Feb. 28, 2018.  The candidate filing period has ended as of February 28, 2018 at noon, and all names are final for this year’s primary elections in North Carolina, according to the Watauga County Board of Elections. Statewide primary elections on May 8 will be voters’ first opportunity to cast their ballots and decide party candidates for the general election on Nov. 6. In Watauga County, the democratic primary ballot will feature one race, while the republican primary ballot will include candidates for five different offices. The Democratic Party’s primary ballot will include only one race: a vote between Jenny Marshall and DD Adams for candidacy as U.S. House Representative in the fifth district. On the republican ballot are three candidates for U.S. House Representative: the incumbent Virginia Foxx, Dillon Gentry and Cortland Meader. By Luke Weir / Read more…

Feb. 21, 2018.    United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ruled last week that the state’s election districts will remain basically the same, according to Republican State Representative Josh Dobson, who serves the 85th District of Avery, Mitchell and McDowell counties. North Carolina’s GOP lawmakers had requested an official Supreme Court stay concerning changing the districts for this year’s state elections, asking that the districts not undergo any changes. Chief Justice Roberts did change districts affecting primarily the Piedmont county of Guilford and the Eastern counties of Bladen and Wayne, all of which are heavily-populated. But the Chief Justice left the remainder of the state’s districts intact. No mountain counties were affected with the ruling. However, the state’s prosecutorial district that includes Avery, Watauga, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties changed in number from the 24th to the 35th. Dobson declared the latest Supreme Court ruling “A victory for our state.” By Tim Gardner / Read more…

Feb. 14, 20187. Virginia Foxx, republican United States House Representative for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, filed for re-election Tuesday with the state board of elections in Raleigh, making her the second candidate to enter the race behind democrat Jenny Marshall, who filed Monday. North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District stretches across the northwest part of the state, including Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties. Foxx has been the district’s incumbent representative since 2005. By Luke Weir / Read more…

Feb. 13, 20187.  This year will feature elections for county, state and national offices. At press time, eight have filed for offices that Avery County voters will elect or help elect. Filing for most county and district offices and some for state and federal offices began Monday, February 12 at 12:00 noon and runs through Wednesday, February 28 at 12:00 noon. Avery County offices open this year include: Commissioners, Board of Education, Sheriff, Clerk of Court and Soil and Water Supervisor. There are three seats open on the County Commission. The two candidates with the most votes will serve four-year terms, while the candidate with the third most votes will serve a two-year term. Two seats are open on the Board of Education. The winners for Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Board of Education and Soil and Water will all serve four-year terms By Tim Gardner / Read more…

Feb 12, 2018. Local government hopefuls lined up outside the Watauga County Board of Elections to file as candidates in the 2018 North Carolina state and local elections Monday at noon. Filing began Monday for the following offices: three positions on the board of commissioners, three positions on the board of education, clerk of superior court, district attorney, and sheriff. After the first day of filing, 14 candidates have signed up to run for public office in 2018, as follows: By Luke Weir / Read more…

Feb. 6, 20187. Candidate filing begins Monday, February 12, for most offices available in the 2018 North Carolina state and local elections. The following local offices are available for filing starting Feb. 12, according to the Watauga County Board of Elections: three positions on the board of commissioners, three positions on the board of education, superior court judge, clerk of superior court, district attorney, and sheriff. Candidacy may be filed for the above positions at the Watauga County Board of Elections from Feb. 12 at noon until February 28 at noon. By Luke Weir / Read more…

Nov. 14, 2017. North Carolina State Senator Deanna Ballard (R-Watauga) announced her campaign for re-election, setting up a Republican Primary in 2018 with fellow State Senator Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes) after recent court-ordered redistricting redrew the two incumbents into the same district covering Alleghany, Ashe, most of Surry, Watauga, and Wilkes counties. / Read more…

Nov. 8, 2017. In Watauga County, 11.21 percent of the registered voters in municipalities in Watauga County cast a ballot in the 2017 municipal elections held on Tuesday. Of the 19,915 registered voters in Beech Mountain, Blowing Rock, Boone and Seven Devils, only 2,232 people voted. The turnout in Avery County was higher. In Avery County, 18.46 percent of the voters in municipalities in Avery County cast a ballot. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Nov. 8, 2017. Incumbents were taken to the woodshed in most of the contested 2017 municipal elections in Watauga and Avery counties, according to the unofficial elections results from Tuesday. The three incumbents on the Boone Town Council – Jeannine Underdown Collins, Charlotte Mizelle and Quint David – won’t be serving a consecutive term on the council. Taking their place will be Sam Furgiuele, Marshall Ashcraft and Connie Ulmer. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Nov. 7, 2017. Here are the unofficial results for the 2017 municipal elections in Watauga and Avery counties. Story lines from election night include Blowing Rock electing a new mayor after two decades with J.B. Lawrence and council incumbents in towns like Boone, Beech Mountain, Newland and Blowing Rock being voted out of office. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Nov. 7, 2017. Today is Election Day. Early voting for the municipal elections ended on Saturday. In Avery County, 86 people voted early, according to Sheila Ollis, director of elections in Avery County. In Watauga County, 951 people cast a ballot prior to Election Day, according to Donna Houck with the Watauga County Board of Elections. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Nov. 6, 2017. Due to the flooding that occurred on Oct. 23, and pursuant to G.S. § 163-27.1, N.C. State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement Executive Director Kim Strach designated the Appalachian State University Plemmons Student Union as the Boone #2 Precinct voting location for the Nov. 7, 2017, election, according to the Watauga County Board of Elections. / Read more…

Oct. 31, 2017. After garnering 38 percent of the vote in the 2015 mayoral race in Blowing Rock, Charlie Sellers, owner of the Blowing Rock attraction, is once again challenging incumbent Mayor J.B. Lawrence. “I feel like a lot of the citizens have realized that maybe their needs have not been met and I feel like a lot of people feel like it’s time for a change,” said Sellers, when asked about not shying away after losing in the previous municipal election. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Oct. 30, 2017. Through the first week of early voting in the 2017 municipal elections, 453 people in Watauga County and 44 people in Avery County have cast ballots at the one-stop polls. Early voting ends on Saturday, Nov. 4. In Avery County, the sole one-stop site for the municipals is the elections office in the Avery County Courthouse. Watauga County, on the other hand, has two one-stop sites: the elections office in the Watauga County Courthouse and the Plemmons Student Union on the App State campus. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Oct. 26, 2017. The Boone Area Chamber hosted a “Meet the Candidates” forum on Tuesday evening to educate the public on the upcoming municipal elections. Early voting began last week. Inside are videos of the candidates answering questions pertaining to continuous flooding problems in Boone, the completion of the Howard Street improvement project, paid parking in downtown Boone and opinions on The Standard development along Highway 321. By Jesse Wood • Videos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Oct. 25, 2017. The Boone Area Chamber hosted a “Meet the Candidates” forum on Tuesday evening to educate the public on the upcoming municipal elections. Early voting began last week. Check out video of the opening statements here and look for more posts on last night’s forum at HCPress.com. By Jesse Wood • Videos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Oct. 26, 2017. Early voting for the municipal elections is ongoing in Watauga County in the Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State and in the lower level of the Watauga County Courthouse in downtown Boone. In Avery County, early voting is happening in the elections office in the Avery County Courthouse. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Oct. 24, 2017. Watauga County Voting Rights Task Force will be hosting a protest to show that there is support among students and community members for a voting site in the ASU Student Union. The protest will be held at Appalachian State University this Thursday, October 26, at 12 p.m., on Sanford Mall. / Read more…

Oct. 24, 2017. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Meet the Candidates forum on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at Fairway Café, located at the Boone Golf Club. Candidates for the upcoming Boone Town Council race have been invited to attend along with incumbent Mayor Rennie Brantz, who is running unopposed in his bid to keep his seat. / Read more…

Oct. 18, 2017. Early voting in the 2017 municipal elections begins on Thursday, Oct. 19. As it stands on Wednesday afternoon, both Watauga County and Avery County will have one early voting site for the municipal elections. Both will be located in the elections offices in the courthouses of those respective counties. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Oct. 16, 2017. The public will have an opportunity to hear position statements and ask questions of candidates for the elected offices of Town Council and Mayor, at a public “Candidates’ Forum” on Monday, Oct. 16 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium. / Read more…

Oct. 12, 2017. They may not see eye-to-eye on all the issues, but Blowing Rock’s candidates for the open Town Council seats (three for Town Council and one for Mayor) will get a chance to go nose-to-nose with their positions and insights on the Town’s governance. “Issues & Insights: Blowing Rock Candidates Roundtable” will be jointly presented by Blowing Rock Civic Association and Blowing Rock News on Thursday, Oct. 12, 5:30 p.m., at the American Legion Building, 333 Wallingford St., Blowing Rock. Admission is free.  / Read more…

Oct. 9, 2017. Ray Russell, Founder and Owner of RaysWeather.Com, will announce his candidacy for the 93 North Carolina House Seat with a rally at Lost Province in Downtown Boone on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. Regarding his candidacy, Ray said, “The heart of North Carolina is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ In the coming campaign and then in the North Carolina House of Representatives, I’ll live out that principle by demonstrating RESPECT for people, LISTENing to your voices, and LEADing this region with skill and innovation.” / Read more…

Oct. 9, 2017. Appalachian State Student Government Association is organizing a municipal election forum featuring candidates for Boone Town Council and Mayor. The forum will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Linville Falls room on the 2nd floor of the Plemmons Student Union. / Read more…

Oct. 5, 2017. Election Day is nearly a month away and early voting starts in two weeks. Important municipal election-related dates begin this weekend as absentee-by-mail voting begins on Sunday, Oct. 8. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13, but same-day registration is available. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Oct. 3, 2017. At the Watauga County Democratic Party’s Fall Rally on Saturday, N.C. Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin was the keynote speaker and the 2017 class of the local party’s Hall of Fame – James Patrick Morgan, Christine Agnes Behrend, Grace Elizabeth McEntee, Percilla Sue Counts and Lonnie Webster – was inducted during the annual fundraiser. Photos by Lonnie Webster / Read more…

Oct. 3, 2017. About a third of North Carolina voters approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing as president, with three out of four saying the Republican should make deals with Democrats to pass legislation, the most recent Elon University Poll has found. Asked how Trump has performed since he took office in January, 37 percent said he’s doing worse than expected while 16 percent say he’s doing better and 45 percent said he’s doing about how they expected. / Read more…

Aug. 15, 2017. Appalachian State Student, Robert Block, 20, announces his candidacy for North Carolina District 93. Mr. Block has been working diligently with the educators of this great state to craft a new and effective education plan that will raise teacher pay, increase the competency of students, and provide a more productive learning environment. / Read more…

June 26, 2017. Candidates seeking to file for the 2017 municipal elections will file their notice of candidacy at the Watauga County Board of Elections, 842 West King Street, starting at 12:00 noon on Friday July 7, 2017. The following seats are up for election this year: Beech Mountain Town Council; Blowing Rock Mayor; Blowing Rock Town Council; Boone Mayor; Boone Town Council; and Seven Devils Town Council.  / Read more…

June 12, 2017. The Watauga County Annual Community Plant Sale took place last Saturday at the former Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques location on Old U.S. Highway 421 S. in Boone. All proceeds from the sale benefited the Watauga County Democratic Party. Each year hundreds of people attend the sale that is operated by dozens of volunteers. Thousands of annuals perennials, trees and shrubs are featured in the sale. Photos by Lonnie Webster / Read more…

June 6, 2017. The Watauga County Democratic Plant Sale will take place on Saturday, June 10, at the former Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques location, 375 Old U.S. Highway 421 S. in Boone. The sale is held from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. There are no early sales. Plant shoppers are encouraged to come early for best selection. / Read more…

April 6, 2017. Currently serving as the U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s fifth district, Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., spent the afternoon Friday, March 31 answering students’ questions and discussing her childhood in Avery County. Hosted by Lees-McRae’s Sport Management program, the discussion took place in Evans Auditorium and housed a mixture of students both within the program and without, as well as various faculty and staff. / Read more…

March 1, 2017. A group of High Country citizens have invited U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of the 5th Congressional District to a discussion over “Tea and Cookies” immediately following her appearance at the Watauga County Republican Convention at the Watauga County Courthouse on Saturday, March 4. / Read more…

March 1, 2017. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress: “The president outlined a positive vision for our country, one that reflects the renewed hope and optimism many Americans now share about the future. / Read more…

Feb. 17, 2017. The Watauga County Republican Party will hold its county convention on Saturday, March 4 at the Watauga County Courthouse. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of the 5th Congressional District in North Carolina is the convention’s guest speaker. / Read more…

Feb. 24, 2017. The Watauga NAACP will join with other NAACP branches, Forward Together Moral Movement supporters, and coalition partners in Congresswoman Virginia Foxx’s district to visit her Boone office on Feb. 27 to present a letter of demands and to request a public Town Hall by the end of March. / Read more…

Feb. 21, 2017. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx doesn’t have any public events scheduled during the current “District Work Week,” according to Sheridan Watson, communications director for Foxx. This is the first extended recess since President Donald Trump’s inauguration last month, and activists have made no secrets about protesting congressional lawmakers during their week home from Washington. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Feb. 20, 2017. The schedule, including dates, times, and locations for the 2017 annual Watauga County Democratic Party precinct meetings, is copied below. If you do not know your precinct, write jww@boone.net and include your full name and your residential address. Precinct meetings are open to Democrats and to Unaffiliated voters who wish to align with the Democratic Party. / Read more…

Feb. 17, 2017. Denise D. Adams, who represents the North Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council, will run for the Fifth Congressional District seat now held by Virginia Foxx in 2018. The Fifth District covers parts of 11 northwestern North Carolina counties, including all of Forsyth, and runs to the Tennessee border. / Read more…

Feb. 14, 2017. On Tuesday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper held a press conference to announce a “common sense compromise” for a repeal of HB2, otherwise known as the state’s bathroom bill. Meanwhile Lt. Gov. Dan Forest responded in a statement that if his proposal were to become law, it would “create a state-sanctioned ‘Look But Don’t Touch’ policy in our bathrooms.” See statements from Cooper, Forest and other state leaders inside. Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

Jan. 25, 2017. Kaye Wilkinson Barley, a writer based in Boone, was among the hundreds of thousands of people who participated in the Women’s March on Washington to protest Donald Trump’s inauguration. Barley called the Saturday event “very inspiring” and captured her experience on her blog, “Meanderings and Muses,” which includes nearly 100 photos from her trip and the event. Barley shared her post with High Country Press. By Kaye Barley / Read more…

Jan. 20, 2017. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., today released the following statement regarding the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States: “Today is a very exciting and positive day for the people of the United States. We pride ourselves on the peaceful transfer of power, and I believe this tradition is a strong statement to people all over the world who value freedom. We are a privileged nation and we must never be casual with the freedoms we have inherited. / Read more…

Jan. 9, 2017. The North Carolina Justice Center is hosting a local roundtable to hear from Ashe and Watauga County residents about how policies have played out in your community, and where you see the most pressing needs and opportunities. Information about policies that boost local economies will be shared and opportunities to plug in during the upcoming legislative session will be discussed. / Read more…

Jan. 4, 2017. The Boone Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Meet Your Local Representatives” event at Lost Province Brewing Co. on Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. Drop-in at your convenience. Dubbed a “causal evening,” elected officials from the Boone Town Council, Watauga County Board of Commissioners, Watauga County Board of Education, N.C. House and N.C. Senate are expected to attend. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Jan. 3, 2017. Roy Cooper today took the oath of office to become North Carolina’s 75th Governor, pledging to build a North Carolina that works for everyone. “It is the honor of my life to be your governor, who will work for all of North Carolina,” Governor Cooper said. “I pledge to give my very best to the people of this great state of North Carolina, the state I love and where I have spent my life.” / Read more…

Jan. 3, 2017. Since Governor Pat McCrory entered office in January 2013, North Carolina’s economy added 300,000 new jobs, the state experienced one of the largest drops in unemployment in the country, $2.6 billion in debt for federal unemployment insurance was paid off, personal income and business taxes were cut, teacher pay was significantly increased, transportation funding was revolutionized and $2 billion was invested in our education, parks, National Guard and other infrastructure through the Connect NC bond. / Read more…

Dec. 28, 2016. The Civitas Institute has sent letters to the NC State Board of Elections and Watauga, Buncombe, Bladen, Pasquotank, Wake, and Durham counties, requesting a thorough examination of voter rolls and full compliance with section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act. / Read more…

Dec. 22, 2016. North Carolina lawmakers failed to repeal HB2, otherwise known as the “bathroom bill,” which forces transgender people to use the gender-based bathroom listed on their birth certificate – along with preventing local governments from raising the minimum wage and eroding the right for employees to sue in state court for workplace discrimination. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 15, 2016. In an effort to point out the blatant hypocrisy of Democrats and their allies, today the NCGOP called on Roy Cooper, legislative Democrats, and their protesting allies to condemn the long history of Democrat partisan power grabs to limit Republican power following elections.


 / Read more…

Dec. 7, 2016. The Watauga County Board of Elections are meeting on Wednesday to hold a recount of ballots cast in the N.C. Auditor’s race during the general election on Nov. 8. Republican candidate Chuck Stuber is running against incumbent N.C. Auditor Beth Wood, a Democrat. Unofficial results on election night showed Wood had 2,259,397 votes (or 50.07 percent) versus Stuber’s 2,253,405 votes (or 49.93 percent). By Jesse Wood / Read more…