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<p>James Howell | Jefferson Post</p><p>The current building housing the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Department is scheduled to be purchased and then torn down to make room for U.S. 221 when it is widened into a four-lane highway.</p>
Fleetwood VFD will need new home, eventually
As the N.C. Department of Transportation continues acquiring right-of-way property along U.S. 221 for the roads widening into a four-lane, the property housing the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Department has been targeted for purchase, leaving the Fleetwood VFD to look for a new home for its people and equipment. “I think we’ll probably be able to stay where we are for quite a while until we get a better indication of where we need to go,” said...
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<p>Photo submitted | Jefferson Post</p><p>Garrett Miller standing in front of Wagoner Baptist Church.</p>
Following His call
Every Sunday morning, preachers and priests deliver messages to their congregations all across Ashe County. Garrett Miller, the interim-pastor at Wagoner Baptist Church in Laural Springs, delivers messages like his fellow preachers, but with one obvious difference; Miller is 18 years old. “Everybody in life, I believe, has a purpose and everybody has a job, and this is my job. I welcome it now,” said Miller. Miller felt called to preach...
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Lawsuit seeks to eliminate arsenic in animal feed
North Carolina’s poultry and hog farmers could face changes in what goes into their animal feed if a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is successful. The agency continues to allow an organic form of arsenic in feed given to chickens, turkeys and hogs. A handful of advocacy groups, including the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, want that to change. According to the Institute’s senior advisor in science, food an...
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Blue Ridge Electric members will share in $4 million credit
Checks or bill credits are coming in May to members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, thanks to a $4 million capital credits retirement approved earlier this year by the board of directors. Checks mailed earlier this week to members due a capital credits refund of $35 or more. Members due less than $35 are receiving their capital credits refunds in the form of a credit on their May electric bill. The amount of each refund is ba...
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<p>Image submitted | Jefferson Post</p><p>This map of Todd is featured on the Todd Mercantile website and was designed by local artist Jim Lewis.</p>
Todd adds a web presence
In an attempt to share the Todd community with the rest of the world, the Todd community and the Todd Mercantile have created websites to disperse information about the area. “You have to have a web presence in today’s world,” said Helen Barnes-Rielly, who owns the Todd Mercantile with her husband. Todd’s website, toddnc.org , gives information about upcoming events and also shares the history of Todd, which at one time, was a larger com...
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DPI releases public reports on educator effectiveness
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has made available to the public the summary results of teacher and administrator evaluation systems for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. These data can be accessed from the Educator Effectiveness Database . The online data display provides a resource that is user-friendly and easily accessible so that parents, educators and other community members can see data reflecting the effec...
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Mother’s Day Hat Contest
Staff photo | Jefferson Post To honor Mother’s Day, the senior center hosted the Mother’s Day Hat Contest on Friday. Winners were chosen according to audience applause from four different categories, which included most creative, best color, oldest style and unusual size. The winners were (from left to right:) Mary Rozier, for most creative, Ina Bare and Irene Sheets for unusual size, Jenifer Barker for oldest styles, and Madge McNeill for be...
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Ribbon cutting at People’s Drug Store
Photo submitted | Jefferson Post Bradley and Aletha Eller, who purchased People’s Drug Drug Store in West Jefferson in November, had their ribbon cutting ceremony Friday. Back row, left to right: Town Manager Brantley Price, Misty Shatley, Ashe Chamber of Commerce board members Jeff Dreyer and Josh Roten, Town Planner Matt Levi, Sherrie Matthews; Middle row, left to right: Brent Eller, Linda Ward, Amanda Goodman, Louise Burgess, Janie Roten, ...
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C.J. Burford (center) completed a 315 mile ride through N.C. at the South Carolina state line last year. With C.J. were his father Craig Burford (left) and family friend and fellow cross-country cyclist Bernard Molinda.
Eight-year-old bikes across N.C.
Eight-year-old C. J. Burford of Walkertown will set off on a bike ride across the state of N.C. Monday morning, traveling 360 miles and raising money to provide live-saving heart surgery for children. ”This bike ride isn’t a race,” Burford said, “instead it’s a great opportunity for many people to help me show God’s love and support families all over the world with children who do not have the medical care they need.” Burford, who has b...
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Lansing’s single traffic signal at the intersection of NC 194 and South Big Horse Creek Road was replaced with a three-way stop this week. The stop signs, in combination with a new pedestrian crosswalk and 20 mph speed limit posting, are intended to slow traffic through town.
Lansing hopes 3-way stop, crosswalk will slow speeders
Lansing’s single traffic signal at the intersection of NC 194 and South Big Horse Creek Road was replaced with a three-way stop this week. The stop signs, in combination with a new pedestrian crosswalk and 20 mph speed limit posting, are intended to slow traffic through town.
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RD Williams
Ashe Memorial CEO resigns
The Board of Trustees of Ashe Memorial Hospital (AMH) has announced the resignation of hospital CEO R.D. Williams. He has served as CEO at Ashe Memorial for nearly 20 years, and has been an involved member of the community. During his tenure, Williams was instrumental in establishing the Ashe County Health Council, a Healthy Carolinians Task Force and its successor organization the Ashe Health Alliance. These organizations bring together th...
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<p>Dylan Lightfoot | Jefferson Post</p><p>A tanker truck pumped contaminated water out of a rain-flooded cell at the Ashe County Landfill Wednesday. Due to persistent rain, a few hundred thousand gallons of leachate had to be trucked out of the county this week.</p>
Heavy rains cost county $118,000
Persistent rain in the High Country this week caused a build-up of contaminated water at the Ashe County landfill. “It’s beginning to recede,” said Ashe County Environmental Services (ACES) Director Scott Hurley. “We’re hauling six tanker truck loads per day.” Hurley said the rain has been a problem this year because a new rubber-lined cell at the landfill had not yet been filled with garbage, and was instead filling with water. “We had s...
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<p>James Howell | Jefferson Post</p><p>Dianne Eldreth (left) and Vickie Herman (right) spoke to the board of commissioners on behalf of Project Graduation during Monday&#8217;s BOC meeting.</p>
County commissioners allocate $8,000 to Project Graduation
The Ashe County Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to give $8,000 to help fund the 2012 Project Graduation after hearing a request from Dianne Eldreth and Vickie Herman. “We’re here again to ask your help one more time with project graduation,” said Eldreth. “We had an enormous rainstorm on Friday (the day of Project Graduation’s fundraiser), and we’re a little bit behind.” Eldreth said her group managed to raise about $12,000 duri...
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<p>James Howell | Jefferson Post</p><p>BOC Chair Larry Rhodes (right) voiced his opinion that public assistance fraud needs a solution, but drug testing isn&#8217;t the best tool to solve the problem, during the board&#8217;s working session Monday afternoon. Ashe County Manager Dr. Pat Mitchell listened while Rhodes offered his opinion.</p>
BOC tables vote for public assistance drug testing
A vote to support a resolution to request legislation for mandatory drug tests for public assistance programs was tabled by the Ashe County Board of Commissioners on Monday. “I would like to see a fail-safe answer, but I don’t think this is it, but I think we need to keep looking at it because there is an awswer out there,” said BOC Chair Larry Rhodes. The resolution would have sent a message to N.C. Legislators that Ashe County supports ...
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Legislative update: House passes abortion bill
This week in the General Assembly, the House passed a bill prohibiting selective sex abortions, a House committee considered legislation requiring parental consent for teen abortions and birth control, and a bill requiring schools to keep emergency allergy medication on hand passed the House unanimously. Meanwhile, a discharge petition was circulated in the Senate this week to pull a minimum wage increase bill from committee, where it has b...
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<p>Photo submitted | Jefferson Post</p><p>Ashe County Schools Superintendent Donnie Johnson (right) visited Westwood Elementary Friday to honor Dr. Mandy Taylor (left) as Ashe County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2013-14.</p>
ACS awards Taylor Teacher of the Year
Ashe County Schools is pleased to announce the 2012-13 Teacher of the Year Dr. Mandy Taylor, and Teacher Assistant of the Year Sandra Simms. Ashe County Schools Central Office Staff visited Westwood Elementary School May 3 to honor Dr. Mandy Taylor, academically gifted (AIG) specialist, as Ashe County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2013-2014 school year. Each spring, schools select a Teacher of the Year to represent faculty and staff durin...
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<p>James Howell | Jefferson Post</p><p>The winners of the Governor&#8217;s Award were commemorated with a picture after receiving their awards. Recipients from the Praise Brigade include (front row, left to right:) Emma Goodman, Allyson Greer, Kayla Bare, Deidra Winebarger, Sydney Greer, Tori Prichard, Jadyn Trivett, Ashley Dollar, Allison Brown, Ashley Hardin, Mattlyn Bledsoe, Mallory Bledsoe, Maddie Hudler, Lydia Edmisten, Katie Welch, and Paige Anderson (Not pictured: Addison Dollar, Ava Prichard, Kylea Bledose and Abbei Bledsoe.) The adults who received Governor&#8217;s Awards were also honored, and include (back row, from left to right:) Hewey Testerman, Jennifer Richardson from High Country Home Health Care Hospice, Bernadette Zimmerman from New beginnings, Angie Taylor from HCHHC Hospice, and Corey Halsey, Trent Pruitt and Tanya Halsey from the Fletcher Memorial Baptist Church youth group.</p>
Volunteers save Ashe $8 million per year
Several volunteers gathered at Boondocks Brewing Monday morning to receive Governor’s Awards for Excellence to honor their committee to outstanding volunteerism. “We’re so fortunate and blessed in this county to have the people we do have involved in volunteerism,” said Ashe County Board Commissioner William Sands. Recognition for volunteers is well deserved; volunteers spend time at Ashe Memorial Hospital, Ashe Service for Aging, hospice...
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<p>Cliff Clark | Jefferson Post</p><p>West Jefferson Aldermen (from left) Stephen Shoemaker, Lester Mullis, Dr. Brett Summey, W.J. Mayor Dale Baldwin and Alderman Calvin Green listen as ABC Board Chairman Haskell McGuire presents the quarterly ABC Store report. Alderman Tom Hartman arrived at the meeting after McGuire&#8217;s presentation.</p>
W.J. Aldermen approve capital improvement projects
The West Jefferson Aldermen met Monday night and approved two capital projects and were presented the quarterly report from the ABC store. The two capital projects the aldermen approved were for the continued expansion of the sewer line extension in the area of Ashe County Ford and for a sidewalk improvement project on Main Street. West Jefferson Town Manager Brantley Price reported to the aldermen their approval was needed for a budget a...
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ACS superintendent search continues
The search for a new Ashe County Schools (ACS) superintendent continues, with the Board of Education narrowing its list of candidates. The board is scheduled to announce its decision in a little over three weeks. Ashe County Schools posted a job listing mid-January seeking to fill the superintendent position vacated by Dr. Travis Reeves. The board received 47 complete applications, mostly from in-state applicants, said Assistant Superintend...
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