Archived

Ashe tree lighting up the White House A crowd again gathered atop a hill at River Ridge Tree Farms in Creston on Friday, this time to witness the cutting of the 21-foot Fraser fir that will soon stand in the Blue Room of the White House. Photo by Joel Frady

Robbery occurs on Hill Street in Boone
A strong arm robbery was reported on Hill Street Wednesday morning.

Crimestoppers: Fuel stolen at Watauga campus of CCC&TI
Watauga County Crimestoppers requests the public’s help in identifying the person(s) responsible for the following crimes:

Thanksgiving in Iraq TIKRIT, Iraq — Among the more than 100,000 soldiers currently serving in Iraq, four Appalachian State University alumni gathered Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving at a dining facility on Contingency Operations Base Speicher In Tikrit, Iraq.

Boone water usage down.
The town of Boone’s water committee reviewed average monthly allocations during a special meeting on Nov. 24, looking at incentives that would lead to more water conservation in the event of drought or other supply constraints.

New county flood maps now available for public
Watauga County’s new flood maps are available for public review and comment. Preliminary copies of updated Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) Report have been issued for Watauga County and the towns of Boone and Blowing Rock.

Lessons in giving Madison Bakken, left, reaches for a piece of pumpkin pie as fellow Watauga High School student Lydia Sherwood, center, serves faculty member Karen Robertson dessert on Tuesday during an annual event in which student council members served teachers and staff a Thanksgiving meal. Leftovers from the meal were donated to the Hospitality House. Photo by Mark Mitchell

District court reports:
Nov. 13 —A prayer for judgment continued was granted on a charge of hit and run with property damage against William Lucas Crowell, 20, of 299 Clay Hodges Road, Boone. Crowell was assessed court costs. Charges of operating a vehicle without insurance, exceeding a safe speed and failure to report an accident were dismissed.

Watauga sheriff’s reports:
Nov. 12 — Breaking and entering of a vending machine, damage to property and larceny were reported at a business on the 5500 block of a Bamboo Road in Boone.

Golfer’s third hole-in-one wins a car
Most golfers would be ecstatic to hit a single hole-in-one during their lifetimes. Boone’s Allan Wagner hit the third hole-in-one of his golfing career at RedTail Mountain Golf Course in Mountain City on October 20 and won a new car in the process.

Sheriff’s office hosts Project Lifesaver
The Watauga County Sheriff's Office is hosting Project Lifesaver training next week. All local law enforcement agencies were invited to chose representatives to attend the training, funded though the North Carolina Project Lifesaver Specialized Talk Force.

Salvation Army launches poverty offensive
Dana Gall, a social worker for the Salvation Army, began her job on July 14. Little did she know how heavy of a burden she would bear. She is responsible for distributing all the services of the Salvation Army including electrical, water, rent, mortgage, Christmas, food, and clothing assistance to people who are in need.

Library launches ‘Food for Fines’
The Watauga County Public Library is paging community supporters to help people stay warm and well fed.

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November 25, 2008

Fire damages Boone cafe, store A fire ripped through Brandies Country Cafe on East King Street Monday evening. Photo courtesy of Dawn Shumate CLICK HERE FOR RELATED VIDEO

ASU police, others raise DWI checkpoint
Appalachian State University police held a driving while impaired checkpoint Thursday night.

Local schools must return $177K to state
A state budget shortfall has led to education cuts for the current budget year, but local officials don’t expect it to have a direct impact on classroom instruction.

Choose-n-cut season enters peak weekend
The annual trek to the farm for some seasonal greenery is entering its expected peak this weekend as the Thanksgiving holiday ushers in choose-and-cut customers.

Boone Police reports:
Nov. 14 — Criminal damage to property by vandalism was reported at 3:23 p.m. on the 100 block of West King Street.

Don’t be a burnt-out turkey; play it safe with fryers
Deep-fried turkey has evolved as the staple of many Southern Thanksgivings. A recent national television commercial featuring a turkey fryer humorously shows how, due to poor cellular service, the message to thaw the turkey isn’t received.

‘Season of Giving’ tops Christmas parade theme
The annual Boone Christmas Parade rolls through the downtown area on Dec. 6, with a focus on local giving and sharing the warmth of the holiday season.

Community Thanksgiving meal being cooked up
Thanksgiving: A communal holiday solely devoted to stuffing, and not just turkeys and stomachs, but hearts, as well.

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November 24, 2008

Who let the dogs dress? Donned in holiday sweaters for warmth, Ted, left, and Phineas pose for the camera on a cool Sunday evening in Boone. Photo by Mark Mitchell

Watauga sheriff’s reports:
Nov. 8 — Andrew Perry Nicholson, 22, of 273 Yosef Drive, Boone, was arrested on view on charges of driving while impaired. He was placed in the Watauga County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in district court on Dec. 15 in lieu of a secured $500 bond.

Watauga District Court reports:
Nov. 10 — Fernando Aranda, 28, of 210 Hampton Trail Court, Boone, pleaded guilty to speeding and driving without an operator’s license. Sentencing was consolidated into 30 days in jail, suspended, 12 months unsupervised probation and assessed a $25 fine and court costs.

Weekend visitors seek out ghosts
About 100 people drifted into the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock over the weekend, hoping to catch a glimpse of the unseen during the first-ever Green Park Paranormal Conference.

Boone-based advocacy group releases woodlands management guidebook
Sometimes it takes a little paper to save a few trees.The Boone-based environmental organization Appalachian Voices has released the second edition of “Managing Your Woodlands: A Guide for Southern Appalachian Landowners.”

Rep. Tarleton asks governor for kerosene relief
State Rep.Cullie Tarleton (D-93) announced he had written to N.C. Gov. Michael Easley to ask for his help in easing the kerosene shortage in North Carolina and especially in the High Country.