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Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Announces Winners of the39th Annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition

July 22, 2025 BOONE, NC— The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is pleased to announce the award winners of the 39th Annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, one of the region’s most prestigious and long-running sculpture programs. This year’s selections were juried by artist, educator, and curator Joseph Bigley, who brought his extensive knowledge and insight to the review and selection process.

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LETTER: Confusion

July 22, 2025 Written by: Craig Dudley. ‘Shut up racist’ is a refusal to engage or answer questions. Perhaps we should abolish whiteness.  Most all white people do it seems is insult and misuse other races, but especially African Americans. It’s time to have that conversation. I don’t do generalizations, generally. Stereotypes are based on a portion of the population so identified but are certainly not applicable to all of that group. Stereotypes are earned, not given and black victimization is the default setting.  Some people don’t grow up learning personal responsibility.

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Movie Review: “I Know What You Did Last Summer”

July 22, 2025 I’ve never seen 1997’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” all the way through. 11-year-old me was too young to see the R-rated slasher in theaters, which was just as well because I did see a trailer and lost many nights’ sleep over the killer’s deadly fishing hook. I eventually got caught up via highlights and recaps, to the point where I feel like watching the movie now would just be a redundant bore. This is all to say that I don’t have much loyalty to the original, outside of a begrudging respect for its ability to give me nightmares with something sharp. Once again, this is probably for the best, since without loyalty to the original, I don’t have to worry about betrayal on the part of the same-titled reboot. 

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Grandfather Mountain’s annual Junior Naturalist Day to take place on August 9

July 22, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, will host its annual Junior Naturalist Day on Saturday, Aug. 9. Activities, included with admission, will be provided specifically for children ages 5 to 12 — though all ages are welcome — to explore their environment and experience all that Grandfather has to offer. Programming takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature birding with a naturalist, nature journaling, looking for lichen and more.

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App State’s Corinne Smith honored as 2025 national GEAR UP Professional Leader of the Year

July 22, 2025 BOONE, N.C. — Corinne Smith, director of Appalachian State University’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and deputy director of College Access Partnerships, has received the 2025 GEAR UP Professional Leader of the Year award. She was honored July 14, during the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships/GEAR UP Annual Conference in San Francisco.

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BeanStalk Community Theatre Welcomes You to a World of Pure Imagination with Willy Wonka

July 16, 2025 BOONE, NC – BeanStalk Community Theatre invites you to unwrap a world of pure imagination with its upcoming production of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, presented by Andrea McDonough State Farm Insurance and sponsored by Mast General Store. This musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promises a sweet time for the whole family. Performances will take place at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, July 24–26, 2025.

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Boone Sunrise Rotary Club Kicks Off its 40th Year of Service

July 16, 2025 Boone, NC July 1, 2025 – On July 1, 2025 Boone Sunrise Rotary began what will be a year long celebration of its 40th year of service to the Boone community, the High Country and beyond with a sold out breakfast meeting.  The club presented its seventh annual Lifetime Community Service Award to Reba Moretz in the presence of numerous members of her family.  The award was in recognition of her leadership in establishing Appalachian Ski Mountain, Appalachian Summer Festival, and her many donations to numerous causes.  The club also inducted her as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow by donating $1,000 to the Rotary International Foundation in her honor.  The Foundation has been a leader in the elimination of polio worldwide.

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Daniel Sherrill and The New Quintet Perform at the Jones House on July 18

July 16, 2025 BOONE, NC – The Summer Concerts at the Jones House series continues on Friday, July 18, with an evening of acoustic artistry and progressive roots traditions from two standout regional acts. The show begins at 5:30 PM on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone and is free and open to the public. Opening the evening is Daniel Sherrill, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter newly based in North Carolina. Performing on clawhammer banjo, guitar, and vocals, Sherrill brings a blend of rhythmic precision and melodic warmth to the stage. Winner of the 2025 App State Banjo Competition, Daniel is known for his intricate fretwork and lyrical, meditative style. His albums From A Heritage Tree (2022) and Back to P.A. (2023) have both appeared on multiple Official Spotify Playlists and received praise for their calming, “zen-like” atmosphere.

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Kendra Danzer named overall winner in women’s heavy athletics at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

July 16, 2025 Kendra Danzer finished first in four of the seven women’s heavy athletic events during the 2025 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, thereby claiming the top spot overall for the competition. This is Danzer’s first time competing at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
The 41-year-old clinical social worker for suicide prevention who resides in Fayetteville, N.C., has been competing in heavy athletics for nearly six years. She has competed in multiple states including Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and California.

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Grandfather Mountain Highland Games names track and field outstanding men’s and women’s athletes

July 16, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – At the 69th-annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in 2025, two track and field athletes secured the Outstanding Men’s Athlete and Outstanding Women’s Athlete honors. Nick Goard from Aberdeen, N.C., and Veronica Cheechov from West End, N.C., earned the respective titles. Both athletes run for Sandhills Classical Christian School’s track and cross country teams, and they hope to return next year.

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Blue Ridge Conservancy Announces Hiring of Sara Crouch as Director of Development

July 15, 2025 Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Sara Crouch as Director of Development. Crouch comes to BRC after several years serving the state and community in violence prevention and education with North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and OASIS, Inc. In these roles she coordinated grants, led strategy on fundraising, and built relationships with a diverse, multi-sector group of community partners, businesses, and individuals. Crouch holds a Master of Public Administration in Not-for-Profit Management from Appalachian State University and an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Kentucky. 

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BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES BOARD LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS AND STAFF PROMOTIONS

July 15, 2025 BOONE, NC – The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce several leadership transitions to its Board of Directors and staff as it begins its 2025-26 fiscal year.
Tara Brossa, General Manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites of Boone and the Courtyard by Marriott of Boone, begins her appointment as Chair of the Board of Directors. Originally joining the Chamber board in 2022, Brossa currently serves as Chair of the organization’s Workforce Development Committee and has been a key link between the Chamber and the hospitality industry during her tenure. She is Vice Chair of the High-Country Workforce Development Board and serves as an adjunct professor for Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute. Brossa was named as an NC Trailblazer in 2024 by Business NC Magizine, recognizing emerging leaders in the State’s rural communities.

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“Superman” Movie Review

July 15, 2025 With Zack Snyder’s version of the DC Universe having officially fizzled out, Warner Bros. is trying a hard reboot of the multi-faceted superhero franchise under the direction of James Gunn. First up for Gunn is “Superman,” with actor David Corenswet stepping into the role of space alien Kal-El/mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent/blue-suited metahuman Superman. Corenswet is a good fit for the role, as he unflinchingly nails the character’s strength and stoicism, as well as his unrelenting moral dedication and occasionally-naïve optimism. His mere casting is the first good decision by Gunn, getting the movie (and thus, the series) off on the right foot.

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BLUE RIDGE WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND FRONTLINE TO FARM TEAM UP TO SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS

July 15, 2025 Hurricane Helene devastated many local farms and impacted the High Country community’s access to local food. While the green of summer has covered up much of the damage, the need facing many farmers is still urgent. Frontline to Farm and Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture have teamed up to create the BRWIA/Frontline to Farm Producer Relief Grant to ease the burden still facing the region’s farmers. In total, the grant split $24,000 in donations among 12 local producers directly impacting their ability to provide food to people from communities across the High Country.

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The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Wednesday July 30

July 15, 2025 The Watauga County Republican Women’s Club (WCRWC) will have its next monthly meeting on Wednesday July 30 at the Dan’l Boone Inn, 130 Hardin
Street, Boone. Lunch at 11:30 AM, with a meeting at noon. All interested in furthering the Republican cause in the High Country are welcome to
attend and are invited to join. Call 828/832-6864 for more information. The WCRWC usually meets the last Wednesday of the month. See us on Facebook and learn more.

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Town of Boone Public Notices: Next Town Council Meeting and Town Board Openings

June 19, 2025 If anyone wishes to have an agenda item considered by the Boone Town Council at one of their upcoming regular meetings scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 9 a.m., and Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 6 p.m. it must be submitted to the Town Clerk by Friday, June 27, 2025, at 5 p.m. And the Town of Boone is currently soliciting applications from people who would like to serve on the following boards: Click Here

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P.B. Scott’s Music Hall Reunion and Round-Up Taking Place at Boonerang Festival this Saturday, 6:30 at the Jones House

June 16, 2025 It’s time for another P.B. Scott’s reunion! The famous Blowing Rock music hall closed some 40 years ago, but those who experienced it during its seven years in operation still can’t stop talking about it. There have been a number of reunions over the these past 40 years and another is on its way at Jones House during this year’s Boonerang Festival, taking place this weekend, June 19th through the 22nd. The Boonerang Festival takes place in and around downtown Boone. Festival organizers added a spot on the calendar for the P.B.’s reunion and get together on Saturday June 21st at 6:30pm at the Jones House.

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