Public Notice on Spruce Pine City Water

12/30/2005

The Town of Spruce Pine has Posted a Public Notice about Lead levels being too high in 6 of 29 homes that were recently sampled by the water department. In the Public Notice letter Spruce Pine Town Manager Richard Canipe said that as a result of these samples exceeding the Action Level the following steps are being taken by the town. “Optimizing the corrosion control program”. “Increasing monitoring of source water and additional water quality parameters". “Increasing water testing of high risk homes for lead”. “Conducting a public education program about lead in drinking water”. The complete Public Notice is available here. Water testing is available from the Town of Spruce Pine Water Treatment Plant at $20 per test run on a sample. To have your water tested for lead or to get more information about this public health concern, please call 765-3011.

Crisis Housing Update

12/22/2005

Following the devastation to the western mountains from hurricanes Ivan and Frances, the Crisis Housing Assistance Fund was established to help families and communities get back on their feet. The fund was administered through the state’s “Brighter Day,” program. Yancey County received over $3.4 million from the fund. Some 66 applications were received that met the criteria with a total 19 applications being accepted for the program. 7 houses will be replaced because they are too damaged to live in and 12 houses will be repaired. It will not take the $3.4 million to replace and repairs the homes and the rule is money not used will be returned to the state. Larry Howell, a member of the Crisis Housing Assistance Fund Committee says the county will contact area representatives and get them to try and keep this money here to help with homes not accepted for whatever reason and to possibly help with bridge and driveway repair and agriculture damage.

Jobs for McDowell

12/21/2005

McDowell County has received a nice Christmas present—jobs. Carriage House Door Company, makers of custom wood and steel garage doors and entrance gates, will open a manufacturing facility in McDowell County creating 79 jobs and investing $1.5 million over the next three years. The announcement was made possible in part by a $75,000 One North Carolina Fund grant. The company’s facility in McDowell County will be its first East Coast location. While wages will vary, the average weekly wage of the new jobs is $490 plus benefits, which is higher than the McDowell County average weekly wage of $477 not including benefits. Gary Singley, president of Carriage House Door Company, said; “We chose North Carolina and McDowell County because of the qualified labor force available and the sustainability of the facility we found. The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in recruiting and expanding quality jobs by providing financial assistance to businesses or industries deemed by the governor to be vital to a healthy and growing state economy. Through the use of this Fund, 17,000 jobs and $2 billion in investment have been created since 2001.

Snow & School Schedules

12/21/2005

Today is the first day of winter and many school systems have already had to use some of their snow days, and making them up is a bigger challenge than years past. The new state mandated calendar cut teacher work days from 20 to 15, that leaves fewer days for officials to work with to make up bad weather days. Both Mitchell and Yancey County schools will add one extra day this week. In Haywood County they’ve already used three snow days forcing them to push the end of school to June 9th. Asheville City Schools has tentatively scheduled February 10th as a make-up day. And Buncombe County has not determined when it will make-up the days it has missed so far.

Safety on Highways

12/20/2005

Motorists who will be traveling North Carolina’s roadways this holiday season are urged to obey all traffic laws, slow down and make sure everyone in your vehicle is buckled up. Law enforcement agencies statewide will increase the number of officers patrolling our roadways to curb speeding and aggressive or impaired driving. Last year during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weekends, 32 people were killed in traffic crashes. In addition to increased patrols, law enforcement agencies statewide are participating in “Booze It & Lose It,” the anti-impaired driving campaign of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. Sobriety checkpoints will be held through Jan. 1, 2006. Motorists with cellular phones may report safety hazards to the Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47) toll free. For road conditions and travel advisories, call the N.C. Department of Transportation’s toll-free 511 system.

Final Payments

12/19/2005

Gov. Mike Easley has announced that 76,702 flue-cured and burley tobacco growers and quota holders in North Carolina will receive more than $152 million in the final payment year from the North Carolina Phase II Trust Fund. Since 1999, North Carolina farmers and quota holders have received more than $837 million from the Fund. The payments were a part of a settlement reached by the attorneys general and governors of 14 tobacco producing states and four major tobacco manufacturers. The purpose of the Fund was to offset losses experienced by tobacco owners and quota owners as a result of reduced sales of cigarettes following the Phase I settlement. Phase II payments will end this year as a result of the tobacco buyout and end of the quota system. Agriculture is North Carolina’s top industry, contributing more than $59 billion annually to the state’s economy. Agriculture and agribusiness employs more than 18 percent of the state’s work force.

Sewer replacement Project Set

12/16/2005

Weather permitting; the Town of Spruce pine will begin a sewer replacement project after Christmas. The project, on English Road near Ingles will take about 6 weeks to complete. Plans are to close the road parallel to Ingles parking lot during the day; it will be open at night. Town manager, Richard Canipe said residents in the English Woods community, can come in from Greenwood Road on Hemlock and from the west end of English Road. Canipe said Greenwood Road will not be closed during the project.

Family Loses Everything in Fire

12/15/2005

A family in the Riverside Community of Yancey County lost most everything they own in a fire at their residence at 56 Star Dust Lane, beside GWP Trucking. Around 2:30 am Wednesday, Ricky Hensley, his wife Hannah and their 18 month old daughter were awaken by the sound of smoke detectors alarming inside their home. They were able to get out of the residence through a bedroom window. West Yancey and Burnsville Fire Departments responded to extinguish the fire. When they arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. Yancey County EMS personnel and the Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene. The cause of the fire has not been released, but Yancey Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Farmer said the preliminary investigation has revealed no evidence of the fire being of a suspicious nature. The Hensley family is at the residence of family members off of West Burnsville Church Road. The family needs clothing items, call 682-6003 to get specific sizes.

Not in Public Interest

12/14/2005

The December 13th meeting of the Yancey County Commissioners was postponed until Tuesday, December 20th, at 7:00 pm, in the Commissioners meeting room in the Yancey County Courthouse. WKYK/WTOE became aware of this change when our reporter went to the meeting only to find no one there. Contact was made with Commission Chairman Danny Hensley who said the meeting time change had been posted Friday. Since Yancey County does not have a daily newspaper, WKYK/WTOE feels not communicating with us is not giving the public sufficient information about County Business. If the County is not telling all of the media about meeting changes and times, what else are they NOT TELLING US?  We hope you, the citizens of Yancey County, will contact the County Manager (682-3971) and let her know of your feelings about this continuing problem.

Action to Create 150 New Jobs

12/14/2005

Spruce Pine Associates, LLC, a holding company in the process of acquiring the former Lexington Buildings from Mayland Community College. The intent of this transaction is to create 150 new jobs within 18 months of the final approval and closing of the transactions. The closing date is planned by the end of June 2006. The college has owned the former Lexington Buildings for the past three years. Contracts were signed by Mayland and Spruce Pine Associates, LLC, on December 7th. This action is fully supported by the Mitchell County Commissioners and the Mitchell County Economic Development Commission!! Van Phillips, EDC Director, said this deal has been in the works for about a year and this is another step in the right direction to provide jobs for Mitchell County citizens.

New Board in Spruce Pine

12/14/2005

Spruce Pine’s Mayor Wes Foy and Councilmen John Boone and Greg Henline were sworn in for new terms Monday. The oaths were administered by Judge Bill Leavell. Foy begins his second term as Spruce Pine Mayor and will serve 2 years. Boone, who was the top vote getter in the November elections begins his second term and will serve 4 years. And longtime Councilman, Greg Henline, begins his 11th year as a board member. He will serve a 4 year term.

Spruce Pine Man Pleads Guilty

12/13/2005

A Spruce Pine man has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor breaking & entering into McCall’s on Locust Street. According to Spruce Pine Detective Stacy Hughes, Joseph Anthony Olson, age 18, of a Locust Street address, along with two juveniles kicked in the roof of the store on Sunday December 4th sometime between noon and 3 pm. It appears nothing was taken, Hughes said apparently the three had nothing else to do and they thought it would be fun. Olson was sentenced to 12 months in jail. As for the juveniles, Hughes said they would also be charged with misdemeanor breaking & entering.

Spruce Pine Woman Arrested in Yancey County

12/13/2005

Yancey Deputies have charged a Spruce Pine woman with one count of felonious obtaining property by false pretenses. According to the news release the arrest came following an investigation that revealed Amy F. Coffey, age 32, of Hanging Rock Road, had cashed her payroll check for $381 at Prices Creek Store in November and then reported it stolen in an attempt to obtain an additional check from her employer. Coffey was released after posting a $35 hundred secured bond. She is scheduled to appear in Yancey District Court this Friday.

Booze it and lose it Results

12/13/2005

Over 25 hundred motorists statewide have been charged with DWI offenses during the first three weeks of the winter “Booze It & Lose It” campaign. The arrests were made by state and local law enforcement officers during checkpoints and stepped-up patrols between Nov. 17 and Dec. 4. Locally from November 28th thru December 4th, one checkpoint in Avery County resulted in zero DWI’S citations, 2 passenger restraint citations and a total of 50 traffic and criminal citations. In Madison County, 2 checkpoints resulted in “2-DWI’S,” 5 passenger restraint violations and a total of 49 traffic and criminal citations. One checkpoint in Mitchell resulted in zero DWI citations, 6 restraint citations and a total of 14 traffic and criminal citations. Two checkpoints in Yancey County resulted in “2-DWI,S” 14 restraint citations and a total of 53 traffic and criminal citations.

 

Pay Plan in Place

12/12/2005

Mitchell Commissioners have adopted a pay plan for county employees. Commission Chairman Keith Masters says the plan is a merit pay plan, meaning employees must perform at a satisfactory level to gain a years experience which then will mean an increase in pay. The plan, at this time, has been fully implemented for employees with pay grades 50-55. (These grades are at the low end of the pay scale). Masters said a majority of the Commissioners feel this plan, in the long run, will be better for these employees than a cost-of-living increase. The vote was 3-2 in favor of adopting the plan Commissioners Phil Byrd and Ken Hollifield voted against the plan. Hollifield said he was disappointed in the board saying the board, beginning in July, was supposed to sit down and go through the merit pay plan that would benefit all employees, but they never did that. He says this plan does not benefit all employees and it’s not good to him. He said “we’re not to punish the employees, we’re to praise them.”

Arrests for Property Damage

12/12/2005

Yancey Deputies have charged two Burnsville men with 5 counts of injury to personal property and 2 counts of injury to real property. Lloyd Raymond Phillips, age 18 of Walt Road and James Ryan Phillips, age 19, of Old Hose Lane were arrested in connection with an investigation into property damage in the Western part of the county during the early morning hours of December 6th. Deputies had discovered vandalism to parked vehicles near the intersection of Jacks Creek Road and Highway 19E. The damage occurred to 6 separate victims and included breaking car windows, destruction of mailboxes, wooden fences and an outdoor Christmas decoration. The roof of a greenhouse was also destroyed when a large rock was thrown from a roadway above the building. According to LT. Tom Farmer of the Sheriff’s Department, the two suspects caused thousands of dollars in damage during their rampage. Farmer said the two men admitted to the offenses and to several acts of vandalism that occurred in the Ponder Creek section of Madison which had occurred the same night. Both me appeared before a Yancey Magistrate and then taken to Madison to face charges there. Lloyd Raymond Phillips and James Ryan Phillips are scheduled to appear in Yancey District Court on January 27th.

High Marks for Yancey Schools

12/09/2005

High Marks for Yancey Schools…According to the latest North Carolina School Report Card, Yancey Schools continue to be above state averages in math, reading and science. In addition, Clearmont Elementary has been named as the 2005 Title I Distinguished School for North Carolina in the category of Exceptional Student Performance. The accomplishment of this goal is evidenced by exemplary curriculum and instruction, program coordination, professional development and partnerships with parents, families, and the community. Susan Buchanan, Media Specialist at Burnsville Elementary, recently achieved National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession. Tracie Bartlett, a special education teacher at South Toe Elementary, has received the 2005 Exceptional Children Teacher of Excellence Award for Yancey County Schools. And, Pam Ray, the technology facilitator at Clearmont Elementary, was recently named the North Carolina Technology Facilitator of the Year which recognizes individuals who are leaders in planning and implementing instructional technology into the educational program.

Micro Quake Hits CR School Area

12/08/2005

The Cane River School area of West Yancey was hit by a micro earthquake Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 pm. The National Earthquake Information Center in Denver Colorado measured the quake at 2.8. Residents in Whitt Bottoms and Jacks Creek reported articles being knocked off shelves and sources say the quake shook the Cane River Middle School knocking over a few desks. Yancey Communications said they had several calls concerning the incident. The U.S. Geological Survey says the epicenter of Wednesday's earthquake was near this area. It was back in August an Earthquake hit Hot Springs in Madison County. It measured 3.8 There was injures from yesterday’s Quake in West Yancey.

Hockaday Resigns

12/08/2005

Heather Hockaday resigned from the Burnsville Town Board Tuesday. Her resignation statement was addressed to Council Members Banks, Gillespie and McClure. The statement reads: “I want to express my extreme gratitude for working with you the past four years, your kindness; generosity and mentoring have been sincerely appreciated by myself and my family. Our board worked together in handling the Town’s business, we were progressive and positive and got things done. I always felt justified in the time I spent away from my family and the extra inconveniences the burden put upon them while I was working on behalf of the Town. However, recent events within my family and the trivial controversies that have arisen after the election of Danny McIntosh have caused me to re-examine my priorities and the justification for continuing to serve. I have determined, after much consideration that I shall resign my seat on the council, effective immediately. I ask the board to consider appointment of the fourth place vote recipient in the general election, David Grindstaff, as a replacement for the remainder of my term. I wish the Board and Town employees much success and luck in the future.” That’s the resignation statement issued by Heather Hockaday. The Board agreed with her request and Grindstaff was named to fill her 4 year term.

Bombshells at Burnsville Town Meeting

12/07/2007

You won’t believe what happened at last night’s swearing in ceremony of the new members of the Burnsville Town Board and December meeting that followed. As we reported Tuesday, Danny McIntosh was sworn in as Mayor on Monday, he said his attorney advised him that anything that happened at Tuesday’s meeting would be illegal because the statute statue is clear elected officials must be sworn in no latter than the first Monday in December. McIntosh said he would not be at the swearing in ceremony. But McIntosh was there last night and he was sworn in again. Heather Hockaday and Ruth Banks were also sworn in. The new council held a brief organizational meeting and then Heather Hockaday dropped a bombshell; she resigned effective immediately, the next bombshell dropped when the council voted to replace her with David Grindstaff, to fill out her 4 year term. Grindstaff lost to McIntosh in the November municipal elections. Hockaday made no comment on her reasons for resigning. The next meeting of the Burnsville Town board will be Thursday, January 5, 2006.

Whose is Right??

12/06/2005

According to information supplied by the Town of Burnsville, there will be a swearing in ceremony this afternoon at 5:30 pm of Burnsville’s new mayor Danny McIntosh and two council members; Ruth Banks and Heather Hockaday. However, according to McIntosh, on advice from his attorney, he was sworn in Monday by Superior Court Judge Phillip Ginn and he say any action taken at today’s meeting is not valid. McIntosh says, according to his attorney Jack Wilson state statutes are clear, swearing in of officials can occur at the regular meeting time (which is the first Thursday of each month) and no later than the first Monday of the December. So, on advice from his attorney McIntosh was sworn in as Mayor by Judge Ginn and was advised not to attend the meeting today at 5:30 pm. McIntosh says it appears to him the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Burnsville Town Board will be the first Thursday in January at 3:30 pm. We contacted Town officials and they say the meetings at 3:30 pm to consider a contract for sidewalk improvements, to provide an update on status of the Burnsville Town Center and to consider request for utility service and the swearing in ceremony at 5:30 pm will be held which will be followed by their December meeting.

Sheriff Warns of Lottery Scams 

12/06/2005 

Yancey Sheriff Kermit Banks is warning residents of a lottery and sweepstakes scam that is sweeping through Burnsville and surrounding counties. Victims have received a letter by mail or by E-mail stating they have won a sweepstakes or lottery and they need to send back personal information to claim their prize. Once the scammers get the information, they often empty the victim’s bank account. The most recent scam involves a letter from City Finance & Securities Inc of Seattle Washington. Sheriff Banks says “the public needs to be aware of scams requiring you to send money and personal information to win a prize…one does not send money to win money.” He offered these tips on protecting yourself against scammers.

 

1)      Never provide personal or financial information.

2)      Don’t be drawn into making “up front” payment for a lottery prize that probably doesn’t exist.

3)      Beware of mailings and e-mails soliciting bank and savings accounts.

4)      SAY NO!!!

New Burnsville Mayor to be Sworn In

12/05/2005

Burnsville’s Town Council will have a busy day tomorrow. A special meeting will be held at 3:30, to consider a contract for sidewalk improvements, to provide an update on status of the Burnsville Town Center and to consider request for utility service. Then at 5:30, Mayor Elect Danny McIntosh will be sworn to serve a 4 year term and Council members Ruth Banks and Heather Hockaday will be sworn in to serve 4 year terms. Following the swearing in ceremony, Burnsville’s Council will hold its December meeting.

Ritter Named to NC Arts Council

12/05/2005

Gov. Mike Easley has appointed Richard Ritter of Bakersville to the N.C. Arts Council. Ritter is a self-employed glass artist with Ritter Glass Inc. He has served as an artist in residence, a glass instructor and a member of the board of directors of the Penland School of Crafts. Ritter is a former recipient of the N.C. Artists Fellowship Grant, the N.C. Award for Volunteer Service and the National Endowment Artists Fellowship Grant. The council advises the secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources on the study, collection and maintenance of arts information and provides assistance to local organizations and communities. The council also advises on the exchange of information and promotion of programs between public and private organizations, identifies research needs in art areas and encourages such research. There are 25 members on the board, each serving a three-year term. The governor appoints all members.

No Longer a Cold Case

12/02/2005

A murder investigation that involved Sheriff’s Departments from Mitchell County NC and Unicoi and Carter County Departments in Tennessee is no longer a cold case…new evidence has surfaced in the murder of William Edward Nidiffer, age 56, of Elizabethton Tennessee, whose body was discovered January 8th, 2005, by an Asheville couple while they were biking through the Cherokee National Forest along the Tennessee/North Carolina line. He had been shot several times in the back. At first officials said Nidiffer’s body was in Mitchell County, and then they changed the location to just inside the Tennessee line. At the time of the murder, Mitchell Sheriff Ken Fox said Nidiffer was shot at close range. An empty wallet and discarded shoes were found near his body. It was also revealed that Nidiffer had worked in the past as a drug undercover agent, and that he had received a Social Security settlement prompting investigators to look at the settlement as a possible motive in the murder. Authorities have not revealed the “new evidence” that has surfaced.

Accused Kidnapper Dies in Custody

12/01/2005

The Bakersville man accused of kidnapping a six year-old child from a Johnson City Tennessee business has died in custody. Authorities say 43 year old Thomas Joseph Johnston, died from natural causes at a special needs facility in Nashville on Sunday. Johnston was charged last month with kidnapping a 6 year old girl from a Johnson City Laundromat. Police say Johnston lured the little girl into his car and then took off. He then allegedly led police on a high speed chase on Interstate 26 for several miles, before he crashed into a sign and was taken into police custody. According to court records, his case was headed to the grand jury after the first of the year.