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Blowing Rock Planning board recommends town council deny Hampton Inn special use permit 

September 26, 2025 The Town of Blowing Rock’s Planning Board held its monthly meeting on September 18. The only non-standard agenda item was a discussion of the proposed special use permit (SUP) for a Hampton Inn hotel. Vice Chair Tom Barrett facilitated the meeting as the chair could not attend.
Blowing Rock Planning Director Kevin Rothrock’s presentation on behalf of the town included plan outlines, explanation of the special use permit requirement and numerous slides to provide context for the proposed project. The new hotel would have 98 guestrooms, a 200-seat banquet hall and a multistory underground parking deck located at 986 Ransom Street on a 2.076 acre lot. Vehicles would utilize a single driveway on Ransom Street to access the hotel.

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BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION RECEIVES

September 26, 2025 BOONE, NC – The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (BACCF) is excited to announce it has received a $250,000 grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) Truist Foundation Western North Carolina Recovery and Resiliency Fund (the Fund).

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Remembering Coach Clark: Faith, Family and Football

September 26, 2025 There are times when certain people come into your life, and you truly feel blessed by their presence.  That certainly was the case with Shawn Clark.  To meet Shawn was to be overwhelmed by a genuine, caring, kind, and optimistic soul.  He changed lives wherever he went because his life had been changed.  Shawn recalled during our first real conversation, “I learned how to be a man from my dad and Coach Moore”.  He credited both for introducing him to Jesus.  Shawn truly was a person who stood for faith, family, and football in that order.   

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County hires new SRO for Blowing Rock School

September 25, 2025 In 2018, the Blowing Rock Town Council voted to hire a school resource officer (SRO) for Blowing Rock School. That decision preceded the Watauga County Board of Commissioners’ choice to fund SROs for county schools. The historic relationship between county commissioners and the Town of Blowing Rock regarding budget items was different than today. At that time, the county decided to allow the town to continue funding the SRO position on its own.

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LETTER: Support Ransom Street

September 24, 2025 Last Thursday a Texas based developer presented a plan to build a 98 room, 6 story hotel on Ransom Street to the Blowing Rock Planning Board.  This meeting was attended by many Ransom Street residents worried about how this hotel would change for the worse their neighborhood and during an open comment period many voiced their fears including me.

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Over 100 Indivisible High Country protesters gather Saturday afternoon

September 25, 2025 Over 100 protesters gathered along Stadium Drive between the duck pond and Jack Branch Drive Saturday afternoon to greet attendees of the Watauga County Republican Party’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner. The multi-generational group of protesters included members of Indivisible High Country and representatives from Appalachian State’s and Watauga High School’s Indivisible chapters. The protest began at 4:00 p.m. and was in full swing by the time the first dinner guests arrived around 4:30 p.m.

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Watauga GOP Lincoln-Reagan dinner featured Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan

September 22, 2025 Boone, NC – The Watauga County Republican Party (GOP) held its annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner and fundraiser at Appalachian State University’s Grandview Ballroom on September 20. A VIP reception began at 5:00 p.m. followed by dinner and the program at 6:00 p.m.

Watauga County GOP Chair Linda Byrd welcomed attendees before introducing Watauga County Board of Commissioners Chair Braxton Eggers to emcee the event. Toby Oliver, pastor at Perkinsville Baptist Church, delivered the invocation. Before dining, the crowd recited the Pledge of Allegiance as the Watauga High School ROTC presented colors, Blowing Rock Town Council candidate Melissa Tausche sang the National Anthem and guests viewed a welcome video message from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx.

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VCF 2025 – “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Release

September 25, 2025 Helene turned our world upside down last year and forced the cancelation of the 2024 Valle Country Fair (VCF), but the congregation of Holy Cross Episcopal Church rallied and is planning to reintroduce the beloved Fair on October 18, 2025, at the Red Barn pasture on Highway 194 between Banner Elk and Valle Crucis.

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Four Eggers testifies before House Subcommittee on Natural Disasters and Elections

September 24, 2025 On September 16, National Voter Registration Day, Four Eggers testified in Washington, D.C. before U.S. House Administration Subcommittee on Elections. Eggers is an attorney in Boone and serves as the secretary for the North Carolina Board of Elections. Florida’s former Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Karen Bell, former executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, joined the panel with Eggers.

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HCC A Night at Chetola is a hit!

September 23, 2025 Blowing Rock (NC) – “My Girl” echoed around Chetola Resort on Sept. 11 as hundreds of people gathered to raise money for High Country Caregivers, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting grandparents and other kinship caregivers. The 5th Annual “A Night at Chetola”, a gala fundraiser sponsored this year by The Kennedy-Herterich Foundation, Chetola Resorts, UBS — Wickham Cash Partners, Blowing Rock Brewing, and Ron & Reba Kennedy. 

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Wildlife Agency Provides Updates to State’s Hatchery Devastated by Helene

September 23, 2025 RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) — Just as many lives, businesses, landscapes and wildlife were impacted on September 27, 2024 by Hurricane Helene as it ravaged through western North Carolina, one of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) fish hatcheries, the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County, was nearly destroyed.

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Annual Fall Color Ramble returns to Grandfather Mountain on Sept. 27

September 24, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is set to begin its annual Fall Color Ramble, marking one of the most beautiful times of the year. This series of guided nature walks allows guests to experience the season’s signature colors like never before. The Fall Color Rambles will be offered daily, weather permitting, from Saturday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 12. The short excursions begin at 1 p.m. outside the entrance of the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, and they typically last for 30 minutes.

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Movie Review: “Him”

September 23, 2025 Jokes linking football and religion, especially Christianity, are common. “One gets Americans to sit attentively for hours every Sunday, the other is religion.” “Christian athletes always thank God when they win, never blame Him when they lose.” And of course, “WW(FSDJ)D? – What Would (Football Star Du Jour) Do?” With “Him,” it’s like writer/director Justin Tipping went and made a whole movie out of these jokes. But there’s a big problem: the movie isn’t supposed to be a comedy, it’s supposed to be a horror movie. 

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National Storytelling Festival returns to Jonesborough Oct. 3–5

September 22, 2025 JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — Large white tents will once again transform historic downtown Jonesborough into a stage for the imagination as the National Storytelling Festival returns Oct. 3–5 for its 52nd year. Recognized as America’s premier storytelling event, the Festival draws visitors from across the country and around the globe to the Storytelling Capital of the World. Since 1973, audiences have gathered in Tennessee’s oldest town to be inspired and entertained by folktales, fables, myths, legends, and personal stories told by master storytellers.

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Watauga County Habitat for Humanity – Blueprints and Bow Ties Press Release – 2025

September 22, 2025 Watauga County Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to announce the 12th annual Blueprints and Bow Ties fundraiser! This live and silent auction event will be hosted at Appalachian State University’s Grandview Ballroom on October 23th, from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Auction-goers can expect to be greeted upon entry, and can enjoy adult beverages with drink tickets provided for every ticket holder, and food catered by Appalachian State’s Grandview Catering and Events, while browsing silent auction items.

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LETTER: Long time Blowing Rock resident comments about Civic Association flap

September 19, 2025 At first I was bewildered by Shane Fox’s attack on the Blowing Rock Civic Association. Then I realized he had insulted me and the several hundred members of the BRCA by attributing the personal views of one member of the organization to all of us. A bit of overreaction. The Civic Association has no position for or against the daycare. I have been a board member and attended every meeting for years. The BRCA and its’ board have never taken a position on the town daycare center. Personally, I think it’s a good idea.

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LETTER: The theater of the absurd.

September 18, 2025 If you believe what you were taught in public schools, and accept much of what the dominant media present, you are misinformed, at best. A famous American writer said something to the effect of: where you get your paycheck informs others of your opinion.

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Movie Review: “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle”

September 16, 2025 Ah, “Demon Slayer,” the anime franchise that comes out with a new movie about once every two years with seasons’ worth of television between the movies. I don’t keep up with the series, which admittedly puts me outside the film’s target audience of its existing fanbase. If you do follow “Demon Slayer,” you’ll almost certainly get more out of “Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” than I did, since you won’t spend half the movie asking who most of the characters are and how much is supposed to be known about them. 

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 Frank and Kay Golf Classic is Back at Restored Hound Ears Club

September 16, 2025 September 15, 2025: One year after Hurricane Helene forced its cancellation, the annual Frank and Kay Golf Classic is back on the newly restored golf course at Hound Ears Club. This signature event, at the private, award-winning George Cobb designed golf course benefits Hospitality House of Northwest N.C. and honors the legacy of philanthropy and leadership that Appalachian State University Chancellor-Emeritus Frank Borkowski and his multi-talented wife Kay have bestowed upon the High Country since their arrival in 1993. 

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Secure Protocols at Watauga County Schools

September 16, 2025 On Sunday afternoon, September 14, 2025, Watauga County Schools received an anonymous tip regarding a possible threat of violence directed toward Watauga High School for Monday, September 15. School officials immediately notified the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, and an investigation into the credibility and source of the information began at once.

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Appalachian Theatre Announces Fall 2025 Lineup Featuring Music, Magic, Film, and More

September 12, 2025 BOONE, NC — The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country unveils an extraordinary slate of events this fall, bringing world-class entertainment to Boone with a dynamic mix of film, music, magic, and cultural programming. From cult film favorites to Grammy- winning musicians, the historic venue continues its mission of presenting experiences that engage, entertain, and educate the High Country community.

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