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Ashe Post & Times

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High Country Council of Governments presents awards at 51st annual banquet

BOONE — On Oct. 16, High Country Council of Governments held its annual awards ceremony at the Grandview Ballroom on Appalachian State University’s campus to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions by elected officials, local government employees, and advisory committee members. The High Country Council of Governments (HCCOG) is a regional organization dedicated to serving and supporting local governments in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties. Award winners were nominated by elected and appointed officials from the seven-county region. Mayor of Jefferson Peter Eller was selected as the 2026 Outstanding Local Elected Official in the High Country region. This award honors outstanding service and leadership to the community. This award is voted on by managers, administrators, staff, and local elected officials in the region. Few people know the Town of Jefferson as well as Peter Eller, and few have given more of themselves to it. A lifelong Jefferson resident, his service to the town began before he was old enough to vote: his very first summer job, taken in high school just after he earned his driver's license, was working for the Town of Jefferson. Decades later, he returned to lead it. Mayor Eller spent 35 years with

Jefferson, NC · 16h

American Songwriter

partner publisher · 245.6K followers
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Born 81 Years Ago Today in North Carolina, the High School English Teacher Who Became a Grammy-Winning Country Music Star

On this day (November 10) in 1945, Yvonne Vaughn was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Today, she’s better known as country singer Donna Fargo, who kicked off a string of four straight No. 1 hits with 1972’s “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.”. Among the...

Mt Airy, NC · 2d

The Mount Airy News

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Data center plan OK'd, hailed as 'great document'

Mount Airy’s data center ordinance is now gospel, having been approved unanimously after months of consideration — with one city official saying the issue was a done deal in another way. “The biggest thing I’ve learned through this process is we don’t have the option to say ‘no,’’’ Mayor Jon Cawley said of an outright ban on the controversial facilities locating here. “That is not an available option unless you want to go into litigation,” Cawley added regarding the fact data centers are legal enterprises. The only thing a locality can do is adopt regulations ensuring the facilities operate in ways that don’t hamper its quality of life, city officials said, which the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners hopes was accomplished with its decision Thursday night. If it failed to enact a data center ordinance, Commissioner Calvin Vaughn said then, one could have come into town under existing regulations, “which are more lax.” Vaughn and other board members say the new ordinance protects Mount Airy in regard to various data center implications such as allowable locations and water usage. “I think it’s a great document,” he said of the ordinance spanning 13 pages, “something other municipalities can use as a

Mt Airy, NC · 3d

wataugaonline.com

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U.S. House District 5 Lead Changes Again as Provisional Ballots Are Counted

Updated 7:18 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11: The N.C. State Board of Elections’ results site shows Democrat Chuck Hubbard ahead of Rep. Virginia Foxx by 325 votes in the 5th Congressional District, with all 230 precincts reporting. The totals include provisional ballots counted Tuesday in most of the district’s counties; Rockingham County’s provisional results had not yet been posted to the site. This story has been updated with the latest figures.

Watauga County, NC · 2d
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whqr.org

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Renowned Virginia-based luthier makes his 1,000th guitar

Renowned Virginia-based guitar maker Wayne Henderson is being recognized after completing his 1,000th guitar. During his 60-year career, Henderson has made countless contributions to music makers across the country and around the world. He's built guitars by hand for a Who’s Who list of pickers, including Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs...

Wilkesboro, NC · 14h

The Mount Airy News

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City land sales boosting housing market

Along with adding some extra jingle to the city coffers, recent sales of surplus municipal land are helping to provide more housing in a tight market locally. “When we sold these properties, the intent was to build houses on them,” City Manager Darren Lewis said last Thursday night when the latest transaction was approved by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners. That involved a site of about one-half acre on Carolina Avenue. It is one of 11 different parcels declared surplus property by city officials last year and put on the auction block, some of which are outside the city limits Included were lots on North Franklin Road, East Wilson Street, North Main Street, Fancy Gap Road, Lakeview Drive (three parcels), Carolina Avenue (three parcels) and Lyn Avenue. Only the property on Lyn Avenue remains unsold from that list, which is located in the Westwood area near North Franklin Road. Lewis said after Thursday night’s meeting that plans for “10-plus” houses have resulted from the sales of surplus property, meaning officials saw no future use for it by the municipality. To market the land, Mount Airy has been using GovDeals, an online marketplace geared toward government, educational and related entities

Mt Airy, NC · 2d

Cardinal News

partner publisher · 12.5K followers

Smyth County resident files lawsuit against new data center ordinance

The complaint alleges the county government wasn’t compliant with voting procedures to pass the measure. The post Smyth County resident files lawsuit against new data center ordinance appeared first on Cardinal News .

Smyth County, VA · 1d

wisenewsnetwork.com

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NCHSAA Round Two State 2A Football Playoff Preview, Cherryville at Alleghany

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The Cherryville Ironmen will head to the mountains of Sparta, NC, for a second-round playoff matchup at Alleghany High School on Friday, November 13, 2026. The number five seed, Alleghany Trojans, were idle last week after earning a first-round bye. Cherryville, the number twelve seed, is coming off a dominating 63-0 performance at home against Elkin High School. This time of year is what many refer to as the second season, or the real season. Each game matters; simply put, you win, you advance; if you lose, your season is over. Each round, the competition potentially gets tougher as fewer teams remain in contention for the coveted state championship.

Cherryville, NC · 21h

wvlt.tv

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Manufacturer to close another East TN plant, affecting dozens of workers

Tsubaki Nakashima has announced plans to close a second plant in East Tennessee. The plant is scheduled to close effective Dec. 17, 2027, affecting a total of 73 workers. The company said production carried out at the three plants it is closing will be transferred primarily to plants in India.

Mountain City, TN · 3d

Ashe Post & Times

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Don’t feed the bears: Warrensville man requests nuisance ordinance to prevent attacks

JEFFERSON — Warrensville resident Jonathan Parker requested the Ashe County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 2 to consider an ordinance or nuisance provision to deter bear-feeding. Addressing the board during its scheduled meeting’s public comment, Parker said indiscriminate bear feeding on West Mill Creek Road has led to a “concentration of bears in the community to the point that residents are concerned about walking their dogs and being outside after dark.” He also said bear feeding can lead to neighborhood property damage. Although Ashe County has a significant wildlife population, Parker said that recent bear sightings occur “more frequently than what most (Ashe County) residents consider normal.” He also said the community has limited recourse for the growing bear population, which has become more accustomed to human interaction and regular feedings. Parker explained that bear feeding isn’t about legality, punishment, or “enjoying wildlife.” He’s worried that consistent feedings could lead to injury because wildlife has become “so habituated to humans” and has destroyed property. However, commissioners didn’t address Parker’s concerns, as is the norm under board decorum. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission discourages feeding wildlife because it creates public safety hazards, spreads disease, and leads to property damage. The

Ashe County, NC · 1d

appalachianhistorian.org

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Cana, Carroll County: Moravian Churches, Mountain Schools, and the Apple Industry

Appalachian Community Histories – Cana, Carroll County: Moravian Churches, Mountain Schools, and the Apple Industry. Along the southern edge of Carroll County, Virginia, where the Blue Ridge Mountains descend toward the North Carolina Piedmont, the community of Cana developed through generations of farming, religious activity, education, and commerce. Situated near the state line along the corridor now followed by U.S. Route 52, Cana became closely connected with nearby Mount Airy, North Carolina, while retaining the institutions and traditions of its mountain surroundings.

Carroll County, VA · 18h

appalachianhistorian.org

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Lambsburg, Carroll County: Mills, Schools, and the Railroad That Never Came

Appalachian Community Histories – Lambsburg, Carroll County: Mills, Schools, and the Railroad That Never Came. In the southern reaches of Carroll County, Virginia, near the North Carolina state line, lies the community of Lambsburg. Situated near the headwaters of Stewart’s Creek, between Fisher Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain, the settlement developed in a landscape of mountain farms, wooded ridges, and roads connecting southwestern Virginia with the Piedmont of North Carolina. Although Lambsburg is a relatively small community today, its history reaches back to an era when local merchants, mill operators, and farmers depended upon wagon roads rather than railroads to move their goods between markets.

Carroll County, VA · 18h

appalachianhistorian.org

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Laurel Fork, Carroll County: From Bolttown to Schools, Post Offices, and Mountain Life

Appalachian Community Histories – Laurel Fork, Carroll County: From Bolttown to Schools, Post Offices, and Mountain Life. High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Carroll County, Virginia, the community of Laurel Fork developed among winding creeks, steep farmland, and mountain roads that connected generations of families to the surrounding countryside. Although never a large town, Laurel Fork became a recognizable center of local life, with stores, churches, schools, and a post office serving residents who lived throughout the nearby mountains.

Carroll County, VA · 21h

WJHL

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School bus changes take effect in Smyth County

SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — Smyth County Public Schools’ changes to its bus operations took effect Wednesday as the school system seeks to be more efficient amid rising diesel prices. The school system informed families on Monday that it was facing financial challenges due to fuel costs and would be making changes to some bus […]

Smyth County, VA · 1d

appalachianhistorian.org

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Hillsville, Carroll County: Cranberry Plains, the 1912 Courthouse Tragedy, and the 1931 Fire

Appalachian Community Histories – Hillsville, Carroll County: Cranberry Plains, the 1912 Courthouse Tragedy, and the 1931 Fire. Along the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, Hillsville has served as the center of government, commerce, and community life in Carroll County for more than 180 years. Its Main Street, courthouse, and surrounding neighborhoods preserve a history that reaches back to the days of stagecoach travel, when the settlement was known as Cranberry Plains and farmers brought their produce to a growing mountain trading post.

Hillsville, VA · 18h

The Carroll News

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Data Center debate takes new direction as Alabama changes minds and Cavaliers complete historic season

“My whole goal in this was to go down there and get with the locals because the locals are just like us,” said Delilah Brady, who turned the microphone around and faced the audience. “I wanted to find all the negatives…. I went everywhere and I talked to everybody and they were happy. It was almost like they lived in this little utopia or something… Overall, I mean, everybody liked them.” Goodge owned data centers made a big impression on Carroll County visitors. Carroll County pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat James River 40-20 in Buchanan, Va. on Friday, November 6, in the process completing the first perfect regular season in program history. “It’s a blessing,” said running back Hunter Gravley. “This is something I thought Carroll County would never see and I’m just grateful to be part of it.”

Carroll County, VA · 1d

The Mount Airy News

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Carroll officials more open to data center after visiting one in Alabama

Data centers have been front-and-center in both local and national debate, including just across the border in Virginia, where opposition to a proposed data center there has been widespread, including among some county officials. But a few county officials, along with residents, who generally opposed such centers may be changing their minds after several visited a Google-owned data center in Jackson County, Alabama. A public hearing regarding the recently adopted Emergency Data Center Ordinance occurred at the beginning of a recent Board of Supervisors meeting in Carroll County, with the goal of making the emergency ordinance permanent. The Data Center Ordinance was formulated to place restrictions on data centers locating in the county and includes limits to water consumption, noise pollution and places strict decommissioning requirements on facilities after they close. Delilah Brady spoke during the public hearing portion of the meeting and requested that the supervisors adapt the emergency data center ordinance and make it a permanent part of the county code. The Data Center Ordinance was subsequently adopted by a unanimous vote of the board. Google has expressed an interest in locating a data center on a piece of property owned by a private landowner near the Wildwood

Jackson County, AL · 2d

Ashe Post & Times

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County approves replacement sheriff’s vehicle lease

JEFFERSON — Ashe County Commissioners approved the sheriff’s office Enterprise lease agreement on Nov. 2 to replace a totaled patrol vehicle. Two ACSO vehicles were declared total losses in separate incidents, one involving a vehicle pursuit and another while an officer was transporting someone. After reviewing dashboard camera footage, ACSO staff determined the incidents were unavoidable. The pursuit also followed department policy, the sheriff’s office said. The ACSO also said other department vehicles sustained damage from deer collisions. County Manager Adam Stumb said the county has already received insurance credit for one vehicle and is “waiting to settle” the other claim. Stumb said the county would also save on lease payments for the remainder of the year by operating with one fewer vehicle. “At the end of the day, budget-wise, it’s close to a wash,” Stumb said of the replacement costs through insurance. Leveraging his EMS background, Commissioner Wes Greene requested additional details about the accidents for clarification while stating his position on driver safety with county equipment, comparing it to firearm safety training. “We receive safety credits from our insurance,” Greene explained. “Anytime we can do driver training, we receive safety credits which saves us money. I want to

Ashe County, NC · 1d

pcpatriot.com

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Small Community, Big Accomplishments: Barren Springs Ruritan Club Earns Five Gold Awards

BARREN SPRINGS, VA — What began as a vision to bring neighbors together and make a difference has grown into an award-winning community service organization. The Barren Springs Community Ruritan Club proudly celebrated a remarkable achievement on November 7, 2026, when it received five Gold Honor Awards from Ruritan National during the New River District Convention held in White Gate, Virginia.

Barren Springs, VA · 1d

wcyb.com

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High School highlights and scores: November 10, 2026

Three local volleyball teams won region titles on Tuesday. All of these schools have qualified for the state tournament.

Abingdon, VA · 2d