Kenneth Reece

Dayton Thomas Cole, who served as Appalachian State University’s first and only chief legal officer for 30 years and counsel to five Appalachian chancellors, has died at age 72. Cole, of Boone, died Oct. 22, according to his obituary from Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service. He had lived with multiple myeloma for nearly 20 years. …

The Town of Blowing Rock’s latest Message From the Manager covers ongoing infrastructure work, leaf collection, early voting, the Halloween Festival and Christmas Parade registration. Infrastructure projects Park Avenue waterline: The replacement is progressing and is expected to be completed by Nov. 13. The roadway is not being closed during work. Work was paused Friday …

WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. – On Monday, Oct. 12, at approximately 7:45 p.m., the Ashe County Dispatch Center received a call from an out-of-town female stating that she and her husband were in a domestic dispute. During this time, Ashe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were assisting the West Jefferson Police Department with a shooting investigation that …

BOONE, N.C. – Grants awarded by the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation will support local community projects focused on economic and community development, health and wellness, education and youth programs, and other initiatives that enhance quality of life throughout our communities. In Watauga County, citizens will benefit from ten grants worth $54,000 awarded recently for …

RALEIGH, N.C. — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will begin its delayed harvest trout stocking on November 2, 2026. A schedule is posted on the agency’s website. Trout stocking typically begins in early October, but environmental factors caused a short one-month delay this year. A hot summer, ongoing drought and damage from Hurricane Helene …

BOONE — The Boone Town Council meets Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Town Council Chambers at 1500 Blowing Rock Road, with a work session at 5 p.m. followed by

JOHNSON COUNTY, Tenn. – The trial is underway today, Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a man accused of shooting a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a chase that began with an armed robbery in Watauga County in April 2025. A jury was seated Monday for Joey Ponce, who appeared in court in Johnson County, Tennessee, according …

MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. — A Johnson County, Tennessee, jury on Wednesday found Joey Allen Ponce guilty on two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of employing a firearm with the intent to go armed in connection with the shooting of a Johnson County deputy, according to the Johnson County Clerk’s Office. Ponce pleaded …

LINVILLE, N.C. — Volunteer rescuers from Avery County carried a hiker in distress out of the woods on the Grandfather Trail Tuesday night, according to the Linville-Central Rescue Squad. Members were alerted just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to a hiker in distress on the trail. Two staff members from the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship …

Statewide ETL SPARK program supports middle school literacy educators