An accident on U.S. 421 on Tuesday afternoon left six people injured, and prompted rescuers to use the Jaws of Life to free passengers. The wreck happened around 4pm on Tuesday in Deep Gap when torrential downpour caused a black Chevy Suburban to hydroplane and slam into a guardrail before hitting a navy blue Jeep Wrangler. The accident occurred near Orchard Road, just past the Parkway overpass, according to authorities. Police say the Wrangler was parked on the shoulder, waiting for the rain to let up, when the Suburban struck it. Six people were injured, but no one was seriously injured. Rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life and other cutters to free the female driver and the male passenger in the Jeep. They also had to help remove the five occupants of the Suburban who were trapped inside the vehicle. Both the driver and the passenger of the Jeep were taken to the Watauga Medical Center, and were conscious after they were removed from the vehicle. According to police, four of the five passengers of the Suburban were also taken to the Watauga Medical Center. The names of the driver and passenger in the Jeep are not available at this time, along with the names of the passengers in the Suburban, but the driver of the Suburban, Alisa Nance, was cited for a safe speed violation. Police say the airbags deployed on the Suburban, but not on the Jeep, and they also add that both cars were totaled in the wreck.
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An accident on U.S. 421 on Tuesday afternoon left six people injured, and prompted rescuers to use the Jaws of Life to free passengers. The wreck happened around 4pm on Tuesday in Deep Gap when torrential downpour caused a black Chevy Suburban to hydroplane and slam into a guardrail before hitting a navy blue Jeep Wrangler. The accident occurred near Orchard Road, just past the Parkway overpass, according to authorities. Police say the Wrangler was parked on the shoulder, waiting for the rain to let up, when the Suburban struck it. Six people were injured, but no one was seriously injured. Rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life and other cutters to free the female driver and the male passenger in the Jeep. They also had to help remove the five occupants of the Suburban who were trapped inside the vehicle. Both the driver and the passenger of the Jeep were taken to the Watauga Medical Center, and were conscious after they were removed from the vehicle. According to police, four of the five passengers of the Suburban were also taken to the Watauga Medical Center. The names of the driver and passenger in the Jeep are not available at this time, along with the names of the passengers in the Suburban, but the driver of the Suburban, Alisa Nance, was cited for a safe speed violation. Police say the airbags deployed on the Suburban, but not on the Jeep, and they also add that both cars were totaled in the wreck.
The 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) is gearing up for registration and submissions soon. The AMPC will open for registration and submissions on Friday, September 17th. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older are encouraged to submit at www.appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition's close at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 17th. AMPC is a partnership between ASU's Outdoor Programs, and Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The competition celebrates the people, places and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. It attracts entries from all across the United States and for the first time, the competition will feature the Parkway Tree Project photo category sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photographers are encouraged to capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, those that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species, or character. The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. All submitted images for the Parkway Tree Project will be asked to identify the tree species, document the tree's location, and describe in a short story of at least a paragraph why the photographed tree is of particular significance. Entries will be judged on impact, subject matter, center of interest, and storytelling. The AMPC is a profitable one, giving away $4,000 in cash and prizes for the winners in the seven separate categories. The categories include: Adventure, Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Share the Journey®, Culture, Our Ecological Footprint, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape. Once reviewed by a panel of professional photographers, the judges will select 46 that will be exhibited at the Turchin Center February 4th through June 4th, 2011. For more information about the competition, visit www.appmtnphotocomp.org or call 828-262-4954.
The identity of the woman killed in the motorcycle accident on the Blue Ridge Parkway Sunday afternoon has been released. Parkway Police say the Boomer woman that was killed in the accident was 58-year-old Judy Hendrix. Hendrix and her husband were riding separately Sunday afternoon on the parkway, approximately a mile from the 421 bridge at Deep Gap when she lost control of her three-wheel bike. Police say Hendrix lost control of the motorcycle going downhill into a curve, resulting in the bike ending up on top of her, ultimately crushing and killing her. Paramedics attempted to save her life, while officers cleared the road for an airlift, but Hendrix was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, Elk River Falls remains to be a concern for tourists after a man fell near the top of the attraction on Tuesday afternoon. The man was carried by emergency personnel after suffering leg and ankle injuries. The accident occurred at approximately 3:20pm when a man described by witnesses as about six-feet and 250 pounds fell from the waterfall. Avery County emergency personnel responded to the scene and used a stokes basket to take the man through a trail to an awaiting ambulance. It is unknown how the man fell or the exact extent of his injuries at this time.
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.
Well, staying on the topic of water and land protection, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina just received a one-year, $50,000 grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The grant is intended to speed up land and water protection across North Carolina by supporting, promoting and representing the state's 23 local land trusts and protecting more land along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The grant will enable the CTNC to pursue national accreditation, build public awareness of the importance of conservation, and partner with non-traditional community groups to build healthy, whole communities. It will also help facilitate regional conservation initiatives such as the Upper Neuse Clean Water Initiative. The conservation trust is also focusing their efforts on keeping up with the pace of conservation along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where the CTNC has already protected more than 30,000 acres of land. CTNC is a statewide, non-profit land trust working with landowners to protect North Carolina's most treasured lands and waters. It supports a network of 23 local land trusts across the state, working with them and with private landowners, public agencies and concerned citizens to ensure that critical lands are voluntarily protected for clean drinking water, recreation, and working farms and forests. North Carolina land trusts have protected 326,850 acres in more than 1,880 places across the state. To find out more about the CTNC you can call them at 919-828-4199, or visit their website at www.ctnc.org. 
Tourism in Boone just got a pleasant boost. With the construction already beginning on the new Rocky Knob Park, the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority has found a renowned design company to design their cycling trails, which will be the first of their kind in Watauga County. The Watauga County TDA announced this week that they have selected Trail Dynamics, LLC of Asheville to design the first legal bicycling trails in Watauga County. Trail Dynamics will work with the Boone Area Cyclists to design and construct mountain biking trails for everyone to enjoy. Watauga County TDA officials expect the first phase of trails to open for public use beginning in October. If you would like more information about Rocky Knob Park or other Boone area outdoor recreation planning efforts, please visit the Watauga County TDA's planning blog at www.BooneAreaOutdoors.com
The Town of Boone was also busy this week naming a new Fire Chief. James "Jimmy" Isaacs has accepted the position of Fire Chief and officially began his duties this Monday. Isaacs, a Boone native, is certified as a Firefighter, Rescue Technician, Instructor, Fire Officer and EMT, and he was one of five candidates who participated in an assessment center which is a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple exercises. Issacs began volunteering in the fire service in 1978 for the Cove Creek Fire Department. He joined the Boone Fire Department as a volunteer in 1982. He worked his way up to a full-time employee of the Boone Fire Department in 1988 as an Engineer and has continued to rise through the ranks to his current position of Fire Chief.
The 54th Annual Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair in Burnsville is right around the bend. The event will be on Friday and Saturday, August 6th and 7th, as over 200 crafters will display nearly every kind of handmade craft imaginable. The crafts fair has been named one of the Southeast's Top 20 August Events by the Southeast Tourism Society, and vendors are expecting tens of thousands of people to attend the event. The fair will feature a slew of items including: handmade quilts, jewelry from local gemstones, hand-turned wooden bowls, various types of pottery, handcrafted furniture, traditional mountain instruments, jewelry, soaps & lotions, and stained glass art. In addition to the many arts and crafts, the fair will also feature live music and entertainment, along with a food court serving plenty of food including pork barbecue and homemade ice cream. For information on the 54th Annual Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, please call (828) 682-7413, or visit www.mtmitchellcraftsfair.com.
Speaking of rescue attempts, those watching last night's news may have seen us do a story on a man that was reported missing in Linville Gorge. Well, that man was found without any rescuing needed. The Virginia man, who was reported missing by his wife, walked out of the woods to greet Burke County Emergency Management Office personnel just before they sent in two search teams to find him Monday morning. According to officials. the man was surprised when he was confronted by the rescue teams. Both the Virginia man and the other hiker that was thought to be missing were in good condition and were unaware about the missing persons report.
