1) Speak to a North Carolina Lawyer Free on Friday, March 7
N.C. Lawyers will give freely of their time and talent on Friday, March 7 as participants in the North Carolina Bar Association’s seventh annual 4ALL Statewide Service Day. Volunteer attorneys will provide free legal information from eight call centers across the state from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. with the exception of the Spanish-language call center which will operate from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The NCBA provides three phone numbers in advance of the event. 1-888-442-3428 for the eastern part of the state; 1-800-638-2869 for the western part of the state and 1-855-455-4255 for the Spanish-language call center. All three numbers are accessible from anywhere in North Carolina.
2) HCAS Meets Tuesday, March 18
High Country Audubon Society (HCAS) will have its next meeting on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone. Dr. John Band, ASU biology professor emeritus, will present a look at the wonders of fungi. The program, “Fungi with the Fun Guy” will enhance your identification skills and teach you how to forage for and store wild mushrooms properly. This program is part of Audubon’s mission to provide opportunities to learn more about the world around us. HCAS invites the public to attend the monthly meetings and field trips. Announcements about meetings and field trips can be found on the website at www.highcountryaudubon.org.
3) School Bus Driver Classes Offered March 24-26
School bus driver training will be offered at Parkway School March 24-26. The classes are free and run from 8:30-3:00 each day. Before attending the class, anyone who is not a current Watauga County Schools employee must have a recommendation from the principal or assistant principal at the school where they want to be hired. “We encourage everyone who is interested in being a school bus driver to obtain the required recommendation and attend those classes,” said WCS Transportation Director Jeff Lyons. A school bus driver training class must be completed in order to receive the license (CDL) required to drive a school bus in North Carolina. The starting pay for school bus drivers in Watauga County is $13.04 per hour. Each student’s driving record is screened through the NC Division of Motor Vehicles the first day of class. In addition to the driving record check, a criminal background check is conducted of all prospective school system employees before they start work. Each student should bring their driver’s license, social security card, a pen or pencil and a highlighter to the first meeting. For directions or additional information, please contact Jeff Lyons at 828-264-6391.
4) Boone Chamber Business After Hours March 20
Boone Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Boone Business After Hours at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone on Thursday, March 20 from 5-7 p.m. A wine tasting will be hosted by Erick’s Cheese and Wine, and drawings will be held for great prizes including a complimentary stay at the Holiday Inn Express and the Blockage Runner Beach Resort at Wrightsville Beach, four tickets to Appalachian Summer Festival and a bottle of wine. Live music will be provided by High Country Jazz Collective. Due to the high interest in this event, please RSVP to Wysteria.White@BooneChamber.com or call 264-2225.