February 26, 2021 A collective sigh of relief was heard among Watauga County’s teachers and public school employees as they received their first COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, February 24 at the Watauga Community Recreation Center. Earlier this month, Governor Roy Cooper announced that childcare workers and pre-K to 12th grade school employees would be eligible for the vaccine under Group 3 of the state’s phased rollout process. Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS), AppHealthCare (Appalachian District Health Department), and Watauga County Schools immediately started working together to determine how to vaccinate the remainder of registered seniors and move on to school staff.  / Read more…

February 26, 2021. Ashe County and the community of Todd lost a historical landmark Thursday night as the Todd General Store, established in 1914, was a total loss due to a fire. The Todd Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding fire departments responded to the flames around 10 p.m. Authorities say the cause of the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured. The 107-year-old, three-story building has changed owners several times through the years, but it was the oldest operating store in Ashe County and one of the oldest operating general stores in North Carolina. The Todd General Store was located 10 miles south of West Jefferson and 11 miles north of Boone, off Hwy 194 at 3866 Todd Railroad Grade Rd. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

February 25, 2021. There are many beautiful paintings of quilting squares displayed on buildings and barns around Avery County. Until recently, there was no source of information about these works of art for residents and visitors who wanted to take a driving tour around the county. Most of these pieces were created between 2008 and 2011, when the Avery Arts Council developed a Barn Quilt Trail in the county. The driving trail featured many “quilt squares” showcasing our Appalachian heritage, displayed on historic barns and other buildings. When the arts council disbanded in mid-2012, the website, brochures and all supporting information were lost. / Read more…

February 25, 2021 ​Please take notice that on March 6, 2021 at 7467 Old US 421 S Deep Gap, North Carolina the Watauga County Republican Party will hold its 2021 County Convention.  Precinct Meetings shall be held from 9:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. and the convention shall be begin promptly at 10 a.m.  All registered Republicans are welcome to come and participate.  If you plan to attend the virtual meeting please register at https://www.nc.gop/watauga-convention-2021 by Friday 05MAR. You may register in person at the convention. Voting for virtual attendees will be set up on an individual basis.  / Read more…

February 24, 2021 After Monday’s unanimous school board vote that will send kindergarten through fifth grade students back to the classroom four days a week starting in March, families wanting to keep their kids enrolled in remote learning will have that opportunity for the foreseeable future. Students in kindergarten, first and second grade will return to in-person learning four days a week beginning on March 8. Third, fourth and fifth graders will return to in-person learning four days a week beginning on March 22. All students will continue remote learning on Wednesdays each week. No changes have been made for middle school and high school students as they will continue operating on the 2×3 Flex Plan with two days in school and three days of remote learning. For the parents and guardians that feel safer with their students learning from home, the Watauga Virtual Academy will keep operating to provide the best education possible. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 24, 2021 As North Carolina’s numbers continue to show improvement and vaccine distribution increases, Governor Roy Cooper announced today that the state will carefully ease some of its COVID-19 restrictions. Executive Order No. 195 will take effect February 26th at 5 pm and will expire March 26th at 5 pm. “Today’s action is a show of confidence and trust, but we must remain cautious. People are losing their loved ones each day,” said Governor Cooper. “We must keep up our guard. Many of us are weary, but we cannot let the weariness win. Now is the time to put our strength and resilience to work so that we can continue to turn the corner and get through this.” “Keep wearing a mask, waiting 6 feet apart, and washing your hands. We’ve seen in the past how fragile progress can be, so we need to keep protecting each other while we get everyone a spot to get their shot,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.  / Read more…

February 24, 2021. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

February 24, 2021 The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has selected Lees-McRae as one of the most transfer-friendly schools in the nation. The Transfer Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities that set up pathways to make it easier for community college students to transfer to the institution. To be eligible for the Honor Roll, colleges and universities create a Transfer Profile on PTK Connect, a tool that allows students to compare different institutions and find one that best meets their needs. Only 25% of colleges and universities that create a Transfer Profile are named to the Transfer Honor Roll. “The Transfer Honor Roll reflects the growing importance of recognizing and responding to the needs of transfer students,” Phi Theta Kappa President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner said. “This award is given to four-year colleges and universities with proven outcomes for transfer success. They are the best at providing a supportive and smooth transition from community college—equating to increased rates of bachelor’s degree attainment for transfer students.” / Read more…

February 24, 2021 Are you interested in playing soccer but not quite ready to commit to travel soccer? High Country Soccer Association is accepting registrations for youth players ages U6 to U15 for the spring season. The U6, U8, and U10 Academy programs are designed to teach kids the fundamentals of soccer and prepare them for travel soccer. The U9-U15 Challenge programs are designed for kids who have aged out of Academy but are not ready to commit to travel soccer. All Academy and Challenge Soccer programs will be held at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex on Brookshire Road in Boone. Each team will be assigned a licensed, paid coach. HCSA, which opened in 1986, offers soccer training to youth ranging from U6 to U18 and competes in the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. HCSA also operates adult leagues, winter futsal youth training, and summer camps. In all, HCSA has more than 600 youth players and more than 300 adult players from Avery, Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Watauga counties.  / Read more…

February 24, 2021. Anyone or anything that has a day named in its honor must be something special — and the pound cake is no exception as it has its day coming soon on March 4. There are few desserts that have stood the test of time like the pound cake. It’s one of the first sweet treats I remember seeing at family reunions and church gatherings when I was a child. And while today’s pound cakes have taken on various personalities and flavors, there’s nothing to compare to one of Granny’s original pound cakes, stirred by hand and mixed up with a lot of love from days gone by. Some of today’s popular pound cakes include puddings, fruit, nuts and various extracts. Some even start with a boxed cake mix — and some of us know the difference — but whatever the method, any way or any day is good for a pound cake. My favorite pound cake has, in recent years, transitioned from a sour cream pound cake to a beautiful, luscious lemon-blueberry one that a dear friend makes us for special occasions. I can almost taste that tart/sweet decadence right now and can hardly wait for the next one! By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

February 23, 2021 Avery County will again roll out its new healthcare mobile units this Thursday, February 25th to inoculate its public school teachers, principals and school support staff workers including custodians, cook, bus drivers and secretaries for coronavirus (COVID-19). Additionally, Avery County School Administration officials plan to be vaccinated Thursday. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 23, 2021 Life expectancy in the United States dropped by a whopping one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, according to health officials nationwide. Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black Americans losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years, according to preliminary estimates from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This is a huge decline,” said Robert Anderson, who evaluates the numbers for the CDC. “You have to go back to World War II, the 1940s, to find a decline like this. What is really bad about these numbers is that they only reflect the first half of 2020 and they may only get worse,” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

February 23, 2021 A busy spring sports season has arrived for App State Athletics. Scheduled to compete this spring are baseball, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and volleyball. Men’s and women’s basketball, women’s indoor track & field and wrestling are in the stretch runs of their winter seasons. The health and safety of our student-athletes remains our top priority while we provide them the opportunity to continue their education and compete for championships this spring.  / Read more…

February 23, 2021 Motorists in the Carolinas are seeing some of the most expensive gas prices in over a year. With the forced shutdown of Gulf Coast and some Mid-West refineries due to last week’s winter weather, gasoline stocks have tightened and pump prices have skyrocketed. “Crude production is offline because refineries are now closed,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “Until operations resume and production is back to normal levels, we can expect to see the spike in prices stick around.” / Read more…

February 23, 2021 Tooth decay is the most common chronic untreated disease in America, making it difficult for millions of children to eat, focus in school and smile. One reason for the prevalence of decay is the lack of basic oral care products in many low-income homes. To raise awareness of the importance of oral health and collect oral care products for children in need, OP Smiles held a Smile Drive at their Boone and North Wilkesboro locations on  Feb. 17. Over 1,500 donated items were collected and were then matched by OP Smiles, generating over 3,000 dental health products. These supplies will be delivered to The Wilkes Public Dental Clinic and The Children’s Council of Watauga County for local children  and youth in need.  / Read more…

February 22, 2021 In a step closer to a full-time return to the classroom for all students in Watauga County, the school board voted to approve a measure to send K-2 students back to the classroom four days a week, beginning March 8 and third grade through fifth grade students back into the classroom four days a week beginning on March 22. The county will still continue to offer remote learning for children and families who feel more comfortable with that instead. The motion was supported unanimously by all five board members. If all goes well with the four-day school week without any major increases in COVID-19 cases, the next step would be returning all K-5 students to the classroom five days a week. “I anticipate that if we have the success with our mitigation efforts that we have had all year long that once we have made this transition, I would be prepared at that point to recommend a five day a week schedule,” said superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott. Students in grades 6-12 will continue on 2×3 Flex Plan with two days in school and three days of remote learning. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 22, 2021 The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Watauga County have started to decline over the last month, a trend that is showing up in many locations across the country as more and more vaccines are given and people continue to wear masks and remain socially distanced. According to the latest data from the CDC, just over 64 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States. According to the latest data from AppHealthCare, Watauga County currently has 112 active COVID-19 cases as of February 22. At the beginning of January, there were over 200 active cases on January 9. The number dropped to 174 during the week of January 10-16 and dropped again to 143 January 17-23. The number remained almost the same with just three additional active cases in the final week of January before dropping to 118 in the first week of February and down to 112 as of February 13. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 22, 2021 “This week we have experienced delays in our vaccine shipments due to weather and shipping delays out of our control. Unfortunately, this has forced us to reschedule appointments, and we apologize for this inconvenience as we know so many are eager to receive their vaccine. We will now administer doses allocated for this week and next week’s allocation amounts by March 1st. We will continue to work diligently and efficiently to get shots in arms. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare. Our next allocation of vaccine will include 600 first doses of Moderna. Our next allocation will not include a second dose shipment. / Read more…

February 19, 2021 North Carolina is much like every other state across the country, and even the federal government, in pushing for reopening public schools to try and bring a little more normalcy to the lives of children throughout the country. In Watauga County, the schools are still operating under the state’s Plan B guidelines where schools are open at half capacity where half of the students attend school on Monday and Tuesday and the other half attend on Thursday and Friday. Monday’s school board meeting could change how that process works for the rest of the spring semester. “The board will discuss COVID-19 metrics and what, if any, changes need to be made to that current schedule,” said Garrett Price, the Director of Communications for Watauga County Schools. “The meeting will be open to the public, but limited to 10 people in person because of statewide restrictions.” The meeting will also be streamed on the Watauga County Schools YouTube channel at 1 p.m. and the general public can submit their comments for the board by emailing them to superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott at [email protected] By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 19, 2021 Nearly 20% of Watauga County youth are classified as food insecure, and over 34% of students in Watauga utilize the National School Lunch Program to access subsidized meals in school. The Hunger and Health Coalition, Watauga’s largest and longest-running food pantry, is part of the solution. The organization places food in all ten Watauga public schools through the Backpack Program. Each school receives a supply of meal boxes for school counselors and social workers to send home with students who may not have enough to eat at home. The Backpack Program helps students get enough to eat on weekends when free and reduced price meals are not available, providing more than 5,800 take-home food boxes each year.  / Read more…

February 19, 2021 The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored Lees-McRae College with a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. Lees-McRae, which has nearly 1,000 students, is the smallest educational institution in the US to receive the Gold-level designation. Lees-McRae is able to rank alongside larger institutions with more resources through dedication to campus accessibility and education about the benefits of cycling. The college’s commitment to cycling is evident not only in its endeavors to create a campus culture and infrastructure that promote biking, but in its Cycling Studies minor, the only academic program of its kind in the country, and its champion men’s and women’s cycling teams. The college will also be dedicating the month of March to cycling. Bike Month will be a celebration of biking and the college’s status as a Bicycle Friendly University and will include events and activities to promote biking on campus.  / Read more…

February 19, 2021 On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Joshua Wayne Clemons, 40, of Boone, North Carolina, to 25 years in prison on child pornography charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Clemons was also ordered to pay a $52,000 special assessment fee, to serve a lifetime of supervised release, and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. According to the information contained in filed documents and statements made in court, in October 2019, law enforcement determined that an individual later identified as Clemons was using a peer-2-peer network to download and transmit child pornography. In November 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Clemons’ residence and seized numerous computer devices and a cell phone. A forensic review of the seized devices revealed that they contained more than 755 images depicting the sexual abuse of children. / Read more…

February 18, 2021 There is an allocation of around 3,000 vaccines, including both Moderna and Pfizer shipments, that is coming to AppHealthCare; however, due to inclement weather, the vaccines have not arrived yet because of shipping delays. The shipments were scheduled to arrive earlier this week, but at this time, it is unknown when they will be received. AppHealthCare will be reaching out to individuals directly to reschedule appointments for those who had vaccine appointments this week. This mostly affects those who were going to receive a first dose. AppHealthCare still has some second dose vaccines it can administer this week for those who already had appointments. They are still planning to have the mass vaccination event at Ashe High School on Saturday for second doses only.  By Harley Nefe / Read more…

February 17, 2021. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

February 17, 2021 The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the High Country, predicting 1-3 inches of snow and up to a half-inch of ice, which would make traveling treacherous and increase the chances of power outages from tree limbs breaking and falling. The warning officially starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday night and will continue through 1 a.m. Friday morning. According to the NWS, a low pressure system will start as a mix of snow and sleet tonight before changing to freezing rain through most of the day Thursday before changing back to a mix of sleet and snow. With the potential for a bigger ice accumulation, Blue Ridge Energy says they are prepared and ready to respond if outages take place over the next couple of days. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

February 17, 2021   “What Boone needs is a convention center so people can come here for meetings and conferences and see what a beautiful place it is to live and visit.” That’s what Spencer Robbins said in early November, as he surveyed all the development and construction underway in his beloved home town. My father dedicated his life to promoting economic development, tourism, job creation, and an enhanced quality of life for the High Country. He passed away on November 13, at age 93, leaving a legacy that spanned generations and set the stage for communities in western North Carolina to continue to prosper. Along with his brothers, Grover and Harry, he developed some of the area’s most popular travel attractions and highly acclaimed resorts. Preserving the history and character of the region were paramount, so in 1956 the brothers returned a storied steam locomotive to the community, creating Blowing Rock’s Tweetsie Railroad Theme Park — North Carolina’s first. In the ‘70s they restored the nearly 103-year-old Green Park Inn to the splendor of bygone eras. By Connie Robbins Gentry / Read more…

February 17, 2021 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will close approximately 1,000 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters to fishing one-half hour after sunset on Feb. 28 and reopen them at 7 a.m. on April 3. This year, Wildlife Commission personnel will stock approximately 960,000 trout — 96% of which will average 10 inches in length, with the other 4% exceeding 14 inches in length. Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are stocked at frequent intervals in the spring and early summer every year and are marked by green-and-white signs at the fishing locations. Anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limit or bait restriction. Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are open from 7 a.m. on the first Saturday in April until one-half hour after sunset on the last day of February the following year. / Read more…

February 17, 2021 Despite low demand, crude oil and gas prices will soon be more expensive than the highest price of 2020 – and with the price of crude consistently increasing, so have pump prices in the Carolinas. “Crude oil accounts for more than 50% of the price at the pump,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “Crude has been the driving factor for increases at the pump this year, not demand – and we could possibly see 2021 crude oil prices top 2020 as early as this week.” North Carolina’s gas price average currently sits at $2.35, seeing a 6-cent increase on the week. This is 12 cents more expensive than last month and 6 cents more expensive than a year ago. / Read more…

February 17, 2021 From January 11 through February 12, the amazing staff at Watauga County Parks and Recreation invited Watauga county residents to make donations for Hospitality House, Hunger and Health Coalition and Casting Bread. After the money was counted and all boxes and cans were weighed, the community raised $1,250 and 1,875 pounds of food. Watauga County Parks and Recreation is in the business of helping and supporting the community. Because of the pandemic, the Community Recreation Center has been closed since construction was completed. Currently, it is used as a site to distribute vaccinations. “Around the first of the year, we asked ourselves how we could help Watauga County,” explained Director Stephen Poulos. “The idea of a food drive came up and we ran with it.” / Read more…

February 17, 2021 On February 12, 2021, Boone Police Detective Jake Harkey arrested Claude William Clark, age 54 of Boone, for Breaking or Entering at Saint Elizabeth’s Catholic Church. Clark was given a $20,000 secured bond and assigned a court date of March 23rd. The incident stemmed from a breaking and entering that occurred in June of 2020 in which a suspect entered a window at the Church and took a tabernacle located inside. The tabernacle is described as an ornate gold colored metal container with a cross at the top approximately two to three feet tall that weighs roughly forty pounds. The Boone Police Department stated that although a suspect is in custody, the tabernacle taken from the Church has not yet been located. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the tabernacle is asked to call High Country Crimstoppers or the Boone Police Department / Read more…

February 17, 2021. With so much emphasis in February on all that’s “sweet,” we need to remember there are many of our friends and family members who can’t tolerate the sugar. In fact, it would serve most of us well if we decreased our sugar intake all together. Hopefully, these recipes will provide a few ideas for those looking for dietary alternatives without the sugar overload. Be careful with your choice of sweetener, however, as some of today’s popular substitutes are less healthy than the sugar itself. By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

February 16, 2021 The Grandfather Mountain community has come together to honor health-care heroes who have worked and risked their lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the national Random Acts of Kindness Day around the corner, Avery County school board member Ruth Ann Shirley contacted Grandfather Mountain president and executive director Jesse Pope with an idea — to create a tribute to the local health department. “I saw on Twitter that Feb. 17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day,” Shirley said. “I hit the link, and it said send somebody a thank you note, and I thought, ‘Well, I can’t send a thank you to every medical worker in the state or area! But if I did a big, big thank you so that they all could see it, that would be just the same.” While the original plan was to take a quick, casual photo featuring Shirley’s handcrafted luminary lights, Pope soon took the idea to new heights — literally.. / Read more…

February 16, 2021 Andrew Murray, United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC), announced today that he will be stepping down as U.S. Attorney, effective midnight on Sunday, February 28, 2021. Upon Mr. Murray’s departure, First Assistant United States Attorney William (Bill) Stetzer will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney.U.S. Attorney Murray was appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2017. / Read more…

February 16, 2021 The Elon University Poll has found growing support among North Carolina residents for legalizing marijuana for recreational use and continued strong support for medical marijuana legalization in its more recent survey. Nearly two-thirds of the state’s adults say they do not believe marijuana use is morally wrong and support reducing penalties for marijuana possession, saying that legalization would boost the state’s economy. Among N.C. adult residents, opposition to legalizing marijuana for recreational use fell sharply since the Elon Poll last conducted a survey on the topic in April 2017. This survey found that 34 percent of respondents were opposed to recreational marijuana legalization, down from 50.5 percent in 2017. Support for legalization grew as well, with 54 percent now in support of making recreational use of marijuana legal compared to 45 percent in 2017. / Read more…

February 16, 2021 On Jan. 21, the Town of Boone officially filed the Bolick Property – New River Conservation Easement protecting 30.286 acres of town owned property along the South Fork of the New River. The easement is in partnership with the North Carolina Land & Water Fund (NC LWF) and will protect the property in perpetuity, while allowing for natural riparian restoration, enhanced wildlife habitat, promotion of clean water and passive recreation. / Read more…