The Watauga Humane Society is putting on a show later this month. The shelter be hosting their annual end-of-summer Watauga Humane Society Pet Show on Sunday, September 12th at the Boone Mall. The event is free to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring their own pet to the show whether its a dog, cat, gerbil, rabbit, hamster, etc. All dogs must be on a leash and each pet to needs to be appropriately controlled and contained during the show. Speaking of the show, it will feature a myriad of awards including Waggiest Tail, Floppiest Ears, Fluffiest Fur, Most Winning Smile, and Pet/Owner Look-Alike. If you are interested in the pet show, registration begins at 2:30pm in the center court of the Boone Mall. This year's show will also feature a Pet Memorial Poster, on which to write in the name of a beloved pet which has passed away. There will also be a raffle, with a variety of pet-themed prizes, and Watauga Humane Society tee shirts, magnets and decals will be available for sale. In addition to all of those festivities, the event also coincides with the humane society's Sunday Adoption Fair, which means a selection of adoptable shelter animals will be on hand at the front of the mall for your consideration. If you would like more information you can visit their website at wataugahumanesociety.org or call the shelter at 828-264-7865
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The Watauga Humane Society is putting on a show later this month. The shelter be hosting their annual end-of-summer Watauga Humane Society Pet Show on Sunday, September 12th at the Boone Mall. The event is free to the public, and everyone is encouraged to bring their own pet to the show whether its a dog, cat, gerbil, rabbit, hamster, etc. All dogs must be on a leash and each pet to needs to be appropriately controlled and contained during the show. Speaking of the show, it will feature a myriad of awards including Waggiest Tail, Floppiest Ears, Fluffiest Fur, Most Winning Smile, and Pet/Owner Look-Alike. If you are interested in the pet show, registration begins at 2:30pm in the center court of the Boone Mall. This year's show will also feature a Pet Memorial Poster, on which to write in the name of a beloved pet which has passed away. There will also be a raffle, with a variety of pet-themed prizes, and Watauga Humane Society tee shirts, magnets and decals will be available for sale. In addition to all of those festivities, the event also coincides with the humane society's Sunday Adoption Fair, which means a selection of adoptable shelter animals will be on hand at the front of the mall for your consideration. If you would like more information you can visit their website at wataugahumanesociety.org or call the shelter at 828-264-7865
ASU is feeling good after their annual Big Sale raised more than $15,000 to benefit four area charities and the ACT Leigh Lane Edwards Scholarship Fund that supports ACT study abroad service-learning trips. The sale, which is organized by Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT), is the university's volunteer indoor yard sale of items donated by students or salvaged at the end of spring semester as part of the Don't Throw it Away campaign. The clearinghouse features everything from lamps, fans, and electronics to kitchenware, furniture, and clothes. According to Kate Johnson, the assistant director for Community Service with ACT, 65 tons of material were collected during the Don't Throw it Away campaign from residence halls in the spring and sold at this year's BIG Sale. She also added that, "This year's energy efficient mini-grants recipients are Western Youth Network, Mountain Alliance, Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center and Appalachian Child Development Center." "The Don't Throw it Away program began 10 years ago when former student Natalie Knight realized the value of items being tossed as students left campus at the end of the school year. She first began collecting items by herself, but as the number of items grew, she collaborated with the national organization called Dump and Run, which helps set up programs to recycle items from students' residence hall rooms. Two years later, the BIG Sale began. Its first beneficiary was the Watauga County Department of Social Services Foster Care Program. Since then recipients have included Watauga 4-H, Legal Aid of North Carolina, High Country Amigos, and Hospice. The program has raised over $82,000 for charities since its inception.
Boone is getting ready to celebrate a grand opening in September. The Wal-mart in Boone is holding a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, September 8th to show off the freshly renovated store. The new Wal-mart store has been expanded to 150,000 square feet, will feature a full line of groceries, and will be open 24/7. The store, which already employs about 350 people, will now add 80 new jobs to the community. The grand opening will begin at 7:30am at the store on Blowing Rock Road, and will officially usher in the new improvements to the Boone Wal-mart.
Amidst a substantial recall of some 550 million eggs due to the possibility of salmonella, consumers now have to deal with the price of eggs skyrocketing. Since the first reported case of salmonella, the price of eggs has gone up 38 percent. In Iowa, a dozen eggs rose from $0.98 on August 13th, to $1.35. Food and Drug Administration officials say there is no evidence that the salmonella outbreak has spread beyond two Iowa farms, but investigators are still looking into what exactly caused the outbreak. Officials with the FDA don't anticipate the recall to grow, but the number of illnesses is expected to increase. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, there could be as many 1,300 salmonella illnesses, which can be life-threatening for people with weak immune systems, linked to the eggs. Officials do say that, boiling the eggs will eliminate any potential of the virus, but it's probably best just to properly dispose of the eggs.
Credit card users may want to check their bills. Credit card companies have begun spiking interest rates on credit cards to make up for their losses in late fees. After new rules were put in effect to protect you with how much you are charged in late fees, banks have pushed credit card rates up. According to a research company, Synovate, interest rates on existing credit cards has reached its highest level in nine years at 14.7 percent. That increase marks the largest gap in twenty two years between credit card interest and the prime rate. The new rules that were put into effect are being blamed for the high interest rates, now that credit card companies can not charge more than a 25 dollar late fee and can not charge a fee greater than that if the minimum payment due is under 25 dollars.With these new rules, credit card companies can no longer raise interest rates to recover loses without at least 45 days notice, and if you have reached the limit on your credit card, your purchase will be denied, instead of making you pay an overdraft fee. Credit card companies are required to notify you if they are raising your rates, but professionals say that the best response is not to close you account. Your credit score can be lowered by closing your account, so instead of getting rid of your credit card, officials tell the public to just not use them, or use them very scarcely because due to the new rules, credit card companies can no longer charge you inactivity fees.
The tax referendum continues to heat up, as the Watauga County Citizens Opposed to the 2010 Sales Tax Increase Referendum Committee held a press conference at 5 p.m. this evening at the Watauga County Administrative Office Building (next to the courthouse) in the commissioner's board room in the lower level. The conference featured a myriad of speakers including the John Locke Foundation, an educational research foundation, other guests, and members of the "referendum committee." Meanwhile, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce has come out publicly through the ordeal to clarify their stance on the tax referendum. In a letter addressed to the Watauga County Commissioners, the chamber of commerce said they are supporting the commissioners in the recreational initiative, but they don't necessarily support the tax increase. The Chamber voiced their desire to provide accessible recreational programming and facilities to all the residents of Watauga County in the most cost-efficient way possible. The Chamber encouraged the Watauga County Commissioners to find the most cost-efficient way to build the facilities, without raising property taxes, and they also asked that commissioners incorporate funds for economic development, while including a sunset date for any new tax initiative. According to Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President Dan Meyer, the chamber wants to thank the commissioners for pursuing the projects to build new recreational facilities in Watauga County, and they believe that if these projects are completed, they would give the youth of Watauga County more opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities including after-school activities, school-cancellation programs, and much more.
One Avery citizen played the role of hero this past weekend. An Avery citizen helped Avery County police stop and arrest two men suspected of breaking and entering at Mountain Electric in Newland. Thirty-year-old Glenn Marker of Newland, and 21-year-old Dustin Shook of Linville were arrested and charged on Friday with Breaking and Entering and Felony Larceny. Avery County Sheriff Kevin Frye said the citizen confronted the suspects near their vehicle and it was at that time that the two men ran from the scene. The citizen then alerted police that one of the suspect's ran behind the Mountain Electric building. Authorities used a K-9 to track down Dustin Shook, and police later found Glenn Marker in a residence across NC 194. In regards to the heroics, Sheriff Frye does not advise citizens to confront potentially armed suspects, but he did say the citizen was instrumental in capturing the suspects, especially since the break-in was the second within the past few months at Mountain Electric. Shook and Marker have already made their first appearance in court, and Sheriff Frye believes their next court appearance is set for either Thursday or Friday.
The Hospitality House held their annual free luncheon today to celebrate 25 years of service to the homeless in the High Country. The community luncheon was held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center from about 11:30am to 1pm. The festivities included representatives from the Hospitality House informing guests about the Hospitality House's history, current programs, services, and future goals. The luncheon also featured the latest news on the progress of the new facility that is being built, and had featured guest Lynn Donahue. The celebration also featured a testimonial from a resident of Hospitality House's transitional housing program who came to the shelter at the lowest point in his life. With determination, he has worked diligently with staff who are helping him become a successful member of the community again. And of course, the luncheon featured some great, and free, food that included bread, chicken salad, fruit, sweet tea, and chocolate chip cookies. The 5th Annual Food and Shelter for Hope Luncheon was made possible by support from various community sponsors and helped get the word out about what the non-profit crisis intervention agency does, and how to get involved. If you would like more information about the luncheon or the Hospitality House, please call 828-262-3461. 
Watauga County will have a better idea of the proposed quarter-cent sales tax referendum after this evening's press conference to discuss the details of the proposed tax hike. The Watauga County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday night that would allocate the revenue to the building of recreational facilities in the county. With plenty of people on both sides of the tax increase, county commissioners decided it was time to take action and make sure the public was not misinformed, by scheduling a press conference for 4:30 this evening in the Watauga County Administrative Complex in Boone. Commissioners proposed the tax boost to build an aquatic center, a recreation center, and a park, but the tax referendum received a lot of opposition in regards to the timing, how the funds would be used, and why the old Watauga High School has not been sold yet. So, county commissioners thought it best to hold a press conference, after signing the resolution to use the money to build a new recreational center, an Eastern Watauga Community Center, and other recreational needs. Early voting on the tax referendum started on Monday and runs until August 31st.
In addition to a potential sales tax increase, Boone residents and visitors will also be dealing with parking changes this year, at least on Saturdays. The Boone Town Council voted to change code and increase enforcement on parking limits in the town to help with traffic for home ASU football games. The changes include two-hour parking on regular street spaces, as opposed to the normal one-hour parking Monday through Friday, and the town will also begin charging for game-day parking in some lots. In addition to that, the parking lot next to the Town Hall will now be limited to retail shoppers only. The change, which was recommended by a parking task force, will take effect on August 28th, just two weeks before the first home ASU football game.
