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If you were passing through Blowing Rock today, you may have noticed that part of Highway 321 was closed off this afternoon. Traffic had to be detoured from the main thoroughfare in Blowing Rock after a propane leak from around Outback Steakhouse made emergency personnel concerned of an explosion. Fire fighters evacuated an area from Woodlands Barbecue to the Sunset Drive intersection while emergency personnel worked to stop the leak and shut off the propane tank located behind the Outback Steakhouse. Officials used water to dispel the gas, and reopened Highway 321 a little after 1pm. 

It was a busy weekend in the High Country this weekend with beautiful weather and plenty of activities to attend, but none probably bigger than the 55th Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans. Our MTN crews were at MacRae Meadows from dawn to midnight almost every day covering the world-wide attraction, and on Friday, they captured The Grizzly Bike Race which started at 8am. The race began in Linville and ended on the track at Grandfather Mountain. There was a "neutral start" to the bottom of Grandfather Mountain, where the riders then cycled through Avery County. The Grizzly took the challengers up 7000 feet of climbing in 65 miles, including 2 miles of dirt road up the backside of Beech Mountain. The race shutdown was at 3pm, meaning you need to be able to complete the bike race in seven hours. Now, for those trying to take the "light" route, and I use "light" very loosely, there was also a 30-mile half grizzly race this year. Our camera crews did not take a break as they traveled back to MacRae Meadows to get a look at the preliminary athletic competition that would be taking place over the weekend. Activities included many of the popular festivities that bring the Scottish feel to the High Country, including sheep herding and music/dancing exhibitions. Celtic Groves was also open, providing visitors to the Highland Games with just a sample of the music they would hear throughout the weekend. After the opening ceremonies, there were plenty of other activities to keep you entertained including the Highland Wrestling Clinic for children, a children's tent and field Activities, a harp workshop, the Highland Dancing Pre-Championship, the Lochaber Trump Competition in the Harp and Fiddling Tent, and one of the most important and most beloved activities, the history & genealogy studies at clan tents. This gave everyone in attendance an opportunity to trace their roots and discover which clan they were a part of. After the day events came to a conclusion at 3pm, preparations were made for the Celtic Music Jam Concert from 7-11pm. The concert traced the evolution of Celtic Music from the ancient to the contemporary at MacRae Meadows. During nearly that same time-frame, the Scottish Country Dance Gala gave spectators and dancers alike a chance to experience the evolution of Scottish dance. After that, everyone took a short break before Saturday's events, and since there were so many events over the weekend, we will bring you the footage of Saturday's events on tonight's evening newscast, including some record-breaking performances.

Well, if you haven't heard, Horn in the West is getting rave reviews from everyone. The outdoor theater is pulling out all the stops this year to put on their best show ever, and so far it is working. This year features one of the oldest Revolutionary War dramas in the country by Dr. Kermit Hunter. This year's Horn in the West brings an important history lesson in an interesting performance that gives us a look at what it was like for pioneers traveling through the wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains to escape British oppression.  The performance is sure to feature plenty of oohs and aahs, laughs, and of course an important history lesson of our country's beginnings as well as the beginnings of life here in the High Country. If you would like to experience the thrill of Horn in the West, tickets are $18 for adults and $9 for children. To buy tickets you can call 828-264-2120 or you can visit horninthewest.com. 

SkyLine Membership Corporation and Skybest Communications received a big grant to provide Internet access in rural areas. Skyline Skybest received the $29 million grant as part of a federal program to not only give more residents a chance of getting Internet service, but also to help stimulate the economy and provide jobs to the High Country. The grant is designed to create around 100 jobs and provide economic development in the area. The fiber- optic network is expected to help about 1,750 people, 600 businesses and 100 community organizations primarily Alleghany and Ashe counties. Skyline is a local, member-owned cooperative, that was founded in 1951 to bring telephone service to rural residents of Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties. Out of the eight telephone cooperatives in North Carolina, Skyline is currently the second-largest. The organization's 12-exchange network serves over 33,000 access lines across five counties in northwest North Carolina and east Tennessee.

Part of what we love to do here at the station is help those in need, and I am so committed to helping people that I'm going to go to jail for it. No, not real jail. I have volunteered to participate in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Lock-up. My goal is to raise $2,400 for my "bail" and I need your help, otherwise they lock me up. The money raised helps send a child with muscular dystrophy to summer camp for one week to be able to enjoy the little things in life with others that suffer from their same condition. This year, the money raised will go to benefit the Collins Family whose son Jeffrey has CMT, which is a type of muscular dystrophy. I know many of us are tight with money this year, but even a $30 donation helps a child with MD get a flu shot and any donation you make not only helps the MDA, it is also tax deductible! So, please join me in giving to this great cause. Currently, the bail barometer on my donor page is at $0, so let's not leave it there. I'll be the first to put my money where my mouth is by donating first, now it's your turn to give a donation. Visit my website, watch my goofy video, mdaProduction1_xvid.avi , and of course make a donation at https://www.joinmda.org/boone2010/brandon. Or if you prefer to call or stop by and want to learn more or donate in person, you can call the studio at 828-262-0990 or stop by the MTN Studios at 643 Greenway Road Suite F in Boone. Thank you for your help!

Grandfather Mountain is staying busy lately as they prepare for their annual highland games. The scenic attraction is preparing for the 55th Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans. The games will feature the color of hundreds of tartan plaids and the clamor of half a dozen bagpipe bands to the North Carolina Highlands from Thursday, July 8th to Sunday, July 11.

The Highland Games begin Thursday afternoon, July 8, with a sheep herding exhibition, Celtic entertainment, the running of "The Bear," and the opening ceremonies. "The Bear" is a 5-mile footrace that roughly 800 runners participate in as they climb a 1,568-foot elevation from the town of Linville to the summit of Grandfather Mountain. Friday features the Grizzly Bike Ride, a challenging route with 7,000 feet of climbing completed over 65 miles. This year will also feature a new 30-mile ride, which is a condensed version of the Grizzly without the Beech Mountain climb. Completing the trifecta of extreme physical challenges is the 42nd running of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon on Saturday, July 10. Everyone that makes it through all three events will receive a special prize.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are filled with competition in heavy-weight Scottish athletic events; highland dancing competition; bagpipe band parades; piping, drumming and harp competitions; sheep herding demonstrations by Scottish border collies and concerts featuring a wide variety of Celtic music. Friday night will also feature a Scottish Country Dance Gala at Lees-McRae College beginning at 8pm and running until 12am. Admission for the dance is $25 for dancers and $10 for spectators.

Merchants will also be on hand to sell Gaelic and tartan gift items while concessionaires sell Scottish meat pies to give visitors a taste of the highlands. There is also a tent set up to help guests trace their Scottish roots and learn more about their heritage. Adult tickets are $15 Thursday, $20 Friday, $30 Saturday and $15 Sunday. The tickets cover all activities in the meadows. Tickets are $5 each day for children ages 5-12, and children under five get in free. Four-day tickets are also available online at www.gmhg.org. Adult 4-day passes are $55 and children's passes are $25. Parking is available on site at the Games field Thursday and Friday on a first-come, first-serve basis with overflow parking at shuttle lots in Linville. For more information, please call 828-733-1333 or visit online at www.gmhg.org.

Ryan's Rock N' Roll Run is taking to the Boone Greenway Trail this weekend. The run features three different races for the runners, joggers, walkers, and the people like myself, the crawlers. The three runs include a 1 mile, a 5k, and a 5 mile run. The race starts at 9am and costs just $25 to enter and will feature bands stationed along the run playing live music. The entry fee includes a free t-shirt and helps two causes: Moses Haley and the Ronald McDonald House in Winston-Salem. Now let me tell you about these two great causes. First, Moses Haley is a three-year-old little boy that lives in Blowing Rock. Right before Christmas he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyo Sarcoma. It is an aggressive cancer of the soft tissues. The tumor is located in his sinus cavity and is inoperable. Moses is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation at Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, and it gets expensive to not only drive from Blowing Rock to Winston-Salem, but it's also expensive for the radiation. Moses and his family need financial help to help pay for bills, transportation, or even a vacation to just get a way and forget life's challenges for a while. The second cause is the Ronald McDonald House which helps families stay together and afford housing and food near the treatment hospital. If you are interested in joining MTN and every one else at the run, please register online at ryansrocknrollrun.com or contact Dirk Krause at 828-266-1406 and help join the cause to beat Sarcoma!  

Investigators in Raleigh are still searching for answers for why an ASU student and a woman scaled the fence of a Progressive Energy substation, resulting in both getting electrocuted over the weekend. 22-year-old Brian Griffin Rey of Raleigh and 21-year-old Amber Leigh Mills of Raleigh reportedly hopped an eight-foot barbed wire fence and climbed up a transformer, causing an explosion and getting electrocuted by 23,000 volts of electricity in the process. The explosion knocked out power to over 12,000 Progressive Energy customers in the Raleigh/Cary area. Rey is currently in critical condition at UNC Hospitals after witnesses say his skin was yellow and severely burned to the point where you could see his flesh after the incident. Amber Mills was in serious condition, but was released after treatment. Rey is a senior at ASU and according to reports, was at a party with Mills when the two decided to enter the substation. It's still unknown why the two entered the restricted area, but investigators believe alcohol was involved. We at MTN wish both of them the best and hope that they get well soon.  

Today, marks the 10 year anniversary since former ASU basketball player Rufus Leach died. On June 9th, 2000, 22-year-old Rufus and current teammate at the time Buddy Davis, decided to take a swim in Watauga Lake, but little did anyone know that it would be the last thing Rufus would do in his accomplished life. Rufus drowned on that sad day, attempting to swim about 50 yards from a boat anchored on Lake Watauga to a dock when he suffered a cramp and went under the water. Authorities recovered his body 38 hours later, so deep into the lake that the water was reportedly 38 degrees. Leach had helped lead an Appalachian team to just its second NCAA appearance in school history, and he was ready to play his senior season in the first year of the Holmes center. Unfortunately, the gifted athlete, who led ASU in scoring in his junior season, never had that opportunity, forever changing the landscape of Appalachian basketball. So, for the man that touched our hearts before and after he died, and for the player that entertained us for years and left us wondering what more he could have accomplished, we take this moment to honor the life of Rufus Devon Leach.

With it being Memorial Day Weekend, there are plenty of events scheduled for this weekend. The Watauga Community Band will hold their annual Memorial Concert on Sunday at 3pm at the Rosen Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The Watauga Community band will also perform at a Memorial Day celebration hosted by the High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America on Monday at the Boone Mall beginning at 10am with music and a ceremony at 11am. The event will recognize the work done by service men and women from current war zones, as well as Vietnam, Korea, both World Wars, and any other conflicts in U.S. history. The event will feature a speech by Major General "Skip" McCartney and will recognize all local military organizations as well, including Blue Star Mothers of the High Country. ASU will also be hosting a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday at 7:30am featuring speaker Major Maury A. Williams from Appalachian's Department of Military Science and Leadership. The ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial on the west side of the Doughtery Administration Building. And finally, the American Legion Post Number 130 will host its annual commemorative ceremony on Monday as well at 2pm at the Legion Post on 135 Bear Trail, just off Grand Boulevard in Boone.