Boone Fourth Parade: 1451st Guard Company will be grand marshals
When Boone celebrates the Fourth of July, it’s always a good day for a parade, and this year’s is just around the corner. Appropriately themed “Stepping Out For Freedom,” the 2007 parade will be somewhat different, in that Mayor Loretta Clawson is encouraging participants to walk. Read more.

Young bear forages near trash bin; enters mattress store

An adolescent black bear was shopping for the mattress that was just right Wednesday evening. At 7:30 p.m., Boone police received a report of a bear cub in the mall parking lot. Read more.

ASU trustees get ready to acquire more property
The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees prepared for the new Reich College of Education by approving the acquisition/disposition of three properties off College and Howard streets. Read more.

ASU trustees OK unified college system
A university college at the university? Such an entity would serve an administrative purpose to oversee a variety of university-wide academic programs and support services. Read more.

Court reports: June 11 DWI (driving while impaired) Court
Judge Thomas G. Foster Jr. presiding Gail P. Fannon prosecuting on behalf of the state.
An order for arrest was issued for Marshall W. Thomas, 50, of 537 Stewart Simmons, Deep Gap for failure to appear on charges of DWI, possession of marijuana up to half-ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia and hit and run with property damage. A $3,000 cash bond was set. Read more.

Skatepark launches one-year celebration
What’s like a celebration but involves ramps, helmets and live music? It’s not a Dukes of Hazzard Stunt Spectacular, but rather the Appalachian Skatepark Council’s Skate-A-Bration. Read more.

June 20, 2007

Severe drought grips Watauga
Watauga County has graduated from “moderate drought” to “severe drought” in the latest monitoring report from the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council. The bi-weekly report, issued June 14, moves Watauga, Ashe, Caldwell and Polk counties onto the list of 21 counties, all in the western portion of the state, that are classified in extreme or severe drought. Read more.

Boone reviews budget: Plan will raise some municipal rates
“We’d like to report there will be no tax increase.” Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson said she was pleased to issue such a statement at the town’s June 14 budget public hearing. Read more.

Wildfires in Pisgah National Forest nearly contained
The three wildfires at the Pisgah National Forest in Burke County are now 80 percent contained. As of 5 p.m. Monday evening, a total of 2,824 acres had burned. Read more.

News briefs: Missing man found dead at Valle Crucis campground
The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Avery County Sheriff's Office, responded to a call early Sunday morning to check on the welfare of a person at a campground located at 504 Frank Mast Road in the Valle Crucis community. At 12:13 a.m. officers arrived on scene to find a deceased male inside a camper. Read more.

Police reports:
June 12 — At 3:13 p.m. Boone Police responded to a business located on N.C. 105 Ext. in reference to injury to real property and larceny. A box of fake rocks was reportedly stolen. Read more.

Sales tax will drop in July
The state sales tax is scheduled to drop from 4.25 percent to 4 percent in July. That cut would only affect the state rate. The local rate would continue at 2.5 percent, except for Mecklenburg County, which has a 3-percent sales tax. Local sales tax is split between the county and the town where the purchases are made. If the change takes effect as scheduled, in Watauga County the sales tax rate would be 6.5 percent.

Read more.

Boone planners OK new high school zoning
Watauga County could score an “A” on conditional rezoning for a new Watauga High School, after the Boone Area Planning Commission recommended conditional approval for such a designation.

Read more.

Non-profits get $250K of Boone budget
Area non-profit organizations stand to profit from town of Boone funding. The town’s proposed 2007-08 budget allocates $252,887 to outside agencies, and representatives from several of those organizations attended the Boone Town Council’s June 14 budget public hearing. Read more.

Arts Council plunges deep with Missoula production of ‘Little Mermaid’
More than 60 local children will get their chance to shine in the spotlight this week when the Watauga Arts Council presents Missoula Children’s Theatre original musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” Read more.

June 18, 2007

One year later: Not much progress on Shook lawsuits
One year has passed since two former employees of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office filed federal sexual harassment lawsuits against then-sheriff Mark Shook and Watauga County without signs of resolution anytime soon. The two separate cases were filed approximately two weeks apart with the U.S. District Court in Statesville. Read more.

Sheriff’s report:
June 4 —Breaking and entering and larceny were reported at a business on US 421. Suspect(s) forcibly entered the business and removed $100 in cash and three pocket knives, total value $15. Read more.

Plan paves the way for Boone Howard Street upgrade
Only a few road blocks remain for the town of Boone’s Howard Street revitalization project. The matter was discussed at last Wedneday’s budget meeting, though town manager Greg Young noted the upcoming fiscal year budget does not include debt service provisions for the project. Read more.

Inquiry clears Avery deputy in January shooting
A June 14 statement has been issued by District Attorney Jerry Wilson and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) clearing Avery County sheriff’s deputy Keith Laws of an wrongdoing in connection with the fatal shooting of Harry Lowman Jr., of 336 Pilot Road, Blowing Rock on Jan. 8. Read more.

State grant fuels DWI court’s mission
A grant from the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program was granted to Watauga County in October 2006 to help relieve the county’s backlog of DWI (Driving While Impaired) cases. Read more.

Boone Town Council tinkers with water and sewer rules
The Boone Town Council got its feet wet with further amendments to the water and sewer use ordinance. This particular amendment to the ordinance deals with water reuse applications and was adopted at last Thursday’s meeting of the water study committee and town council. Read more.