March 17, 2006
Breaking news
Four fire helmets adorn a bumper on a engine truck in front of the Banner Elk Volunteer Fire Department Thursday to memorialize four members who died in a boating accident off Holden Beach Wednesday. Photo by Jason Reagan/Watauga Democrat
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Four Banner Elk volunteer firefighters die, two survive,
after boat overturns
Four Banner Elk volunteer firefighters died and two swam to safety after their small boat overturned more than a mile from the North Carolina coast, the Coast Guard said Thursday.
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Watauga agencies following open access laws
Despite the recent, chilling, post-9/11 trend of limiting access to public records at the federal level, North Carolina’s public-records laws seem to be standing up well in Watauga County for now.
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Is Boone water 'dirt cheap?'
Every drop counts, as the town of Boone has proven in its educational campaign to promote water conservation.
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Water rate increases will be based on use
Leaving the water running could have the same effect on Boone consumers’ bank accounts — both would go down the drain.
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Hunger Coalition moves into county building
The long-empty Hannah Building is now bustling with activity as the Hunger Coalition settles into its new home and seeks other non-profits to share the county-provided space.
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Sexual assault victims often blame themselves
It’s all the same. Carlene Cox, a local licensed clinical social worker has seen it all — hundreds of children and teens and adults of both genders and many backgrounds – and she’s here to tell you it’s all the same.
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Watauga board reviews homestead exemption
Homestead exemption acts have become a popular tool for governments wanting to give a tax advantage to people who are year-round or primary residents while shifting the tax burden to commercial properties and second-home owners.
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Fire destroys Vilas home
Flames engulfed a Vilas home late Tuesday morning, drawing firefighters from Cove Creek, Shawneehaw, Boone and Zionville volunteer fire departments to battle the wind-driven blaze. The call came in about 11:30 a.m. and crews had the fire under control within about 45 minutes. The cause of the blaze was still under investigation as of Thursday morning. Cove Creek Fire Chief Terry Combs said two firefighters were struck in the head by falling sheetrock as they fought the fire, but neither was injured. Photo by Marie Freeman |
March 15, 2006
A Bevy of Beauties
Members of the crimson-topped “Bevy of Beauties,” a local chapter of the Red Hat Society, raise their glasses at a recent luncheon at Ruby Tuesday in Boone. For more on the Red Hat Society chapter, please link with the article below. Photo by Marie Freeman
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ARDI helps entrepreneurs launch their dreams
The Watauga Entrepreneur Development Partnership is now in its third year, and dozens of aspiring entrepreneurs have reaped the program’s benefits.
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County plans records policy
Watauga County is reviewing its public record policy to ensure that all departments not only follow state statute but also have a consistent way of handling requests for information.
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Red Hats revel in a ‘certain age’
A Bevy of Beauties gathered for lunch at Ruby Tuesday restaurant on Monday. At least fifteen women of a “certain age,” adorned in red and purple, sat around a long table in constant conversation.
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Dry season continues to spark local brush fires
Two fires struck Watauga County this weekend, tailing a state warning for citizens to obey open burning laws.
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Watauga High partners with community college
Watauga High School and the Watauga campus of Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute are strengthening their alliance and giving students a leg up in making the transition to higher education.
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County considers options for land-use proposal
Watauga County may soon be revising and updating its land-use plan, a document that has been on the shelf for 13 years.
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Students raise $1,244 for Hospitality House
Hardin Park Elementary School fourth-graders displayed their heart for the homeless this winter. Dozens of the school’s fourth-graders spent February and early March participating in Hardin Park Little Hearts 4 Hospitality House, a project to raise funds and awareness for Hospitality House, the High Country’s shelter for the homeless.
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March 13, 2006
Saying goodbye
Shannon McCluney looks wistfully at a display containing items from her family’s old country store on display at the Appalachian Cultural Museum on Saturday. The museum closed its old location and currently has no new facility, though Appalachian State officials are seeking a new site. Photo by Jason Reagan |
New tax rate could be revealed by month’s end
The Watauga County commissioners prepared for the upcoming budgeting process by reviewing a series of deadlines to meet the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
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Town council to act on signs, steep slope regs
The Boone Town Council faces a packed agenda Thursday, March 16, and the public is invited to attend.
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County reviews nonprofit funding
Watauga County is reviewing how it funds nonprofit agencies and may require agencies making budget requests to present their financial information.
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Economic agencies may develop under one roof
Watauga County may be hosting a number of economic development agencies under one roof in a plan discussed at the commissioners’ annual retreat.
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ROTC places award-winning number of officers
Mission accomplished. For the first time since 2000, Appalachian State University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) has accomplished its mission of providing the U.S. Army with a set number of officers.
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No relief in sight for rain starved North Carolina
Dry conditions could continue for a while and state officials are now joining firefighters in expressing concern.
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OASIS responds to rape-trial outcomes
On Feb. 17, a Watauga County jury comprised of eight men and four women convicted Amos Patrick Kelso, a 28-year-old ex-Marine and Appalachian State University student, of sexual battery, a misdemeanor punishable by no more than 75 days in the county jail.
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