June 29 travel update:
Both lanes of U.S. 321 near Blowing Rock closed for blasting operations
Both lanes of U.S. 321 in Caldwell County between Blackberry Road (State Road 1500) and Blowing Rock are closed for blasting operations in the work zone today, June 29. Crews are working to stabilize a hillside in the construction area. The highway is expected to reopen late this evening. Motorists should expect significant delays and proceed with caution through this area. Motorists traveling on U.S. 321 North are advised to take N.C. 18 in Lenoir to U.S. 421 North in Wilkes County. They should then follow U.S. 421 to Boone in Watauga County and U.S. 321 South to Blowing Rock. Southbound motorists should follow the reverse route. Traffic from Charlotte to Boone is encouraged to take I-77 North to U.S. 421 North in Yadkin County to avoid the area. For updates, visit NCDOT’s real-time travel information Web site www.ncdot.org/traffictravel. Information can also be obtained by calling 511, NCDOT’s free travel hotline.

County OKs $42.6 million budget
The Watauga County board of commissioners adopted a $42.6 million general-fund budget during its Tuesday meeting, covering county services, operations and sanitation for the 2007-08 fiscal year.

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Students dig historic hangout
Way before the pot-belly stove inside the Mast General Store became a favorite Valle Crucis gathering spot, a small gneiss outcropping located on the banks of the Watauga River was a popular hangout for nearly 10,000 years. Read more.

News briefs: ASU assaults remain unsolved
Three sexual assaults in the spring of 2007 on Appalachian State University’s campus remain unsolved. The assaults are believed to have been connected, the details of each incident are very similar. Read more.

Empty helmets may empty wallets for errant skaters
This is your brain, this is your brain in a helmet. Concerns over skateboarding safety led off Tuesday’s meeting of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners. Read more.

June 27, 2007

News update: Body of teen found at Elk River Falls

The body of 16-year-old Nicholas Chad Hicks of Johnson City, Tenn., was located Tuesday afternoon at the Elk River Falls in Avery County. Hicks was swimming in the river near the falls on Sunday when strong currents pulled him under the water. Rescue efforts begin Sunday afternoon and continued through Monday and Tuesday. The searches were postponed several times due to thunderstorms. The divers working the scene made a statement indicating that the popular swimming hole is extremely dangerous. A large amount of debris and strong currents created by the falls and underwater caverns make the pool difficult to swim, even for the experienced swimmers, they said. The Avery County Sheriff's Office and other agencies in the area will be making every effort to prohibit swimming at the Elk River Falls. Avery Sheriff Kevin Frye said, “We have lost several young people, either swimming or diving in this area.” Rescue teams participating in the search effort included members from: the Avery County Rescue Squad and Dive Team, Linville Central Rescue Squad, Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department, Fall Creek VFD, Frank VFD, Banner Elk VFD, Crossnore VFD, Newland VFD, Linville VFD, Green Valley VFD, Avery County Sheriff's Office, Carter County Rescue Squad, Lenoir Fire and Rescue, Hudson Fire and Rescue, North Catawba Fire and Rescue, Parkway Fire and Rescue, Gamewell Fire and Rescue Swift Water Team, Burke County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, Washington County Dive Team, McDowell County Fire and Rescue Dive Team, Search and Rescue Dog Team, P. G. Fire Department, Watauga Rescue Squad, Blowing Rock Rescue Squad, N. C. Emergency Management, Asheville Fire and Rescue Dive Team, Avery Communications, Spruce Pine Fire and Resuce, Burke County Air Truck, Bristol Dive Team and the U. S. Forest Service.

Teen still missing at Elk River
Rescue crews continue their search for 16-year-old Nicholas Chad Hicks of Elizabethton, Tenn. Hicks was swimming in the popular Elk River Falls area when the current pulled him under at approximately noon on Sunday. Read more.

Greener houses: A rising star of efficiency
Energy Star qualified homes are stated to be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency through independent home inspectors. Read more.

Police reports:
June 19 — At 1:23 p.m., police responded to a report of larceny on Meadowhill Drive. A bag with memory cards, lenses and a digital camera was reported stolen. Read more.

Boone council hires growth-audit firm
Let the smart growth begin. — The town of Boone is set to receive a smart growth audit, after the Boone Town Council adopted a $33,000 contract with a nationally recognized planning firm. Read more.

Town budget adopted at $21.8 million
Come July 1, the town of Boone will ring in the new fiscal year. The Boone Town Council adopted its budget for 2007-08 with a grand total of $21,888,229, an increase of $3,998,116 from the previous year. Read more.

Shocking the system: Reviving the electric car
In the past decade, it seems that buzz surrounding the electric car has dwindled to a mere hum. A contingent of local activists is hoping to spark community interest in the matter and prove that such alternative transportation is quite practical. Read more.

June 25, 2007

On the rise More than two inches of rainfall caused massive flooding at the locally named “Boone Mall Lake” Sunday afternoon. The water came up within five parking spaces of the entrance to the mall, forcing the closure of Panera Bread. Mall manager Meredith Golden said, “The owner of the property, H. L. Libby, has plans to repair the culvert under Precision Printing in 2007 to prevent further flooding.” That particular colvert is damaged and believed to be the source of the flooding. Photo by Marie Freeman

Boone Town Council OKs WHS zoning
Thanks to a vote from the Boone Town Council, class will be in session for a new Watauga High School. The council unanimously approved a conditional zoning request from Watauga County for property located in the Perkinsville area of Boone. Read more.

New Shipley scholarship sets sail
A husband-and-wife team has been honored for their mutual lifetime of work with the creation of an endowment fund that will help continue their work. The Robert G. And Agnes D. Shipley Agricultural Endowment was announced at a Friday dinner hosted by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.

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Watauga County court report
June 13 District Criminal Court — Judge Thomas Foster Jr. presiding, Charlene Norris prosecuting on behalf of the state. Dustin Edward Williams, 19, of 1134 Taylorsville Road, Lenoir plead guilty to a charge of driving without a license, a charge of driving left of center was dismissed. He was granted a prayer for judgment continued and assessed court costs. Read more.

News briefs: Man injured in ATV crash
Steve Lotz, 68, suffered severe head injuries when the four-wheeled, all-terrain vehicle he was driving collided with a car Friday afternoon on U.S. 321 north. Lotz was thrown from the ATV. He was not wearing a helmet. Read more.

Blowing Rock windmill vote blows in a debate
After a year of debate and research, the Blowing Rock Board of Commissioners voted last week to enact a ban on windmills and wind turbines in the resort town. Read more.

High Country Conservancy celebrates 10 years
Though not as numerous as they once were, bumper stickers proclaiming “Save Howard’s Knob” still appear on local cars. Read more.

Hawksnest course negotiated
Seven Devils town officials and owners of a private golf course property are negotiating to set up a lease arrangement that could allow the town to operate the golf course. Read more.

Civil War re-enactors honor memory of Watauga veterans
Three Confederate veterans were honored at a graveyard sermon and ceremony Sunday, complete with a musket volley commemorating their long-ago service. Read more.