Most Read Stories of December 2013

Photo by Lynn Willis
Photo by Lynn Willis

Compiled by Jesse Wood

On Dec. 4, the U.S. Forest Service reported that the “Table Rock Fire” was 100 percent contained.

Sen. Dan Soucek held a heated Education forum on Dec. 5 in Deep Gap that featured frequent shouts and outbursts from the audience. Also, Soucek and his aides wouldn’t allow any video footage of the event to be filmed. 

An ASU professor conducts a study and concludes that “voter suppression,” as claimed by Democrats, didn’t happen in the wake of changes enacted by the Watauga County Board of Elections.

After dozens of people spoke against the Beech Mountain’s proposed water intake along the Watauga River, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners rejected to grant its support of the project, essentially killing the proposal from moving forward and reaching state and federal authorities.

Amy Tilley Bower, the former fifth-grade teacher at Cove Creek Elementary School who was charged with two counts of “sexual activity with a student” and two counts of “indecent liberties with a child” in August, plead guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The State Board of Elections slams the Watauga County Board of Elections for its behavior while also rejecting the complaint filed by Democrats, calling for the removal of Republicans on the local elections board. SBOE Chairman Josh Howard said citizens would be better served if three new members were found out of phonebook.

Appalachian State University announces program eliminations and consolidations in a final report released on Dec. 16. The process will eliminate 26 programs by its completion.

Appalachian Mountain Brewery becomes a publicly-traded company after acquiring North Carolina Natural Energy. This comes less than a year after opening the brewery on Valentine’s Day.

For the third year in a row, High Country residents Tom and Tina Barrett delivered a massive truckload of toys to Haircut 101 on Depot Street in Boone to donate to Santa’s Toy Box. Santa’s Toy Box started in 1986 by the men’s group at Deerfield Methodist Church.