Archived
Summer steppin’
Amber Hendley instructs a group of students at an Extreme Dance Camp at Watauga High School Monday afternoon. The high school is the site of many enrichment programs during summer break. Photo by Jimmy Day |
Commissioners plan for WHS, park changes
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners reviewed school and parks construction during Tuesday night’s regular meeting. An environmental review of the new high school site in the Perkinsville area will get on the fast track as the commissioners voted to pursue an “express permitting process” with the N.C. Department of Environment and National Resources. The review would cost $5,000, with an additional $7,000 in contingency, and would trim 30 days or more from the review timetable.
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County may help the Elk Motel
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners adopted a conditional commitment to sewer lines that could help the beleaguered Elk Motel stay in business.
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Two principals leave school system
Two Watauga County elementary schools will be under new leadership during the coming school year. Mary Linda Tiffany, principal at Bethel School, and Mike Sherrill, principal of Cove Creek School, are leaving the school system. Tiffany announced her retirement and Sherrill will be taking a position in Statesville.
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Stringent intake process helps make Hospitality House a safe place
Homelessness is on the rise in the High Country. Hospitality House of Boone, the only homeless shelter in a seven county area (aside from domestic violence shelters), has seen steadily increasing numbers since 2004.
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Remains find final resting place after removal from WHS site
The human remains found at the proposed Watauga High School site are being placed in a permanent home while geological surveys continue in the search for more potential grave sites.
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District Court reports:
July 12 — Judge Kyle D. Austin presiding, Charlene Norris prosecuting on behalf of the state. Graciela Boone, 35, of 10647 U.S. 421, Trade, Tenn. pleaded guilty to driving without a license. A prayer for judgment continued was granted and she was assessed $130 in court appointed attorney fees. A charge of failure to stop for a stop sign or flashing red light was dismissed.
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Watauga sheriff’s reports:
July 8 —Brian Keith Bentley, 21, of 423 Locust Gap Road, Vilas was served with a warrant for arrest for misdemeanor larceny and was ordered on an unsecured $500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in District Court on July 30.
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Town-ASU relationship examined closely at Boone planners meeting
The Boone Area Planning Commission moved cautiously at its regular meeting Monday, in which a proposal for university land-use regulations was presented for recommendation.
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July 18, 2007
Hillary Clinton will visit Blowing Rock
Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will be coming to Blowing Rock for a fundraiser later this month. The event, hosted by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer, will support Clinton’s presidential exploratory committee. The event will be held at Westglow Resport and Spa on Saturday, July 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. Minimum contribution is $2,300 per person and maximum contribution is $4,600 per person, with any amount above the minimum threshold earmarked for the 2008 general election race. The event will be a cocktail reception. Diane Tilson, chairwoman of the Watauga Democratic Party, said the event wasn’t arranged through the local party. Clinton is an attorney and was former first lady to Arkansas governor and, later, two-term U.S. President Bill Clinton. In 2000, she was elected U.S. senator from New York and is now in her second term. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Ben Pollara at (305) 569-2888. — Scott Nicholson, nicholson@wataugademocrat.com (Clinton is shown speaking to a crowd during a campaign stop in Nashua, N.H., Friday, July 13. AP Photo/Jim Cole) |
Name released following fatal vehicle crash
A Spruce Pine man was killed Sunday night in a collision on N.C. 105 in Foscoe. David Johnson, 65, was traveling northbound when his vehicle crossed the center line, colliding head-on with the Toyota SUV driven by Allison McCall, 44, of St. Peterson, Fla. at 10:10 p.m.
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Community college basic skills student still learning at 83
Robert Townsend figures it’s never too late to get an education—at age 83, he’s tackling the Basic Skills program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.
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Watauga County District Criminal Court reports
July 9 — Samantha J. Alexander, 20, of 310 Meadowhill Drive Apt. 6, Boone pleaded guilty to driving without a license. She was ordered to pay court costs by July 30. Additional charges of fictitious, canceled, or revoked registration card/tag; operating a vehicle without insurance; and failure to wear a seat belt were dismissed.
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Bamboo Festival will fund conservation efforts
An upcoming celebration of local agriculture will raise funds to help protect farmland and other rural property.
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Town council meeting will address ASU zoning issues
It’s long been said on the Boone Town Council that university growth is an issue paramount to the town’s well-being. At its Thursday, July 19, regular meeting, the council will consider zoning amendments that would address the growth of Appalachian State University.
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Election newcomers enter Boone town Council race
With the filing period for the 2007 Watauga County municipal elections drawing to a close, four candidates stepped up to the plate on Monday.
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July 16, 2007
Man killed in Sunday crash in Foscoe
A fatal crash occurred at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday on N.C. 105 in Foscoe. A man, whose identity has not yet been released, was traveling northbound when his Ford crossed the centerline colliding with a Toyota head-on, according to N.C. Highway Patrol. The driver of the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers of the Toyota were airlifted to Johnson City, one was airlifted to Baptist Hospital. Their conditions are unknown. No further information was available as of press time.
— Melanie Davis, melanie@highcountrymedia.net
Watauga County sheriff’s reports:
July 1 — Michelle Theresa Conboy. 21, of 265 Westbrook Drive, Boone was served with a warrant for arrest for assault on a government official. She was detained at the Watauga County Jail, with bond set at $2,000. Conboy is scheduled to appear in district court on July 30. Read more.
Boone Police reports:
July 6 — At 10:19 a.m., police responded to a report of larceny from a motor vehicle on Meadowview Drive. Read more.
Local cooperative hopes to build a biodiesel processor
High Country Biofuels is putting the pedal to the metal and gearing up for a change in long-term energy uses. Read more.
Municipal election breakdown:
Only a week remains for filing in the 2007 Watauga County municipal elections, but the Board of Elections has seen little activity in terms of candidacy. Read more.
Addressing an E-911 problem
Rescue workers may have slower response times in the event of an emergency because many homes in Watauga County do not have house numbers clearly posted. Read more.
New conservation coalition pushes referendum
A large-scale conservation initiative has the goal of putting $1 billion dollars into a fund that would protect the state’s land and water resources over the next five years. Read more.
Report supports more charter schools statewide
A new report says charter and other alternative schools have helped lower the booming price tag for new school construction. Read more.
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