November 2009 Archives

North Carolina's unemployment rate increased from 10.8 percent to 11 percent in October, according to numbers released from the NC Employment Security Commission.  This is the first time the unemployment rate has risen since May. Furniture and fabricated metal production saw the most job losses in October, while local government and healthcare & social assistance saw the most job gains. The national unemployment rate for last month was 10.2 percent.

Authorities are looking for the driver involved in a hit-and-run around 3:00 this morning in Alexander County. A person was hit while walking along Old Mountain Road at Smith Farm Road.  The unnamed victim reportedly has life-threatening injuries and has been taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. NC State Troopers reported that the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run would have damage to the left front side and broken glass. Anyone who spots this vehicle should call the NC Highway Patrol by dialing *HP from their cell phone.

Women Helping Women Thrive meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Cancer Resource Center at the Seby B. Jones Cancer Center on the campus of Watauga Medical Center. The group is open to all female cancer survivors. This wellness group allows those living with cancer to share experiences and gain knowledge about how to live with and beyond cancer. A spokeswoman for the group said that expressive arts will be explored as a means of communicating on another level of awareness allowing for self-exploration and fun. The program is offered at no charge, but those attending are asked to RSVP to: Heather Cameron at 964-0828.

The Watauga County Relay for Life raised around $9,000 more this year than last. According to Relay Co-Chair Sharon Trivette, over $260,000 was raised this year for the American Cancer Society.  This total amount includes over $25,700 raised by the Appalachian State University Relay for Life, which was held in April. Trivette said Watauga County's Relay for Life moved up from the number six spot nationally to number two, with around 5,000 relays held across the nation. A total of 74 teams participated in the 2009 Watauga Relay and 50 of those teams will receive All-Star Awards from the American Cancer Society.

Residents interested in getting involved with Relay for Life can visit www.RelayForLife.org or call Sharon Trivette at (828) 297-1691.

Crews will be replacing substandard guardrails along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Milepost 0 in Rockfish Gap to Milepost 356 in Asheville. Parkway officials said the construction work would take an estimated 600 days. Crews will be closing one lane of traffic while working and drivers should expect a delay of up to 15 minutes.  Contract work will only be held on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., with only occasional work on the weekends. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011.

It's not St. Paddy's Day yet, but a local group is serving up "green drinks." Boone Green Drinks is an informal social networking organization that hosts monthly events for anyone interested in sustainable activities in the High Country. The effort grew out of the High Country Home Builders Association's Green Building Committee and is now setting up a regular meeting schedule and formal network.

Quint David helped launch the movement, which is based on a similar undertaking in Asheville and has become more popular worldwide as interest in renewable energy and sustainable development grows. David said each meeting they will come together and talk about green energy, building and business. The slogan of the international Green Drinks organization is "Saving the World One Sip at a Time". Boone Green Drinks gatherings are free and open to the public. Participants cover their own costs of refreshments and light snacks are provided.

The next meeting of Boone Green Drinks is Thursday, Dec. 3. It will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center.

The Watauga Humane Society is holding a special fundraiser where family pets can have their picture taken with Santa Paws. Ellen Jo Kramer of the Humane Society said Santa Paws will be visiting the Little Red School House, behind the Mast General Store, in Valle Crucis on Saturday and Sunday December 5 and 6 from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Kramer said all types of animals are invited to have their picture taken, but all dogs must be on a leash. A 5x7 costs $10 and additional photos are available for $5 each.

The Boone Police Department charged a suspect in the shooting death of a 20-year-old ASU student. Detective Glen Kornhauser said 20-year-old Galen Elijah Ruble is in custody and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Ruble is being held under a $10,000 bond and will appear in court on December 15. As previously reported, 20-year-old Jay Franklin Derby's death has been officially ruled accidental.  Detective Kornhauser said investigators confirmed earlier suspicions that the shooting was an accident. Kornhauser said Boone Police received a call around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday in regard to a gunshot victim at App South apartments on Faculty Street. Authorities arrived to find Derby suffering from a fatal injury. Detective Kornhauser said several witnesses were at the apartment at the time of the incident.  A black powder, single-shot hunting rifle was used in the shooting. Kornhauser said Ruble brought out the rifle and attempted to discharge a percussion cap in Derby's direction to frighten those in attendance when the gun went off. Detective Kornhauser said there was no malicious intent involved with the shooting and Ruble is believed to have simply used poor judgment, which resulted in the death of a friend.

It has just been announced that Blue Ridge Electric customers' power bills will go up around $4 per month beginning in March. According to BREMCO's public relations director Renee Whitener, the corporation's board of directors conducted a thorough review of a cost-of-service study.  Because of rising wholesale power costs, the board of directors decided to increase the rate by 3.43 percent, or about $4.03 per month for the average BREMCO customer. Members can find more details about the rate adjustment in the December member newsletter.