Government Archives

Downtown Boone’s New Town Hall Public Restrooms Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held

November 8, 2024 We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Boone Town Council, Town of Boone staff, Explore Boone, Downtown Boone Development Association members, and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce for joining us at the ribbon-cutting of the new public restrooms at Town Hall. Your presence reflects our shared commitment to enhancing the downtown experience for residents and visitors alike. This project is a valuable step toward making Boone a more welcoming and accessible destination, and we’re grateful for each contribution that helped make it a reality.

Virginia Foxx Statement on 2024 General Election Victory

November 6, 2024 Virginia Foxx released the following statement on her victory in the general election for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. “American elections are the bedrock of our Republic and make us the greatest nation God has ever created. The voters of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District gave me a clear mandate today–they are eager to send a reliable conservative with a proven track-record to fight for them in Congress. I am grateful for each voter who gave me the only endorsement that matters on Election Day: their vote. I promise to continue to earn all my constituents’ support and trust as I work every day on their behalf to protect their liberties, to make government more accountable, and to steward their taxpayer dollars wisely.

Revised Avery County General Election Voting Sites and Early In-Person Voting Time Changes Announced

October 30,2024 Avery County voting sites were affected by Hurricane Helene, requiring its local Board of Elections to combine some sites and change the location of most. There was previously one polling site for each of the county’s 19 precincts. For the 2024 General Election on Tuesday, November 5, there will be 11 polling sites, which follow along with the address of each: By Tim Gardner

October 25,2024 The Avery County Board of Commissioners, County Manager, and other County officials, including those from Emergency Management and Law Enforcement have compiled a lengthy list of mandates and suggestions for its citizens, other residents, and land and business owners during the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.Some will remain in place throughout the recovery while others are subject to revisions or complete changes. By Tim Gardner

September 25, 2024 High Country Press sent each Watauga County Board of Commissioners candidate the same series of questions regarding general topics, their perspectives and three focused questions about the library, housing and Watauga County Schools. The following are their responses to the general questions and questions about their perspectives. Next week we will share their answers about the library, housing and Watauga County Schools.

Revised Watauga County Early Voting Schedule: October 17 through November 2

October 14, 2024 The Watauga County Board of Elections Early Voting sites have remained the same, but the schedule has changed slightly. All 6 sites will be open from Monday through Saturday, October 17 until November 1 from 9am – 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm – 5pm on October 20 and 27. Saturday November 2 will be the last day of early voting and the hours will be 8am – 3pm. We are pleased to be able offer full weekend availability for the first time. This board decision was made to allow more flexibility to voters’ schedules and to maximize daylight driving conditions, both impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, as allowed by recent Helene legislation.

Town of Boone Planning and Inspections Operational Information Concerning Damage from Hurricane Helene

October 11, 2024 The Town of Boone would like to inform provide an update regarding the Town of Boone’s Planning and Inspections Department, which includes information regarding building damage assessments, storm damage-related permits, and the Town of Boone Planning and Inspections Department’s operations going forward.

Wednesday Update from the Town of Banner Elk

October 10, 2024 Avery County and the Town of Banner Elk remain under a State of Emergency due to the extensive flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Messages received here may not be responded to. If your matter is urgent, please call Banner Elk Town Hall.

October 9, 2024 BOONE, N.C. — Today marks 12 days since Hurricane Helene hit the Boone area on Sept. 27. The storm brought wind gusts in excess of 40 mph and, combined with a predecessor rain event, dumped upwards of 10 to 21 inches of rain across the county, leading to massive flooding, significant damages to homes and businesses and two deaths in Watauga County.

Information About Debris Removal in the Town of Boone

October 8, 2024 Town of Boone, N.C.- The Town of Boone would like to inform the public of the debris removal system that is in place for residents. Beginning Wednesday, October 9th, members of the public will see trucks labeled “SDR” driving throughout the Town of Boone. SDR is a debris removal company specializing in disaster debris removal. It has contracted its service to Watauga County and the Town of Boone to assist with cleanup. In following with guidance from FEMA, Town of Boone residents are asked to do the following:

Voter Registration Deadline Is This Friday, October 11 for the 2024 General Election

October 8, 2024 Eligible individuals who want to cast their ballot by mail or on Election Day, November 5, must register to vote by 5 p.m. Friday, October 11. Individuals who miss that deadline may register and vote at the same time during the 17-day, in-person early voting period at any early voting site in their county. The early voting period begins October 17 and ends November 2. County-by-county early voting sites and schedules are available at the State Board of Elections’ Early Voting Site Search. (Important note: Some sites and schedules are likely to change in some counties affected by Hurricane Helene. If you live in one of those counties, please check the Early Voting Site Search closer to the start of early voting.)

October 7, 2024 On Sunday afternoon the Banner Elk donation center was a hotbed of activity. Situated in the old Historic Banner Elk School, the Resource Center has been the place where local volunteers have been receiving donations. Volunteers were busy receiving, sorting and organizing donations of everything from toilet paper, to paper towels, to diapers, to canned soup, even MREs that have arrived from across the region. Nancy Owen of Banner Elk who directs the town’s Tourism Development Authority was on hand helping to coordinate the process Through purely exhausted eyes but with the vibrancy of the energizer bunny she remarked that, while overwhelmingly grateful for all of these donations, what the residents of Banner Elk and surrounding communities really need now was cash assistance. “We need cash. We are able to fill peoples basic needs of food and drinking water which they need in order to survive, but these folks are going to need money to move beyond this tragedy.” By Dolores Smith

October 1, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (Tuesday Noon –October 1, 2024) – Over 300 line technicians consisting of Blue Ridge Energy crews and crews from sister cooperatives, contractors, plus tree and grading teams, are working around the clock to restore power to its service area affected by catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. More assistance is arriving daily from long distances to help in the effort. “It’s impossible to describe the disaster left behind from the storm in our part of western North Carolina,” said Renee Walker, director of public relations for Blue Ridge Energy which serves 80,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties as well as portions of Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties.

Rescue, Relief and Recovery Operations Continue in Western North Carolina

October 1, 2024 RALEIGH: Search and rescue efforts continue in Western North Carolina amidst simultaneous coordinated efforts to restore critical infrastructure and bring much needed food, water and other necessities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. “The response to this crisis so far has been a massive effort of coordination and logistics,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “As emergency responders continue search and rescue operations in Western North Carolina, local, state, federal, private and non-profit partners continue to work in concert to provide food, water, shelter and other basic necessities for people in need. Simultaneously, thousands of private sector and government employees are working 24/7 to restore critical infrastructure including power, water, wastewater treatment, cellular phone service and internet connectivity.”

September 30, 2024 Lenoir, North Carolina (Monday 6 pm –September 30, 2024) – Even with hundreds of crews working 24/7, Blue Ridge Energy is announcing that due to the extent of growing system damage being uncovered by line technicians and damage assessment as repairs progress, some of the hardest hit areas will take another week or longer to restore. “The damage is even more extensive than we first thought,” said Renee Walker, director of public relations. “This is not the news any of us want to hear,” she said. “However, we are working to keep members informed with the latest information and we hope this helps members in these areas prepare, or helps their loved ones know so they can provide assistance,” Walker said. Click here for the communities that will be impacted by the extended outages for at least another week:

An Unprecedented Response: State, Local and Federal Partners Surge Resources into Western NC Following Historic Damage from Hurricane Helene

September 30, 2024 RALEIGH: State, federal and local partners continue to work together to surge resources into Western North Carolina in response to unprecedented damage from Hurricane Helene across the region. Operations are in progress to provide food, water and critical supplies to affected areas. Progress is also being made to improve access and telecommunications in communities damaged by the storm. While the focus remains on emergency response and rescue, the state is simultaneously stepping up recovery services in collaboration with federal and local partners across North Carolina. “Hurricane Helene has caused unprecedented devastation across Western North Carolina and we are leading an unprecedented response to surge food, water and needed supplies into these communities,” said Governor Roy Cooper.

Monday Mid-day Storm Recovery Update from Blue Ridge Energy

September 30, 2024 Blue Ridge Energy is projecting outage restoration efforts will last through this week, longer for some of the most remote locations. Hurricane Helene nearly destroyed the cooperative’s electric system and line crews are not only repairing lines and replacing broken poles, they are rebuilding parts of the system the storm washed away with mudslides, flooding and road collapse. Of the cooperative’s 8,500 miles of power line, 6,800 miles are damaged from the storm. That number is rising as damage assessments continue as flooding subsides and crews cut their way into blocked locations critical to power restoration. Line crews are seeing roads that are totally gone—no pavement, gravel or dirt—and are rebuilding power lines and placing poles to get power restored.

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

September 30, 2024 North Carolina homeowners and renters in 25 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can apply.

Avery Board of Commissioners and Board of Education have Periodic Joint Meetings to Address School System Issues

September 24, 2024 Regular meetings between two governing boards help empower their members to work well together and exchange ideas and philosophies to help them make decisions for the betterment of the constituencies they represent. Such is the reasoning for periodic joint meetings of Avery County’s Board of Commissioners and Board of Education besides the joint meeting budget workshop they hold each year. A Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy-setting body for county government; enacts countywide laws, authorizes programs, sets the county property tax rate, and adopts the county’s fiscal budget each year. The commissioners appoint a county manager who is responsible for day-to-day county operations. By Tim Gardner

Absentee Ballots to Go Out to Military and Overseas Voters on Sept. 20, All Other Voters Who Requested Them on Sept. 24

September 18, 2024 All 100 county boards of elections must send absentee ballots to eligible military and overseas citizens who requested them for the 2024 general election on Friday, September 20, under a new schedule released by the State Board of Elections. The Board also set September 24 as the date to start sending absentee ballots to other voters who have requested ballots by mail, including those who use the Visually Impaired Portal (VIP) to request and return their ballots. This schedule ensures that North Carolina will meet the federal law requirement to distribute ballots to voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) by the 45th day before the election – September 21.

September 18, 2024 As the comment period on the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) National Old-Growth Amendment comes to a close on Friday, environmental groups from across North Carolina held a virtual press conference on Tuesday to bring attention to the issue and encourage the public to press the Forest Service for stronger protections for North Carolina’s old-growth forests. Due to decades of logging, very few of the state’s old-growth forests remain. These rare forests provide crucial habitat for endangered species and absorb more planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than younger trees. Yet, they continue to be at risk from logging. Based on a new analysis from the Southern Environmental Law Center and several conservation groups, including MountainTrue, environmental groups say that the Biden Administration’s proposed amendment fails to adequately protect old growth.

Watauga County Board of Elections to Conduct Pre-Election Testing of Voting Machines

September 18, 2024 The Watauga County Board of Elections will be conducting the pre-election testing of all voting machines starting on September 19, 2024. The testing process is open for public observation; due to limited space we ask that you schedule an appointment. Please call the office at ((828)265-8061 to reserve a time to observe the pre-election testing. County boards of elections are required by state election law to conduct a pre-election test, also known as Logic and Accuracy (L&A), of all voting systems to be used in each election.

State Employees Can Use Their Balance of Community Service Leave to Serve as Nonpartisan Poll Workers for Upcoming Election

September 18, 2024 State employees can use their balance of Community Service Leave — up to three days (24 hours) of paid time off — to volunteer with their County Board of Elections as nonpartisan poll workers during this fall’s election, the Office of State Human Resources announced today. “State employees are the backbone of North Carolina and we’re so grateful that they always step up to help when we need them,” said OSHR Director Barbara Gibson. “We hope the ability to use Community Service Leave for nonpartisan poll work encourages more state employees to serve with their local Board of Elections this year.”

Local Ballot Includes Five County, Four Judicial, One State Senate, One State House Seats and Two Referendums

September 17, 2024 The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. According to the State Board of Elections, any voter in line at a polling place to vote after 7:30 p.m. may still vote.In addition to National and North Carolina statewide elections, Avery County voters can cast ballots in three county elections, including for three County Commission seats, Register of Deeds, and Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor, as well as in six district elections, including for four Judicial seats, one State Senate seat, one State House seat, and one Town of Newland Referendum, the latter of which only registered voters who live within the town’s limits may vote. By Tim Gardner

CISA & FBI Public Service Announcement – False Claims Of Hacking Voter Information

September 13, 2024 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are issuing this announcement to raise awareness of attempts to undermine public confidence in the security of U.S. election infrastructure through the spread of disinformation falsely claiming that cyberattacks compromised U.S. voter registration databases.

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