Spruce Pine Council Sets Guidelines

07/29/2005

A new state statute now requires towns and counties to establish a citizen comment period during each meeting. At their July 25th meeting, Spruce Pine’s Town Board set guidelines for the comment period. Citizens wishing to speak must sign up prior to the meeting and they must list the subject they want to address. Each citizen’s comment time would be limited to 3 minutes and total citizen comment time would be limited to 30 minutes. The council also approved a change in procedures for non-profit agencies wanting to solicit funds in town, like those who solicit at hwys 19E & 226. Each agency will now have to submit their request in person, in front of the board. And the Spruce Pine board adopted a spill leak response procedure in the event of a sewage leak in the town.

Construction Trades Job Training

07/29/2005

Jim Swaim with the Mitchell-Yancey Habitat for Humanity announced that preparations are being finalized to receive construction bids for the 80 X 120 foot building that will house the Construction Trades Job Training Collaborative project at Mountain Heritage High School. A pre-bid conference for prospective bidders is tentatively scheduled for today at the Board of Education office, 100 School Circle, Burnsville. The project calls for Habitat for Humanity homes to be built inside the 80 X 120 foot steel building to be constructed on the campus of Mountain Heritage High School. The homes will then be transported to home sites with foundations constructed by Mayland Community College students. High school students will receive college credit through Mayland for hours logged in this program. Students continuing their education at Mayland will be able to receive either a certificate or diploma in Building Trades Management.

Extending the Bait Line

07/28/2005

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services Agency, will begin distribution of rabies vaccine laced baits in this region in August. Currently a 35 mile-wide bait line runs from one of the Great Lakes, "Lake Erie," southward into Tennessee, but because of wild raccoons carrying the rabies virus along the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers, plans will now include parts of Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. Officials with Wildlife Services say that eventually the bait line will spread to the Gulf of Mexico. The cases of confirmed rabies in Yancey County is currently at 34, with latest being a fox from Butter Sop Road and a raccoon on Coxe's Creek Road. In rural areas the virus packets will be distributed by air and in high-density areas, the packets will be distributed from ground vehicles.

Building Inspector Hired in Mitchell

07/27/2005

John Smith, of Bakersville, is Mitchell County’s new Building Inspector; he held this position in from 1994 to 1999. You may be wondering what type new structure needs inspection. Any structure that has power is required to be inspected. After all plans are reviewed and approved, the Building Inspector is required to issue a “Certificate of Occupancy!!” His salary is $44 thousand, with no take-home vehicles. He begins his duties Aug 15th.

Newdale Couple Charged with Drug Violations

07/26/2005

A Newdale couple has been charged with manufacturing Marijuana outside their home and possessing Marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside their residence. Yancey Deputies have arrested O.M. Ledford Jr. age 43 and Susan Silvers Duke, age 38, both of the same Watermelon Way Drive address after a search of their residence resulted in a seizure of 6 Marijuana plants found growing outside near the couple’s vegetable garden and 37 grams of marijuana and a number of paraphernalia items found inside the residence. The search of the home was conducted Saturday night, July 9th. Both Ledford and Duke were released from custody after posting secured bonds. A September 7th court date has been set in Yancey County District Court.

Keeping Industry Here

07/26/2005

Money from two different sources has been made available for worker training programs needed by Altec Industries, at its plant to be located in Yancey County. The training will be on the Spruce Pine and Yancey Campuses of Mayland Community College. The money sources are a $200 thousand Golden Leaf Grant, and about $750 thousand from the New and Expanding Industry Training Program, which is funded by the state. These funds will be available for use over 3-5 years to provide pre hire training and training programs available to Altec when they get their open their plant. Speaking of opening, company Human Resources Manager Anna McQueen says they’re still waiting to see when their plant construction start date will be. The plant will be on about 50 acres near Cane River Middle School and Park, west of Burnsville, in Yancey County.

Keeping Cool

07/26/2005

People across the Mountains are looking for ways to beat the heat as the thermometer pushes over the 90-degree mark. The elderly are most likely to feel the effects of the heat especially those who don't have air conditioning. Remember to to look in on the elderly and people who rely on fans to keep cool. Everyone is reminded to drink plenty of fluids and restrict activities during the hottest part of the day. Some relief might be felt Thursday as there is a better chance of showers or storms and temperatures will only reach the upper 70’s.

Burnsville Men Charged with Car Theft in Mitchell and Yancey

07/26/2005

Yancey Deputies have charged 2 Burnsville men with auto theft in Yancey and Mitchell Counties. Charged with felony breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and larceny of a motor vehicle are Stephen Wayne Peyatt, age 20, of Ivy Street and Joseph Anthony “Jay” Olson, age 18, of Territory Lane. According to Lt Tom Farmer of the Yancey Sheriff’s Department, the incident started Thursday, July 7th, at 2:15 am, when the department received a call from an employee of Mountain Manor Assisted Living, off Love Fox Road, in Burnsville. The caller indicated two male subjects broke into a 1995 Ford Taurus Station Wagon, owned by Mountain Manor, and then drove toward Burnsville. A call was issued to area law enforcement to be on the lookout for the car. At about 7:00 am, Deputy Richard Hoilman, of the Mitchell Sheriff’s Department found the car wrecked in a creek, along 226 in Bakerville. While at the scene, Deputy Hoilman was notified that a Toyota 4 Runner had been stolen just a few miles away. Meanwhile, Yancey and Mitchell authorities were developing Peyett as a suspect, this led officers in Catawba County to go the residence of Peyatt’s brother in Conover. The stolen car from Mitchell County was in the driveway. Yancey Sgt John Robinson Mitchell Lt Chris Gillespie went to Conover and took Peyett and his accomplice Jay Olson into custody. Both men admitted to stealing both vehicles. Both vehicles were recovered; the Ford Taurus was a total loss, the Toyota 4 Runner was returned with minimal damage. Peyett and Olson remain in the Yancey County Jail, under a $12 thousand secured bond. Their court date is August 9th.

Training for the Job

07/25/2005

One of the first products to be made at the new Altec plant to be built in Yancey County is dump bodies for the tree care industry and it takes 7-8 weeks of lead time to hire, train and prepare employees to do the job. Altec Human Resources Manager Anna McQueen says their hiring process is set-up in three stages; interviews, pre-employment training and job offers. She says some of the applicants have begun free pre-employment training at Mayland Community College. The free training is made possible through the New and Expanding Training Program offered by the college. Funding for the program comes from the state. Meanwhile, Altec continues getting plans finalized to start construction of their state-of-the-art facility, on about 50 acres near Cane River Middle School and Park, east of Burnsville, in Yancey County. McQueen said: Hopefully in the final stage, which is job offers, Altec will have up to 350 employees.

Town Center Opens Tonight

07/22/2005

The much anticipated grand opening of the new Burnsville Town Center is tonight. The featured entertainment will be one of the big names in blue grass, “Third Time Out." Burnsville Mayor David Grindstaff says the Town Council is very pleased with the center and he again said the Town Center belongs to the Citizens of Burnsville and he encourages them to contact Deanna Gouge about suggestions concerning use of the facility. As Deanna Gouge says "come see what we've done to the old Styles Building!!" Tonight's show begins at 7:30 pm

Rabies Numbers Continue to Rise in Yancey

07/21/2005

Two more cases of rabies have been confirmed in Yancey County. The Health Department sent five animals this week for testing including: a bat, a domestic cat, a fox, and two raccoons. Of those five tested, the fox from Butter Sop Road and the raccoon from Coxe's Creek Road both were confirmed positive for rabies. The other three animals tested were all negative bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 34. Keeping your pet's rabies vaccine up-to-date is the number one way to protect your family, your self and your pets from this deadly virus. Tonda Gosnell, Health Educator with the Yancey Health Department, says “another safety measure is to avoid wild and stray animals, and protect yourself even when treating your own pet if they have been in a fight with another animal." Rabies cannot be cured and is almost always fatal to animals and humans once signs of the disease appear. Shots can be given to people shortly after an exposure but at a cost of $3,000 to $5,000. Residents are strongly urged to take heed of these facts and work to avoid being exposed. If you have a possible human or domestic animal exposure to rabies, please call your County Health Department. In Mitchell, call 688-2371, in Yancey, call 682-3003. In Yancey County, If you need to report an animal control incident, please call 284-4234.

Administrative Court Appearance

07/21/2005

19 year old Brian William Ledford, age 19, made an appearance in a Yancey County Superior Courtroom Tuesday. He’s charged with manslaughter in the death of Kristy Marie Elliott, age 17, of Mount View Drive, in Burnsville, who died Sunday night May 23rd, from a gunshot wound to the head. His appearance was in Administrative Court, which is designed to inform all parties of where the case stands and to set a time for court date. The case was continued until the next administrative court date which is September 13th. Lt Tom Farmer, of the Yancey County Sheriff’s office said evidence obtained suggests that Ledford was acting carelessly with a handgun while he and Elliott were in his bedroom and the gun discharged and Elliott sustained a fatal wound to the head.

Mt Mitchell Growers Co-Op

07/20/2005

Farmers in the Mt Mitchell area are trying to form their own cooperative. A group of area farmers from Mitchell and Yancey Counties came before Yancey Commissioners at their July meeting. Jean Harrison, with the Yancey County Extension Service told Commissioners since the tobacco buyout, that money is not there and a lot of area farmers are looking for something to replace that income and growing fruits and vegetables seems the best way to go. Harrison said the co-op would give them a sure market for their produce. If there is a distribution center in this area, (Avondale Warehouse in Burnsville) farmers will have a place to take their produce and not have to be concerned with marketing, all they would do is take care of growing it. The co-op would create upwards of 400 jobs with an economic impact in Yancey County of $5 million. Harrison said the group would like to have the distribution center up and running by next summer. The Extension center will right a grant application for $360 thousand and Yancey County will submit it the Tobacco Trust Commission. The grant money would be used to purchase the Avondale Warehouse.  The group also asked Commissioners for $65 thousand in support money for renovation and a person to be hired as a manager of the center. The cooperative would be for framers from the surrounding counties and would be called “Mt Mitchell Growers Cooperative.”

Robinson Named to lead Bee Log

07/20/2005

The Yancey County Board of Education has named Sherry Robinson as Principal/Elementary Teacher at Bee Log Elementary School, replacing Beverly Brown who recently transferred to the position of Principal at Cane River Middle School. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (grades K-9) from Mars Hill College and a Master of School Administration degree from Western Carolina University. She has taught at Bald Creek Elementary School since 1998 and also has experience at the middle school and high school levels. And, Superintendent Barbara Tipton has announced that Clearmont Elementary School has been awarded a $15,000 grant as part of North Carolina’s No Child Left Behind initiative. Clearmont, along with 13 other schools across the state, received the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) grant that will be used to impact student achievement.

Adequate Yearly Progress

07/19/2005

Local school districts have released their school-by-school AYP as required by No Child Left Behind. AYP is Adequate Yearly Progress. Area results: 8-of-9 schools in Avery County made Adequate Yearly Progress, in McDowell, 9-of-11 schools made AYP, 7-of-8 schools in Mitchell made AYP and 7-of-the-9 schools in Yancey County made adequate yearly progress. Results from Madison were not available. These years’ targets: grades 3-8 was 76.7% in reading and 81% in math. Goals in 10th grade were 35.5 % in reading/language arts and 70.8% in math proficiency. (Grades 3-8 and the 10th grade are testing grades in the NC School System) To make AYP, a school must meet every single target, which could total as many as 41 targets depending on the number of groups in a particular school. Each school's targets are for groups of students totaling at least 40 students, including the school as a whole, each racial/ethnic category, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and limited English proficient students. This is the third year that all North Carolina schools have been held to this standard, a standard considered difficult to meet even for some of the highest-performing schools in the state. In fact, many very strong schools may not make AYP. AYP is an "all or nothing" model, so missing just one target means missing AYP altogether.

Trying to Harness Wind for Energy

07/19/2005

Appalachian State University has installed a wind anemometer at the EnergyXchange, on the site of the Mitchell-Yancey landfill and it’s hoped this will lead to energy independence. Tamara McNaughton says if there is enough wind, the site will get a wind turbine that could provide electricity for their complex. She said their plans are to educate the public on using power in the homes and businesses. If you would like to know more about wind energy or other projects at the EnergyXchange, call 828-675-5541.

Remember the Past

07/18/2005

Family members of the inmates, who died in the Mitchell Jail fire, came before County Commissioners earlier this month, seeking County approval to place a rock marker at the Old County Courthouse, to remember those who died in the fire in May, 2002.The marker will read: This site is dedicated to the 8 men who lost their lives in the tragic Mitchell County Jail fire, May 3rd, 2002. May God bless their souls. We will never forget. Commissioners ask the group to make sure the project would be ok with Mayland Community College and the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library system. It was back in April of 2005 the county approved the historic courthouse committee’s recommendation that the college and library use the facility. No county funds will be used in this project.

Contract Awarded for Parkway Repair

07/18/2005

A $2.9 million contract to repair damaged sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Linville Falls has been awarded. Work should begin in late August and be completed in early spring. The repair includes several sites between Mileposts 319 and 323 and a slide just north of Mt. Mitchell State Park. All occurred last September when tropical storms dumped double-digit precipitation on the region. The work near Mt. Mitchell will not require the road to be closed. The eight-mile section of the scenic road from U.S. 221 south of Linville Falls to just north of Spruce Pine, N.C., will remain closed while the repairs are being made. A detour has been posted. The historic Orchard at Altapass and a nearby private campground are both accessible via the Parkway from the south.

Wreck Still Under Investigation

07/16/2005

Spruce Pine Police officers continue to investigate the cause of a wreck on 19E north, in a heavy traffic area, in Spruce Pine. One person died. The wreck occurred Wednesday, July 14th at around 4:30 pm, in front of Flick Video. Few details have been released about the incident, but sources at the scene said it appeared a pick-up pulled into traffic and collided with a tandem dump truck. The driver of the pick-up, identified as Vickie Buchanan Phillips, of Bakersville, was apparently killed instantly. The driver of the dump truck has been identified as David Lee Callahan, of Mitchell County, he was not injured.

Salary Increase Confusion

07/15/2005

Some confusion in the community about salary increases in the 2005-2006 budgets for Yancey County employees. All county employees received a 3% cost of living increase and employee insurance cost decreased 2% without losing any benefits. The confusion is centered on a substantial increase in salaries for the Register of Deeds staff, which amounted to around $15 thousand. Yancey Commissioner Nathan Bennett explains: “The Board voted to approve the budget as requested by the Register of Deeds. This included a step increase to bring all employees in that department in compliance with the Yancey County Pay & Classification Plan, nothing more.” He said, “ This is a first step in bringing all county employees in compliance with that pay plan, you’ll not find a more dedicated group of workers than you’ll find in the Register of Deeds office.” He went on to say, “Willoree Jobe is probably one of finest people I know and she has served the citizens of Yancey County faithfully and diligently for 20 years. She in nationally and internationally certified and is constantly seeking ways to improve service to Yancey County. Yancey County has an outstanding group of employees and each of them are to be commended for their service, and its my plan, and I believe it’s the plan of the Board, that as revenues improve we’ll continue with the implementation of this pay plan in all departments.”

(Above is corrected story which was posted on 07/14/2005. The previous story contained incorrect source information.)

Area Doctor Charged

07/15/2005

On Monday July 11, 2005 the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged Robert John Egidio, MD at his home on Arnette Rd., Banner Elk in Avery County with aid and abet, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud (2 counts), aid and abet, possession with Intent to Sell and deliver a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Oxycontin (2 counts), and (2 counts) of aid and abet, selling and delivering a Schedule II Controlled Substance, Oxycontin (2 counts).

The arrest is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office that began when the sheriff’s office received information concerning Dr. Egidio’s method of prescribing controlled substance. The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints from citizen’s with-in a three county area alleging Dr. Egidio was over prescribing medications to their family members. Thereafter, the patients would then sell their medications.  Acting on this information the sheriff’s office was able to make several narcotics related arrests of individuals that were active patients of Egidio. They gave authorities information about the case which led to Egidio’s arrest. He surrendered his DEA Registration number at the time of his arrest, which means Egidio can no longer prescribe controlled substances (The DEA Registrant Number is the administratively assigned number given to Doctors by the Drug Enforcement Administration for the purpose of tracking prescribed medications, therefore Egidio can no longer prescribe controlled substance.) Lieutenant Chris Gillespie was the investigating and charging officer.

Working Together to Make Stronger

07/15/2005

Board Members for Hospice of Yancey County and Hospice of Mitchell County met on July 6th to discuss how working together can make hospice stronger in both counties. Both Hospice Boards are appointing members to a joint committee to look at the possibilities of a joint venture. According to Myrna Stephens, President of the Yancey Hospice Board, “one possibility is to share resources in order to reduce administrative costs,” this would allow more funding for clinical and bereavement care.” The primary goal of both Hospices is to provide excellent end-of-life care to all persons who are in the last phase of their lives, their families, and those affected by death, dying and loss in both Mitchell and Yancey Counties. According to the news release, details of this cooperative venture will be announced in the near future as plans are formalized.

A Fatality on 19E in Spruce Pine

07/14/2005

A wreck Wednesday afternoon, in a heavy traffic area on 19E, in Spruce Pine, resulted in a fatality. According to sources on the scene, a late model pick-up pulled into traffic and collided with a big tandem dump truck. Apparently the victim died instantly. The driver of the truck, though shaken by the incident, was not injured. The wreck happened around 4:30 pm, in the congested area in front of Flick Video and caused traffic delays for about 2 & ½ hours. No names or any official details have been released.

Salary Debate in Mitchell

07/13/2005

There was lots of debate over salaries in Mitchell County at the July Commissioners meeting. Many from the audience said county employees deserved a raise. A majority of the commissioners said they were not in favor of a cross the board raise, but favored a merit pay raise system. Commissioner Phil Byrd said he was not opposed to a merit pay system, but he felt employees deserved the proposed 2% increase which was discussed in budget work sessions. Commissioner Ken Hollifield said a mistake was made and funds for raises for county employees were left in the 2005-2006 budgets that was voted on and approved by the board. He said commissioners met June 27th to amend the budget (to take out funds the funds) Hollifield said commissioners never said there would be no raises, but they would look at salaries in December.

Mitchell Web Site Shut Down

07/12/2005

Mitchell Commissioner Jim Saylor said got quite a surprise when he recently visited Mitchell County’s web site. He said what he found was very distributing. He told Commissioners at their July meeting that he went to the county’s web site; he said it had been over a year since he had checked it. He said the home page had all of the previous commission’s pictures and others no longer with the county. He said his curiosity was peaked, so he then clicked on “communications,” but that brought up links to favorite places, the top one was “Playboy.” Saylor said he clicked on “Playboy,” it went to a host of other explicit sex sites including “Hustler,” and “Penthouse.” He said he clicked on one of those and anything imaginable came up. He met with Acting County Manager Phillip Castro the next day, they contacted county attorney Lloyd Hise who got the site shut down the next day. Hise advised Saylor to contact Sheriff Fox and he has turned the matter over to the SBI for investigation. Saylor said, not being able to find Commission Chairman Keith Masters, he went ahead and put into place whatever action was needed to free the county of lawsuits. Commissioners said they are very concerned about this and are looking into the County’s Web Site, its operations and who is responsible.

Who’s Filed, So Far

07/12/2005

Filing is underway for area municipalities as towns’ gear-up for November elections. As of Monday at noon, here are the candidates, so far:

Burnsville: (2 council seats & mayor)

William C Fox - Council
Danny McIntosh – Mayor

Bakersville: (3 council seats & mayor)

Charles Vines – Mayor

Spruce Pine: (mayor & 2 council seats)

Wes Foy – Mayor
John Boone - Council
Greg Henline - Council

Filing deadline is Noon, August 5th.
If you have any questions, call the Board of Elections, in Mitchell, call 688-3101, in Yancey, call 682-3950.

Mitchell County Public Hearing

07/11/2005

Mitchell County will hold a public hearing tonight at 6:05pm in the Commissioner's Meeting Room in the Administration Building in Bakersville. The purpose of the meeting is to get public comments on Mitchell County's pending loan from the USDA Rural Development for construction of a Jail Facility and/or Jail Facility and Sheriff's Office. Interested citizens wanting to make comments should sign up with Kathy Young, Clerk to the Board, prior to the meeting.

Thanks for Giving

07/08/2005

Yancey County’s 2005 “Relay for Life” has exceeded its goal. The final numbers are not in yet, but their goal of $65 thousand has been surpassed. Relay organizers say they are very grateful to you, a giving community, for supporting the “Relay for Life,” and the American Cancer Society. Mitchell County's "relay" is this Friday night at Mitchell High School

Missing Woman Found

07/08/2005

The search is over for a 21 year old woman missing in the South Toe area. Morgan Ann Barker, an employee of Camp Celo, in Yancey County, has been found. She had been missing since 9:00 pm Tuesday, July 5th, when she left the camp on foot. The Yancey Sheriff’s Department has not released any further details about the incident. Yancey Deputies, members of the Newdale and South Toe Volunteer Fire Departments, Yancey County Emergency Management and Yancey County Rescue Squad helped in the search.

Drug Overdose

07/08/2005

Earlier this year, Mitchell County emergency personnel responded to a 911 call, a boy was choking on a piece of candy. He was taken to a hospital where he later died. An autopsy was performed on the 14 year old and it’s been determined he didn’t die from choking on a piece of candy; he died of an overdose of the prescription drug “ocycodone.” Mitchell law enforcement says his death is a tragedy and could have been prevented. They urge all young people to remember the deadly consequences of using drugs.

Waste Treatment Improvements

07/08/2006

Burnsville Council is working to make improvements at its waste treatment facility on Pine Swamp. Burnsville Mayor, David Grindstaff says the town is currently accepting bids for phase 2 in their efforts to upgrade the sewer at Pine Swamp. He said the town has received some $900-thousand in grant money for the project.

New Principal at Cane River

07/07/2005

Beverly Brown, is the new principal at Cane River Middle School, she comes to Cane River from Bee Log Elementary where she has served as principal since 2002-2003. The vacancy at Cane River was the result of Dr. Barbara Tipton becoming Superintendent of Schools for Yancey County. Brown began her career in education in 1972 as a teacher at Bee Log Elementary and transferred to Burnsville Elementary in 1981 where she taught students in grades 2-4. She was the first teacher with Yancey County Schools to achieve National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. Superintendent Tipton said she has worked with Ms. Brown since 1995 describing her as very professional, hard- working and dedicated,” Beginning her 34th year in education, Brown says very excited about going to Cane River.

Mitchell Schools Buys Buchanan Ball field

07/07/2005

Mitchell County’s School Board has voted to purchase the Buchanan Ball Field on Mine Creek. The vote was 3-2. The purchase price was $85 thousand, and if a matching grant the county will be seeking comes through, the cost to the school board would be $42, 500.00 thousand, with the grant covering the remainder. The grant could only be applied for after the purchase of the property. Jeff Harding, the Chairman of the Mitchell County Board of Education, said the board felt this was a good purchase for the children and adults in the county. He said the board, 2 years ago, made a commitment to the middle schools to fund softball and baseball for their programs. Back in May, County Commissioners agreed to make application to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund on behalf of the School Board. The County will be seeking a wavier for the current grant cycle and will make application next summer. Officials say getting the grant depends on many factors including how many applications there are and the funds available.

Charged with Dr. Shopping

07/06/2005

Mitchell Deputies have charged Gary Ledford, age, 52, of an English Woods address, in Spruce Pine with various prescription drug offenses, including obtaining controlled substances by fraud or forgery, obtaining controlled substances by multiple practitioners and the sale or delivery of a controlled substance to a minor between the ages of 13 to 16. According to court record’s, similar charges against Ledford go back as-far-as 2003.

Sidewalk Construction in Burnsville

07/06/2005

Burnsville’s Town Council has approved an extensive plan to improve and construct new sidewalks. Mayor David Grindstaff says the plan calls for removal and replacement of portions of sidewalks, on both sides, down West Main, and new sidewalks on North Main, to tie this area back into the sidewalks below the fire department into the recreation area currently controlled by the county.

Parkway Section North of Mitchell Reopens

07/01/2005

An 11-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Mt. Mitchell State Park and N.C. Highway 80 will reopen today, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Parkway officials said the reopening leaves only one portion of the 469-mile scenic route closed-an eight-mile section that is just north of Spruce Pine, Officials say the detour for that is section well-marked and should pose no challenge for motorists. All Parkway campgrounds, visitor centers and other concessionaire-operated facilities are open. Last September, the remnants of hurricanes Frances and Ivan deposited double-digit precipitation on the region, causing rockslides and multiple sections of the Parkway just north of Mt.Mitchell State Park to collapse. This area was reopened Memorial Day weekend while repairs were still in progress. Heavy rainfall subsequently undermined that repair and forced officials to re-close that section. As for the repairs just north of Spruce Pine (Milepost 317-325), they should begin later this summer, with an anticipated reopening next spring. Access to the historic Orchard at Altapass and nearby private campground is still available from the Parkway. For current road conditions, call the Parkway Information Line at (828) 298-0398.

Burnsville Approves Budget

07/01/2005

The Town of Burnsville approved its 2005-2006 budget on Thursday. Mayor David Grindstaff said there are tax increases and the tax rate remains at 50 cents per $100 valuation. The budget is around $4.5 million. Mayor Grindstaff invites all citizens to come out to the annual patriotic celebration tomorrow on Town Square. Activities begin at 9:00 am and end with fireworks after dark!!