Mitchell Budget Presented to Commissioners

05/31/2006 

Mitchell County’s proposed budget for 2006-2007 has been presented to the Board of Commissioners. The proposed budget is available for public inspection in the Clerk to the Board’s office. A public hearing on the proposed budget is set for June 20th at 5:00 pm in the Commissioner’s Conference Room. Interested citizens wishing to make comments on the budget should sign up prior to the meeting. Written comments should be sent to: Kathy Young, Clerk to the Board, 26 Crimson Laurel Circle, Suite 2, Bakersville, NC 28705.The date for adopting the budget is June 26th at 5:00 pm, in the commissioners Conference Room. Ryan Whitson, Mitchell County Manager gives an over of the proposed budget. (click audio button above)

Remembering Fallen Comrades

05/30/2006 

A Memorial Day ceremony was held Monday at the Veterans Monument on the lawn of the Yancey county Courthouse in Burnsville. Walter Savage, of Sgt. E.L. Randolph, Chapter 57, Disabled American Veterans read the names of two servicemen who were killed in action and whose names were added to the monument. Seaman Iss Renfro, killed Oct 18, 1918, in WW1, he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and Sgt. Kevin Atkins, killed in Afghanistan, March 12, 2006, he is buried in Yancey County. Savage also urged our government to honor those who have been killed in service by taking care of those who came back from war sick or wounded. (click audio button above)

Yancey Receives Grant for Recreation Grounds

05/30/2006 

Yancey County has received a grant of $182,500 from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for the county’s comprehensive recreational grounds 2 project. According to information from the Parks Authority the county will receive the contract and be able to start their project by August 1st. The Parks and Recreation Authority received 86 applications from across the state requesting over $27 million in assistance.

Rabies Confirmed in Crabtree Area

05/30/2006 

A case of rabies has been confirmed in the area of Crabtree Community of Yancey County. Officials at Toe River Health District say the best way to protect your family from exposure to the rabies virus is to get you pets vaccinated with the rabies vaccine. For questions, or if you need to report an animal bite, please call the Yancey County Health Department at 682-6118 during work hours between 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, after hours call 682-2124.

North Carolina Powerball

05/30/2006 

The North Carolina education lottery introduces powerball starting today. A winning powerball ticket starts at a minimum of 15-million dollars. It continues to grow every drawing if no one has the winning numbers. Once the computer sales terminal is updated, people who buy tickets in North Carolina will compete against players from across the country. The winning numbers will be announced tomorrow-Wednesday. The chance of winning is about 1 in 146 million.

Murder-Suicide outside a McDowell Church

05/29/2006 

Two people are dead and a third hospitalized after a shooting during church services outside of Macedonia Baptist in McDowell County. Deputies are calling the incident a murder-suicide. It happened just after 11:00 Sunday morning. Officials say it's a case of domestic abuse. Shirley Arrowood and her daughters were visiting her son's gravesite when deputies say her estranged husband, Phil Arrowood opened fire. Officials say he shot Shirley, killing her and then turned the gun on himself. Their 16 year-old daughter, Kristy Arrowood was hit and is at Mission Hospitals, no condition report is available. Her sister Lacey, watched it all happen. Both daughters say their mother had taken action against their father with ex-parte and restraining orders. They say their mother feared for her life.

Chapter 58 Disabled Veterans Honor Fallen Comrades

05/29/2006 

Celebrated on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is a time to remember the U.S. men & women who lost their lives serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was established in 1868 to commemorate the dead from the civil war. Over the years it came to serve as a day to remember all U.S. men & women killed in action in all wars. A Memorial Day observance was held Friday at the Mitchell Senior Center in Ledger. Members of Chapter 58 Disabled American Veterans & the Ladies Auxiliary presented an American flag to the center and raised it in honor of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We spoke with Commander Dennis King, he said the Government should do more for veterans and he thanked families for their sacrifices. (click audio button above)

Spruce Pine Pool Opens

05/25/2006 

The weather is changing and the Spruce Pine Pool is ready to open. Dale Blevins, with  Spruce Pine Parks and Recreation, says the pool and park facilities are great places for birthday parties and gatherings. (click audio button above)

Paving of Walking Path

05/24/2006 

The walking path in Spruce Pine's Riverside Park was damaged by the floods in 2004. Richard Canipe , Spruce Pine Town Manager, says a grant to re-pave the path has been secured. (click audio button above)

Drug Arrests in Mitchell

05/23/2006 

Mitchell County Deputies arrested and charged a Mitchell County couple for numerous drug violations as a result of a search of their residence. Christopher “CJ” Ray, 23, and Jackie Lynn Love, 35 both of 88 Huskins Cir., Huskins Mobile Home Park, Spruce Pine where arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Sell Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Possession of Methadone, Possession of Methadone with Intent to Sell, and Maintain a Residence for Controlled Substance. The arrests stem from an investigation into illegal drug activity occurring at the residence. Mitchell County Deputies where assisted by Yancey County Deputy Sheriff Mark Letterman, and Probation Officer Linc Vance. Lt. Chris Gillespie of the Mitchell Sheriff’s Department was the charging officer.

Funds Needed for Construction

05/22/2006 

Like other school systems in this region, Yancey Schools need more funding for construction and to upgrade aging buildings: Lynn Hensley is the Finance Officer for Yancey County Schools. According to state statutes, the facilities requirements for a public school system must be met by county governments. Lynn Hensley, Finance Officer, with the Yancey School System comments. (click audio button above)

What’s Next?

05/19/2006 

A state sponsored public hearing on a proposed dialysis center to serve citizens of Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties was held Thursday in Burnsville, at the Yancey County Courthouse. It was a good turnout as citizens, government leaders along with dialysis patients and family members spoke in favor of the center being located in the tri-counties. Much of the comment was driven by the competition that has developed between Mitchell & Yancey Counties, each hoping to convince officials to put the center in their county. If the Center is approved, the opening is tentatively scheduled for July, 2007. We spoke with Carol Hutchinson, with the Certificate of Need Division of the North Carolina Division of Facility Services and ask her what happens next. (click audio button above)

Dialysis Center Public Hearing Today

05/18/2006 

Total Renal Care of North Carolina has applied to the Certificates of Need Section of the NC Division of Facility Services to establish the Mayland Dialysis Center, a nine-station dialysis facility to serve patients in Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. Dialysis is a medical treatment that filters impurities from the blood of a person with kidney failure. Four possible site locations have been identified for this proposed million dollar center, two in Burnsville and two in Spruce Pine,. The site location has sparked a competition between Mitchell and Yancey as to where the proposed facility should be located. A state sponsored public hearing for the project has been scheduled for today at 1:00 pm in the courtroom of the Yancey County Courthouse in Burnsville. Citizens are welcome and encouraged to give comments at this meeting.

Johnson City Couple Charged

05/17/2006 

Investigators with the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office and The Johnson City Police Department have arrested a Johnson City couple for the Murder of Jimmy Lee Bennett, his body was found in January in Mitchell County along the North Carolina & Tennessee line. It was later determined Bennett was murdered in Tennessee and his body was dumped in Mitchell County. Renee Pottinger, age 36, is charged with Second Degree Murder and Heath Stokes, age 34 is charged with Accessory After the Fact of Second Degree Murder and Abuse of a Corpse. Both Pottinger and Stokes lived with the victim at the time of the murder, at 513 Pilgram Court, in Johnson City. The couple had lived with Bennett for approximately six months when the murder occurred. After two months on intense investigation, it was determined the murder occurred at the residence in Johnson City, and that the couple had acted together during the events that led up to the murder and events after the murder. Johnson City Investigators took the lead on the case and Mitchell County became an assisting agency after it was discovered that the murder occurred in their jurisdiction. Both Pottinger and Stokes remain in custody; they were arrested May, 1, 2006. The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office, the US Forest Service , the NC SBI and Johnson City Police worked together to solve the case.

Byrd Speaks Out

05/16/2006 

Mitchell Commissioner Phil Byrd is speaking out about what happened at the May Commissioners meeting. He says it was apparent that the agenda was changed after the Primary election and the allocation of funds of about $3.94 million was an attempt to break the county’s bank and put the new board in a position to have to raise taxes. The spending dropped the Mitchell County fund balance to between 6% and 8%. (click audio button above)

Clean Water Bonds

05/15/2006 

In 1998 the clean water bond act provided funds for several projects in Burnsville and Yancey County, but that money is now gone. Danny McIntosh, Mayor of Burnsville explains. (click audio button above)

Yancey EDC Public Meeting Tonight

05/15/2006 

Tonight, the first of three meetings sponsored by Yancey County EDC will be held. The meetings are designed to share with citizens the findings of a recent strategic action plan for the county. Gwen Harris is the executive Director of the Yancey County Economic Development Commission explains. For more information call 682-7722. (click audio button above)

2 Dead in Mitchell Wreck

05/12/2006 

An accident Wednesday night on Bear Creek Road about 4 miles north of Spruce Pine killed 2 people, one died at the scene, the other at an area hospital. The deceased have been identified as Jeremiah Johnson, 19, of Bear Creek Road, Bakersville, he died at the scene, and Dustin Allen Duncan, age 18, of Flat Rock Circle, Spruce Pine, he was the driver of the vehicle and he died later at an area hospital. Duncan and Johnson were in the front seat in the 2nd seat were Joseph Beasley, 17, Feldspar Street, SP. Bradley McCall, 16, Carters Ridge Road, in Spruce Pine. They were taken to the hospital but condition reports for Beasley and McCall were not available. First Sergeant Brower of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said the accident involved one vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet Extended Cab Truck. (click audio button above)

Amending the State Constitution

05/12/2006 

Representative Phillip Frye, along with other Republicans, has introduced a House Bill (house bill 1854) to ensure that private property could not be taken by the government for economic development projects. The bill, entitled “Eminent Domain”, calls for a vote by the people of North Carolina to amend the Constitution to prohibit the state from condemning private property to use for economic development, as happened recently in Connecticut. All constitutional amendments must go before the voters for approval. If the bill passes, the amendment will be on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Representative Frye stated “I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill, and I will do all I can to get it passed.” Frye represents the 84th district serving Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. According to Frye, the recent action by the Town of Spruce Pine, using their power of eminent domain, on behalf of Spruce Pine Community Hospital, to take 10.83 acres of property owned by Mitchell Lumber Company for the purpose of construction of a public street and public parking facilities would be considered in the “public interest and serves a public purpose” and would not be affected by this proposed bill.

Paying Off the Courthouse

05/12/2006 

Mitchell Commissioners paid off the Courthouse ahead of schedule on Monday. County Manager Ryan Whitson said the money, $337,500, will come from the $440 thousand the county received from the sale of the mental health building in Spruce Pine. He said the early payoff would free up money in next year’s budget. But Commissioner Phil Byrd said the early payoff will cost the county $10 thousand, he said the interest rate on the balance was 2.75%, while the borrowed money invested in a CD was earning 5.05%. The vote to payoff the courthouse was 4 to 1 with Commissioner Byrd casting the “no” vote. The Courthouse was on schedule to be paid off in 15 months.

One Dead, One Critical

05/11/2006 

An accident last night on Bear Creek Road in the Ledger community of Mitchell County, killed one person and one was sent to an area hospital with injuries described as life threatening. The incident involved one vehicle, and four people in a Ford Extended cab truck. Information from the Highway Patrol indicates the truck ran off the right side of Bear Creek Road, traveled through a ditch on its side and skirted some trees before coming to a stop. No other details are available.

Tight Budgets Ahead

05/11/2006 

Earlier this week the Mitchell Commissioners gave the County School System a much needed shot in the arm by allocating around $4.6 million for their operating budget and capitol outlay. But as Commissioner Phil Byrd this will bring the county’s fund balance down and belt tightening will be necessary. Mitchell Commissioner Phil Byrd. According to Finance Officer Mavis Parsley these funding measures will leave the fund balance between 8% and 10%. (click audio button above)

EDC Public Meetings

05/11/2006 

Yancey County EDC will be hosting three meetings next week to share with citizens the findings of a recent strategic action plan for the county. Gwen Harris is the executive Director of the Yancey County Economic Development Commission comments. For more information or if you plan to attend either the breakfast or lunch meeting please call 682-7722. (click audio button above)

Bobby Hensley Named Bus Driver of the Year

05/11/2006 

At the annual Yancey County Schools bus drivers’ luncheon on May 9, Bobby Hensley was recognized as the 2006 Bus Driver of the Year. Hensley has driven a bus for Cane River Middle School for the past eight years and transports 70 Bee Log area students a total of 12,760 miles per year. He was selected for the recognition based on his exceptional qualities including a safe driving record, dependability, and cleanliness of his bus. “Bobby does a tremendous job for Yancey County Schools,” says Randy Hall, Yancey County Schools Transportation Director. “He always keeps a clean bus, he’s always on time, and very willing to do anything he can to help with the transportation of our students.”
In addition to driving a bus for Yancey County Schools, Bobby is a custodian at Cane River Middle School.

McDowell Tag Office Shut Down

05/10/2006 

The Department of Motor Vehicles license tag office in Marion has been hut down after an audit turned up missing money. A DMV spokesperson says the SBI confiscated computers and files Monday and then locked the doors. A private contractor and two employees ran the office, which issued license tags, did title work and other services. No one has been arrested or charged. No word on when or if the office in Marion will reopen.

Former Band Director Faces New Sex Charges

05/10/2006 

A former McDowell County band director faces more charges for allegedly having sex with a student. 27-year-old Jonathan Ward is already charged with first degree sex offense in the case. Tuesday, authorities added five new charges involving a former student of Ward's who is now in high school. But the new charges stem from a different incident. These new charges include: One count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of statutory rape and three counts of statutory sex offense. Ward remains in the McDowell County jail under 350-thousand dollars bond.

Library Expansion Donation

05/10/2006   

The Town of Burnsville is making good on a donation approved in 2004. Burnsville Mayor Danny McIntosh comments. (click audio button above)
 

Mitchell Schools Get Help

05/09/2006 

It’s was a good night for Mitchell Schools at last nights Commissioners meeting: Ryan Whitson, Mitchell County Manager explains. School Board member Kathy Miller was pleased, she comments. (click audio button above)

Bond Raised For Former Band Director

05/09/2006 

Bond for a former West McDowell Junior High School band director, charged with having sex with a former student has been raised. 27 year old Jonathan Ward made his first appearance in court Monday and the judge ruled because the charges against Ward carry a maximum of life in prison without parole, he was increasing his bond from $50 thousand to $300 thousand. He is charged with two felonies. One is for sex offense with a child. The other charge is for taking indecent liberties with a child. Deputies say the 15 year old victim is not a student at West McDowell Junior High. However, the investigation report says the crime was committed by there being a continuing relationship between teacher and student. Ward resigned as the band director at West McDowell last week

Governor Wants Freeze on State Gas Tax

05/08/2006 

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley will ask the General Assembly this week to freeze the state gasoline tax so that the rate will not increase from the current level. Since 1992, North Carolina law automatically raises the gas tax when there is a substantial increase in the cost of fuel. (Audio: NC Representative Phillip Frye comments) The current state gas tax is 29.9 cents a gallon. The gas tax is a major source of money to build and maintain the state’s roads. To ensure that road projects proceed, Easley says he will provide an additional $200.7 million to the Highway Trust Fund for road construction and $18 million to the Highway Fund for maintenance and contract resurfacing. There is no state sales tax on gasoline in North Carolina, while other states impose both a gas and sales tax on consumers. (click audio button above)

Fire Destroys House on Mountain Air

05/05/2006 

Fire destroyed a house on Mountain Air last night. The home, on Spring House Drive, was unoccupied and no one was injured. The call came in just before 11 pm. When units from West Yancey, Burnsville, Yancey Rescue Squad and Yancey EMS arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames. West Yancey Chief Rickey Chandler said the fire came close to taking two neighboring houses, but they received only minor damage one had melted siding the other a lost some singles. He said these structures were watered down and no other damage occurred. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Focused on Getting Altec on Line

05/05/2006 

Burnsville Council has voted to delay any action on their dispute with Yancey County over fees related to Altec Industries: Burnsville Mayor, Danny McIntosh comments (click audio button above)

Funds Not Enough to Meet Students Needs

05/04/2006 

The lack of funds is hampering the Mitchell Board of Education to meet the needs of students. Jeff Harding, the Chairman of the Mitchell County Board of Education says the board will be asking Mitchell Commissioners at their May 8th meeting for around $400-$450 thousand to cover balancing their operating budget for the coming year. This past year, the system has been hit hard by fuel and electrical cost of about $175 thousand more than they expected to spend and they expect that number to increase to around $190 thousand for the coming year. This includes $150 to $200 thousand in capitol outlay funds to use to replace windows at two schools. Harding said it’s not what they want to do, but they may have to take legal action against the county. He said the state statutes are clear and indicate that “the facilities requirements for a public school system must be met by County Governments." (click audio button above)

French Broad EMC Annual Meeting

05/04/2006 

French Broad Electric Membership Corporation will hold their annual meeting this Saturday May 6th at Madison High School. Activities begin at 3 pm including a health fair with free screenings for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, hearing, glaucoma, spinal and bone density. Other health professionals from the area will provide information on specific health issues and services. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department “kickoff to a Safe Summer” is being in conjunction with the annual meeting. This is available for pre-school through 5th grade children as a learning experience as-well-as and as a time for lots of games and entertainment. The Kickoff will be on the football field between 3 & 6 pm. You’re asked to register for the annual meeting in the high school before taking you children to the kickoff. At 6 pm, the gospel music group “The Narrow Way Quartet” will perform. A brief business meeting with follow the entertainment, three directors will be elected. All members and their families are urged to come to the annual meeting, get free health screenings and take part in a day of fun activities.

Primary Election Results-Local

05/03/2006 

Results from Tuesday’s Primary will change the face of the Mitchell County Commission in December, that’s when the new board is sworn in. The winners were Patrick Phillips with 26%, incumbent Phil Byrd will return for another term he had 21% and Lisa Yelton Sparks received 18%. Incumbent Commissioners Keith Masters and Ken Hollifield were voted out with Masters getting 17% and Hollifield 9%. Third place winner Lisa Yelton Sparks received 2199 & 4th place finisher Keith Masters had 2130, a difference of 69 votes. Election officials say Masters has the right to ask for a re-count. Phillips & Byrd will serve 4 year terms and the 3rd place winner will serve a 2 year term. For Clerk of Court, Janet Cook beat incumbent Ted McKinney 67% to 33%. Sheriff Ken Fox won easily with 71% of the vote, Vic Hollifield had 26% and John Wilson had 3%. For State Representative, 84th District, Phillip Frye beat Monroe Buchanan 67% to 33%. The 84th serves Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell & Yancey. 44% of the register voter’s in Mitchell voted in Tuesday’s Primary.

In Yancey County, Republicans chose Mickey Swann and Freddie Penland to complete their ticket for the November election. Swann & Penland will run for commission seats and John Renfro will run for chairman. Democratic Candidates will be Danny Hensley for Chairman and Dean Hicks and Nathan Bennett for Commission seats. Voters filled 2 seats on the Yancey Board of Education, incumbent Van Thomas had 1094 & Jeremy B. Chandler had 946. For totals of all candidates from all elections go to our home page and click on “election 2006.”

It’s Primary Day

05/02/2006  

It’s primary day in North Carolina. In Yancey, Republicans will choose 2 candidates to complete their slate of Commissioner Candidates to face Democrats in November. 3 candidates are running for the two spots. Non-partician, the Yancey Board of Education will fill 2 seats. 3 candidates are running for 2 seats. In Mitchell County the primary is usually the general election and that’s the case this year as no Democrats are running for County offices. 7 candidates are running for 3 Commission seats, 3 candidates are running for Sheriff and 2 candidates are running for Clerk of Court. In both Mitchell & Yancey, voters with cast ballots for a state representative from the 84th district. 2 candidates are running. The polls are open and will close at 7:30 pm.

Mitchell Has Its Turn

05/02/2006 

Just as Yancey County presented its case back in March as to why the proposed dialysis center for the tri-counties should be located in Yancey, Mitchell County told DaVita Inc. representatives Monday why the center should be placed in Mitchell. 330 letters of support & petitions with 4,119 signatures were presented to the DaVita representatives. There will be a state sponsored meeting for the purpose of public comment on the proposed facility May 18th at 1pm, in the Yancey County Courthouse. Bill Hyland with DaVita said: (Click audio button above)

Confirmed Rabies in Bald Mountain

05/01/2006 

The Yancey County Health Department has confirmed a case of rabies in the Bald Mountain Community. Officials say you should not pet strays or wild animals. Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to humans by a bite or scratch from infected animal’s saliva. The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your pet is to practice “Responsible Pet Ownership” by following the five “R’s” of rabies prevention.

Rabies Vaccination
Remove food from your yard
Restrict your pets to your property …
Receive prompt care from your medical provider if you are bitten by an animal, rabies disease can be fatal if treatment is not given in a timely manner.
Report animal bites and unusual animal behavior

If you have any further questions or need to report an animal bite. Please call the Yancey County Health Department.
Work hours are 8am-4:30pm call 682-6118
After hours call 682-2124