News Watch

A Quick Look at News Across the Region

Compiled by Sam Calhoun

Green Park Inn Auction Tentatively Scheduled for July 30
The Green Park Inn, located at 9239 Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock, closed in May after serving the High Country since the 1880s. The owner cited lack of financial capital to operate the business. The inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ginny Stevens, of the Blowing Rock Historical Society, said an auction of the Green Park Inn property is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, July 30. At the moment, it appears that at least three parties interested in restoring the historic property are prospective buyers, Stevens said.

ASU Announces Monthly Siren Tests
The same sirens that echoed through downtown Boone two weeks ago are scheduled for repeat performances on a monthly basis. ASU announced this week that it will test its siren-equipped emergency warning system at 11:55 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. According to university officials, the monthly test will consist of a 75-second siren followed by a prerecorded voice message altering listeners that it is only a test. The emergency warning sirens are part of the university’s ongoing activities related to campus safety.

Boone Receives $530,000 From N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson confirmed this week that the town will receive two grants that total more than $530,000 from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. The funding will fund a Capital Improvement Plan to study the town’s water infrastructure and the means to improve capacity, efficiency and production of water. The grant funding will also be used to supplement a $600,000 CDBG grant received earlier this year that will be used to remove sediment at the Winkler’s Creek water intake site. Clawson stated that she appreciated the work of Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93) and Sen. Steve Goss (D-45) to improve the town’s water system and help the citizens of Boone.

Miss Western N.C. Named Second Runner Up in Miss N.C. Pageant
Miss Western North Carolina, Jamee Hunt of Rowland, was named second runner-up in the Miss North Carolina Pageant, held last Saturday. For the honor, Hunt took home a $2,500 scholarship and the chance to represent North Carolina at the national competition if winner Katherine Southard of Raleigh and the first runner-up are unable to fulfill their duties. Hunt is a former Miss UNC-Pembroke and was first runner up in last year’s Miss North Carolina Pageant.

Goss Awarded National Guard Medal of Merit
Sen. Steve Goss (D-45) this week was awarded the Charles Dick Medal of Merit from the National Guard Association. Presented by Major General William E. Ingram Jr., adjutant general of the North Carolina Army National Guard, the award was established in 1988 and is designed to recognize contributions to the National Guard by elected officials at the state and national levels. The medal is named in honor of Major General Charles Dick, president of the National Guard Association of the United States from 1902 to 1909, a major general in the Ohio National Guard, a congressman and later a senator. Dick was responsible for the passage of the Dick Acts of 1903 and 1908 that established the foundation of the modern National Guard.

To be considered for the award an individual must have distinguished himself or herself over an extended period of time in support of the National Guard as a state or national elected official. During his service in the North Carolina Senate, Goss has been a major supporter of expansion for family assistance centers that provide aid to the dependents and family members of North Carolina service men and women across the state.

Burr Appointed to West Point Board of Visitors
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) this week accepted an appointment to the Board of Visitors at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Created by the Federal Advisory Act of 1972, the BOV consists of presidential appointees and members of congress.

“I am incredibly honored to have been selected and look forward to serving as a member of the U.S. Military Academy Board of Visitors,” Burr said. “In conjunction with my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue to do all I can in support of our nation’s armed forces and West Point.”

The board meets quarterly to review and receive updates on the academic, physical and military programs at the academy. Specifically, the board has oversight of the academy’s morale and discipline, curriculum, instructions, physical equipment, fiscal affairs and academic methods.

Foxx Votes Against National Energy Tax
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) this week voted against H.R. 2454, a bill that would essentially create a national energy tax through a “cap and trade” scheme, according to Foxx. Some estimates found that the total tax impact of this legislation will amount to $2,979 per year for a family of four, according to a press release from Foxx’s office.

“As we struggle to make our way out of a recession, I could not vote for the creation of a new national energy tax,” Foxx said. “North Carolina families and businesses can’t afford the financial strain of high energy costs in this bill. We should be working to ensure taxpayers are less burdened by taxes and red tape—not more.”

Under H.R. 2454, electricity costs are estimated to rise by 90 percent, the release said. According to the Heritage Foundation, the economy will lose 1,105,000 jobs per year as a result of this national energy tax. The bill will have an especially negative effect on energy-intensive sectors like manufacturing—which employs one out of six people in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, the release said. H.R. 2454 will also reduce the United States’ economic output by $9.6 trillion.

“Tens of thousands of people in North Carolina who work in manufacturing are at risk of losing their jobs due to the burdens placed on employers by this bill,” Foxx said. “Many employers will be forced out of business or out of the country because of high energy prices and the new regulations in this legislation.”

NCDOT Takes Steps to Make Travel Easier Over Fourth of July Weekend
The N.C. Department of Transportation will suspend most road construction activities over the Fourth of July holiday to help ease traffic delays and improve driving conditions throughout the state. Most construction projects along interstates, N.C. and U.S. routes will be suspended beginning at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, July 2, until 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 7, with four exceptions. The four exceptions are:

-One of two lanes will be closed on Highway 421 South near Highway 268 in Wilkes County from mile marker 286 to mile marker 287 where the embankment is being repaired from a previous slide. No work will occur during the holiday; however, the right lane will remain closed.

-I-85 in Vance County between mile markers 206 and 214 is reduced to one lane in each direction using the northbound side so that crews can reconstruct the southbound lanes as part of a pavement rehabilitation project.

-One of three lanes will be closed on I-85 North and I-85 South at the interchange with Highway 62 at Exit 113 near High Point due to construction of the Highway 311 Bypass. No work will occur during the holiday; however, the right lane in each direction will remain closed.

-One lane in each direction of Highway 220 at the Randolph/Montgomery County line will be closed due to the construction of rest areas. No work will occur during the holiday; however, the right lane in each direction will remain closed.

This year’s construction increase is due to projects awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as through Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles, or GARVEE bonds, which allow NCDOT to borrow against future federal funding to complete needed projects.

No AppalCART Service Friday and Saturday
AppalCART, Watauga County’s transportation authority, will be closed this Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4, in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday. AppalCART will resume operating the Red, Green, Gold, Purple and POP105 bus routes and all van routes on Monday, July 6, on summer schedules. For more information on AppalCART routes, click to www.appalcart.com or call 828-264-2278.