Aug. 17, 2017. Inc.magazine has released its 36th annual Inc. 5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Western North Carolina-based retail technology firm, ECRS, joins this impressive list for the third consecutive year. / Read more…

Aug. 3, 2017. If you’re a beer or wine lover of the High Country and you haven’t stopped by Peabody’s for one of its weekly tastings, you’re truly missing out. But there’s never been a better time to make your first visit — or return as a Peabody’s regular — than this August. In addition to holding tastings each Tuesday and Saturday this month, Peabody’s Beer & Wine Merchants is gearing up for a week-long series of tastings in celebration of this year’s High Country Beer Fest, which is set for Saturday, August 26 at the High Country Fairgrounds. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

July 26, 2017. The High Country is filled with staple restaurants that keep visitors and locals coming back year after year. One of those High Country-famous restaurants is Banner Elk’s Stonewalls, which is about to reach its one-year anniversary since Scott Garland and Tim Heschke took over operations last year. Garland, like many who grew up in the area, decided to return to the High Country after 20 years of traveling the country and working in some of the most well-respected positions in the food industry. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

July 27, 2017. It isn’t hard to see that the High Country has grown significantly over the last few decades. New businesses open, buildings are constructed and visitors from around the country make the trip up the mountain each year, but few have seen the High Country evolve quite like “Lil” Jack Anderson and his family at Banner Elk’s Resort Real Estate & Rentals, which just reached its 35th anniversary this May. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

July 20, 2017. Leatherwood Mountains Resort has been purchased by two executive employees of the firm. Leatherwood Mountains Resort is located in Wilkes County and is a premier vacation destination in North Carolina and features a variety of equine activities. / Read more…

July 19, 2017. Village Jewelers of Boone held a ribbon cutting for its second location in Blowing Rock on Wednesday morning. Located next to Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, Village Jewelers will host a celebration on Saturday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “We’ll have a big celebration, give away a lot of prizes, and hopefully do a little business,” said Charlie Travis, owner of Village Jewelers, adding that there will be special discounts and refreshments, too. / Read more…

July 10, 2017. Mountaineer Marketing, Inc., which purchased the property in late 2015, is seeking an amendment to the conditional use permit for the Blowing Rock Market property at 900 Main Street. This permit was originally issued in 2000 for gas station, convenience store and retail market uses. Jesse Wood / Read more…

June 28, 2017. When Greg and Debbie Cairns moved to the High Country in the mid-1970s, Foscoe was still largely off the beaten path. If you wanted to stop and grab a bite to eat or warm up with a cup of coffee, you would have had to drive miles to reach the nearest restaurant or diner. But Debbie’s father Don had an idea to fix that. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos courtesy of Debbie Cairns and Ken Ketchie / Read more…

June 26, 2017. It’s common knowledge that the High Country loves its craft beers. While everyone can agree that’s a great thing, those who favor wine may feel left out. That’s why Angela Kelly at Proper in downtown Boone set out to host Wine and Dine Wednesdays each week. “I feel like this area is so craft-beer-driven, and that’s great too — I do enjoy craft beers — but I feel like wine is ignored a little. People are intimidated by it maybe, and I don’t want them to be,” said Angela, owner of Proper. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

June 14, 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, Debi and David Linzey celebrated the grand opening of the Pet Care Clinic of the High Country and their expansion of veterinarian services on N.C. 105 in Boone. Staff, officials and board members with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and community members attended the ceremony yesterday. Vet staff gave visitors a tour of the new facility. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

June 1, 2017. Vidalia Restaurant & Wine Bar will offer the High Country a perfect opportunity to enjoy fine dining and wine while helping a great local cause on Monday, June 19. The Boone-favorite “upscale casual restaurant” is holding a dinner and fundraiser in support of its King Street neighbor F.A.R.M. Cafe, a non-profit restaurant that feeds its diners on a “pay-what-you-can” basis. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

June 6, 2017. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and Boone Sunrise Rotary Club have teamed up to host a two-day celebration of the High Country’s most popular restaurants and businesses. The inaugural High Country Toast, a “local showcase of food, drink, and attractions that will entertain visitors and locals alike,” is slated for Friday, June 23 at the Jones House in downtown Boone and Saturday, June 24 at Appalachian Ski Mountain. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

June 1, 2017. Whether you’re looking for something thrilling, dramatic, heartfelt, funny or all of the above, you’ll find it in Boone theaters this weekend. Get your tickets, grab some popcorn and get comfy at Regal Boone Cinema 7! / Read more…

June 1, 2017. On Saturday, June 3, the Mast Stores in Boone and Valle Crucis will welcome the Blue Ridge Conservancy (Valle Crucis) and the New River Conservancy (Boone) to the stores in celebration of Land Trust Day. Volunteers will answer questions about the organizations, and will offer information about the benefits of protecting land. Mast will donate 20% of the day’s sales to support conservation efforts. / Read more…

May 23, 2017. The wait is over! The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop opened its doors yesterday after months of major renovations and rebranding. Breaking with the past to now house both a restaurant and bottle shop, The Speckled Trout is moving forward with new leadership from brothers William and Eric Brinker and their wives Erica and Emily along with General Manager and “lover of liquids” Foster Ramsey and “all-star” chef Scott Smith. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

May. 18, 2017. Whether you’re looking for something thrilling, dramatic, heartfelt, funny or all of the above, you’ll find it in Boone theaters this weekend. Get your tickets, grab some popcorn and get comfy at Regal Boone Cinema 7! / Read more…

May 15, 2017. The late ’90s saw Beanie Babies come and go. More recently, Webkinz exploded and quickly receded from national attention. Now, the hottest fad for kids — and many adults — is the newly-famous (or infamous) fidget spinner. If you are a parent of a public school child or someone who likes to keep your hands occupied during day-to-day tasks, you probably already know more than you’d ever like to find out about the ball bearing spinners originally intended to help users with ADHD. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

May 16, 2017. Carolina West Wireless, the premier wireless carrier in western North Carolina, successfully participated in the recent Federal Communication Commission (FCC) incentive spectrum auction and was awarded additional spectrum holdings. / Read more…

May. 4, 2017. The High Country Grizzlies (2-3) will return to the Den at the Holmes Convocation Center this Sunday, May 7 to take on the Georgia Firebirds (2-4) in a reprise of the Grizzlies’ season and franchise opener. The Grizzlies and Firebirds squared off on March 18 in Albany when the Grizzlies asserted themselves with a 62-29 victory over the second-year Georgia team. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

April 19, 2017 Spring has arrived in the High Country, and with it will come green trees, blooming flowers, yearly vacationers and — for Blowing Rock — a fresh take on one of Main Street’s most beloved restaurants, The Speckled Trout Cafe.
While its new iteration, The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop, will keep fresh mountain trout as its High Country staple, The Speckled Trout is currently undergoing major renovations and rebranding and is refocusing on regional Appalachian food. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

April 18, 2017. On Memorial Day, May 29th, 2017, Hospitality House AmeriCorps VISTA project Welcome Home Thriftique will host the Mast General Store Color Blast 5K to raise funds, awareness, and support for High Country men, women and children living in poverty. The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 5pm at the Boone Greenway Trail at Clawson Burnley Park. / Read more…

April 18, 2017. Combine your love of wine, craft brews and running in the name of a great charity. To date, more than 140 participants have already signed up for Chetola Resort’s Corkscrew & Brew 5K (formerly known as the Corkscrew 5K), which returns for its 5th year, Saturday, April 22 at 9 a.m., bringing craft beer to the race tables courtesy of the award-winning Boone-based Appalachian Mountain Brewery. / Read more…

Apr. 13, 2017. Whether you’re looking for something thrilling, dramatic, heartfelt, funny or all of the above, you’ll find it in Boone theaters this weekend. Get your tickets, grab some popcorn and get comfy at Regal Boone Cinema 7! / Read more…

Apr. 11, 2017. Heading into Sunday with a huge win against the Dayton Wolfpack the previous weekend, the High Country Grizzlies came up short against the undefeated Jacksonville Sharks, conceding the game with a 68-21 loss to the Florida team. The Sharks, seen in the preseason as the frontrunners in the league, asserted their dominance over the Grizzlies, not allowing the High Country team to score until former ASU standout and Grizzlies receiver Malachi Jones completed a 15-yard passing touchdown with 12:45 left in the third quarter. By Bailey Faulkner – Photos by Debbie Carter / Read more…

April 6, 2017. One in four households in the U.S. pays more than 30 percent of their income for housing and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing or medical care. In Watauga County, 31.3% of residents live below the poverty level, according to the most recent US Census data. In Watauga County, the Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $872. To afford this level of rent and utilities — without paying more than 30% of income on housing — a household must earn $2,907 monthly or $34,880 annually. / Read more…

Apr. 4, 2017. Coming off a huge win against the Dayton Wolfpack on Saturday, The High Country Grizzlies are looking to keep their momentum rolling this Sunday, April 9 when they face off against the Jacksonville Sharks at the Holmes Convocation Center. After coming up a bit short to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks in their March 25 matchup, the Grizzlies regained their composure with a massive 94 – 6 victory over the Wolfpack, giving the High Country team a boost that will prove necessary when facing the undefeated Jacksonville Sharks on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

Mar. 30, 2017. The building that now houses local favorite Café Portofino has seen its fair share of changes over the years. Formerly the original maintenance station for the historic Tweetsie Railroad, the over-century-old building is now the site of an exciting new era in the history of Café Portofino. By Bailey Faulkner – Photo Courtesy of Ken Ketchie and Olga Esterson / Read more…

March 24, 2017. Greystone Insurance has joined forces with LifeStore Insurance, which is part of LifeStore Financial Group. “We are very excited to add Greystone Insurance as a branch office of LifeStore Insurance,” said Jody Brown, President LifeStore Insurance. “Greystone has been serving the High Country since 1989 and they have built their business on providing a high level of personal service and professional expertise to their clients, living up to their motto-Experience the Difference.” / Read more…

March 23, 2017. Quickly on the heels of Asheville’s entrepreneurial success, Boone is emerging as Western North Carolina’s next innovation center. As such, Mountain BizWorks is very pleased to announce our next ScaleUp WNC cohort of 15 high-potential small businesses to be based in Boone. / Read more…

March 23, 2017. The Dollar General development in Foscoe has begun. A grading, erosion control and stormwater management permit was issued a few weeks ago and the N.C. Department of Transportation has approved work for N.C. 105 and Church Road accesses, according to John Spear, a planner with the Watauga County Planning & Inspections department. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

March 22, 2017. If everything goes as planned, the Starbucks store on Blowing Rock Road should be opening in August. Boone Planning & Inspections issued a building permit for the project on March 2. Dolphyn Commercial Contracting is the project’s contractor. The company is based out of Suwanee, Ga., and builds Starbucks stores across the Southeast. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Mar. 21, 2017. The High Country Grizzlies started their season off with a bang as the new franchise defeated the Georgia Firebirds 62-29 in Albany, Georgia on Saturday. After a relatively slow start to the game, the Grizzlies rocketed to a 26-10 lead, not allowing the Firebirds within striking distance of the lead for the remainder of the match. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

March 21, 2017. Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub celebrated its last St. Patrick’s Day celebration under the ownership of the Larson brothers, Erik and Steve, and Tom Phillips, who recently sold the business and building to Wine to Water. Like every other year, Erik and Steve’s father Ole Larson, former swimming coach at App State, showed up wearing his bright green jacket and a green “dashiki-type” shirt that was given to him by a former Nigerian swimmer of his. The elder Larson is 95, soon to turn 96. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

March 20, 2017. John and Faye Cooper, owners of Mast General Store, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend with family, friends, co-workers and members of the High Country community. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

March 17, 2017. The J.C Penney Company has announced that it is closing 138 stores through the next few months. The Boone Mall store is among those locations shuttering its doors, the company announced today. By Jesse Wood / Read more…