Watauga County authorities are looking for the person or people who broke into Mt. Vernon Baptist Church on Bamboo Road.

Crews will be replacing substandard guardrails along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Milepost 0 in Rockfish Gap to Milepost 356 in Asheville.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate increased from 10.8 percent to 11 percent in October, according to numbers released from the NC Employment Security Commission today.  This is the first time the unemployment rate has risen since May.

The Watauga Humane Society is holding a special fundraiser where family pets can have their picture taken with Santa Paws.

Watauga County Schools brought in national education consultant Dr. Marcia Tate for a special workshop with 65 teachers from Watauga High School.

A new state law goes into effect on December 1 that requires the state’s name across the bottom of the license plate as well as the year and month stickers on a plate are fully visible.

Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church gave a grant to High Country Healthcare Hospice so the Hospice can purchase up-to-date books and pamphlets on death, dying, and grief.

The Jefferson Police Department is continuing to investigate the break-ins at several businesses.

A Granite Falls Elementary School teacher was charged with DWI and hit and run after she allegedly struck a car while turning onto an onramp on Interstate 40 over the weekend.

The American Football Coaches Association named App State football’s defensive ends coach and recruiting coordinator, Mark Speir, the assistant coach of the year at the FCS level yesterday.

Small businesses in Watauga, Mitchell, and Catawba County were three of 18 that received grant money from the state to continue their work in green initiatives.

Seven Devils Police are seeking a woman missing from her residence and issued a press release this evening:  Authorities are seeking assistance in a disappearance of Deana Elizabeth Schermerhorn.

Last week, it was reported that Dan Soucek announced that he will run for the North Carolina Senate.  Soucek stopped by the Roten in the Morning program on AM 1450 WATA to talk to Jonathon Roten about why he decided to run for senate and a few of his goals.

Watauga High senior, Cal Hardee, signed a national letter of intent today to play baseball for Coach Chris Pollard at Appalachian State.

According to our network news partner, ABC News, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in Mountain City, Tennessee today to attend the funeral of Frederick Greene, one of the Fort Hood shooting victims.

A substitute teacher at a Hickory elementary school has been relieved of duties in the Hickory Public Schools System after she allegedly tied up four students with a jump rope Friday for talking in class.

Officials with the Western Youth Network are warning residents of a possible scam in which individuals have been reportedly going door-to-door asking for donations for WYN.

Over 100 jobs are coming to nearby McDowell County as a water bottling company plans to expand its facility in Marion.

With the recent news that President Barack Obama’s administration plans to transfer a suspected terrorist believed to be involved in the September 11 attacks from the Guantanamo Bay prison to New York for a trial in civilian court, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx spoke out yesterday against the suspected terrorist’s transfer.

Students in the Skills USA program at Watauga High School are holding a unique fundraiser on Saturday in which residents can get a haircut while having their car winterized.

The Appalachian State men’s basketball team showed they are the premier basketball in the High Country as they defeated Lees McRae 77-44 at the Holmes Convocation Center.

Three residents were injured in a three-vehicle wreck that occurred just before 3:30 Saturday afternoon on Blowing Rock Road near the Boone Mall entrance.

  (photo by William Wacaster)

Murder charges against a Taylorsville couple were dropped yesterday, nearly a year after the body of a four-year-old was found buried in a shallow grave in their yard.

The Department of Transportation was going to close Mast Gap Road Wednesday and Thursday of this week, but have pushed the road closure until next week because of the probability of rain in the forecast.

The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office arrested a registered sex offender who had given a false address when registering his address with the sheriff’s office.

The Watauga Count Sheriff’s Office arrested a 56-year-old registered sex offender who was on premises where childcare is provided.

School bus driver training for Watauga County Schools will be held at the Avery County campus of Mayland Community College early next month.

Four different projects in Watauga County Schools are getting off the ground thanks to grants from Blue Ridge Electric.

Appalachian State jumped to 6th in the latest Sports Network Poll after clinching the Southern Conference with a win at Elon on Saturday.  The Mountaineers also received three first-place votes.

The number of homes sold in the High Country between January and October 2009 dropped significantly compared with the same timeframe last year, according to information released by the High Country Association of Realtors.