – a reliable water source in the animals’ shifting paddock and the reinforcement of the fencing in this location.

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 Blowing Rock Chamber kicks off the 2023 Business After Hours series

March 23, 2023 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Business After Hours of the year Tuesday evening at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
Held once a month, Business After Hours provides networking opportunities for its members, gives business owners a chance to meet one another, and offers opportunities for conversations related to local businesses and the community.

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High Country Real Estate: PANTONE® recently announced their pick for 2023’s color of the year

March 22, 2023 Viva Magenta is very vibrant. Very. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with vibrant colors. Nothing at all. And if you have been waiting your whole life for the color of the year to be in the magenta family so you could paint your entire house magenta and be 100% on point for the year…WOOHOO! Congrats! It’s finally happened! But what happens when PANTONE® announces 2024’s color of the year? Trust me, it’s not going to be Viva Magenta again. It’s just not.  By Bill Aceto

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