ASU football player ineligible for 2008 season
Appalachian State starting defensive end Gary Tharrington will not play next season.

Council of Governments will pour new area water study

The High Country Council of Governments will soon be looking at long-term water resources for a seven-county area.

Boone Police reports
June 19 —Larceny by shoplifting was reported at 4:06 p.m. at a business on the 600 block of King Street. Sunglasses and clothing were reported stolen.

Elk Motel: Owner, officials state their case
Floyd “Dipper” Garrison may not have a commitment from the town of Boone, but he still has hope. Garrison owns and operates the Elk Motel on U.S. 321, just outside of Boone corporate limits, as low-income housing for area residents who need it most, and he plans to keep it open for as long as possible.

Donnan wins runoff in Democratic race for labor commissioner
Democrat Mary Fant Donnan won both the county and state in a little-noticed statewide race Tuesday.

Warner and Hurt enter deferred prosecution

agreement on animal cruelty charges
More than 100 dogs are now in the custody of the Watauga Humane Society following the outcome of the animal cruelty trial this week in district court.

Man calls 911 in attempt to avoid traffic citation
A South Carolina man attempted to elude traffic citations by first giving a false name and again by calling in a fictitious vehicle wreck.

K-9 assists in locating suspect
Officers with the Watauga County Sheriff's Office employed the K-9 unit to locate a man in possession of a schedule II controlled substance.

Boone council sets up mixed-drink referendum
A resolution for a mixed-beverage referendum went down smoothly with the Boone Town Council, garnering unanimous support from council members at Thursday’s regular meeting.

County: No digital billboards for six months
Digital signs will be on hold for six months after the Watauga County Board of Commissioners enacted a moratorium.

County financing amusement park; opinion mixed on Tweetsie plan
Opinion was divided on the county’s decision to borrow money to provide economic incentives that will keep Tweetsie Railroad at its current home.

Crimestoppers requests public's help
Watauga County Crimestoppers requests the public’s help in identifying the person(s) responsible for the following crime(s): Sometime between Thursday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m and Friday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m. someone took ginseng planted on Mulberry Cove Road.

Boone OKs $20 million budget
And $20,463,502 it is. The Boone Town Council adopted its 2008-09 budget at Thursday’s regular meeting.

Polls open Tuesday for statewide race

Polls are open in Watauga County today to determine a statewide race.

CCC&TI bets that program will be Write On track locally
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is working to help its students, in all areas of study, become better writers through a program called “Write On.”

Boone council talking up the walk
The Boone Town Council is taking steps to make Boone a walking-friendly community.
The council heard from Jennifer Greene, chairwoman of the town’s alternate transportation subcommittee, on Walk Boone, a town-based initiative to boost Boone’s “walkability.”

Town wants DOT to study intersections for possible improvements
A decision by the Boone Town Council could signal change for a numerous intersections, as far as traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are concerned.

Animal cruelty trial under way in district court

The trial of Anna Mae Warner, 18, and Richard “Ricky” Hurt, 22, is now under way in Watauga County district court. Warner and Hurt are charged with 74 counts each of animal cruelty involving more than 80 dogs seized from a kennel in the Todd area this spring. A motion has been made and accepted to join the two cases for trial.

Minor injuries in U.S. 421 accident

Only minor injuries were reported in an early Monday afternoon accident on U.S. 421 South near University Nissan.

Blowing Rock man is in stable condition following Saturday accident

A Blowing Rock officer remains in stable condition in the Johnson City Area Medical Center following an off-duty vehicle accident Saturday afternoon.

Boone man honored as advocate of renewal energies by U.S. DOE
A Boone man has been honored for his work promoting renewable energy. Dennis Scanlin received the Small Wind Advocate of the Year Award for the Southeast region from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program.

Watauga sheriff’s reports
June 12 —Larceny and breaking and entering were reported at a residence on the 300 block of Curley Maple Road in Boone. A black GMC crew cab truck, valued at $25,000, was reported stolen.

Dog park now offers a gazebo
The Watauga Humane Society is dedicated to serving the homeless animals of Watauga County, but they also offer services for pets with permanent homes.

Used computers effort for Uruguayan students stays connected locally
Computers for Schools International is collecting computers for Uruguay and they need your old computer equipment.

County questions Boone parks budget cuts
On Tuesday night, the Boone Town Council opened the floor for citizens to comment on the recently revised 2008-09 budget before the council considers the budget ordinance for adoption on Thursday, June 19.