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For photos from Parkway's awards ceremony, click here.
For photos from ASU's Chinese new year celebration, click here.
Archived
Who's got the keys?
No, these guys didn’t lock their keys in the car. David Paine of the Blowing Rock Fire Department practices dismantling a car in Boone Monday as members of the BRFD, Foscoe Fire Department, Boone Fire Department and Watauga County Rescue practice using hand tools in the event that hydraulic equipment is not available. Photo by Mark Mitchell |
News update: Case closed on body found in Tennessee; man froze to death
Investigators are wrapping up the case involving a body found in Johnson County, Tenn., over the weekend. A passerby discovered the body of William David Hopkins, 19, of Mountain City, Tenn., Sunday morning in a parking lot off Prison Camp Road. Read more.
Boone speed change: It’s all 35 on 105
The speed limit on N.C. 105 has been changed from 45 mph to 35 mph, extending from the Poplar Grove Road intersection to the N.C. 105 Bypass. The change was made early last week, and Capt. Curtis Main of the Boone Police Department said motorists have been adjusting well. As soon as the change went into effect, the Boone PD placed a radar trailer, which posts the new speed limit and informs drivers of their current speed, along the route. Read more.
State parks weather weak economy with more visits
Record visitation at state parks suggests the public is still enjoying the great outdoors even as an economic downturn affects other recreational pursuits. Read more.
Board of Education: Nonresidents must pay tuition
The Watauga Country Board of Education met Monday, Feb. 11, for its regular monthly meeting, reaching a decision on the much discussed student assignment policy and learning of several changes in the school system’s future. Read more.
Third suspect charged in Saturday home invasion
The third man sought in connection with a weekend home invasion and armed robbery in Boone is in custody. The robbery took place around 11 a.m. Saturday at an apartment on Wood Circle, when two men wearing masks burst in on three people and brandished knives, robbing the occupants of about $75. Read more.
Sheriff’s reports:
Jan. 15 —A resident reported a suspicious person around the summer homes on Pigeon Roost Road in Banner Elk. Read more.
Spaghetti supper
A spaghetti supper will be held Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the VFW off State Farm Road in Boone. Proceeds will go to Victory Junction to assist children with special health needs. Diners can eat in or take out. The cost is $6; donations appreciated. For more information, call (828) 264-9570.
February 13, 2008
Fire damages home
A fire damaged a mobile home on Bluejay Lane in Boone Sunday afternoon. At 4:30 p.m., the three occupants of the home, which is owned by Amy Allen, smelled smoke. The Boone Fire Department responded with two engines, two tankers and 11 firefighters. According to Capt. Jimmy Isaacs, the fire had progressed under the mobile home and extended into concealed wall spaces. The fire was controlled within 15 minutes, though firefighters were at the scene for one hour to ensure the blaze was completely extinguished. The three occupants were able to escape without injury. The home suffered an estimated $5,000 in damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, although Isaacs said it does not appear suspicious. Story by Melanie Davis; photo by Andrea Marsh
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Lattes, camera, ACTION
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association filmed opening segments of a forthcoming Billy Graham Television Special at Higher Grounds Coffee Shoppe in Boone’s New Market Centre on Friday. Samaritan’s Purse president and Graham's son, Franklin Graham, introduced inspirational episodes of the special, which will air in March on various cable channels. Higher Grounds owner Matt Scott said it was an honor to have his coffee shop selected as a setting for the special. Photo by Scott Nicholson |
Resource center hosts festival at Boone Mall
Volunteerism was in the air at the Boone Mall this Saturday as local non-profit groups and community members participated in the Volunteer Resource Center’s Volunteer Fest. The annual event gives local charitable organizations the opportunity to share their work and volunteer opportunities with the community. Read more.
Election 2008: File in the blanks
Election season got off to a brisk start as a number of incumbents crowded the Watauga County Board of Elections office to officially file for 2008 races. Candidates filled out paperwork, paid their filing fees and received campaign handbooks as the filing period opened at noon Monday. Read more.
Boone council opts for ‘charrette’ path to town’s smarth growth
If you’re going to grow, grow smart. The Boone Town Council embraced this concept by adopting measures to establish an environment of smart growth in Boone. The council commissioned a smart growth audit in spring 2007 and received its results this past January, the first recommendation of which calls for the creation of a master land use plan. Read more.
Influenza cases spike to ‘widespread’ status
The latest weekly flu report shows a jump in cases and now is considered “widespread.” The N.C. Division of Health and Human Services issued a press release saying the flu is widespread across North Carolina, and that North Carolinians should take actions to prevent infection. Read more.
February 11, 2008
Plane crash
Only minor injuries were reported at the scene of a single engine airplane accident at Mountain View Aviation, the Boone airport, Saturday morning. Pilot Ralph Lerch, 72, of Boone, was attempting to land north to south, when the Criston Eagle airplane struck trees at the end of the runway, overturned and came to a stop. The N.C. Highway Patrol report states the airplane was a complete loss, but remained 95 percent intact without a fire. Lerch went to the Watauga Medical Center in a personal vehicle where he was treated and released.
Story by Melanie Davis, photo by Andrea Marsh |
Wicked winds
The debris from an overturned chicken house blocks Ruby Watson Lane in Deep Gap following Sunday’s strong winds. According to Debbie Coffey, whose home and car were damaged by the debris, the chicken house was toppled by the high winds late Sunday afternoon. Across the region, winds gusting up to 60 mph toppled trees and power lines and also fanned brush fires in other parts of North Carolina and Virginia. A red flag warning remained in effect, prohibiting outside burning. Photo by Mark Mitchell |
Vehicle fire turns into brush fire Monday morning
A vehicle fire spread to encompass one half acre of brush just off of U.S. 421 Monday morning. Daniel Hermendgildo, 28, of Winston-Salem, was traveling southbound toward Boone when a fire started in the engine compartment of his 1991 full-size Chevy van. Read more.
Two charged in weekend home invasion
Two men are in custody and a warrant has been issued for a third in connection to a reported armed robbery at a Boone apartment on Saturday. Police say two men wearing masks and brandishing knives entered the apartment at 190 Wood Circle after 11 a.m. Read more.
Watauga County still ranks high on vehicle crash list
Watauga County remains among one of the places in North Carolina where motorists are likely to be involved in a collision and also ranks high in the amount of vehicle property damage. Read more.
Digital sign on 421 is legal
A long battle over a scenic byway designation for the improved section of U.S. 421 was designed partly to keep billboards from the eastern gateway to Boone, but some people are questioning a new digital sign near the highway. Read more.
AAA: Gas pump prices may drop by spring
One of the country’s leading transportation advocacy groups is predicting a decline in gasoline prices this year as a slowing economy and high pump prices keep more drivers off the road. Read more.
Meth lab suspect arrested
Officers of the Watauga County Sheriff's Office’s Special Operations Division have arrested one man in connection to a methamphetamine laboratory found Friday. Read more.
Champs vs. Champs; ASU to play LSU
The battle of the two Division I national champions has been set.
Appalachian State, the three-time defending FCS/I-AA national champion, will play at the Bowl Coalition Series national champ LSU on Aug. 30 in Baton Rouge. Read more.
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