Montezuma
Montezuma, NC · LATEST NEWS
ednc.org
‘Come hang out on a Thursday’: 2 years after Helene, Big Yummy is still cooking in Marion
By late morning, the asparagus is on the grill and the chicken quarters are coming out in the pans, roasted in a creamy Italian sauce, ready for the women Big Yummy calls his “Golden Girls.” They build the plates. He preps everything else. Today, that’s 700 plates.
nsjonline.com
North Carolina mid-majors look to defy preseason odds
The 2026-27 college basketball season has kicked off and so today we take a look at some of North Carolina’s mid-major programs and how they look heading into the new season. ECU. Things pretty much bottomed out for the ECU Pirates last year, as they finished with an 11-20...
ourlocalcommunityonline.com
wataugaonline.com
Ashe Post & Times
$35 million App State GEAR UP grant advances college, career readiness for Western NC students
BOONE — Appalachian State University’s Office of Rural Promise (ORP) is the awardee of a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The award marks the second consecutive $35 million federal grant App State has received in support of its GEAR UP program, allowing the university to serve more students and families across the western portion of the state. GEAR UP is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-based services to students, families and teachers, App State’s GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment rates. Results from App State’s previous GEAR UP grants demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in improving educational outcomes. Among participating schools, 97% of students were on track to graduate by the end of ninth grade, and 98% graduated from high school on time, significantly exceeding the statewide average of 88%, according to 2024–25 data, the latest available. “By helping prepare thousands of regional middle and high school students