High Country Press

August 5, 2020 Appalachian State University is anticipating starting its 2020 season on the first Saturday in September as the Sun Belt Conference announced on Tuesday that all conference teams would start play over Labor Day weekend. Sun Belt teams will play eight conference games and are allowed to play up to four non-conference games. Right now, Appalachian State is actively searching for two opponents to fill open spots on their schedule, including for the season-opener on September 5. The Mountaineers were originally scheduled to play FCS opponent Morgan State, however, the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) that Morgan State is a member of has decided to suspend all fall sports due to COVID-19. The other open spot on the schedule, September 19, came open when the Big 10 Conference (B1G) announced that their teams will play 10 conference games and no non-conference games this year, putting a cancelation on the Mountaineers’ trip to Madison to take on the University of Wisconsin. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

August 5, 2020 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Community, Government & Education Committee in partnership with the Town of Blowing Rock invite all residents and business owners to attend the annual State of the Town event Thursday, August 13 at 5:30. Due to indoor meeting restrictions, this year’s event will be held virtually. The Town of Blowing Rock will issue a link to anyone who wishes to view the event online. This event will be broadcast live as a YouTube video from the Council Chambers in Town Hall. Join us to learn about exciting current and future projects in the Town of Blowing Rock as well as look at the economic indicators. The Town’s report will be presented by Mayor Sellers and Town Manager, Shane Fox. Charles Hardin will update the audience on the current projects and initiatives of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Village Foundation. / Read more…

August 5, 2020  As part of their Summer Saturday Theatre for Kids Series, Ensemble Stage’s “Appalachian Jack” will be presented again this Saturday, Aug. 8, in the courtyard of the Historic Banner Elk School at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with free admission. “Everybody has been having to make compromises, and everybody has been having to make sacrifices, and so this is what we can do to support the community and doing what we do on a regular basis and what we do best,” said Gary Smith, Ensemble Stage Artistic Director. “We want people to be able to come and enjoy the show and not have to worry about paying.” These two showtimes come after a successful performance of the show on July 25. This performance acts as a little taste of live theater in the High Country that is kid oriented and family friendly. “Theater is about connection and is a living, breathing organism, and you’ve got two main components to that living, breathing organism, and that’s the audience and that’s the actors on stage,” Smith said. “And when you don’t have that, something is lost when it comes to theater, and it basically becomes television, and I think people have had enough of watching TV.” By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 5, 2020  AppHealthCare is partnering with Mako Medical Laboratories to offer COVID-19 testing for Alleghany and Ashe County residents. Drive-thru testing will be available Saturday, August 8, from 9:30 am until 1:00 pm at Alleghany High School, 404 Trojan Avenue in Sparta. Individuals must be residents of Alleghany or Ashe County and over 10 years of age. There is no cost for testing and is available regardless of insurance status. If you have insurance, please bring a copy of your insurance information. No appointment is needed. Test results should be expected within a few days. “We are grateful for the partnership with Mako Medical Laboratories, support from Alleghany County, Alleghany Emergency Management and Alleghany County Schools allowing parking lot space to provide this drive-through testing event, free of charge, for the Alleghany County community. With the increases in COVID-19 cases locally, we know this is an important step to take to further identify and control the spread of this virus and protect the public’s health,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.  / Read more…

August 5, 2020 Updated Coronavirus (COVID-1) numbers from the Toe River Health District (TRHD) as of Tuesday morning, August 4, for the three North Carolina High Country counties that operate under its regional governing body–Avery, Mitchell and Yancey–include: By Tim Gardner / Read more…

August 5, 2020 Executive Director Cherry Johnson of the Watauga County Arts Council officially retired Aug. 1. Johnson has been with the organization since 1992, making her time there exactly 28 years, which is an important number for her. “I was born on the 28th, married on the 28th, and my last child was born on the 28th, so 28 seemed like a good number of years,” Johnson said. During the days leading up to Johnson’s final day, she was working on putting together a photo essay of different pictures from the past years. “Going through that, I was overwhelmed with how awesome it all was, and I was overwhelmed with, ‘Look at how much we did.’ It blew my mind,” Johnson said. “And several of the years, I would look and something would be dated that year and another thing would be dated that year and another thing. And I’m like, ‘How did we do all that?’ But we did!” Johnson said she enjoyed looking through the photos over the years and being taken back to those moments. “And seeing faces I haven’t seen in so many years, it was just fantastic to do that,” Johnson said. “That was the really great part of going back.” Continuing to reminisce, Johnson said she wants to make sure history and all the things the Watauga County Arts Council has done over the years does not get lost, because the staff has worked really hard. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 3, 2020  At the July 22 board meeting of the Appalachian Theatre, trustees received a “state of the theatre” address from outgoing chair John Cooper and executive director Laura Kratt. It was an occasion to pause and reflect over the momentous events of the prior fiscal year, which began with an intensive swirl of activity to complete the eight-year, ten million dollar renovation and construction effort that restored the venerable landmark on King Street to its former glory, and ended in a complete shutdown due to the pandemic. The grand re-opening took place on October 14, 2019, with a standing-room-only concert, the first in a month-long series of events designed to welcome community stakeholders whose combined efforts saved the High County’s Art Deco architectural jewel. Almost 3,500 people joined in the festivities, the first of which was an opening performance with John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the String Wizards with their “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” concert. The concert paid homage to many of the legendary performers that once graced the Appalachian stage in its early years ranging from Bill Monroe to Flatt & Scruggs to Doc Watson. Local talent, Liam Purcell of Cane Mill Road, joined in to make the evening a multi-generation affair. It was the perfect night to announce the dedication of the Doc Watson Stage for Americana Music at the App Theatre. / Read more…

August 3, 2020  As the Watauga County community prepares for an exciting fall semester and the return of university students to the area, AppalCART is gearing up with a renewed commitment to the health and safety of passengers. This includes more rigorous preventive measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19. “So many university students and Watauga County residents have come to rely on AppalCART, and our foremost priority is to provide quality transportation services in a way that ensures the safety and health of our passengers and drivers,” said Craig Hughes, AppalCART Director. Hughes emphasized the critical role AppalCART plays in reducing car traffic to the area daily by thousands of cars as the transportation service carries between 13,000 and 14,000 passengers per day throughout the county. He says they have been consulting with other comparable systems to determine a response to COVID while maintaining critical and essential services. / Read more…

July 31, 2020  It is with deep sadness that the 2020 Woolly Worm Festival of Banner Elk has been cancelled. This is not a decision the Woolly Worm Board of Directors has taken lightly. Every year, profits from the festival are given back to our community to enhance the lives of children and to promote business and tourism in Avery County. Local businesses and organizations also benefit from festival visitors to our community.  / Read more…

July 31, 2020  “As our community continues to struggle with the public health crisis and economic impact of COVID-19, a safe place to call home is more important than ever”, according to Allison Jennings, Director of Development for Watauga Habitat for Humanity. “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we completed construction on homes for Kristina Fickling and David and Amy Barker. Our work continues as more families need access to the opportunities an affordable home can offer.”  / Read more…

July 31, 2020 Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center announces a STUDENT DAY CAMP. The camp will meet from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday for 9 weeks. This program coincides with the Avery and Watauga County school system’s 9-week virtual learning schedule from Monday, August 17 to Friday, October 16, 2020. HPCRC will provide adult supervision for students to accomplish their class assignments on their own computer devices. Holston Camp will enroll at least 24 elementary-age students (K-5) which will be divided into two groups according to grade, in two separate buildings. Both buildings will have Wi-Fi, bathroom access, and classroom furnishings. / Read more…

July 31, 2020  The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four-day plein air painting event. It takes place August 19 – 22, 2020 in the beautiful mountainous area surrounding the town of Blowing Rock in western North Carolina. Its aim is to bring painters together from around the world to paint outside in the fresh air while getting to know each other and sharing their work. The event prompts applicants to explore the unique Blowing Rock architecture, spectacular Blue Ridge Mountain views, and overall Appalachian feel of one of the most scenic areas in the country.  / Read more…

July 31, 2020 High Country United Way is announcing the award of $100,000 in grant funding to support 24 non-profit programs operating in Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties. High Country United Way provides grants for organizations making an impact in the areas of health, education, financial stability, and basic needs. Grants are awarded through a competitive grant application process overseen by the High Country Board of Directors and community volunteers. / Read more…

July 30, 2020 Cases are continuing to increase for Watauga County. We are seeing our total case count increase steadily each week, and we would like to see that level off more than it has. The number of active cases (individuals in isolation) has also increased in recent weeks. The active case count data gives a picture of the active virus in our community. It is important to note that this only accounts for confirmed cases among people who have been tested. We are continuing to see community transmission occurring and when we can determine how exposure occurred, most cases were from people traveling, attending social gatherings or living or working in close proximity to others. This has remained the case through recent weeks. / Read more…

July 30, 2020 Letters to the Editor. By Duncan Martin and Pam Vines / Dear Editor, Leadership representing the 877 members of the High Country Association of REALTORS® (HCAR) is calling on the Appalachian District Health Department to reverse environmental health service fee increases made effective July 1, 2020. “A global pandemic is not the time to be raising fees on local residents,” said 2020 HCAR President Pam J. Vines and HCAR CEO Duncan Martin in a joint statement. Read more…

July 30, 2020 The North Carolina High School Athletics Association Board of Directors have voted to allow public schools to move to Phase 2 of its reopening plan amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Phase 2 will start August 3 in the NCHSAA’s summer guidelines for athletics. However, this governing body of public prep sports in the state did not remove many restrictions from its opening phase. The NCHSAA has said it plans to allow teams to begin fall practice September 1. Individual school districts may determine whether or not its local schools will participate. NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker commented about Phase 2: “Each NCHSAA Board Member believes in the value of education-based athletics and is committed to safely offering a fall, winter, and spring sports program during this school year; however, there is also a commitment to the health and safety of students and coaches.” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

July 29, 2020 Concerns are growing throughout Watauga County after the latest test numbers reveal that active cases are climbing and teenagers, as well as people in their 20s and 30s, are making up the bulk of those positive tests, this according to Jennifer Greene, the Health Director at AppHealthCare. Greene spoke during Tuesday’s emergency Watauga County Board of Education meeting. “We have been watching the trend numbers, I think we did pretty well for a while, but over the last month, I have grown increasingly concerned because we have had an upward line. The majority of our cases prior to this week have been 18 to 24-year-olds with the next age groups being 25 to 49-year-olds,” said Greene. A total of 37 percent of the positive tests have been from people ages 18-24 and another 37 percent for people ages 25-49. As Appalachian State University continues to finalize its plans for reopening for the fall semester, a big jump in the younger population with roughly 20,000 students returning to Boone is going to lead to more community spread, according to Greene. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 29, 2020  At its July meeting, the Watauga County Board of Education approved the hire of two leadership positions within Watauga County Schools, appointing a Dr. Alison Schleede Director of Technology and Scott Carter as principal of Cove Creek School. Schleede takes the helm of Watauga County Schools’ technology department after the retirement of Nancy Zeiss while Carter is set to take over from Mary Smalling, who has filled as principal of Cove Creek School since earlier this year. Schleede comes to Watauga County Schools from Knightdale High School where she taught American History. She has served in various capacities across the state as a technology facilitator, teacher, principal, and assistant principal. Schleede earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of New York College at Brockport. She went on to earn a Master’s in instructional technology education from East Carolina University and an Ed. D. in education leadership from Wingate University.  / Read more…

July 29, 2020. Yum-yums, cobblers, muffins and jam — it’s blueberry season and happy I am. Not only are these summer delicacies delicious and in local abundance this year, but they are also among nature’s most nutritional gifts to us. Of course, they lose some of their “value” when tossed into a bowl of sugar and flour and made into those desserts that we all love this time of year. But, because there are so many ways to enjoy blueberries, we can’t possibly get bored with these delicious treats of the season. Nutrition experts tell us that the pigment that gives blueberries their deep unique blue color is an effective antioxidant and is a significant source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber. They have also been used to treat urinary infections, stones and diabetes. You can’t go wrong by eating them — just off the bushes or from the carton, so enjoy them while you can. By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

July 28, 2020 Based on guidance from local health officials, the Watauga County Board of Education voted Tuesday to begin the 2020-21 school year with 9 weeks of remote instruction for students. School officials announced what Superintendent Scott Elliott called a “modified Plan B that helps us phase our students and staff back into school while also doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of our community.” Previously, school officials announced that students will return under a 2×3 Flex plan where students attend school in person for two days and work remotely for three days / Read more…

July 28, 2020. The following are recent obituary notices from Austin and Barnes and Hampton funeral homes in Boone and Reins-Sturdivant in Newland. / Read more…

July 28, 2020 “There was already a shortage of child care in Watauga County pre-COVID,” said Elisha Childers, Executive Director of the Children’s Council. “The pandemic made us more aware of the importance of good, quality care for children while parents work. Parents across our nation have been figuring out how to balance the demands of caring for their children with their own need to work. Suddenly we understand what good, quality child care means to our workforce and our economy. Now that schools have announced their plans, parents are faced with choices about care for young children and school-aged children alike.” / Read more…

July 28, 2020 AppHealthCare is partnering with Mako Medical Laboratories to offer COVID-19 testing for Ashe County residents. Drive-thru testing will be available Saturday, August 1st 9:00am-2:00pm at Ashe High School, 184 Campus Drive, West Jefferson. Individuals must be residents of Ashe County and over 10 years of age. There is no cost for testing and no appointment is needed. Testing is available regardless of insurance status. If you have insurance, please bring a copy of your insurance information. Participants should be notified by Monday, August 3rd of their test results. / Read more…

July 28, 2020 With actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 beginning to have impact, Governor Roy Cooper is doubling down on prevention measures with Executive Order 153 stopping the sale of alcoholic drinks in restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries at 11 pm. North Carolina bars that are currently closed will remain closed. This order will take effect Friday, July 31. “Slowing the spread of this virus requires targeted strategies that help lower the risk of transmission,” said Governor Cooper. “This will be particularly important as colleges and universities are scheduled to start, bringing people all over the country to our state. We have seen case numbers increase among younger people, and prevention is critical to slowing the spread of the virus.” / Read more…

July 28, 2020  Carlton Gallery began its 38th Mid-Summer Group Exhibition with a drop-in reception on Saturday, July 25th. Art in all media by the gallery’s standing artists is a visual feast not to be missed. During this time “social distancing” is maintained throughout the gallery. This exhibition can be viewed through September 15th. This Mid-Summer Group Exhibition offers new abstracted landscapes by Andrew Braitman, traditional landscapes and interiors by Connie Winters, plein air landscapes by Sharon Rusch Shaver, figurative paintings by Kate Worm and Arlene Mandell, equine and mixed media by Vae Hamilton, along with mixed media collage by Marion Cloaninger.  / Read more…

July 28, 2020 Blue Ridge Energy has announced plans to continue and expand helping electric members struggling to pay utility bills as the state’s suspension of utility disconnections and late fees ends Wednesday after Executive Order 124, which went into effect in March and was extended to July 29 by Executive Order 142, expires. Blue Ridge Energy began suspending disconnections and late fees even before EO 124 went into effect in March. The cooperative’s In This Together Relief fund has awarded over $115,000 in crisis energy bill assistance to its electric members and propane and fuels customers during this time. / Read more…

July 28, 2020  Updated Coronavirus (COVID-1) numbers from the Toe River Health District as of Tuesday morning, July 28, for the three North Carolina High Country counties that operate under its regional governing umbrella–Avery, Mitchell and Yancey– are as follows: Avery-78 positive cases (63 inflicted with the disease have recovered and 15 cases remain active) Mitchell-106 positive cases (68 inflicted with the disease have recovered and 36 are active cases). Mitchell has also had two fatalities from COVID-19. Yancey-94 positive cases (87 recoveries and 7 active cases). COVID-19 graphs displaying its progression and updated information in Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and the over-all TRHD are included with this story. Public health staff officials continue to work to complete investigations into all these COVID-19 cases and they are contacting close contacts of those afflicted with the disease to contain its spread. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

July 28, 2020  Comet NEOWISE photos from Todd Bush on Sunday night continued to show a great view of the comet. Bush recommends a telescope or binoculars to see NEOWISE late at night. Bush also wanted to remind readers that thanks to his time-lapse camera settings, the comet will look a lot brighter in his photos than it will if you are looking through binoculars. The time-lapse photos also make the moonlight appear to brighten up the entire landscape to the point where it looks like the photos were taken around dusk when in reality, the photos were taken at almost midnight. Comet NEOWISE made its closest pass by Earth on July 23 when it was approximately 64 million miles from the planet.   By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 27, 2020  Wildcat Lake in Banner Elk will have an even more picturesque surrounding now after the addition of 10 new October Glory maple trees planted at the lake. “We were fortunate enough to apply and get $5,000 from the Kiwanis Club of banner Elk and $5,000 from the High Country Charitable Foundation to plant the trees we have here,” said Kiwanis club member and Avery County resident Jim Swinkola, “Unfortunately right now the lake is closed, but the lake is going to be here for a long time, for many many centuries, and I’m sure these trees will be here for a long time.” By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 27, 2020 The Watauga County Board of Education will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, July 28 at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held in person with appropriate precautions taken for the health and safety of the public. The purpose of the meeting is for the board to hear an update on school reopening planning and to consider taking action on an updated recommendation for the return to in-person instruction. The public may offer comments to the board either in person or via email to Superintendent Scott Elliott at [email protected] The deadline for submitting comments is 4:30 PM on July 28, 2020. / Read more…

July 27, 2020 I want to thank all of our citizens for adhering to the Governor’s mandate for wearing face coverings while in public areas. This being said, I have noticed some visitors to our community not wearing face coverings while in public areas and many of our merchants have been kind enough to offer face coverings. I have spoken with some of our visitors and they have stated how kind the merchants and citizens have been during their visits. We must keep in mind that we have visitors from all over the country and they may not be aware of the guidelines so it is detailed below for those people that might not be aware of his mandate. Governor Cooper’s mandate issued June 26 requiring protective mask be worn by employees and visitors in private and public buildings in the State of North Carolina and any area outdoors that six-foot social distancing can not be maintained. The people exempt would be those with health conditions that wearing a mask could affect their health in a negative manner, families walking together outdoors (must social distance from non-family members), and children under the age of 11.  / Read more…

July 27, 2020 DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced recently the launch of a website that will assist those in need of things like help navigating the unemployment landscape, food assistance, or housing and shelter, among other things. The NCCARE360.org website is now interactive for all 100 counties. A test program was created in 2019 for four NC counties, and it was thought it would take until December 2020 for the program to go live for the whole state, but teams rollled up their sleeves and worked overtime to make it available during this critical time for the state. / Read more…

July 24, 2020 In the most recent data update from AppHealthCare, Watauga County now has recorded a total of 214 positive cases, a jump from 159 last week. This adds up to a 35 percent increase from last Friday. Active cases increased from 89 to 99 in Watauga County with 142 people being actively monitored, a drop from 147 recorded last week. In the rest of AppHealthCare’s district, Ashe County’s positive case count went from 69 last week to 86 this week with an increase in active cases from 16 to 26. In Alleghany County, their positive count jumped from 46 to 56 with 15 cases being active, the same amount as last week. Ashe has 47 people being actively monitored while Alleghany has 34 people being actively monitored. Hospitalizations from across the district increased by one from 13 to 14 over this past week. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 24, 2020 As the old saying goes, you’re not going to make everyone happy. With the first day of school now less than a month away, Watauga County Schools continue to prepare for Plan B of reopening school buildings at 50-percent capacity. They have received a good amount of positive feedback so far. “We’ve gotten a great deal of support from parents and community members as we’ve planned our reopening. It’s a community-wide effort to solved a hugely complicated issue that doesn’t have a best-size-fits-all answer,” said Garrett Price, the Director of Communications for Watauga County Schools. “We’ve gotten extremely useful feedback from parents and staff through a number of surveys regarding reopening plans that have been instrumental as we’ve worked out details specific to Watauga.” The “2×3 Flex Schedule” plan will have half the students at each school attend class on Monday and Tuesday and the other half attend on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all students, and when the students are not in the school building, they will be participating in remote learning the other two days of the week. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 24, 2020  Due to ongoing issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Back 2 School Festival has announced that this year’s event will be drive-thru only. The 2020 Back 2 School Festival will be held at Watauga High School over two days; Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, with each school being assigned a specific time for their families to come pick up supplies. For the safety of children, families, and volunteers, the school building will not be open, and families will pick up their supplies in a drive-thru fashion. Students are not required to attend the festival with their parent/guardian; representatives from each Watauga County school will be present at their school’s assigned time to check-in and register attendees. In order to serve everyone in a timely and efficient manner, the festival will only able to serve families at their school’s designated time, and requests that attendees do not arrive before their scheduled time slot, as they will not be able to join the line until that time. / Read more…