LATEST NEWS

Jace Allen was sentenced to 20 to 33 months in prison after a jury in Ashe County found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of 17-year old Norah Smitherman. Norah Smitherman. A mother speaks. I have been waiting patiently for 16 months and 13 days to...

The following is a list of upcoming events in Ashe County. All times and dates are subject to change. If you have an event you would like added to the calendar, email event details to nathan.ham@ashepostandtimes.com by 5 p.m. on Friday. March 23 Ashe County Republican Women quarterly meeting — The Ashe County Republican Women are establishing a quarterly evening meeting for women whose schedules and responsibilities prevent them from...

JEFFERSON — For 15 years, Don Long served as the curator of the Museum of Ashe County History. His love of history and vast knowledge that he shared with folks of all ages will always be remembered by those that ever got a chance to meet him. Long passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 80 at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem. Long served in the United States Army and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from UNC-Chapel Hill...

The following information was provided by the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. March 13 Brad J. Marquis, 40, of Warrensville, was charged with a probation violation. Marquis is currently being held at the Ashe County Detention Center under a $7,500 secured bond. Veryl...

Boone was awarded a $400,000 NC LASII program grant. The grant will fund an inventory and mapping of the stormwater infrastructure on publicly owned land, town-maintained right-of-way, DOT-maintained right-of-way, and publicly accessible private property. The inventory will include a field collection of features across the entire incorporated area of Boone, excluding small areas that were inventoried during previous location-specific projects. This will help Town leaders make decisions on appropriate levels of funding for stormwater during the budget process.

BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA--The accolades keep pouring in for Kate Sears, Watauga’s dynamic point guard who helped lead the Pioneers to a 23-7 record and a trip to the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4A state tournament, the farthest the team has advanced in school history. Sears averaged 21 points, 6.7 ...

WEST JEFFERSON — The Ashe County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting on March 10 to welcome Krause Family Arborist to its growing list of members. Krause Family Arborist, owned by Ben and Sydney Krause, offers a variety of tree services, including pruning, pest management and complete tree removal services. “We are excited to be here in this county and to be working with you all. There are lots...

Speedway Children's Charities (SCC) distributed $40,000 Tuesday at North Wilkesboro Speedway to four area nonprofits making a direct impact on the lives of Wilkes County area children in need. SCC officials hosted representatives from the following charities, each of which received a $10,000 grant from 2022 fundraising efforts to support their causes.

On March 12, 2023, at 7:37 p.m., officers assigned to the Boone Police Department’s Patrol Division responded to the Greenway Trail parking area, located at 567 Deerfield Road, for a reported robbery. The reporting person, Kayla Alderson, stated a male subject restrained her, held a bladed weapon to her throat and demanded her purse. Ms. Alderson stated the male subject fled the area on foot with her purse containing approximately $1000.00 in cash from her place of employment.

JEFFERSON — The Ashe County Cemetery Committee has started identifying abandoned cemeteries across the county and began the process of cleaning up and maintaining them well into the future. As long as the weather holds out and it is not too rainy, volunteers are holding a cleanup day at the recently discovered Poe-Bly Cemetery off of Wade Bare Road in Jefferson on March 25. The Ashe County Cemetery Committee was...

In September 2022, the Town of Boone applied for a NCDEQ Local Assistance for Stormwater. Infrastructure Investments (LASII) Program grant. At the end of February 2023, Boone was. awarded a $400,000 NC LASII program grant. The grant will fund an inventory and mapping of the stormwater infrastructure on publicly owned...

Johnson County Longhorns Tennis Coach Zach Pittman is unsure what to expect this season. “We had four seniors graduate from the lady’s team last year, so seeing how the girls step up this year will be interesting,” Pittman said while noting the improvements Shawna Arnold has shown in practice so far this season. “We expect her to have a good year.”

Were taken into custody after a month-long hunt that resulted in damage to two patrol cars, according to sheriff B. Phil Howell. Officers from the Ashe County Sheriff's Office have been attempting to detain Wesley Pennington on outstanding DOC Absconder warrants for a number of weeks. Deputy Johnson was on patrol in Lansing on March 9, 2023, when he came across Pennington.

WILEKSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — NASCAR Cup Series cars were on track at the North Wilkesboro Speedway again for the first time since the last race there in October of 1996. Today’s return to high speed on the track was for a Goodyear tire test ahead of the much anticipated NASCAR All-Star race on May 21. […]

The local law enforcement support group, Back our Blue Watauga, is promoting its second annual Burn a Blue Bulb campaign for the entire month of April. Participants are encouraged to turn on blue light bulbs at their homes, churches, and businesses to show support for local law enforcement. Hard copy posters and half-sized posters are available for businesses and individuals. Back Our Blue is a local, nonprofit, nonpartisan charitable organization formed in the summer of 2021 to provide emotional and physical support to local law enforcement officers and their families in Watauga County.

A Moravian Falls woman is in Catawba County custody. 34-year old Jessica Lynne Huggins was arrested Monday night by the NC Highway Patrol and served arrest warrants for failure to appear. She misses court dates for felony probation violation, felony possession of methamphetamine and multiple traffic related offenses. Huggins is being held in the Catawba County Detention Center with a secured bond of $34,000.

Generations Ashe at the Ashe County Senior Center, 180 Chattyrob Lane, West Jefferson, will offer assistance using a drop-off/pickup model. They are operating for drop off/pick-up only from 9 am to 3 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays through April 5. To make an appointment, call 336- 246-4347. www.generationsashe.org.

Community momentum has led to movement in the fight for fair housing solutions in Watauga County since the start of the Watauga Housing Forum. The Forum started with four free community-wide sessions held on safety, accessibility, affordability, and solutions. According to the North Carolina Housing Coalition’s 2023 Housing Needs Assessment, 64% of renters and 21% of homeowners have difficulty affording their homes in Watauga County. The final forum session was a brainstorming session, which included information about existing housing solutions underway in North Carolina and around the country. The Watauga Housing Council was formed following the last forum to continue the effort to solve housing issues in Watauga. The council’s vision is to see all people in Watauga County have secure and stable housing through partnerships and systemic change.

WEST JEFFERSON — The West Jefferson Planning Board met on March 14 with several agenda items concerning short-term rentals located within the town limits. The planning board recommended that short term rentals be permitted in locations zoned as Community Shopping as long as the building is considered mixed-use property, meaning that the building must also include a storefront or office space. For areas zoned Highway Commercial, short-term rentals would continue...

AVERY COUNTY — After years of being behind the curve when it comes to dedicated animal services programming, local officials are looking into a solution that will work best for Avery County. Shortly after taking office, Avery County Sheriff Mike Henely began searching for ways to solve the lack of animal services in the county. He has worked alongside the county commissioners for months to map out a solution, he said. ...