Local

Trio of local areas crack list of ‘coolest’ mountain small towns

Bakersville, Little Switzerland and Spruce Pine are three of the “coolest” mountain small towns near Asheville, says a top 40 list recently compiled by RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide.

DoorDash ordering, delivery comes to Mitchell County

SPRUCE PINE — Online food ordering and delivery service DoorDash is now in Mitchell County.

Locals turn out to enjoy second annual NC Mountaineer Festival

BAKERSVILLE —Visitors and vendors packed Bakersville Saturday, Sept. 18 for the second annual North Carolina Mountaineer Festival. The festival featured food and craft vendors, live music and activities for adults and children. It ran from 10 a.m.

Dellinger's to close after more than 3 decades

SPRUCE PINE — Dellinger’s Christian Book and Gift Shop on Lower Street in downtown Spruce Pine will soon close its doors permanently.

Mitchell Giving Garden celebrates anniversary

T he Mitchell Giving Garden at Riverside Park has been in existence for a year and volunteers, project partners and others who helped establish it gathered Tuesday, Sept. 7 for an anniversary celebration. The community garden aims to help those in the area facing food insecurity.

NC Mountaineer Festival returns after smooth 2020 debut

BAKERSVILLE — The second annual North Carolina Mountaineer Festival will draw visitors to Bakersville on Saturday, Sept. 18 to celebrate life in the mountains. Organized by small business owners Harley and John Masters, the festival happened for the first time in October 2020.

MCTA gets $100,000 grant to add Spruce Pine fixed route

SPRUCE PINE — Mitchell County Transportation Authority will soon add a fixed route in Spruce Pine thanks to a $100,000 grant from the National Rural Transit Assistance Community Rides Program. MCTA Director Sheila Blalock said a start date for the Spruce Pine route will be announced later.

PRC growing, rising thanks to Amazon deal

Nestled in the large industrial site off Henredon Road in Spruce Pine is one of the area’s largest employers.  Product Remanufacturing Centers (PRC) was founded more than two decades ago, but a contract with Amazon has pushed the company to new heights.

Toe Jam Music Festival will return after 2020 cancelation

SPRUCE PINE — The Toe Jam Music Festival returns to Spruce Pine on Saturday, Sept. 11, from noon to 10 p.m.

Masks mandatory again in schools for at least a month

LEDGER — Face coverings are mandatory again during school hours within Mitchell County school buildings. The Mitchell County Board of Education during an emergency meeting on Monday, Aug.