Editor’s note: This article features news and photos from past editions of the Watauga Democrat
Aug. 27, 1964
An article titled, “630 attending school constructed for 300” in a 1964 edition of the Watauga Democrat, refers to the Appalachian High School and the plan for the school to be merged with Watauga County High School in 1965.
The school was originally built for 300 students, but as the population grew, there was a need for more space. The school set up trailers behind the school in order to accommodate the masses. The trailers could only hold 30 people at a time, according to the article.
The Appalachian High School was planned to be used by Appalachian State in after the two high schools merged, according to the article.
Sept. 4, 1998
The Watauga County Detention Center’s move from its former location on Queen Street had its beginnings in September 1998, when the county commissioners approved funding for a feasibility study examining the potential move, according to a Sept. 4, 1998, article in the Watauga Democrat.
The move was said to be contingent on the expected closing of Watauga County’s state-run correctional facility on Hodges Gap Road in Boone, where the county planned to shift inmates due to space concerns at the Queen Street location, which had a capacity of 34 inmates.
Sept. 5-7, 2008
In the case of a 12-year-old girl who fell and was severely injured at Glen Burney Falls in 2004, the Superior Court found that the town of Blowing Rock was not liable, according to an article in the Watauga Democrat Weekender called “Blowing Rock exonerated in civil trial.”
The family of the girl appealed to the N.C. Court of Appeals, which found that the trial court erred and ordered a new trial, but the N.C. Supreme Court reversed that decision, according to court records.
The Glen Burney Trail, located close to downtown Blowing Rock, is a popular trail but can be treacherous. A number of accidents and even death have occurred on the trail and near the falls.
The newspaper also announced an upcoming concert by the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone. Tickets ranged from $32.50 to $42.50.
Todd residents voted to form a steering committee to prepare for forming a community council to plan growth, another article in the Sept. 4 issue related.
“Todd is unique, partly because of being on the Ashe and Watauga line, so historically, we’ve felt we were not heard or represented well by either county,” said Joe Morgan, spokesperson for the effort, in the article. “It’s important for us to have a voice in both ... We’re also unique from other groups who’ve formed community councils because we don’t have a particular issue driving our efforts, like the Rutherwood council and the asphalt plant and Valle Crucis and the historic district.”
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