Local

Triage tent in place at Blue Ridge Regional

    SPRUCE PINE – Mission Health is moving forward with standing up tents at its hospitals to create additional capacity for triaging patients outside of emergency departments, should it become necessary as the COVID-19 outbreak evolves.

AMY Wellness alters funding framework

SPRUCE PINE – AMY Wellness Foundation is transforming the funding framework to be more aligned with the organization’s priorities when they need it most. Traditionally, funding opportunities have been in cycles and based on criteria determined through a variety of ways by the Foundation.

‘It’s not just a meal’

    LEDGER – The Meals on Wheels program has always been a significant effort to feed seniors who have difficulty purchasing or preparing their meals. Now, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever.

ARREST REPORT: Wednesday, April 22, 2020

BAKERSVILLE – The following arrest took place between Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 18, according to reports on file at the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office:  Phillip Kalum Franklin, 31, of 480 Upper Hanging Rock Road, Spruce Pine, was arrested by Deputy R.

National Day of Prayer is May 7

The 2020 National Day of Prayer is 11 a.m. Thursday, May 7, and will be broadcast on WTOE and WTOE.com. There will be speakers, music and prayer.  “Spread the word,” said Monica Henley Kritz, Mitchell County Coordinator for the National Day of Prayer.

Rhododendron Festival postponed

The town of Bakersville and the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival Inc. have announced the postponement of the 74th North Carolina Rhododendron Festival scheduled for June 19-20 until June 18-19, 2021. Information about events related to the Festival will be posted on bakersville.

Local SEANC chapter donates to animal shelter

    SPRUCE PINE – State Employees Association of North Carolina, or SEANC, District 3, which includes Watauga, Avery and Mitchell counties, has members that are hardworking state employees, retirees and county members working to protect and improve benefits such as pay, healthcare, retirement...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Human behavior caused closure

To the editor: While we remain under various stay-at-home orders, many are being expanded, and many of us are finding our normal freedoms taken away. Given that we started with some fairly basic limits, what happened? The answer is the Age of Entitlement.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: An ounce of prevention, please

To the editor: As a retired physician, I would like to share some thoughts on the benefits of preventing versus treating COVID-19 infections. We have heard much talk about preventing the disease and treating people after they get sick. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is so true.

COLUMN: Opinions aren't meant to be news

One of the fundamental functions of a newspaper, and opinion pieces, in particular, is not to try and convince people what to think but to try and persuade people what to think about.