Local

Bakersville Little Free Library gets a touch-up

The Bakersville Little Free Library recently received a fresh coat of paint from its founder and steward, Roby Summerfield. Established in 2019, the Little Free Library focuses on books about kindness and compassion.

Door to door? Not in a while, but Jehovah’s Witnesses have adapted

Rose Yates would rarely go more than a few days without knocking on a door or visiting a Bible student as part of her volunteer ministry. That abruptly changed in the spring of 2020 when Jehovah’s Witnesses suspended their in-person public ministry, meetings and large conventions.

Pain at the pump

Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, drivers across the nation have felt the effects at the gas station, and the trend is seen locally. As sanctions on Russian oil combined with supply and demand help drive the price up, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $4.

BoC, sheriff candidates file for May 17 primary

Familiar faces have filed for the 2022 Primary Election, but they are joined by some challengers. Current commissioners Jeff Harding and Steve Pitman both filed for re-election.

The cat in the school?

The Cat in the Hat was alive in area schools this past week thanks to Mitchell High theatre III/IV honors students. As part of Dr. Seuss Week and Read Across America Day, the students performed at Gouge and Greenlee this past week.

Masks come off as COVID cases plunge

The steep decline in COVID cases observed across the state and nation is also happening locally. The Toe River Health District released the latest round of case numbers on Saturday, Feb. 26. For the period of Feb. 20-26, there were 68 new positives in Avery, 42 in Yancey and 25 in Mitchell.

Police chief talks trash, community pickup days

Spruce Pine Police Chief Bill Summerlin is ready to do something about roadside trash. He spoke about the issue Monday, Feb. 28 during the regular meeting of the Spruce Pine Town Council. He thanked the council members who spent their morning on Saturday, Feb.

Skateboard park talks ramp up in Spruce Pine

Discussions about a Spruce Pine skateboard park are alive again. Mitchell County resident Jimmy Hinshaw presented a proposal for a new skateboard park during the town council’s regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 28.

Commissioners OK decision to apply for PARTF grant for county rec facility

A new multi-use recreation facility in Mitchell County moved closer to becoming a reality on Tuesday, Feb. 22 when the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a decision to apply for a $500,000 North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant for the project.

New school grant application greenlit

Mitchell County Schools will move forward with applying for a $40 million lottery grant for a new school for grades 3-8 after the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners approved the decision during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22.