October 10, 2024 Avery County and the Town of Banner Elk remain under a State of Emergency due to the extensive flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Messages received here may not be responded to. If your matter is urgent, please call Banner Elk Town Hall.
October 9, 2024 Avery County Government has updated statistics and related information about the destruction Hurricane Helene caused when it swept through the area nearly two weeks ago. The totals were confirmed as of Wednesday morning, October 9. A State of Emergency declared by the county’s Board of Commissioners on September 25 at noon remains in effect. A curfew ordered by Commission Chairman Tim Phillips from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. is also in effect until further notice. Transportation in the county is limited due to some roads still not open and many being repaired from being flooded, including some that had pavement ripped off.There have been four fatalities confirmed in the county and four persons are missing. Fifty-eight (58) injuries have also been confirmed. By Tim Gardner
October 7, 2024 On Sunday afternoon the Banner Elk donation center was a hotbed of activity. Situated in the old Historic Banner Elk School, the Resource Center has been the place where local volunteers have been receiving donations. Volunteers were busy receiving, sorting and organizing donations of everything from toilet paper, to paper towels, to diapers, to canned soup, even MREs that have arrived from across the region. Nancy Owen of Banner Elk who directs the town’s Tourism Development Authority was on hand helping to coordinate the process Through purely exhausted eyes but with the vibrancy of the energizer bunny she remarked that, while overwhelmingly grateful for all of these donations, what the residents of Banner Elk and surrounding communities really need now was cash assistance. “We need cash. We are able to fill peoples basic needs of food and drinking water which they need in order to survive, but these folks are going to need money to move beyond this tragedy.” By Dolores Smith
September 24, 2024 A 20-year-old female from Avery County has been found dead after vanishing during a hike to Devil’s Peak on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, officials say. The body of Brook Cheuvront–an Avery County High School graduate who was a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill since the start of the 2022-23 school year– was recovered on Sunday, September 22. Cheuvront was reported missing the day before (Saturday, September 21) as she could not be contacted after a tracking app she was using stopped updating and she didn’t answer her cellphone. By Tim Gardner
September 24, 2024 120 Summit Park Drive, a one-of-a-kind architectural marvel perched within the prestigious gates of Elk River, has entered the market. Offered for $14,000,000, this exceptional estate is the most expensive home ever offered in Banner Elk and is truly a statement piece on grand luxury living. The property is marketed exclusively by Marilyn Wright of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Asheville office. The listing details may be viewed here. Spanning 7.64 private, meticulously landscaped acres, this extraordinary mountain retreat showcases unrivaled craftsmanship and a design that harmonizes rustic charm with contemporary luxury.
September 24, 2024 Regular meetings between two governing boards help empower their members to work well together and exchange ideas and philosophies to help them make decisions for the betterment of the constituencies they represent. Such is the reasoning for periodic joint meetings of Avery County’s Board of Commissioners and Board of Education besides the joint meeting budget workshop they hold each year. A Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy-setting body for county government; enacts countywide laws, authorizes programs, sets the county property tax rate, and adopts the county’s fiscal budget each year. The commissioners appoint a county manager who is responsible for day-to-day county operations. By Tim Gardner
September 18, 2024 Sugar Mountain Ski Resort has partnered with SKIDATA to offer an RFID chip-based, digital ticket system. Come this winter season, a personalized, reloadable RFID card will offer various onsite (via ticket agents or kiosks) and online lift/slope ticket purchasing options. In addition, the new SKIDATA ticket system will modernize the tubing and ice-skating purchasing experience by offering online sales only. The Northridge slope which meanders from the Mountain’s 5,300’ summit to the famed Gunther’s Way slope or to the subtle Switchback slope has doubled in width and been outfitted with new LED lights. “Giving skiers and riders more space and brighter night session runs always makes for a more pleasurable experience,” excitedly explains Resort owner, Gunther Jochl.
September 17, 2024 The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. According to the State Board of Elections, any voter in line at a polling place to vote after 7:30 p.m. may still vote.In addition to National and North Carolina statewide elections, Avery County voters can cast ballots in three county elections, including for three County Commission seats, Register of Deeds, and Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor, as well as in six district elections, including for four Judicial seats, one State Senate seat, one State House seat, and one Town of Newland Referendum, the latter of which only registered voters who live within the town’s limits may vote. By Tim Gardner
September 17, 2024 The twelfth annual Wayne Benfield Memorial Benefit will be held Saturday, September 21 from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Crossnore First Baptist Church Family Center, located at 220 East Crossnore Drive (just a half mile off U.S. Highway 221) in the Crossnore Township of Avery County. Everyone is welcome to attend.As in the previous Memorial Benefits, it will support an Avery County community member or members in need. There is no set cost to attend, but donations will be accepted at the door that covers music, food and drink, and fellowship with others, of which all are offered at the Memorial Benefit. Proceeds generated at this year’s Memorial Benefit will be given to cancer patient Haley Carroll, to pay toward her massive medical bills. Carroll is battling triple-negative breast cancer, and with her diagnosis came extremely high bills due to her many medical appointments and related expenses. By Tim Gardner
September 12, 2024 Since 2012 folks who live in Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties have visited highcountrypress.com to stay up to date with news of the day, celebrate individuals, businesses and organizations who are investing in and giving back to our community and to follow local politics, sports and events. In November 2022, I made a statement during a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event at Sunset & Vine about the possibility of launching a print newspaper in Blowing Rock and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The High Country Press team devised a business plan to launch the Blowing Rock paper, then, each year thereafter, launch one paper in West Jefferson, then Newland, then Banner Elk and so on. On October 3, 2023, High Country Press – Blowing Rock became a reality. By Sam Garrett
September 10, 2024 On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Avery County Sheriff’s Office along with Sugar Mountain Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on the residence of Maxcim Kori, located in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Kori was identified by authorities in Florida pursuant to an Internet Crimes Against Children CyberTipline Report showing his potential involvement with child sexual abuse material. Based on the investigation in Florida, warrants were issued against Kori for Possession, Control, or Intentionally Viewing Sexual Performances by a Child. During the investigation in Florida, officers learned that Kori had moved to North Carolina and was living in Banner Elk.
September 6, 2024 Adoption of a grant resolution with approval of the County’s funding amount for the Transportation Authority and approval of the Council on Aging’s spending plan for the Home & Community Care Block Grant funds highlighted a September 3 heavy agenda meeting of the Avery Board of Commissioners.The commissioners unanimously (5-0) approved the Avery County Council on Aging’s spending plan for the Home & Community Care Block Grant funds. According to the County’s Senior Services Director Phillip Adams, the plan assists in funding Older American Act Services and includes Senior Center General Purpose Funding, Transportation (contracted with the Avery County Transportation Department), In-Home Aides Level 1 and Level 2, Congregate Nutrition, and Home Delivered Meals. The spending plan’s total funding is $229,977.00, counting grant funds, and $20,597.00 in County funds. By Tim Gardner
September 5, 2024 Avery County High School officials would like to invite all Military Veterans and Emergency First Responders (medical, fire, law enforcement, and dispatch) to come and watch the Vikings football team play Bessemer City on Friday night, September 6, and be honored for their service during a special ceremony on the MacDonald Stadium turf. All Military Veterans and Emergency First Responders will be admitted free to the game. They will receive a complimentary meal provided by the Avery High School JROTC and Hospitality/Culinary Departments as well as be recognized at the center of the MacDonald Stadium field with the presentation of the school’s new giant 50-foot by 30-foot “Old Glory” American flag during the playing of the National Anthem. By Tim Gardner
September 2, 2024 The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) has announced plans to complete the eCourts expansion to trial courts across all of its 100 counties in 2025. The eCourts Portal application provides the public with no-cost access to digital court and other public records online anytime instead of limiting access to in-person visits during business hours to obtain paper files. eCourts currently serves approximately half of North Carolina’s population in its three largest cities (Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro) and 38 counties across the coastal, piedmont, and mountain regions that have already had their eCourts systems implemented.
August 31, 2024 According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), fragments (meteorites) from a meteor likely fell to the ground in the Ingalls community, located on the southern end of Avery County as well as in Mitchell County in the town of Spruce Pine and the Altapass Community early Friday morning, August 30. Spruce Pine and Altapass are approximately 8 and 10 miles, respectively, from Ingalls. Video clips broadcast on WBTV in Charlotte showed a reflection of a meteor as it passed over the Vilas area, near Boone in Watauga County, shortly after 1:00 a.m. Friday morning (August 30). In it, a ball of light could be seen flashing by, leaving behind a trail. By Tim Gardner
August 30, 2024 On Saturday, August 31, the Avery County Agriculture & Horticulture (A&H) Fair will hold its Sixth Annual Draft Pull on the Avery Extension Service Grounds, located at Heritage Park, 661 Vale Road in Newland. The draft pull is a family-friendly event involving large draft horses and ponies pulling weighted sleds in competition. These horses are cared for immaculately and loved by their owners. Avery Livestock agent and Draft Pull Coordinator Michelle South said: “Both owners and horses enjoy competing in draft pull events.”. By Tim Gardner
August 29, 2024 Mountain Heritage High School, located in Yancey County, North Carolina, has become the newest high school to establish a partnership with Lees-McRae. The partnership was formalized on Monday, Aug. 23 by Yancey County Schools Superintendent Kathy Amos and Lees-McRae Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management Kevin Phillips. Lees-McRae Director of Admissions Trenton Burleson and Mountain Heritage High School Principal Daron Williams were also in attendance. Burleson also spoke that night at the Yancey County Schools Board of Education meeting to announce the partnership.
August 27, 2024 One of the North Carolina High Country’s most popular, and downright beloved annual events– the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural (A&H) Fair–will run this year from Wednesday, September 4 through Saturday, September 7 at Heritage Park (Avery County Fairgrounds), located at 661 Vale Road in Newland. The Fair will start at 5:00 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4; Thursday, September 5; and Friday, September 6. The Fair will begin at 1:00 p.m. and last until 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7. Admission at the gate each day/evening/night of the Avery A&H Fair is free. By Tim Gardner
August 21, 2024 At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, the Avery County Sheriff’s Office received notification from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about a social media post of a potential threat of violence directed at the campus of Avery County High School in Newland. Detectives and Patrol Deputies with the Avery County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into the threat to determine the credibility and locate whoever was involved. Detectives identified all the individuals related to the post and determined that there was no immediate danger to any students, faculty, other staff members, or the school.
August 16, 2024 A book about the military and medical career as well as the personal life of part-time North Carolina High Country resident James (Jim) Wood, has been released. Throughout The Life and Times of James (Jim) Wood, he shares his professional and personal memoirs about his experiences that have made him a national military hero, an internationally acclaimed medical doctor, a model family man, and a longtime contributor in various capacities to many community, civic, government, religious mission, and other worthwhile causes across the world, including in the High Country. The book, which was written by High Country Press journalist Tim Gardner, has been called a fascinating read and a must-have book for anyone with ties to Wood, who has an interest in the military, the medical profession, or who just enjoys a good book. By Tim Gardner
August 14, 2024 The Avery County Solid Waste Department will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, August 17 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on the Agricultural Fairgrounds at 661 Vale Road in Newland. This annual event is for Avery residents only and is considered one in which they can help protect the environment by properly disposing of household hazardous waste items. All individuals using the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day service are asked to have a picture identification (ID) of some sort to show the solid waste attendants on duty to verify that they are Avery County residents.. By Tim Gardner
August 14, 2024 Lace up your lederhosen and don your dirndl for Sugar Mountain Resort’s 34th annual Oktoberfest celebration, Saturday & Sunday, October 12 & 13. Take in Sugar’s cool and comfortable mountain temperatures, its beautiful fall foliage, and a weekend full of festival activities from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Be sure to bring the kids because Sugar’s Oktoberfest is yodels-n-yodels of fun for the whole family. Admission, parking, and shuttle service are free of charge.
August 13, 2024 An anticipated 1,770 students will start attending classes in Avery County Public Schools for the 2024-2025 academic year on Wednesday, August 14. That first day of school will run the entire day. Public schools in Avery County include Avery High; Avery Middle and Cranberry Middle; and Riverside, Banner Elk, Crossnore, Freedom Trail, and Newland Elementary schools. By Tim Gardner
August 5, 2024 The highlight of the August 5 regular monthly meeting of the Avery Board of Commissioners was approving the establishment of a facility to house domestic violence victims. The commissioners held a public hearing during the meeting to solicit public input about an amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization Grant, which changes the scope of the project from the construction of a reentry housing facility to the establishment of a domestic violence home. By Tim Gardner
August 7, 2024 Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the Lown Institute for excellence in patient outcomes, receiving an “A” grade on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. Cannon Memorial Hospital achieved this honor through strong performance across metrics of patient safety, clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction, out of more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide. The hospital ranked #1 for Patient Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction in North Carolina and in the top 10 nationally on Lown’s patient outcomes metric. The hospital also performed well on Lown’s category and category metrics.