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Education

Registration is open for App State’s 2nd annual Aging Well Conference on May 15–16

April 30, 2025 Appalachian State University will host its second annual Aging Well Conference on May 15–16 at Levine Hall of Health Sciences, located at 1179 State Farm Road in Boone. Sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Medicare, the event will bring together caregivers, health professionals, researchers and social service providers to explore innovative strategies for healthy aging. Conference topics include disease prevention, managing anxiety and depression in older adults, balancing exercise with physical therapy and lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive decline.

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App State ROTC Program Honored with Army’s General Douglas MacArthur Award

April 9, 2025 The Appalachian State University Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, known as the Mountaineer Battalion, has been awarded the U.S. Army’s General Douglas MacArthur Award, recognizing the program’s exceptional contributions to military leadership and training. A ceremony in celebration of the program’s achievement was held March 20 at App State’s Boone campus. Established in 1989, the award, conferred by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, honors the top eight ROTC programs in the country. The award highlights the success of programs in displaying Gen. MacArthur’s ideals — “Duty, Honor, Country” — and accomplishing its mission of training and commissioning second lieutenants for the U.S. Army.

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Great News—More Tickets Available for Power of the Purse on June 26! New Larger Venue at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone

April 7, 2025 Thanks to your overwhelming enthusiasm, our Power of the Purse event featuring Laura Linney and Molly Grantham on June 26th sold out in just two days! We heard you, and we’re thrilled to announce we’ve increased our event capacity and reopened ticket sales! To accommodate everyone, we’re moving to a larger venue: The Holmes Convocation Center on Rivers Street in Boone.

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Grandfather Mountain Announces New Event: “Sounds of Nature – Kids’ Music Day”

April 7, 2025 The mountains will be alive with the sound of music as Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, hosts a new event, “Sounds of Nature – Kids’ Music Day.” The fun-filled, nature-themed afternoon of music will take place Saturday, April 26 in the Williams Outdoor Learning Space, located next to the park’s Wilson Center for Nature Discovery. Families can groove to the sounds in nature through an interactive concert celebration, featuring lively performances from Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation staff, as well as visiting Chimney Rock State Park staff, plus eco-themed songs and hands-on activities.

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App State to Host Lab iMPACTLY Workshop April 3 to Help Nonprofits Maximize Effectiveness

March 26, 2025 Appalachian State University’s Department of Government and Justice Studies, in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success, will host the inaugural Lab iMPACTLY Nonprofit Workshop on Thursday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 201A of the Plemmons Student Union. The workshop aims to equip local nonprofits with the tools, strategies and insights needed to enhance their impact, particularly in securing and managing grants.

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Avery County Woman Will Use $466,415 Win to Help People Affected by Helene

March 13, 2025 Tracy Bell of Banner Elk wants to give back to her community after she won a $466,415 jackpot playing a digital instant game. “Everyone around here has been through a lot lately,” she said. “I want to help some friends who lost a lot in the storm.” Bell played a $10 ticket on Sunday and won the top level ‘Epic jackpot’ in the Wheel of Bonuses game, a digital instant game featuring a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of that win are 1 in 3.1 million. “It was pretty amazing,” she said.

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Infomation on Becoming a Sports Official in the High Country Coming April 10th

March 13, 2025 My name is Stephen Poulos, retired Director Watauga County Parks & Recreation.  I have been calling NC High School football since 1994 and am still the District Director for Tar Heel Leagues, Inc youth baseball/softball. I have been involved in officiating all sports and levels. Parks & Recreation NCHSAA, etc.  Have lots of contacts in our area if you are on this email. We have a FREE information opportunity, see attached on April 10th, 5:30 – 7 pm at the Watauga Community Recreation Center 231 Complex Drive, Boone.  Several local college and high school officials will be onsite to answer questions and offer assistance.  No matter the sport, no matter the level they wish to work.

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Springtime Fun at Grandfather Mountain

March 13, 2025 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is gearing up for springtime, with daily programs, special experiences, a slate of events — including new happenings! — and beautiful blooms all ahead. “We are especially excited for spring this year,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “With our area ready to welcome visitors after Hurricane Helene and greatly needing the economic boost tourists provide, we are eagerly anticipating a return to a busier season on the mountain.” Check out these fun ways to explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain in the spring season.

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Join Lees-McRae College in Giving Back to the Community Following Hurricane Helene at this Year’s Mountain Day of Service on March 28

March 12, 2025 Each year Lees-McRae College holds Mountain Day of Service, an important annual tradition celebrated since the early days of the college in which students, faculty, and staff leave the classroom and spend the day at volunteer sites throughout the High Country. This year, in the college’s 125th year of operation, Mountain Day of Service is more important than ever, and parents and families, alumni, members of the local community, and friends of Lees-McRae are all invited to join the college in this important day of service on Friday, March 28. 

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Community Health Report Released for Watauga County from AppHealthCare

March 10, 2025 “AppHealthCare, in collaboration with various agencies and community partners, has released the Community Health Assessment for Watauga County. This report highlights community-identified public health priorities and provides a foundation for work that will take place in the following years. The Community Health Assessment report is published every four years in partnership with the Watauga Compassionate Community Initiative, Appalachian District Board of Health and AppHealthCare, including many other partnerships, individuals and agencies. The Community Health Assessment report follows a data-gathering and evaluation process involving the community to identify and analyze community health needs and assets. After completion, partners collaborate to strategically address the key health priorities and then implement the plan to address the unmet needs.

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Regional Community Centers Recognized at WNC Honors Awards

March 6, 2025 The WNC Honors Awards, a program of WNC Communities, is built on a 75-year tradition of recognizing rural community development clubs for their innovative ideas and grassroots solutions. These centers and clubs are the backbone of community cohesion running through our beloved mountains. The culmination of this year’s WNC Honors Program occurred virtually on February 27th with community leaders and volunteers from 15 Western North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These 73 communities received a total of $106,500 in cash awards.

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Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris Named Chancellor of Appalachian State University

February 27, 2025 Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris has been named chancellor of Appalachian State University, effective March 1. University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans made the announcement upon election by the Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System on Feb. 27. “Dr. Norris has been a widely respected leader and scholar in the Appalachian community for more than two decades, and her service as interim chancellor since last April has been exemplary,” Hans said. “Dr. Norris has risen steadily through the ranks of academic and campus leadership, showing a deep capacity for aligning institutional incentives to student success in a way that has strengthened her university and benefitted a generation of Mountaineer graduates. “Everyone who has worked with Dr. Norris praises her ability to take on complex problems without losing sight of the university’s core mission of service,” Hans said.

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Looking back on 20 Years of the New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae College

February 21, 2025 Each summer since 2005, Appalachian women have been gathering on the Lees-McRae College campus for a three-week transformative experience that seeks to give them the skills and tools to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals. This summer, the 2025 cohort of the New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) marks 20 years of the program that changes lives one summer at a time. Over the past two decades of its operation, NOSW has served dozens of low-income women in the region and has remained unique among similar programs. Unlike many peer organizations, the NOSW experience is truly immersive, bringing participants to the college’s campus where they live, learn, and grow in an enriching environment for the duration of the program.

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Appalachian State University’s Chancellor Search Advisory Committee to Meet Feb. 21 at 4 pm

February 20, 2025 Appalachian State University’s Chancellor Search Advisory Committee will convene via conference call at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, to consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee in accordance with N.C.G.S § 143-318.11(a)(6).

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App State Reports Record Spring 2025 Enrollment of 20,291 Students, Strong Retention Rate Despite Helene Impacts

February 19, 2025 Months after Hurricane Helene disrupted the fall semester, Appalachian State University announced a 2.2% increase in spring 2025 enrollment numbers compared with spring 2024 — a milestone achievement that University of North Carolina System leaders credit to an “all-hands effort” from faculty and staff, as well as state leaders. The census day enrollment of 20,291 students represents a record spring enrollment at App State. In addition, the retention of first-year students from the fall to spring semester is 94.4%, a five-year high.

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Lees-McRae College Introduces New Bachelor of Science Degree in Tourism & Resort Management

February 19, 2025 Core Strategy III of the Lees-McRae strategic plan, INEXPRO 2030, is Distinctiveness, specifically leaning into the institution’s unique identity by establishing majors and sports that help students stand out. The college’s newest academic program, Tourism and Resort Management, is the latest step in achieving that ongoing goal. Tourism and Resort Management will build on current programming within the School of Business and Management to prepare students for careers in the international tourism industry through curriculum that integrates leadership skills, experiential learning opportunities, and entrepreneurial training.

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Blue Ridge Chapter NCNPS Announces Planting Day on Saturday, March 1st

February 18, 2025 On Saturday, March 1st at 1pm, we will be having a livestake planting party at Green Valley Park.  These livestakes have been donated by Blue Ridge RC&D.  All the shrubs along the riparian area along the river were displaced by Helene.  These plantings will serve to secure the remaining land along the river. Instructions for how to plant a livestake will be given at the planting day.  If you can, bring a piece of rebar, hammer and clippers.  This is a fun activity and does so much native habitat

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Shape Young Minds with a Rewarding Career in Early Education

February 18, 2025 The Children’s Council of Watauga County is committed to ensuring that every child receives an excellent start in life. In line with this mission, The Children’s Council is inviting community members to participate in the Early Care and Education Academy, which offers free, comprehensive training designed to build careers in early childhood education. The academy’s training courses are tailored for beginners and cover everything from required safety training to creating engaging lesson plans, classroom management, and more. No prior experience is required.

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Blowing Rock Community Foundation Accepting Scholarship Applications for College

February 17, 2025 For 2025-2026, the Blowing Rock Community Foundation, Inc. has earmarked monies to fund new scholarships. These scholarships will be available for distribution for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education. Example: a $2000 scholarship will be payable at $1000 each semester. These scholarships are established to honor Blowing Rock students attending institutions of higher education – community college, technical school or two/four year colleges and universities.

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Empty Bowls to Postpone Their Annual Event Until 2026 in Consideration of Local Potters and Restaurants Impacted by Hurricane Helene

February 13, 2025 In support of local potters and restaurants impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Hunger and Health Coalition and Watauga High School has chosen to postpone their annual Empty Bowls event until 2026. Empty Bowls is a community staple and longstanding partnership with art students at Watauga High School, local potters to provide pottery, and local restaurants to provide soup for patrons to enjoy. Typically, restaurants donate soup for the event, local potters donate their work, and Watauga High School students create clay bowls to raise funds to support the mission of Hunger and Health Coalition – transforming our community’s hunger into health.

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The Day the Mountains Cried: One Woman’s Narrative of Surviving Helene Resonates with Regional Readers

February 11, 2025. Like many of us, Yancey County’s Lynda Smith lived through the devastating blows wrought by Hurricane Helene when it ravaged our mountains last September. And, as most of us do, she has memories that will haunt her for a lifetime. But, at the same time, compiling those recollections, along with her insights, hind sights and all the accompanying emotions in between, has proved to be healing. And those of us who “experienced Helene” and have read her book, can closely identify with much of what she has written. “No one expected the devastation that hurricane Helene brought to Western North Carolina,” Smith shared. “This is my story. A story of survival and hope.” And, so begins the easy-to-read, but at the same time a harrowing, page-turning account by Smith, whose long-time dream to retire in the mountains came true a short three years ago. ​ By Sherrie Norris

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App State to Host Free Aging Academy Events in Boone, Hickory

February 3, 2025 Appalachian State University is hosting free community Aging Academy events on its Boone and Hickory campuses this winter and spring. Each event features expert speakers who will address relevant topics for aging adults. The academy is part of the Aging Well program presented by the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (AIHW). “Taking care of our physical, mental and emotional health is essential for healthy aging,” said Mary Sheryl Horine, AIHW outreach and education director. “The Aging Academy offers educational resources on topics related to health and well-being as we grow older, and it provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with others in the community who have a shared interest in health.”

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“Food for Fines” at the Watauga County Public Library to Benefit the Health & Hunger Coalition 

February 3, 2025 From Monday, February 10 through Saturday, February 15, Watauga County Library patrons can donate non-perishable food items to clear their fines from overdue books. Each non-perishable food item donated to the Watauga County Library will remove $2 from library fines. This does not include lost material fees. All canned foods will benefit the Watauga County Health and Hunger Coalition for local distribution to those in need. The library would especially appreciate cereal, canned or dry beans, soup, corn or wheat flours, rice, herbs and spices, Boost and Ensure, canned fish and chicken, bread and pasta, shelf-stable milk, tortillas, canned fruit and vegetables, tea or ground coffee, and food for people with dietary restrictions, such as low-sugar, sugar-free, gluten free, dairy free, or nut free items. Those without fines are encouraged to donate as well. 

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March 1-2, 2025 Barn Quilt Painting Workshop to be Held at the Watauga Arts Council

February 3, 2025 The Watauga Arts Council will host a custom barn quilt painting workshop March 1-2, 2025. Saturday, Day 1, runs from 10-4 and Sunday, Day 2, runs from 10-2. Participants will create their own design with help from the instructor, Cinda Ebner. They will then learn the techniques needed to produce a beautiful and durable 2×2 barn quilt suitable for display outdoors or indoors. Cost is $135 and includes all supplies. Additional sizes may be available with advance registration. The workshop dates and times, with registration link, are as follows: 

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