Archived
Mountaineers pay governor a visit
Gov. Mike Easley, left, is presented with a jersey and a banner from Appalachian State University Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock, as the 2006 Division IAA National Championship Mountaineers football team and coaches stand in back at the Governor's mansion in Raleigh on Tuesday. Photo by Gerry Broome/Associated Press |
Program hopes to plant a new generation of farmers
If you want to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs, but if you want to hatch them, use an incubator. Maverick Farms is entering the third year of its community-supported agricultural program, but has added a new element that broadens the “community” part of the equation. The result could be a new generation of local growers. Read more.
Finck spells bee winner
Ledah Finck, a seventh-grader at Valle Crucis Elementary, spelled her way to the top Wednesday, winning the Watauga County Schools Spelling Bee for 2007. Read more.
Last place is the best place for Watauga in jobless rate
Watauga County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate for December 2006. According to a press release from the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, Watauga’s rate joined 71 other counties’ in terms of declining unemployment rates. Read more.
New construction damages older deed records
Those who complained about having to read “Moby Dick” in high school will get little sympathy from the Watauga County Register of Deeds office. Read more.
Convicted shooter set to be paroled
A Blowing Rock man convicted nearly 14 years ago of killing his best friend has been paroled and will be freed in Watauga County next month, according to state officials. Read more.
Howell case will likely go to grand jury
The attorney representing Dustin Clay Howell, a Boone man charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his brother last month, said Tuesday that a probable cause hearing was unlikely in the case.
Read more.
Rape charge dismissed
The Watauga County District Attorney’s Office said it was forced to dismiss second-degree rape charges against a local man when the alleged victim supposedly failed to cooperate with their investigation.
Read more.
Jail problem bars visits
Watauga County Sheriff’s officials are keeping hush-hush about an alleged “serious breach of security” at the county jail but have suspended inmate visitation until further notice, according to a statement released Tuesday night. Read more.
Boone adjustment board cannot hear appeal
The Boone Board of Adjustment agreed unanimously that it does not have jurisdiction to hear an appeal of a decision made by a building official in the case of CHS/ASU, LLC at its Feb. 1 meeting. Read more.
‘Prevent a litter, fix your critter’
The Watauga Humane Society is calling residents of the High Country to action this month in response to the growing population of stray cats and dogs. Their battle cry, “Prevent a litter, fix your critter!” Read more.
Doctor, veteran examines Iraqi conflict from a religious, human view
A Boone native was not only one of the first local soldiers to put “boots on the ground” in Iraq, he was also one of the first to release a book about his experiences. Read more.
February 7, 2007
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 Snaggy Mountain blaze
A structure fire damaged a home in the Snaggy Mountain area of Boone south of N.C. 105 on Monday afternoon, drawing Boone firefighters to the scene just before 4 p.m. Chief Reggie Hassler said it appeared that the fire was sparked by a problem in a basement electrical panel. Hassler said his firefighters had the blaze under control by 4:20 p.m. Investigators estimated damage to the structure at $15,000. Cost of damage to the home’s contents was approximately $3,000. The house at 108 Lake Park Drive reportedly is owned by Ray Covington and is used primarily as a vacation rental. It was unoccupied at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.
Photos by Marie Freeman
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ASU finds site for new college; seeking Boone zoning change
Appalachian State University may have found a site for a new college of education, but plan specifications aren’t entirely in accordance with town regulations. Read more.
Campaign finance reports: Mixed results in spending
While democracy is free, election to public office is growing more expensive. In the recent November election, money did and didn’t make a difference, depending on the race. Read more.
Local deputies aren’t soliciting
Watauga County Sheriff Len D. Hagaman, Jr., said his office has heard from a number of Watauga County residents asking about the legitimacy of phone solicitations seeking money to benefit local law enforcement officers. Read more.
Watauga sheriff’s reports:
Jan. 27 — Jason Richard Morsette, 27, of 1556 Meat Camp Rd., was arrested and charged with felony possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, felony possession of precursor chemicals with intent to manufacture meth, and failure to pay child support. His bond on the drug charges was set at $10,000 and a March 22 Superior Court hearing was scheduled. Read more.
Studies must research gravesites before new WHS construction can begin
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners received a status report on a new high school and also considered a proposal to reduce garbage during Monday’s regular meeting. Read more.
Part 2: The changing face of Howard Street
The following is part two of a two-part series on renovations to Howard Street in downtown Boone. Looking for ways to bolster downtown Boone, several local officials discussed the future of Howard Street at last week’s Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn. Downtown Boone Development Association director Tuesdae Rice described the $4 million project, which incorporates one-way and two-way streets to provide more parking and pedestrian access on the downtown roadway. Read more.
February 5, 2007
Dashing through the snow
Snow play is not just for humans. Bentley, a 7-year-old pointer mix owned by Angie Ryan, romps around a snowy field on Sunday afternoon. Although snow quickly covered the ground, it just as quickly left throughout most of the county. Photo by Marie Freeman |
A facelift for Howard Street
The following is part one of a two-part series about renovations to Howard Street in downtown Boone. Members of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce gathered last week to hear word on the street. Howard Street, that is. Read more.
Addiction can go up in smoke
As changes in the law limit the number of places that smokers can light up, smoking cessation programs offer a chance to kick the habit. Read more.
Cultivating farming education
Though growing season is a couple of months away, efforts to expand agricultural opportunities and more closely connect growers with the community are warming up. Read more.
CO: Fighting an invisible, winter danger
With winter making a belated arrival to the High Country, many people are turning up the heat. That heating source may pose unseen dangers. According to Michael Roark, fire prevention specialist with the Boone Fire Department, any stove or heating source that burns natural fuel can produce carbon monoxide. That includes propane, oil, wood, coal; only electric baseboard, electric space heaters or heat pumps carry no risk of carbon monoxide emissions, though they are still potential fire hazards. Read more.
ASU students fight illiteracy
America Reads, and so does Watauga County. In 1997, President Bill Clinton issued the America Reads Challenge, encouraging communities to improve children’s reading skills by the end of their third grade year. According to the program’s Web site, “The America Reads Challenge stresses the importance of communities coming together to ensure all children read well.” Read more.
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