March 21, 2016. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx filed for reelection today with the North Carolina Board of Elections. Foxx is running for reelection in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, which covers much of northwest North Carolina. “Our nation is at a historic crossroads,” Foxx said. “President Obama and his liberal allies have tried to take us down a road of government coercion, higher taxes and soul-crushing regulation. North Carolina voters from all walks of life tell me virtually every day that we cannot go any farther down that road. / Read more…

March 16, 2016. Statewide voter turnout in the 2016 North Carolina primary was 35 percent, which is about the same percentage for the turnout in the 2012 and 2008 presidential primaries. See the graphs below. In Watauga County, 16,026 ballots were cast compared to 43,682 registered voters. This represents a voter turnout of nearly 37 percent, according to data provided by the State Board of Elections. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 15, 2016. Here are the 2016 primary results for Watauga County and Avery County. While all of the ballots for the precincts for these two High Country counties have been counted, some precincts in North Carolina are still awaiting results. See results for the Democratic and Republican primaries inside.
Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 15, 2016. Voting in the 2016 North Carolina primary continues until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. “We’ve been pretty busy,” Watauga County Board of Elections Director Matt Snyder said on Tuesday at about 5 p.m. For more last-minute details on where to vote in the primary, click here. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

March 15, 2016. Republican presidential candidate frontrunner Donald Trump held a rally at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Monroe Auditorium on Monday afternoon. The rally was scheduled for 10 a.m. but was delayed because Trump’s plan couldn’t land in Hickory because of the fog. He ended up having to fly to Charlotte and commute to Hickory. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Lonnie Webster / Read more…

March 15, 2016. If you are voting in the presidential primary today in the High Country – and likely elsewhere in the North Carolina and the other states on Super Tuesday II, you are likely be questioned for an exit poll. In one of the municipal precincts in Watauga County, a person working for a national polling service company, which feeds national news outlets such as the AP, Fox News and ABC, asked voters questions after they came out of the polls. / Read more…

March 14, 2016. Even with college students on Spring Break for the majority of the early-voting period for the 2016 primary, the one-stop site on the campus of Appalachian State University was the busiest. Early voting ended on Saturday. Of the 7,215 people who voted early in Watauga County, 3,250 of those voted in the Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State University. Here is the breakdown for all of the early voting sites in Watauga. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 14, 2016. Republican presidential candidate frontrunner Donald Trump is holding a rally in Hickory at 10 a.m. on Monday. The event, dubbed a town hall, is taking place at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Monroe Auditorium. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 11, 2016. After a week of early voting, more than 5,500 people have voted early in the primary election so far, according to figures provided by the Watauga County Board of Elections. By Jesse Wood • Graphic by Debbie Carter / Read more…

March 10, 2016. Deanna Ballard and Ken Boham are vying to represent the GOP in the race for District 45 in the North Carolina Senate, which covers Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties. In November, the winner of this Republican primary race will face Art Sherwood, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 10, 2016. Dr. Mark Creech, executive director, released the following statement Thursday morning: “We are witnessing possibly the most dangerous time in American history. It’s not that our great country hasn’t faced incredible challenges in the past, but today the enemies of our Republic strike at the heart of our national identity – the meaning of America. Such issues will determine the preservation of liberty for the generations to come. / Read more…

March 8, 2016. In the March 15 primary, Lew Hendricks and incumbent Rep. Jonathan Jordan are vying to represent the Republicans for the District 93 seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives that covers Ashe and Watauga counties. The winner will face either Democrats Sue Counts or Ronnie Marsh in the general election in November. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 8, 2016. In the March 15 primary, Ronnie Marsh and Sue Counts are vying to represent the Democrats in the race for the District 93 seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives that covers Ashe and Watauga counties. The winner will face either Republicans Lew Hendricks or incumbent Jonathan Jordan in the general election in November. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 7, 2016. During early voting and the 2016 primary on Tuesday, March 15, voters in North Carolina will have the opportunity to vote for or against a $2 billion bond package first introduced by Gov. Pat McCrory and approved by the Republican legislature in the N.C. General Assembly this past summer. Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 1, 2016. The Watauga County Republican Party will hold its county convention on Saturday, March 5, at the Watauga County Courthouse in downtown Boone to hear from candidates and adopt resolutions. “We would love for all registered Republicans to come,” Watauga County GOP Chair Anne-Marie Yates said. “We’ll be conducting business, preparing for the district convention and then the state convention.” By Jesse Wood / Read more…

March 1, 2016. Early voting for the March 15 primary begins on Thursday, March 3 at several locations around Watauga County and at the Avery County Board of Elections office in Avery County. Although the voter registration deadline prior to early voting has passed, same-day registration is available at any of the one-stop voting locations. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Feb. 24, 2016. Evaluations of candidates seeking election in North Carolina to District and Superior Court judgeships in 2016 have been completed in time for the March 15 primary. The survey reports, generated by the North Carolina Bar Association and its Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee, are available at electNCjudges.org. / Read more…

Feb. 24, 2016. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s plan to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay and transfer up to 60 prisoners to the United States mainland. / Read more…

Feb. 19, 2016. Today Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) appointed Rep. Jonathan Jordan (R-Ashe, Watauga) and Rep. John Fraley (R-Iredell) to co-chair the important House Committee on Education on Universities. The appointments fill the chairmanship vacancies left by former Representatives Brian Brown and Bryan Holloway. 
 / Read more… 


Feb. 17, 2016. The deadline to register to vote for the 2016 primary in March is Friday, Feb. 19. Election day for the 2016 primary takes place on Tuesday, March 15, when precinct polls across the state will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Feb. 15, 2016. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., today released the following statement regarding the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia: “The United States has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Antonin Scalia. A passionate defender of the Constitution, Justice Scalia was a patriot who brought great intellect, character and wit to our highest court for nearly three decades. My prayers are with his family. His service to God and country will not be forgotten.” / Read more…

Feb. 10, 2016. The State Board of Elections unanimously voted to include an early voting site at Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State University for the March primary. The Wednesday ruling was 4-0 with one of the three Republicans – Chair Grant Whitney – abstaining from the vote. The State Board of Elections was tasked with choosing a one-stop plan for Watauga County because the local county board of elections didn’t unanimously select a one-stop plan in January. By Jesse Wood – Photo by Lonnie Webster / Read more…

Jan. 22, 2015. A new Civitas poll shows the upcoming GOP primary is a virtual toss-up in North Carolina. The poll asked likely Republican primary election voters who their current choice is among the Republican presidential hopefuls, and 27 percent said businessman Donald Trump, while 23 percent said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. That puts them within the poll’s margin of error. / Read more…

Dec. 21, 2015. It’s not even Christmas yet, but the Watauga County Board of Elections office – and for that matter, elections offices across the state – squared away the candidate filing period for the 2016 general election. The three-week filing period ended at noon on Monday. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 17, 2015. I am excited to announce that I am running for State Senate in the 45th District of North Carolina. It’s time to champion the principles of compassion, courage, and civility that we are known for. It’s time to pay attention to how we respond to each other as citizens – when we agree and when we disagree. / Read more…

Dec. 17, 2015. Sen. Dan Soucek (R-Watauga) announced Thursday he will retire from the North Carolina Senate at the end of his term to spend more time with his wife and three children. “As Christmas approaches and I reflect on the past year, I realize there were more than 180 nights this year when I was not home to kiss my wonderful wife and three children goodnight,” said Soucek. / Read more…

Dec. 14, 2015. Retired fire marshall for the Town of Boone after three decades, Ronnie Marsh announced his candidacy for N.C. House District 93. That seat currently occupied by incumbent Rep. Jonathan Jordan. While Marsh is running as a Democrat and will face off against Sue Counts in the primary, Jordan is a Republican and so is Lew Hendricks, who is also challenging Jordan. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 14, 2015. The Boone Town Council will have three new faces in the term ahead. Elected members on the Boone Town Council will be sworn in on Thursday and then they will help fill the fifth and final seat, which is vacant due to former Councilman Rennie Brantz being elected as mayor during the middle of his term. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 11, 2015. The “Sue Counts for NC Statehouse Campaign” is official. Supporters gathered this morning to learn more about Counts, and why she is seeking to represent the 93rd District. “The people of Ashe and Watauga County know they deserve better from Raleigh,” Count’s said. / Read more…

Dec. 10, 2015. In what is certainly unprecedented for Avery County, the Board of Commissioners spent more than two hours on Monday afternoon and voted 41 times to decide who will be the chair of the commission for the next year, according to meeting minutes. After the gridlock, Martha Hicks was eventually voted on as chair and Maxine Laws was quickly voted as the vice chair with just one vote. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 9, 2015. Elected members in Blowing Rock were sworn in at the Blowing Rock Town Council meeting on Tuesday evening. Outgoing Councilman Dan Phillips received a plaque recognizing his service to the town and a handshake from Blowing Rock Mayor J.B. Lawrence before exiting the meeting. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 7, 2015. Candidates continue to file for the 2016 election. Below is a list of candidates that have filed for election as of Monday afternoon. Among the latest to file is Diane Blanks, who is challenging incumbent Watauga County Board of Commissioner Perry Yates. By Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 3, 2015. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., today praised passage of legislation to improve K-12 education by replacing No Child Left Behind with new policies to help every child access a high-quality education. “As a grandmother, educator and former school board member, I know students are best served when teachers, parents and administrators are the driving force behind improving education,” said Foxx. / Read more…

Dec. 2, 2015. Candidate filing for the 2016 elections began yesterday, and High Country Press was on hand for the initial filings at the Watauga County Board of Elections office. Check out other filing announcements that High Country Press received via email below. Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

Dec. 1, 2015. When the clock struck noon, four candidates were lined up outside the Watauga County Board of Elections office to file their candidacy in the 2016 general election. Steve Combs was the first one to file. Combs is running for a seat on the Watauga County Board of Education. If Combs is elected, this would be his fourth term on the board after a four-year hiatus. By Jesse Wood / Read more…