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Watauga Community Recreation Center Celebrates Grand Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony


April 26, 2021 Watauga County Parks and Recreation personnel along with dignitaries and other special guests gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Watauga Community Recreation Center on April 23 to celebrate its opening day, which is today, April 26. This ceremony comes after long-awaited anticipation from WCP&R staff and community members alike, as the pandemic delayed the opening of the new WCRC. The recreation center was finally able to open to the public at 6 a.m. “What an exciting day,” said John Welch, Chairman of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners. “Finally, we’re able to gather distantly to mark an unbelievable occasion. An occasion that’s been 30, 40 years in the making, and I can’t tell you how excited I am.” By Harley Nefe

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Watauga Arts Council Shares Latest News and Prepares for Upcoming Programming


April 23, 2021 The Watauga Arts Council has been very busy planning for upcoming summer exhibits, and the staff is eager to begin providing enriching programming and classes for the community’s enjoyment. According to the latest newsletter, here is what the Watauga Arts Council has going on. This weekend, the beloved community event Empty Bowls is happening. Empty Bowls in an annual fundraising event hosted by the Watauga High School Art Department. The proceeds go to the Hunger and Health Coalition, a food pantry that helps High Country residents who struggle with food insecurity.

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Watauga Habitat for Humanity’s 2021 Big Kahuna Campaign Supports Affordable Housing for Local Families


April 22, 2021 Community members are asking for donations to support safe and affordable housing for Watauga Habitat for Humanity’s 2021 Big Kahuna Campaign. Community-minded “movers and shakers” are participating in a friendly, peer-to-peer competition to see who can raise the most money to support Habitat’s affordable housing program. The winning team will be crowned The Big Kahuna on June 10th at Booneshine Brewing Company. Past winners include Linda Robinson of Premier Sotheby’s, Justin Davis of Blowing Rock Town Tavern, Jenny Miller/Community Volunteer, Crystal Smith formerly of Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Ginny Walker of Mountain Times Publications. In 2020, Watauga Habitat’s recruited Kahuna teams replacing individual participants and the winning team was Three Kahunas and a Guy (Jenny Miller, John Dean, Jane Meyers, and Susan Devine) raising close to $12,000. Over the past six years, Habitat’s Big Kahuna Campaign has raised more than $230,000.

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Temperatures Expected to Drop Midweek with a Chance of Snow Possible on Wednesday

April 19, 2021 Warmer spring temperatures will not be in the forecast this week as they have previously for the High Country. Cold weather is forecasted to take over on Tuesday night, bringing a chance of snow at higher elevations on Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday will be the nicest day of the week with a high around 60 and some sunshine. After that, however, a cold, wintery feel is back in the forecast. According to the latest forecast from Ray’s Weather Center, the low will drop to 40 on Tuesday night with some light rain moving into the area overnight. On Wednesday, temperatures will drop throughout the day, as lingering rain showers may turn to snow showers during the afternoon. The low temperature is expected to drop into the 20s for Wednesday and Thursday nights with highs in the mid to upper 40s.  By Harley Nefe

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Movie Review: ‘Voyagers’ Lacks Entertainment with Slow Action and Predictable Plot, Storyline

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April 12, 2021 Before I get into trashing 6th place weekend box office finisher “Voyagers,” I want to take some time to say some nice things about 8th place finisher “In the Earth.” The latter film played on less than a third as many screens as “Voyagers,” yet it made nearly two-thirds as much money. The underpromoted horror movie is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve seen in a long time. And by “pleasant,” I mean in terms of quality, not subject matter, because there are some brutal scenes in that film. But if the film is playing in your area, if you can handle an R-rated horror film, and if you can withstand a barrage of strobe and other potentially-nauseating lighting effects, then I recommend seeing it. I would have given it a grade of B if I weren’t stuck reviewing “Voyagers,” a bomb that is playing on nearly 2,000 screens, but in its second weekend couldn’t beat “Tom & Jerry” in its eighth. I’d say to stay away from “Voyagers,” but since the movie hasn’t risen above fifth place at the box office since it opened, it doesn’t seem people need to be told that. The actors are putting their backs into what must have seemed like a juicy script about sexual awakening in space, but between page and screen this movie just became blah. I’m hoping that “In the Earth” builds up enough of a cult following among adult viewers (and it does need to be adults, and ones who can handle an assault on the senses at that) that I’ll wind up regretting the choice to review this lousy movie. By Bob Garver

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Revisioning Recovery Film Screening and Discussion Event to Take Place April 22

April 16, 2021 On April 22 at 6:30 pm, in partnership with the Watauga County Public Library, Working Films and Appalachian State University’s Sustainable Department, a film screening and discussion event sponsored by North Carolina Humanities and titled “Revisioning Recovery: Uncovering the Roots of Disaster” will take place. The program features a collection of five short films that tell environmental disaster recovery stories and examine historical inequities that worsen when disasters hit. This free event will also include an interactive post-screening discussion.

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High Country Association of REALTORS® Report: Land, Home Sales Continue Surge


April 16, 2021 Sales of both homes and land remain on a breakneck pace in the High Country region, according to the latest monthly report by the High Country Association of REALTORS. All four counties in the area recorded double-digit growth in home sales compared to the first quarter of 2020, as recorded in the High Country Multiple Listing Service. It tracks all sales activity by REALTORS active in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties. Overall land sales are up almost 150 percent, and even commercial activity is increasing.

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High Country Senior Softball League is Preparing and Recruiting Players for 2021 Summer Season


April 15, 2021. It’s time to dust off bats, balls and gloves, as the High Country Senior Softball League is gearing up for the 2021 summer season. The High Country Senior Softball Team recently resumed play and is recruiting men ages 60 and over and women ages 50 and over to join in on the games. Players get together every Monday at 9:30 a.m. at Avery County High School in Newland and on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. at the Watauga County Parks and Recreation’s Complex Field in Boone from April through September. Interested participants are invited to choose one location to play at each week or play at both spots. Bats, balls and gloves are provided, but players can still bring their own or any other equipment they might need. There is no cost to get started. There are two styles of play for the group: A competitive team that wants to play games against teams from surrounding areas and a casual team that wants to use the sport as a good way to be outside and get exercise. By Harley Nefe

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Watauga County Parks & Recreation Offers Tours of Recreation Center in Preparation of Opening


April 14, 2021. Watauga County Parks & Recreation is holding tours of the Watauga Community Recreation Center where the public can see what the new facility has to offer.The recreation center is a 100,000 square foot facility featuring a six-lane competition pool with a climbing wall, a leisure pool with a 20-foot slide, four multi-use gym courts, a fitness center with weights and exercise rooms, birthday party rooms, fitness classrooms, event space and an elevated jogging track. Available dates for the tours include April 15, 18 and 20. Each day has two start times for the tours: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The tours are free, but there is a limit of 20 people per group, and masks are required to participate. Interested people can call WCP&R on weekdays between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to reserve a spot. By Harley Nefe

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Chief Justice Paul Newby Extends COVID-19 Emergency Directives Through May 9


April 13, 2021 Chief Justice Paul Newby issued an order last Friday that extended emergency directives an additional 30 days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The dangers posed by COVID-19 remain serious, and Chief Justice Newby’s order encourages local judicial officials to adopt appropriate safety precautions in addition to those mandated by the order. The emergency directives contained in the order are effective April 12, 2021, and expire on May 9, 2021. The orders that are continued include directing people who have been exposed to COVID-19 to remain out of courthouses, continuing remote court case proceedings and requiring face coverings social distancing of at least six feet inside courthouses. Courtrooms will have maximum capacities and will be displayed at the entrance.

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Travis able Kourt with an over-the-top boutonniere of roses Blink-182 drummer’s boom of Audrey

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians absoluteness brilliant slipped on a brace of medical-grade, atramentous gloves and affective a boom gun to accord admirer Travis Barker his latest allotment of ink. Though this is acutely Kourt’s aboriginal time giving addition a tattoo, Travis said she is the “best boom artist” on his Instagram Story. He aggregate a account of the beginning ink to his Instagram, absolute the words “I adulation you” accounting in atramentous ink on his arm. This is the additional boom committed to the Poosh founder. In April, Travis apparent a chest allotment that reads “Kourtney” in cursive script. Rumor has it the Blink-182 drummer’s boom of Audrey Hepburn is additionally committed to Kourt, as the extra is one of her idols. But Travis has never accepted the speculation. The rocker is not one to shy from admirable displays of affection. Over Mother’s Day weekend, Travis able Kourt with an over-the-top boutonniere of roses, which about took up the absolute entryway. In added words, appropriate occasions aren’t the alone times Kourtney is advised like a goddess. A antecedent ahead told E! News Travis is agog on authoritative “every day special.” “He is actual into her and waited a …

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The 2021 Wilkes Heritage Museum Candlelight Ghost Tour Season Begins Saturday, April 17

April 12, 2021 The Wilkes Heritage Museum will host Candlelight Ghost Tours in Historic Downtown Wilkesboro on Saturday, April 17. Ghost tours are 90 minute walking tours that begin at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The tours are led by costumed guides and cost $10 per person. Reservations for Ghost Tours are required and have a limit of 15 people total per tour. All participants are required to wear a face mask and maintain appropriate social distancing. Highlights of the tour include the Old Wilkes Jail, Cleveland Cabin, and Tory Oak Site. Learn all about the hauntings and history of Historic Downtown Wilkesboro. Additional dates for the 2021 Candlelight Ghost Tour season include May 15, June 19, July 17, August 21, September 11, October 29 and October 30.

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MerleFest, Presented by Window World, Announces 2021 Festival September 16-19


April 12, 2021 Festivalgoers and music fans worldwide will be delighted to know that MerleFest, presented by Window World, will officially reconvene September 16-19, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest, dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the gold standard for bluegrass, Americana, and string music festivals,” is normally held the last weekend of April, but the 2020 festival was canceled due to public safety concerns amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Officials stressed that this would be a one-time-only move to this fall, and they plan to return to the traditional April weekend in 2022.

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Movie Review: ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ isn’t Captivating; Humans are Boring with Too Much Screen Time

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April 12, 2021   “Godzilla vs Kong” is a follow-up to “Godzilla” (2014), “Kong: Skull Island” (2017), and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019). Those films are respectively known as the one that kills off Bryan Cranston too early and cuts away from a monster fight that should have been the most exciting sequence in the movie, the one where someone stretched a “Viet Kong” joke out to two hours, and the one with a human villain who ripped off their evil plan from Thanos. Maybe the logic was that since the two Godzilla movies were about a 3 out of 10 and the Kong movie was about a 4 out of 10, combining them all would result in a 10 out of 10. This movie… isn’t quite that good. I wasn’t particularly captivated by “Godzilla vs. Kong.” It was always clear to me that these Titans both need to stick around to keep making the studio money, so some sort of compromise finish was inevitable. But Kong is a worthy protagonist and some of the fighting he does with the lumbering Godzilla is impressive. And it’s hard for me to get mad at a movie that does so much to stimulate the box office – $48 million domestically in a five-day weekend. Hopefully we have bigger numbers from better movies on the horizon, but this movie is serviceable as a blockbuster for now. By Bob Garver

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Organizers Announce Details Regarding Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour


April 9, 2021. The organizers of The Banff Mountain Film Festival in Boone, NC are announcing details regarding the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour which is typically presented every spring. Unfortunately, due to the continued situation of the Covid – 19 pandemic, organizers are unable to present our typical Banff Film Festival screening this spring. However, through a partnership with the Banff Centre for Mountain Culture, four virtual programs are now available to rent. Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs receives a portion of the proceeds of every rental. To access the four unique, virtual film programs, go to the Virtual Banff Film Festival World Tour. These four programs feature films from the 45th Annual Banff Film Festival held back in November 2020. For those Banff Film Festival fans who enjoy the in-person Banff experience, organizers are currently planning for two large, in-person, outdoor Banff Film Festival World Tour events which will be held in early September 2021. Details will be announced soon for this event. The two outdoor film festival screenings will also feature films from the 45th Annual Banff Film Festival held back in November 2020, but do not include any of the films that are a part of the virtual film programs that are currently available to rent. The content of these films are exclusive for the in-person, outdoor Banff screenings which will take place in September.

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Elon Poll Finds Most N.C. Residents Still Want Confederate Monuments to Remain in Public Spaces

April 8, 2021 Despite recent events related to race and the high-profile removal of many Confederate monuments during the past year, most North Carolinians continue to support keeping these monuments on government-owned property, the Elon University Poll has found. A survey of nearly 1,400 N.C. residents conducted March 30 through April 2 found that 58 percent say Confederate monuments should remain in these public spaces while 42 percent say they should be removed. Jason Husser, director of the Elon Poll and associate professor of political science, said that the poll repeated many of the questions it asked in November 2019 on this topic to see if recent events, such as the death last year of George Floyd and the removal of monuments from some locations, had caused a major shift in what North Carolinians think. “We found only a modest shift in North Carolinians’ attitudes,” Husser said. “Those in favor of removing monuments from public spaces increased from 35 percent to 42 percent.”

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W.A.M.Y. Community Action, Inc. Invites Everyone to Travel Around the World with New Fundraiser


April 7, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many organizations to have to cancel their events due to safety regulations, and for nonprofit groups especially, these cancelled events included major fundraisers. W.A.M.Y. Community Action, Inc. has had to postpone their largest annual fundraiser, Brunch and Bubbly, for the second year, which is starting to have a huge impact on funding. Therefore, W.A.M.Y. personnel put their heads together and came up with a fanciful, fun way to raise money and gain more local support from the community. Many people are tired of being stuck at home working remotely and are longing for things to be normal again — like going out and about, attending in-person events, seeing loved ones and traveling. So, W.A.M.Y. developed a creative, non-event idea to do just that — to travel Around the World in One Day. And the best part is passengers will not have to stress about packing and leaving their house. They can book their seat on their comfiest couch, recliner or rocker at home and see the world virtually. W.A.M.Y. is inviting everyone to grab their passports and join in on the adventure with the whimsical fundraiser on April 20. By Harley Nefe

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Haircut 101 Staff Fundraise and Present $1,000 Check Donation to Western Youth Network


April 6, 2021 COVID-19 has impacted everybody in some way, shape or form; however, during the pandemic, many people have been stepping up to support the community around them. Downtown Boone’s local salon, Haircut 101, is one business that is striving to make a positive difference. The staff of Haircut 101 spent time asking for contributions, giving away haircuts and gift certificates in order to fundraise for Western Youth Network. Recently, Haircut 101 was able to present a donation check of $1,000 to the organization. By Harley Nefe

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Appalachian State University’s Belk Library’s Lynn Patterson — A Role Model and Mentor


April 6, 2021 To many Appalachian State University students over the years, Lynn Patterson ’89 has been known for her nurturing spirit. Patterson, who has been employed for 30 years in various roles in App State’s Belk Library and Information Commons, said her relationships with students are as important as her job. As a university program specialist, Patterson is responsible for the library’s communications, outreach, social media, event planning and donor relations. She also coordinates the library’s scholarship program. Because community was important to Patterson as a student at App State, she said her door is always open. “People I went to college with are now sending their own kids to Appalachian, and they often send their kids to the library to connect with me. Some even call me ‘Mama Lynn,’” Patterson said. By Jan Todd

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Watauga County Public Library Celebrates National Library Week April 4-10


April 5, 2021 April 4-10, 2021 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Welcome to your library,” which promotes the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building and that everyone is welcome to use their services, whether in person or virtually. Celebrating, supporting and funding libraries has become even more important during this pandemic.

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Luke Combs Announces Postponement of Kidd Brewer Stadium Performance, New Date Unknown


April 5, 2021 Country star and former App State student Luke Combs announced on social media today that his stadium show at The Rock has been postponed because of North Carolina restrictions. Combs’s Kidd Brewer Stadium performance was originally scheduled for May 2, 2020 and was moved to May 1, 2021 due to COVID-19. The concert has now been rescheduled, once again, and the new date has not been released yet. His Facebook post read, “I’m sorry y’all, but due to North Carolina restrictions, we’re not able to have the show in Boone, NC just yet. So, the show scheduled for May 1, 2021 is being postponed. The new date is TBD, but all original tickets will be valid, so hold on to them and we’ll let y’all know the new date real soon. Keep an eye on your email and my social media.” By Harley Nefe

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Carlton Gallery is Anticipating Upcoming 2021 Workshop Season with Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor-Gouache, and Mixed Media Painting Classes


March 30, 2021 Carlton Gallery is starting to prepare for its upcoming painting workshops that begin on May 25. There are many different types of classes including Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor-Gouache, Mixed Media Painting along with Drawing Workshops. People can surely find something they want to try. These workshops give participants an opportunity to be out again and to be a part of something by using creativity as an emotional outlet for all the things everybody has been through in the last year or so. These classes are designed to inspire and lift spirits while highlighting everyone’s creativity.

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Movie Review: ‘Nobody’ is a Sporadically Awesome Violent Action Movie with Extended Fight Scenes

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March 30, 2021 NOTE: This review is coming from a person who loves a good violent action movie. If the genre isn’t for you, this movie isn’t for you. “Nobody” wears its resemblance to the “John Wick” movies on its sleeve. David Leitch, director of the first “Wick” film, is a producer for this movie, and the advertising hasn’t been shy about playing up that connection. Like the “Wick” series, this movie takes place in a world of sophisticated gangsters and assassins. I’d say it could be a shared universe, but the characters in this movie use gold bars and paper money (which can be burned dramatically) for currency instead of those cute doubloons, so… not the same. Bob Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, a seemingly-lame suburban dad who is stuck in a rut. He’s unhappy in his job working for his father-in-law (Michael Ironside), his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) isn’t affectionate, and everybody thinks he’s a wimp, including his own son Blake (Gage Munroe). When a pair of burglars break into his house and assault Blake, nobody is surprised that Hutch takes a path of inaction and lets them get away. The official word from the police is that he did the right thing, but even some of the officers think he should have taken more steps to protect his family, to say nothing of his neighbors, co-workers, and Blake. By Bob Garver

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