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ASU memorial honors VT fallen Hundreds of candles brightened the darkness — both real and metaphorical — across Appalachian State’s Sanford Mall Wednesday night as an estimated 500 people huddled around a luminous array of candles spelling “VT” to honor the 32 students and faculty killed in Monday’s mass shooting at Virginia Tech. To read more, please click here. Photo by Jason Reagan

Two members of 1451st unit killed in Iraq
Two out-of-state men were the first fatalities of the Boone-based 1451st Transportation Company of the National Guard, even as the active-duty troops in Iraq await word of whether their tour of duty will be extended. Read more.

Threat leads to lock down at Hardin Park School

A domestic disturbance call brought police to the Mountaineer Village apartments and indirectly resulted in a brief lock down at a nearby elementary school Tuesday afternoon. “This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion,” Shannon Page West said Wednesday afternoon. West and her roommate made the phone call that set the chain of events into motion. Read more.

Democrat rally for ‘08 races
The Watauga County Democratic Party held its annual convention Saturday, building on the optimism still lingering from last year’s victories in local races. Read more.

County will move WHS site graves

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners adopted a notice of intent to remove graves from a proposed high school property site, though the final resting place for those believed buried there is still undetermined. Read more.

Two injured in Monday collision
Three vehicles were involved in a collision on the stretch of U.S. 421 N known as Boone Hill, Monday, injuring two drivers and snarling afternoon traffic on the heavily traveled road between Vilas and Boone, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol. Read more.

Smart growth concepts tops Lunch and Learn menu

The following is part one of a three-part series on smart growth. Officials from the award-winning town of Davidson recently visited Boone to share smart growth methods and offer insight as to how Boone could become a smart town, as well. Sandwiches were the “lunch,” and smart growth was the “learn” at the April 18 Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn. Read more.

April 18, 2007

VT shooting touches Watauga students; no Boone-based fatalities reported so far It’s less than three hours by car between Blacksburg, Va. and Boone — “Closer than N.C. State” — as one Virginia Tech University parent said. But the distance seemed interminable to some Watauga County families, who awakened Monday morning to learn that 32 students and faculty members had been murdered in a campus shooting spree. To read more, please click here. Photo by Don Petersen/Associated Press

ASU responds to VT massacre
“The words ‘massacre’ and ‘university’ should never been seen or used together.”
This statement from Appalachian State University Chancellor Ken Peacock may sum up the sentiments of all those in higher education. Read more.

Boone Town Council looks to Davidson as a growth model
Local government officials are going to learn a lesson in smart growth from the professionals. Officials from the town of Davidson, a university community north of Charlotte, will visit Boone Wednesday for a Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn and the High Country Forum on Livable Communities.

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Elk support mounts
“Save the Elk.” In this particular case, the Elk is not endangered, but rather in danger of closing. Floyd “Dipper” Garrison, owner of the Elk Motel, received a pleasant surprise April 10, when supporters and community members donated $43,485 to save the motel at a fund raiser held at the Inn at Crestwood.

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About 800 Wataugans are without power
Blue Ridge Electric linemen and contractors continued power outage restoration efforts Tuesday with additional assistance from several crews from sister cooperatives in North Carolina and Georgia.

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Police reports: Local woman charged with worthless check allegations
Boone Police have charged a Boone woman with four felonies in connection with an alleged attempt to deposit worthless checks into her bank account so she could withdraw cash. Read more.

Spring surprise Winter blew into the Blue Ridge area for a springtime visit and left a few downed trees, some 9,000 residents in the dark and a few inches of snow, but otherwise was expected to depart by Tuesday without doing much damage, according to weather and emergency management officials. To read more, please click here. Photo by Marie Freeman

Court division plan multiplies complaints
A Haywood County senator has raised the ire of court and law enforcement officials by proposing to divide the 24th Judicial District in two, without first consulting them. Sen. Joe Sam Queen (D-47) has proposed to split the court district that includes Watauga and four other counties. Read more.

Boone cleanup picks up April 21
The town of Boone is asking volunteers to get down and dirty. Fortunately, it’s for a good cause. The Boone Cleanup Day is April 21 for the state’s spring Litter Sweep, which runs from April 14 - 28. Read more.

New season blooms for native gardens
The Daniel Boone Native Gardens in Boone will open to the public for the season on Tuesday, May 1, and remain open daily through the end of October. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended midsummer hours. Read more.

Goss: Bill sobers alcohol-machine use
A new bill would ban non-liquid alcohol inhalers, also known as AWOL machines, that some believe lead to irresponsible and dangerous behavior. Read more.

Study: Obesity programs are thin on a national scale
Despite a big jump in morbid obesity nationwide, there’s a shortage of community programs to address the health problem. Read more.

Bill would change county Medicaid structures
A legislative bill to permanently cap county Medicaid costs could free up tens of thousands of dollars a year for other local needs, proponents say. Read more.