Top News of the Week

The Moment

Just after noon Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, January 20, more than a million men, women and children from all over the country and the world, including several people from the High Country, crowded Washington, D.C.’s National Mall to witness what many long considered impossible as Illinois Sen. Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th President of the United States of America. According to photographer Sam Calhoun, the jubilant cheers of attendees were frequently mixed with tears of joy at the sight of the nation’s first black president. Read More »

Celebrating the Past, Looking to the Future—First Presbyterian Church Celebrates 70 Years on Sunday

First Presbyterian Church of Boone is celebrating a landmark this Sunday, January 25—its 70th anniversary. According to Pastor Ron Bowie, the celebration will include a nostalgic look back to acknowledge the stability of the past and the vision of its people, but will place even more emphasis on the church’s exciting future and growth. The church property on Howard Street has been sold to Appalachian State University, and a new church will be built on Deerfield Road, with an anticipated move-in date in 2011. Read More »

Watauga High School Construction Cost Update

The new Watauga High School, seen here under a layer of snow, is on schedule for a fall 2010 completion date. Photo by Patrick Pitzer

For the past few months, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners has approved change orders for the new Watauga High School at most meetings. Some change orders reflect necessary design changes, some reflect increased costs or unexpected conditions such as additional rock at the baseball field, and some, such as a recent $88,214 deductive change order, mean a credit for the county. Read More »

The View Stories

Songs that Inspired a Journey of Hope—The African Children’s Choir Performs at ASU January 27

The world-renowned African Children’s Choir will perform their new show, “Journey of Hope,” at Farthing Auditorium in Boone on Tuesday, January 27, at 8:00 p.m. The show is part of ASU’s Performing Arts Series.

They come from a world away, hailing from abysmal conditions in impoverished and sometimes war-torn regions in countries including Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa. And from the mouths of children who have endured virtually unspeakable hardships, hunger and sorrow comes some of the most beautiful music in the world.

On Tuesday, January 27, at 8:00 p.m., the world-famous African Children’s Choir will perform at Farthing Auditorium as part of ASU’s Performing Arts Series. Tickets to the show are $18 for the general public, $16 for seniors, ASU faculty and staff and $10 for students and children. Read More »

Shelter Stories

2008 Boone Occupancy Revenues Better Than Most of
Industry—Summer Co-op Advertising Rescues Revenues in Economic Downturn

The Boone Convention and Visitors Bureau recently released occupancy tax data for January 2008 to November 2008. The figures tell the story of a year that started slowly, rose slightly in response to collaborative marketing campaigns in the summer, dipped dramatically in September because of the gas crisis and then slowly rose to close to normal—yet still below normal—over the winter holidays. To summarize, 2008 was a roller-coaster ride for Boone’s hoteliers, but the year as a whole was better than most in the tourism accommodation industry. CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VIEW »

According to Boone Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Director Mac Forehand, Boone occupancy revenues are “doing better than most of the industry,” based on figures from January 2008 to November 2008. Figures for December 2008 will not be available for another week, said Forehand. Read More »

THE HIGH COUNTRY PRESS TEAM

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