GoBlueRidge.Net

GoBlueRidge.Net

Appalachian State University is one of 150 institutions included in The Princeton Review’s 2014 edition of “The Best Value Colleges: The 150 Best-Buy Schools and What It Takes to Get In.” The publication profiles, but does not rank, 75 public and 75 private institutions based on surveys conducted Full Story

NC Unemployment Below 7% in December

Fewer employed, fewer unemployed, that as the North Carolina seasonally adjusted unemployment rate landed at 6.9 percent in December, decreasing 0.5 of a percentage point from the previous month, and falling 2.5 percentage points from December 2012. Over the month, the number of persons unemployed Full Story

More Utility Scams Reported

More utility scam calls are being reported by area electric utility companies, the latest reported by BREMCO yesterday morning, as a local customer received the call demanding immediate payment, which the customer made, only to find out in a follow-up call to the utility, that BREMCO makes no such calls, Full Story

Tiffany Christian to Seek Watauga Ed Board Seat

Dr. Tiffany Christian has officially formed her election committee with the intention of filing for candidacy for the Watauga County Board of Education while filing opens February 10th. Dr. Christian is the mother of 4, and married to a retired Army Veteran. She and her family live in the Meat Camp area Full Story

Snow Travel Troubles, Wrecks

The rest of the state got to experience what the High Country has for the winter season, and while we’ve had schools close and lots of schedule changes, many Foothills, but especially Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas are at a stand-still with a fraction of the precipitation we get. But many of these Full Story

Snow Falling, DOT Working to Clear Roads

While the N.C. Department of Transportation continues de-icing operations throughout the northwestern part of the state today, some crews from that region will head east to assist with snow and ice removal. Division 11, which includes Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes Full Story

Blowing Rock Man Charged in Caldwell

A Blowing Rock man is facing drug charges in Caldwell County after an arrest Friday. 43-year-old Shawn Allen Valdez was arrested in Granite Falls on felony counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin, and maintaining a vehicle, dwelling, or place for a controlled substance. Full Story

Snow Sandwiches the State West and East

Temperatures overnight did not fall as predicted, but that was because of cloud cover that is bringing a blast of snow to the High Country, and has caused schools to change schedules. Click on Closings and Cancellations for the latest. Snow is sandwiching the state with accumulation in the far west Full Story

New Members for App Health Dept. Board

The Appalachian District Health Department announced the three newest appointees to the Board of Health. They are Natasha Greer-Pennington (Pharmacist, Ashe County), Randy Revis (Public, Ashe County), and Jeffrey Tiller (Engineer, Watauga County). Members are appointed for a three-year term and Full Story

Disaster Loans Available From 2013 Rains

Watauga County and the State of NC have been working with FEMA/SBA on low interest loans for disaster relief for farmers due to the heavy rains in 2013. The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.875 percent for private

Full Story

Warmer Morning--Briefly

A morning above freezing—well above freezing—but don’t get used to it. While schools are back to the business of education today, another blast of cold air is on our western horizon, and by tomorrow morning, we should be back to single digits—again. And with the blast, some snow Full Story

Frigid Firefighting

Avery firefighters have spent the morning battling two fires in temperatures hovering at or below zero. The first call was to a fire at a Buck Mountain Road residence, one that a number of departments responded to, then units were dispatched to an electrical fire on Elk River Road. Units arriving Full Story

BREMCO Gives Rate Break in Frigid Temps

To help members with winter electric bills, the Board of Directors of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation recently approved a temporary rate reduction for all members on February bills. The typical member using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity monthly will see a $9 reduction. Overall, this reduction will save Full Story

Boone Eyesore Could Be Gone By Summer

A Boone eyesore could finally be nearing destruction—and the property resurrected, that as Attorney Jim Deal, representing Stonegate Developers, asked the Boone Town Council last night to hold a special public hearing on the property that entails the old Scottish Inn site into what Stonegate Developers Full Story

ARHS Asks for Voluntary Visit Restraint for Flu

Appalachian Regional Healthcare System asks that anyone sick with the flu or flu-like symptoms voluntarily refrain from visiting hospitalized family and friends, as well as those persons at the hospital for an outpatient procedure. It is also important that during this time of increased flu and flu like Full Story

Boone Police Complete Successful Food Drive

In an attempt to ease the burden on many of our citizens during the holiday season, the Boone Police Department organized a food drive to help people in need in our area. The food collected during this drive was donated to the Hunger & Health Coalition in Boone, NC for distribution. The Hunger & Health Full Story

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