The Town of Boone Facilities Maintenance Division will pick up Christmas trees for Town of Boone residents beginning Monday, January 4, 2010 through Friday, January 15, 2010. Trees need to be placed curbside on your regular garbage collection day and need to be free of decorations, wire and nails.
December 2009 Archives
School was set to start on Tuesday, January 5, for Watauga County Schools, but officials have moved the start date up to Monday, January 4. Ashe and Avery County Schools are still scheduled to start the spring semester on Tuesday
Granite Falls Police are still looking for the person who killed a 65-year-old pawn shop worker on Monday. Reports say that guns were taken and 65-year-old Tony Lee Myers was killed when the Granite Gun and Pawn was robbed on Monday. Authorities are not releasing the make or serial numbers of the guns that were taken. A sketch has been released, but so far a suspect has not been identified. The sketch is of a man whom is believed to be responsible. The suspect is described as a young Caucasian man with dark hair. He's believed to be of slender build and he possibly speaks with a speech impediment. Anyone with information about this murder and robbery should call the Granite Falls Police Department at (828) 396-3358.
Boone Police officers responded to a burglary report and have made an arrest. In the late night hours of Tuesday, December 29th, officers responded to a report of a man forcibly entering a woman's residence at the Appletree Apartments on South Water Street in Boone. The man had kicked in the door of the apartment and was forcibly removed by the resident. Other apartment residents detained the man outside until officers arrived. Michael Brian Oday, age 31 of Creston, was arrested and charged with one felony count of burglary, one misdemeanor count of resisting, delaying, or obstructing a law enforcement officer, and one felony count of bringing a controlled substance into a detention facility. Oday was also charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident that occurred earlier in the day. Oday was detained under a $25,000 secured bond with a February 10, 2010 court date.
Well, as we get ready to ring in the New Year and celebrate living in the greatest country, let's not forget the efforts of our armed forces serving overseas as we close out this year and bring in a new one. According to the LA Times, this year's tally for U.S. troops killed was 319, compared to 155 in 2008. That tally did not include eight American intelligence officers killed in an audacious insurgent strike Wednesday on their base in eastern Afghanistan. It was the CIA's biggest one-day loss since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Officials say it is due mostly to the crude but ever larger and deadlier roadside bombs built by the Taliban. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared to the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal. With the planned U.S. troop buildup, coupled with ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, it is expected to result in at least a temporary spike in deaths and injuries among the nearly 70,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan and the additional 30,000 due to arrive in 2010. U.S. military officials point to an array of interlocking factors behind the insurgency's growing strength and widely perceived momentum. Those include widespread disaffection with the government of President Hamid Karzai, who last month took office for a second term after a fraud-tainted election.
Officials say it is due mostly to the crude but ever larger and deadlier roadside bombs built by the Taliban. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared to the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal. With the planned U.S. troop buildup, coupled with ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, it is expected to result in at least a temporary spike in deaths and injuries among the nearly 70,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan and the additional 30,000 due to arrive in 2010. U.S. military officials point to an array of interlocking factors behind the insurgency's growing strength and widely perceived momentum. Those include widespread disaffection with the government of President Hamid Karzai, who last month took office for a second term after a fraud-tainted election.
Well, as we get ready to ring in the New Year and celebrate living in the greatest country, let's not forget the efforts of our armed forces serving overseas as we close out this year and bring in a new one. According to the LA Times, this year's tally for U.S. troops killed was 319, compared to 155 in 2008. That tally did not include eight American intelligence officers killed in an audacious insurgent strike Wednesday on their base in eastern Afghanistan. It was the CIA's biggest one-day loss since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Officials say it is due mostly to the crude but ever larger and deadlier roadside bombs built by the Taliban. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared to the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal. With the planned U.S. troop buildup, coupled with ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, it is expected to result in at least a temporary spike in deaths and injuries among the nearly 70,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan and the additional 30,000 due to arrive in 2010. U.S. military officials point to an array of interlocking factors behind the insurgency's growing strength and widely perceived momentum. Those include widespread disaffection with the government of President Hamid Karzai, who last month took office for a second term after a fraud-tainted election.
Officials say it is due mostly to the crude but ever larger and deadlier roadside bombs built by the Taliban. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared to the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal. With the planned U.S. troop buildup, coupled with ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, it is expected to result in at least a temporary spike in deaths and injuries among the nearly 70,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan and the additional 30,000 due to arrive in 2010. U.S. military officials point to an array of interlocking factors behind the insurgency's growing strength and widely perceived momentum. Those include widespread disaffection with the government of President Hamid Karzai, who last month took office for a second term after a fraud-tainted election.
Mayor Loretta Clawson and Boone Police Chief Dana Crawford accepted a North Carolina state flag from retiring Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steve Wilson of the NC State Bureau of Investigation. ASAC Wilson was assigned to the NC Western District and worked closely with the Boone Police Department during his career. The flag flew over the Capital Building in Raleigh and was presented to represent the ties and bonds of all North Carolina Law Enforcement Officers. ASAC Wilson retires today, marking thirty years in law enforcement.
It's a happy New Year's Eve for members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in Watauga County where the most devastating ice storm in recent history had left some without power since Christmas Day. According to BREMCO, everyone has had their power restored after a nearly week long process to get all the lines repaired. At the end of major outage restoration there may be isolated, single residence outages that are difficult to detect. Therefore, members in Watauga County who are at their service location and do not have power are asked to contact the cooperative at (828) 264-8894 or 1-800-448-2383. Line technicians will continue cleanup work and final details into this weekend. At the height of the outage, more than 25,000 members of the cooperative were without power in Watauga, Ashe, Caldwell, and Alleghany counties as well as parts of Wilkes and Avery counties. Assisting Blue Ridge line technicians in power restoration efforts were crews from the following 11 different utilities including neighboring cooperatives Rutherford, Randolph, Piedmont, EnergyUnited, UnionPower, Pee Dee, Lumbee River, and Central EMC, and Blue Ridge Energies as well as crews from Pike Corporation, Carter Utility Services and Asplundh Tree Expert Company.
Public Relations Director Renee Whitener said the lengthy outage is an unusual event for Blue Ridge Electric, as the ice storm damaged nearly half the cooperative's 3,000 miles of power lines and took down some 150 power poles. Hundreds of outage source locations and damage to the system occurred in areas served by the cooperative in very remote, mountainous terrain. Heavy debris and fallen trees also blocked access to major as well as secondary roads early in the restoration process. In a video posted on www.BlueRidgeEMC.com, Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson relays a message thanking cooperative members for their patience, for those who helped feed and house the 300 line technicians working in extreme conditions, for the linemen and employees working long hours behind the scenes, and for everyone who took part in any way to help get power restored.
Just as a reminder as the final power lines are repaired, residents of Watauga County and other areas of recent power restoration should continue to be on alert for scam artists posing as Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation workers trying to gain access to homes. While Blue Ridge Electric employees may knock on a resident's door to speak to the homeowner from outside, they never need access inside a home to restore power. All facilities of the cooperative are outside the home. If you have any doubts about a person claiming to be a Blue Ridge Electric employee or someone assisting Blue Ridge crews, please call the cooperative's local district office or the general toll free number: 1-800-451-5474 to speak with a Blue Ridge employee to confirm identification. Furthermore, all Blue Ridge Electric employees have personalized identification to be carried at all times. If questionable people are around your home, contact local law enforcement authorities.
Public Relations Director Renee Whitener said the lengthy outage is an unusual event for Blue Ridge Electric, as the ice storm damaged nearly half the cooperative's 3,000 miles of power lines and took down some 150 power poles. Hundreds of outage source locations and damage to the system occurred in areas served by the cooperative in very remote, mountainous terrain. Heavy debris and fallen trees also blocked access to major as well as secondary roads early in the restoration process. In a video posted on www.BlueRidgeEMC.com, Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson relays a message thanking cooperative members for their patience, for those who helped feed and house the 300 line technicians working in extreme conditions, for the linemen and employees working long hours behind the scenes, and for everyone who took part in any way to help get power restored.
Just as a reminder as the final power lines are repaired, residents of Watauga County and other areas of recent power restoration should continue to be on alert for scam artists posing as Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation workers trying to gain access to homes. While Blue Ridge Electric employees may knock on a resident's door to speak to the homeowner from outside, they never need access inside a home to restore power. All facilities of the cooperative are outside the home. If you have any doubts about a person claiming to be a Blue Ridge Electric employee or someone assisting Blue Ridge crews, please call the cooperative's local district office or the general toll free number: 1-800-451-5474 to speak with a Blue Ridge employee to confirm identification. Furthermore, all Blue Ridge Electric employees have personalized identification to be carried at all times. If questionable people are around your home, contact local law enforcement authorities.
For a handful of residents, a glass of champagne may help bring in the New Year, but be wary and don't drink too many glasses of bubbly before driving home. North Carolina's Holiday Booze It & Lose It campaign is still ongoing and stepped up local and state authorities will continue to patrol the state's interstates and major highways through the weekend. Governor Bev Perdue said the campaign, which began December 4, will continue until January 3. Perdue added, "As the holiday season comes to a close and we ring in a new year, I encourage all motorists to celebrate smart this weekend. If your celebration includes alcohol, have a designated driver or alternative transportation and start the new year off on the right foot." The Governor said there were 46 alcohol-related crashes resulting in three fatalities last New Year's Eve.
Good news for local High Country residents, outages are decreasing as line technicians continue working to restore power to about 350 members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation that are still without power in Watauga County. As of 10:30 this morning, only two individual outages have been reported in Ashe. There are 203 different sources of the outages in Watauga County left where lines and poles have been damaged and line technicians are working to access and repair. More than 25,000 members were without power at the height of the outages after the worst ice storm in recent history hit the High Country on Christmas day.The ice storm not only damaged about half of the cooperative's 7,000 miles of power lines, it also brought down massive amounts of trees, further damaging power lines and leaving behind 150 broken poles.
Many of the remaining outage sources where the system is damaged are in remote areas of rough, mountainous terrain. In some cases linemen must use bulldozers to get through debris which means power poles must be set primarily by hand without the assistance of line trucks, which is a much lengthier process. Public Relations Director Renee Whitener said, there are "A large number of crews from 11 other utilities that have responded to the request for help and more than 300 lineman are working on restoration at this time." Assisting Blue Ridge line technicians are crews from neighboring cooperatives Rutherford, Randolph, Piedmont, EnergyUnited, UnionPower, Pee Dee, Lumbee River, and Central EMC, and Blue Ridge Energies as well as crews from Pike Corporation, Carter Utility Services and Asplundh Tree Expert Company. The ice storm and falling trees also pulled down power lines. The cooperative reminds the public that downed lines can still be energized and therefore dangerous or even deadly. Please stay far away from downed lines and report them by calling Blue Ridge Electric at 1-800-451-5474. Members in Watauga County with special medical or life support needs should contact their local emergency management office for assistance at (828) 264-4235 or call the American Red Cross at (828) 263-2639.
Residents do need to be aware, as the final outages are being restored to the remaining 350 Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation members in Watauga County, reports of scam artists are arising. Beware if someone knocks at your door asking to come inside your home. While Blue Ridge Electric officials may knock on your door to speak to you from outside, they do not need access inside your home to restore power. If you have any doubts about a person claiming to be a Blue Ridge Electric employee or someone assisting Blue Ridge crews, please call Blue Ridge Electric at your local district office or the general toll free number: 1-800-451-5474 to speak with a Blue Ridge employee to confirm identification. Additionally, all Blue Ridge Electric employees have personalized identification. If someone tries to forcefully enter your home or if questionable people are around your home, contact local law enforcement authorities.
Many of the remaining outage sources where the system is damaged are in remote areas of rough, mountainous terrain. In some cases linemen must use bulldozers to get through debris which means power poles must be set primarily by hand without the assistance of line trucks, which is a much lengthier process. Public Relations Director Renee Whitener said, there are "A large number of crews from 11 other utilities that have responded to the request for help and more than 300 lineman are working on restoration at this time." Assisting Blue Ridge line technicians are crews from neighboring cooperatives Rutherford, Randolph, Piedmont, EnergyUnited, UnionPower, Pee Dee, Lumbee River, and Central EMC, and Blue Ridge Energies as well as crews from Pike Corporation, Carter Utility Services and Asplundh Tree Expert Company. The ice storm and falling trees also pulled down power lines. The cooperative reminds the public that downed lines can still be energized and therefore dangerous or even deadly. Please stay far away from downed lines and report them by calling Blue Ridge Electric at 1-800-451-5474. Members in Watauga County with special medical or life support needs should contact their local emergency management office for assistance at (828) 264-4235 or call the American Red Cross at (828) 263-2639.
Residents do need to be aware, as the final outages are being restored to the remaining 350 Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation members in Watauga County, reports of scam artists are arising. Beware if someone knocks at your door asking to come inside your home. While Blue Ridge Electric officials may knock on your door to speak to you from outside, they do not need access inside your home to restore power. If you have any doubts about a person claiming to be a Blue Ridge Electric employee or someone assisting Blue Ridge crews, please call Blue Ridge Electric at your local district office or the general toll free number: 1-800-451-5474 to speak with a Blue Ridge employee to confirm identification. Additionally, all Blue Ridge Electric employees have personalized identification. If someone tries to forcefully enter your home or if questionable people are around your home, contact local law enforcement authorities.
