Watauga 2005: A look back

The year 2005 began and ended with Watauga County in the national spotlight— for polar opposite reasons. National news networks descended on the sheriff’s office after two suspects and accused methamphetamine dealers allegedly kidnapped their two children, sparking an Amber Alert. Eleven months later, the Appalachian State University Mountaineers closed the year as national champions in Division I-AA football. In between, we saw a changing of the guard on the Boone Town Council; plenty of land-use controversies and the retirement of Boone’s First Lady. Here’s a sampling of the top news stories of the year from July to December.

July

The Boone Town Council signed off on a $10 million budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year, half of which was earmarked for water and sewer issues.

Meanwhile, Boone and Watauga County officials brainstormed over which would regulate the accumulation of junk cars in Boone’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The disappearance of Arthur Robertson, a 21-year-old former ASU student last seen alive early on the morning of June 11, made headlines July 1. Robertson’s body was found with a self-inflicted bullet wound late on July 1, a mile from where he was last seen.

Candidates began filing for the November municipal elections on July 1. Eventual mayoral victor Loretta Clawson was among the first to place her name in the running for the soon-to-be-vacated seat of longtime Boone mayor Velma Burnley.

Watauga County lost 34 years of elections experience when Board of Elections members John Hovis, Jean Williamson, and Bud Elwood retired.

Jackson County native Meghan Baker replaced Jim Hamilton as the area’s tree specialist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Hamilton had resigned earlier in the year.

A 22-year-old South Carolina man fell 80 feet to his death as he attempted to rappel down a cliff while rock climbing near the Blue Ridge Parkway at Ship Rock. Lewis M. Jones II was described as an experienced climber. Heavy rains bothered rescue efforts of responders from Linville-Central, Blowing Rock, and Watauga Rescue; Linville and Newland Volunteer Fire Departments; Avery EMS; Parkway Fire and Rescue and Avery County Sheriff’s Department. Rangers with the National Park Service also helped.

The new owners of Boone’s only indoor mall announced they would begin renovations to the 24-year-old facility. “It’s just speculation and ideas, but a new floor, paint job, new lighting and the possibility of bringing in some kiosks,” were all possible according to mall manager Heidi Ellis.

Charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 2003 shooting death of his son-in-law, 42-year-old Richard Smith Isaacs finally had his trial. A jury heard evidence over the week-long trial and deliberated for three hours before finding Isaacs not guilty. Family and friends celebrated in an exterior hallway after hearing the news. The courtroom had been cleared and the jury shepherded out a back exit before the announcement, for fear violence might break out between the two highly partisan groups representing victim and defendant.

A dispute erupted between residents of the Castle Ford Road area and members and operators of the Watauga Gun Club. Complainants, citing safety issues in the suddenly growing community, argued the gun club should either change locations or move indoors. The club has occupied the site since 1961.

Watauga County High School principal Gary Childers and Valle Crucis Elementary principal Bill Rynn, said goodbye at a meeting of the Board of Education July 11. Childers, a 33-year public education veteran, was retiring, and Rynn had resigned to take a job with the state department of education as director of exceptional children’s programs in western North Carolina.

The Watauga County school board began discussion of a policy that would prohibit tobacco use or display by anyone on any campus, in vehicles owned by the school system, at school-related activities, such as athletic events, and on school trips. The policy proposal had already been approved by a panel of principals and was soon to be presented to the student services committee.

The Boone Transportation Committee approved a recommendation for Bear Trail to remain a one-way street despite pressure from residents of the Grand Boulevard neighborhood. The diminutive street above downtown Boone had been at the center of a fight between neighbors, some of whom argued the one-way designation made neighborhood access too inconvenient, and others who feared widening the road would spoil their serenity and displace long-time homeowners.

Watauga County schools had nearly perfect scores in the No Child Left Behind reports released in July. School officials said all eight of the county’s public elementary schools achieved target goals, while the high school met 16 of 17 target goals for a 94 percent ranking.

The Boone Town Council moved forward with plans to renovate Howard Street when they agreed on a combined one-way/two-way designation for the district between Depot and Appalachian streets.

The State Bureau of Investigation took over a probe into the July 12 theft of $25,000 in cash, checks, and credit card receipts on the ASU campus. The loot was lifted from the trunk of a campus police vehicle while an officer made routine pickups around the University.

Ingles Markets, Inc., purchased the building and inventory of the recently closed Winn Dixie store on N.C. 105 and planned to re-open the store once the sale had gained approval from a bankruptcy court. Terms of the sale reportedly included $50,000 plus the cost of supplies and inventory.

Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook addressed Congress July 26 as a guest of Rep. Virginia Foxx at a subcommittee hearing on the dangers of methamphetamine. Shook had already addressed NC state legislators on the subject, lobbying for tougher laws in the fight against meth. The congressional hearing was broadcast live on C-SPAN.

A bill providing tougher penalties for breaking into houses of worship passed the General Assembly and was soon to be signed into law. The bill was co-sponsored by local legislators, Rep. Gene Wilson and Sen. John Garwood.

ASU officials formed a partnership with Be Active North Carolina designed to increase physical activity levels among various age groups, with programs beginning at the pre-school level.

Eight-year incumbent Dempsey Wilcox announced he’d run to retain his seat on the Boone Town Council.

August

A jury found 17-year-old Michael Reed Replogle II guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the May 2004 shooting death of 14-year-old Tabitha Bumgardner. He was sentenced to a five-month split sentence in the Watauga County Jail and would undergo “intensive” probation once released, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Ingles opened its doors for the first time in the store that once housed Winn-Dixie on N.C. 105. Robert James, former manager of Winn-Dixie, and now manager of Ingles, said customers could expect “hundreds of new items that anyone who’s shopped Winn-Dixie has never seen before.”

A tree-damaged Duke power line near the Blue Ridge Parkway caused a power outage across Watauga, Ashe and Allegheny counties affecting 53,000 customers for slightly more than half an hour. The outage caused traffic snarls and other inconveniences in Boone and other communities across the region.

Management at Tweetsie Railroad reached an agreement on a short-term lease that would keep the park open through the 2007 season. “It gives us a little bit of breathing room,” said Tweetsie general manager Chris Robbins.

The Watauga County board of commissioners approved the county’s second major land acquisition in three months with a resolution to finance part of the $2.6 million purchase price for 73 acres of land near Boone. The property adjoins the New River near Brookshire Road.

Three teens were charged in connection with a break-in and theft at the Masonic Lodge the night of Aug. 20. Aaron Gregory Bennett, 17, Benjamin Seth Pickett, 16, and Michael Pernel Green, Jr., 18, were all charged.

September

September rolled in on the heels of Hurricane Katrina and sparked an explosion in gas prices as High Country residents watched gas prices soar as high as $3.70 per gallon. Drive-off gasoline thefts increased 24 percent and motorists hoarded fuel as local stations ran dry due to the loss of refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Katrina also brought out the best in local residents as citizens and organizations across the region lent a charitable hand to hurricane victims.

A former ASU police officer was arrested in connection with the July theft of nearly $25,000 in cash, checks and bonds from the trunk of a campus vehicle. Timmy Gray Williams, 34, has been charged with felony breaking and entering a vehicle and felony larceny in the case.

Wataugans got a first glimpse of plans for a new high school at a joint meeting of county commissioners and school board members. The new construction, expected to take place in two phases covering two years, will cost an estimated $48-56 million, and would be finished by the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

In an act that would be repeated in championship fashion at the end of the season, ASU defensive end Marquess Murrell forced an Eastern Kentucky fumble that teammate Jason Hunter returned for a touchdown as the Mountaineers won their first game of the year, 24-16, in Richmond, Ky. Hunter also scored the winning touchdown against Northern Iowa in the national championship game, after scooping up a Murrell-forced fumble, Dec. 17.

Watauga County High School seniors achieved the second highest SAT scores in the state among public schools, cracking the 1,100 point threshold for the first time ever.

State officials seized computers and records from the Boone vehicle license plate office and locked its doors in the wake of an ongoing SBI investigation into allegations of “discrepancies” in financial records. The lockdown forced Boone residents to scramble to distant offices in Avery, Wilkes and Ashe counties to renew vehicle registration and take care of other basic motor vehicle needs. Independent contractor James C. Hastings, the Boone resident and former county Republican Party chairman who’d operated the tag office since 1988, claimed political motives were behind the closure.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross reported that 60 Katrina evacuees had found temporary housing with families and businesses throughout the High Country. Executive Director Sonny Sweet said, “The outpouring of support here in the High Country has been wonderful.”

Construction industry experts predicted the price of building materials would surge in response to increased demand in the rebuilding Gulf region.

Plagued for years by wastewater spills due to outdated sewer lines, the town of Beech Mountain obtained a much-needed loan of $1.2 million from the state’s Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan account. The loan is to be used to upgrade systems at the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

ASU officials hosted a formal dedication and open house for the newly completed Carol G. Belk Library and Information Commons, Sept. 15.

Faculty and staff at ASU announced they had raised more than $96,000 for the State Employees Combined Campaign, which contributes to charitable causes across the state. The total was $30,000 more than its stated goal of $65,000, which was surpassed after only five weeks.

Watauga Schools Transportation Supervisor Tony Parlier informed county Board of Education members Dec. 12 that the district was in danger of running out of fuel and might have to curtail non-essential bus services. Parlier said some counties had already been forced to run limited bus routes to reduce fuel consumption.

Complaints from residents and visitors alike pressured the Boone Town Council to enact new regulations on automobile booting – the practice of installing an immobilizing mechanism to the wheels of illegally parked vehicles. Complaints ranged from reports of rude parking lot attendants to the requirement that booted drivers pay cash fines up front without benefit of a receipt.

County commissioners invited local non-profits to submit a formal proposal on possible renovations and uses for the abandoned Hannah Building. The commissioners placed caveats on the deal, including assurances county taxpayers would bear no responsibility for upkeep of the building, which formerly housed the county health department.

A thief took more than $1,000 in funds from a VFW Post 7031 safe, following the Sept. 10 Poker Run and Hog Roast. The money was slated to benefit Hidden Heroes, an organization whose efforts aid families of soldiers deployed to the Iraqi war.

Sept. 16, Boone officials celebrated the dedication of the new Daniel Boone Monument, a large replica of the one that previously stood where the pioneer frontiersman once had a log cabin. The obelisk and surrounding base was constructed at an estimated cost of $300,000 and stands at the corner of Rivers and Depot streets.

The Watauga County Board of Education approved an $11 million budget for the 2005-06 school year during their regular meeting.

Watauga County resident Gary Wyatt Earp was sentenced to a minimum five-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Charles “Chuck” Earp. Gary Earp, who is reportedly a distant relative to the victim, had faced life in prison without possibility of parole if convicted.

October

More than 50 people attended a dedication ceremony for the opening of Payne Branch Park at the old New River Light and Power Dam site on Payne Branch Road. The site is the first tangible piece of a proposed Middle Fork Greenway that will connect Boone and Blowing Rock.

The Watauga County commissioners discussed funding for a renovated Watauga High School. The discussion ensued after the school board made a request to draw $100,000 from its capital outlay fund, money provided by the state for construction and maintenance.

Owen Coffey, a 74-year-old builder in Blowing Rock, died when he fell 35-40 feet from scaffolding at a construction site. Coffey was born in Blowing Rock in 1931 and worked as a homebuilder in the area for 41 years.

Loretta Clawson garnered 624 votes in winning the Boone mayoral race. In the race for three vacated town council seats, ASU professor Rennie Brantz took the lead with 622 votes, while Janet Pepin and Dempsey Wilcox also earned spots. With the majority of votes, Brantz and Pepin will serve four-year terms, while Wilcox secured a two-year term.

The Watauga County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution requesting funding for a new facility at the current Watauga County High School site. The resolution stated the period of construction for a new facility would be completed in about two or three years.

The 28th annual Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk previewed a frigid winter. Niko, a worm owned by Lori Parada of Ocala, Fla., won the grand prize race.

After seven years of planning, a bond referendum and two years of construction, additions to the Watauga campus of Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute were used. The three modular buildings add more than 8,000 square feet of additional space to the main campus.

The town of Boone appeared in the New York Times as part of the metropolitan’s “36 Hours” travel series. A spokesman for the Times said the 36 Hours feature is “oriented towards a traveler that’s going to a town for the weekend” providing travel tips.

Appalachian State University received the green light from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors to establish a Bachelor of Science program in nursing.

The Boone Town Council adopted a code amendment to allow weapons and paintball guns to be fired within town limits, as long as such discharge occurs in an approved indoor facility. The code upholds its original provisions, including one that bars residents from discharging any air rifle, air pistol, B-B gun or similar weapon within 100 yards of any building, house or gathering of people in town.

November

Weeks after a privately-operated Boone tag office was shut down by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, NCDOT released a press release stating Watauga County residents would be able to obtain some vehicle registration services through the Boone Driver License Office on Bamboo Road until a new tag office was established.

The 50th Annual Farm-City Banquet recognized the efforts and contributions of those who have bridged the gap between rural and urban lifestyles in the High Country. Boone Area Chamber of Commerce president Dan Meyer served as master of ceremonies during the event.

It was a good night for incumbents during municipal elections, with eight of the nine sitting members defending their seats. In Blowing Rock, Mayor J.B. Lawrence was unopposed and received 351 votes, with 34 write-ins.

Three suspects were arrested in the murder of Appalachian State University student Stephen William Harrington. Matthew Brandon Dalrymple, Neil Matthew Sargeant and Kyle Quentin Triplett were all charged with first-degree murder.

After recently celebrating its 21st anniversary, Charleston Forge, a local furniture manufacturer, laid off 34 of its employees.

Ted Mackorell, owner of Makoto’s Seafood and Steakhouse of Japan, died at the age of 46 after a prolonged battle with cancer. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce awarded Mackorell with the 2004 Award of Merit for Development.

French-Swiss Rentals, a ski rental shop in Foscoe, was destroyed by an early-morning fire. The property was valued at between $600,000 to $700,000.

A tractor accident claimed the life of 87-year-old Walter Winebarger of Meat Camp. Winebarger was the owner-operator of Winebarger Mill and a farmer.

A federal grand jury indictment led a former Watauga High School assistant coach to plead guilty to using his computer to lure a minor into a sexual rendezvous. George Clayton Trivette, Jr. had been indicted previously on a federal charge of enticing a female under 18 into a criminal act.

December

A grand jury gave the Watauga County District Attorney’s office the go-ahead to seek the death penalty against the three men charged in the slaying of Appalachian State University student Stephen Harrington. Grand jurors handed down indictments against Matthew Brandon Dalrymple, Kyle Quentin Triplett and Neil Matthew Sargeant alleging first-degree kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony burning of personal property and first-degree murder.

A retirement reception was held at the Jones House Community Center in honor of Boone Mayor Velma Burnley. Burnley spent 16 years in office as mayor.

Patsy Snyder, an accounting technician with the Appalachian State University Foundation, received the 2005 Outstanding Employee Award from the university’s Division of University Advancement. The award was presented by Jerry Hutchins, interim vice chancellor for University Advancement.

Watauga County’s annual “school report cards” showed all grade levels performing better than their statewide peers in reading, math, and a number of high school subjects. The N.C. Department of Public Instruction released the school report cards.

The Appalachian State University football team defeated Northern Iowa 21-16 to capture their first-ever national championship. The national title was the first for the school in any sport, and the first collegiate football championship in the history of North Carolina.

Loretta Clawson was sworn in as Boone’s new mayor, on a night that also saw Rennie Brantz, Janet Pepin and Dempsey Wilcox sworn in as town council members.

The Watauga County Board of Education re-elected Andy Reese as chairman and Lowell Younce as vice chairman for the upcoming calendar year.