JANUARY 14, 2010 ISSUE
On the Cover...
Of High Country Press' 2009 Year in Review Collector's Edition
Winter’s Debut
Snowstorms and a damaging Christmas ice storm have dominated the scene in the High Country for the past several weeks. See our coverage here »
A Final Year for Armanti
Perhaps the best athlete ASU football has ever seen, Armanti Edwards closed out his record-breaking, historic career as a Mountaineer by becoming the first player to win the national Walter Payton Award twice.
Highway 421 Widening
The landscape of Boone changed dramatically when NCDOT began demolition of buildings from Hardin Street to Highway 194 to make room for the widening of Highway 421.
People
Doc Hendley - A 2009 Top 10 CNN Hero.
History
Veteran's Day - Parkway Elementary students honored veterans in 2009.
Arts
Willie Nelson - Country music legend Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel played the Holmes Center on February 19.
Business
Shannon Russing - Shannon’s Curtain, Bed & Bath—a Business Spotlight in 2009
Some of Our Other Ideas for Cover Shots
North Carolina Buys Grandfather Mountain
Although the agreement was first announced in 2008, the sale of Grandfather Mountain to the state continued to dominate headlines in 2009, as the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation tweaked details of the transition. As 2010 begins, the popular scenic attraction is now forever protected and is looking toward the future with a new executive director, Penn Dameron.
A Windmill City Again
Thanks to the student-run ASU Renewable Energy Initiative, the largest windmill in the state now spins and produces energy near the Broyhill Inn in Boone. The turbine is a Northwind 100 that rises 121 feet into the air, features a blade diameter of 54 feet and produces 150,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or roughly enough power to meet the needs of 10 to 15 residential homes.
Billboard Ban
Airing on the side of aesthetics rather than commerce, the Watauga County Commissioners on October 20 adopted amendments to the Watauga County Sign Ordinance that prohibit new billboards in Watauga County. The vote came just three days before a moratorium on all new billboards and all new off-premise electronic signs was set to expire and effectively ended the more than 18-month debate concerning the future of billboards—electronic or otherwise—in Watauga County.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
