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Today’s Email Announcements

Campus Emergency Siren Test to be Conducted Aug. 1

Appalachian State University will test its campus siren warning system at 11:55 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 1.

Examples of the tones that are used in an emergency or during tests can be heard online at http://em.emergency.appstate.edu/siren-warning-system.

Appalachian uses the hi/low tone for emergencies, discontinuous air horn for tests of the system and the alert tone for all-clear signal.

For more information about the university’s AppState ALERT voice/text/email notification system, visit http://emergency.appstate.edu.

The siren tests are conducted on the first Wednesday of each month. Scheduled dates for Appalachian’s upcoming tests are Sept. 5 and Oct. 3.

Mountain Laurels Are Next to Perform in St. Mary’s Summer Concert Series on Aug. 5 

Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for the next Summer concert at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church when the Mountain Laurels come to play on Sunday afternoon, August 5th at 3 pm! These four talented women play a fusion of Celtic and Appalachian music they call “Celtilachian’ in traditional tunes such as Newry Highwayman and Drowsy Maggie, songs from their CD’s (Road to Lisdoonvarna and Kesh Jig/Swallowtail), and new songs (Grandview Overlook and Price Lake Waltz) inspired by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Mountain Laurels signature sound centers around the hammered dulcimer of Connie Woolard, complemented by Rhonda Lorence on violin and viola, Elaine Gray on guitar, and Maggie Sparks on flute and whistle.  All four women come from different musical backgrounds, but they come together through the joy and inspiration of the musical traditions of the Western Carolina mountains.

This concert will be on the lawn of the church on Main Street in Blowing Rock if the weather is fair, and move inside if it rains.  St. Mary’s presents a series of Sunday afternoon concerts featuring regional musicians, as well as students and faculty from Appalachian State, throughout the season. For more information, please contact St. Mary’s at 828.295.7323, or follow us on Facebook @ MusicfromStMaryoftheHills.

Blowing Rock Town Council to Hold Special Meeting Aug. 10

The Town of Blowing Rock Town Council will hold a special workshop to review and discuss a draft document, “Town Manager Evaluation,” on Friday, Aug. 10 beginning at 5 p.m.

The meeting will be held at Town Hall located at 1036 Main Street, Blowing Rock. Action may be taken.

Upcoming Seminars Offered by WCC Small Business Center

The Wilkes Community College Small Business Center has a variety of seminars scheduled for August that support the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses. These seminars are offered at no charge to participants unless otherwise noted; however, attendees must pre-register to participate. 

Turn Your Passion into a Business on Etsy – August 7, 2018, 5:30 p.m. -8:30 p.m. – Wilkes Campus

Etsy is a rapidly growing online marketplace for selling handmade goods, vintage items and craft supplies. With more than 54 million members, there’s no better place to launch your own creative small business. In fact, sellers took home over 24 billion in sales in 2016 alone. Participants will learn how to sell their artwork, jewelry, crafts, and vintage items in this easy fast-paced class. You will not believe how easy it is to Grow Your Brand with a wealth of new customers and promotional tools. Participants will also learn how to register and start selling on Etsy. Share the story of your craft in your profile, item photos, and shop banner. Escape the 9-5 grind and focus on your passion. You will be guided through planning the basics of your small business strategy and given an in-depth look at Etsy’s tools to help you succeed online.

QuickBooks: Learning the Online Version – August 9, 2018, 5:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m. – Wilkes Campus

A QuickBooks Pro-Advisor will take you on a tour and suggest ways this popular software can help small business owners save time, better manage their business, simplify bookkeeping, and help businesses avoid costly errors. Basic computer knowledge is required. 

How to Start a Small Business– August 12, 2018, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – Wilkes Campus

Participants will learn the basics of starting a business; while taking their idea from inception to opportunity. The seminar covers key strategies for start-ups, financing, and marketing in addition to important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, and operations. Students will realize the importance of self-assessment and how to evaluate the feasibility of their business idea.

How to Create a Profitable Airbnb Business – August 16, 2018, 5:15 p.m. -7:15 p.m. – Alleghany Center

Do you have a space that could be generating revenue on the Airbnb market, but aren’t sure where to begin? Or are you already renting, but feeling like you are not getting the results you anticipated? If your answer is yes, this course is for you. Join Airbnb Superhost and speaker Jerrica Edmonds for an introductory course on how to become part of the ever-growing world of short-term property rental via Airbnb. Jerrica turned her rental property in Savannah, GA into one of the most sought-after vacation rentals in the area in less than a year. Airbnb University will teach you how to become the best Airbnb choice in your area; in turn allowing you to generate revenue. You’ll also learn how to kick-start renting on Airbnb in the most efficient way, avoid critical mistakes, optimize Airbnb business best practices, and automate renting to generate passive income.

SnapChat for Small Business – August 21, 2018, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – Wilkes Campus

SnapChat is capturing the attention of millennials with its disappearing photos and messages, filters and lenses, and private messaging. Businesses have an opportunity to reach millennials not only with their engaging stories but by encouraging your customers to include your business in their special moment. Do you want to reach the growing market of millennials between the ages of 25 – 35 or their parents? If so, then you need to understand how to use SnapChat. In this seminar, you will learn the fundamentals of SnapChat, how you can use it for your business, and how to use SnapChat’s On-Demand Geo-Filters to make your business part of your customer’s special moments.

How to Write a Business Plan – August 28, 2018, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. – Wilkes Campus

A business plan can be the most valuable tool a small business owner has. Learn how to turn business ideas into a solid plan for financing and long‐term success. This seminar teaches participants the important components of a business plan and helps lay the foundation for a winning plan. Participants will discover how marketing, operations, and finance are interrelated; how a business plan is used by potential lenders; and the dos and don’ts of writing a plan. This seminar is designed for new and established business owners and will follow the NCREAL Curriculum.

Visit www.ncsbc.net/center.aspx?center=75570 to pre-register for seminars. To learn more about the Small Business Center and seminars, contact Laurie Brintle-Jarvis, SBC director, at 336-838-6166 or lsbrintle336@wilkescc.edu.

The Small Business Center Network, comprised of 58 small business centers throughout North Carolina, supports the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of training, counseling and resource information.

Wilkes Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System, is a public, two-year, open-door institution serving the people of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties and beyond. Established in 1965, WCC continues to build on a strong history of meeting the educational needs and cultural interests of our students, community and workforce. WCC prepares learners for success in a dynamic world.

Rep. Foxx Votes to Repeal the Medical Device Excise Tax; Will Host a Veterans Information Session on Aug. 17

On July 24, the House passed H.R. 184, the Protect Medical Innovation Act by a bipartisan vote of 283 – 132.  This legislation permanently repeals the 2.3 percent excise tax on the value of medical devices sold domestically.  According to the Tax Foundation, the medical device tax cost approximately 21,800 jobs from 2013 to 2015.  Although the tax was suspended in calendar years 2016-17 and 2018-19, it was scheduled to take effect again December 31, 2019.

 Virginia Foxx stated, “Many medical device manufacturers in North Carolina’s fifth district have reported how the medical device excise tax hinders medical innovation, costs jobs, decreases research and development, and slows capital expansion.  A fundamentally flawed policy, the medical device excise tax was intended to pay for Obamacare’s massive costs to taxpayers.  Instead, it burdens those taxpayers and innovators who are the back bone of our economy and forces them to pass off higher prices to consumers.  As an original cosponsor of this legislation, I’m pleased to restore stability to the medical device industry so that it can envision future investments in our state and serve patients with greater clarity going forward.”

Rep. Foxx (R-NC) will host her annual Veterans Information Session at the Historic Broyhill in Clemmons from 2-4 p.m., Aug. 17. 

The event will be in the main room with representatives from the Veterans Affairs Department and veterans service organizations present to provide information to veterans and their family members.  Available services include: reviewing the status of a case, starting a claim for compensation, or signing up for VA healthcare. 

For questions, please call 336-778-0211, or email  patricia.bandy@mail.house.gov.