Wildfire Closes US 19E at Avery/Mitchell Line; Second Fire Forces Ashe County Farm to Shut Down UPDATE — 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 23: The NC Forest Service and Avery County Emergency Management are both reporting 65 percent containment on the County Line brush fire as of Thursday morning. The...

✅ UPDATE: County Line brush fire in Avery County now 65% contained — up from 45% overnight. Fire size confirmed at 70 acres. Controlled back burning underway. All homes in the vicinity protected. wataugaonline.com/wildfire-clo... #AveryCounty #HighCountryNC

Wildfire Closes US 19E at Avery/Mitchell Line; Second Fire Forces Ashe County Farm to Shut Down UPDATE — 9:45 p.m.: Crews remain on scene at the County Line brush fire near Beams Hill, with the fire now 45 percent contained, according to Avery County Emergency Management. US Highway 19E remains ...

🔥 UPDATE: County Line brush fire near Beams Hill is now 45% contained. US 19E is open but use caution — significant smoke in the area. Crews remain on scene. wataugaonline.com/wildfire-clo... #AveryCounty #MitchellCounty #HighCountryNC

🚁🔥 NO FLY ZONE in effect over the active wildfire near Beams Hill in Avery County.

NO drones or unauthorized aircraft. Drones force firefighting aircraft to land — delaying critical operations.

US 19E closed: Old Joe Howell Store to Mayland. Strictly enforced.

📋 Avery County EM

Wildfire Closes US 19E at Avery/Mitchell Line; Second Fire Forces Ashe County Farm to Shut Down UPDATE — 5:05 p.m.: Avery County Emergency Management says crews are now on scene of the brush fire near Beams Hill, with a significant multi-agency response underway. Resources on scene include the N...

🚨 UPDATE: Major multi-agency response to brush fire near Beams Hill in Avery County — NC Forest Service, most Avery fire depts, Mitchell Co. crews, spotter planes, 2 water-drop helicopters, EMS, Linville Rescue. US 19E closed from Old Joe Howell store to Mayland. wataugaonline.com/wildfire-clo...

Wildfire Closes US 19E at Avery/Mitchell Line; Second Fire Forces Ashe County Farm to Shut Down Two separate wildfires flared up across the High Country on Wednesday afternoon, April 22 — one prompting a road closure at the Avery-Mitchell county line and another forcing the closure of a farm in ...

🔥 Two wildfires flared across the High Country Wednesday. US 19E closed at Gouges Creek near the Avery/Mitchell line (detour: Gouges Creek Rd → Hanging Rock Rd). Bluff View Farms in West Jefferson closed by a construction-induced fire. Statewide burn ban in effect. wataugaonline.com/wildfire-clo...

Jackson Found Guilty of First Degree Murder Boone, NC – On April 21st, 2026 a Watauga County Jury found Alexander Matthew Jackson guilty of First Degree Murder for his role in the shooting death of Michael Ross after a weeklong trial. In Februa...

A Watauga County jury has found Alexander Matthew Jackson guilty of first-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of business partner Michael Ross. Judge Ted McEntire sentenced Jackson to life in prison without parole. wataugaonline.com/jackson-foun... #WataugaCounty #Boone #HighCountryNC

🔥 Brush fire near the 12000 block of US 19E South in Avery County Wednesday afternoon. Fire departments, NC Forest Service, and Watauga County crews on scene. Use caution in the area. 📋 Avery County Emergency Management #AveryCounty #HighCountryNC #BrushFire

Caldwell County Road to Close for SHP Crash Reconstruction N.C. Department of Transportation crews will install a detour on a Caldwell County road on Thursday, April 23, 2026. U.S. 64/N.C. 90 will close between Fox Road and Station Road from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ...

🚧 US 64/NC 90 closes in Caldwell County Thursday April 23, 9 AM–2 PM between Fox Rd and Station Rd while SHP reconstructs a weekend crash. Detour: Fox Rd → Draco Rd → Union Baptist Rd → Station Rd. wataugaonline.com/caldwell-cou... #CaldwellCounty #HighCountryNC #NCDOT

Avery County Sheriff Warns of AI Voice Cloning Scam Targeting Families The Avery County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about a sophisticated fraud scheme in which scammers are using artificial intelligence voice-cloning technology to impersonate family members an...

⚠️ Avery County Sheriff warning: Scammers are using AI to clone voices of family members, then calling relatives demanding money. A local victim was targeted using a cloned version of their son's voice. Tip: create a family "safe word." wataugaonline.com/avery-county... #AveryCounty #ScamAlert

National Park Service Announces Upcoming Work to Reduce Wildfire Risk on the Blue Ridge Parkway The National Park Service today announced plans to remove hazardous, storm-generated tree debris from six areas with elevated wildfire risk along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia....

🌲 NPS announcing removal of Hurricane Helene debris from nearly 3,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Boone section: 769 acres, mileposts 280–300. Work begins late summer. Public meeting in Boone May 7, 5–7 PM at CCC&TI Watauga Campus. wataugaonline.com/national-par... #BlueRidgeParkway

Two Found Dead Following Vilas House Fire; No Foul Play Suspected Two people were found dead inside a Vilas home following a large structure fire early Wednesday morning, April 15, and investigators say there is no evidence of foul play. The Watauga Communications C...

🔥 Two people found dead following a large house fire at 625 Burl Brown Road in Vilas on April 15. Bruce Alan Harris, 77, and Sandra Smith Harris, 75, appeared to have been overcome by smoke and fire. No foul play suspected. Investigation ongoing. wataugaonline.com/two-found-de...

Boone Staples Passes Price Scanner Inspection, Pays Final Fine from 2025 Violations The Staples store in Boone has passed its price-scanner inspection and paid off its remaining fine from last year's violations, according to a first-quarter 2026 report from the N.C. Department of Agr...

🧾 The Boone Staples store has passed its price scanner inspection and paid the final $1,025 fine from 2025 violations — closing out $4,670 in total fines. It's the third time the Blowing Rock Road location has been fined since 2018. wataugaonline.com/boone-staple...

App State Update from Chancellor Dr. Heather Norris — Friday, April 17, 2026 Friday, April 17, 2026 This week, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Neva Specht and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor J.J. Brown joined me in attending the April meeting of the...

🎓 App State Chancellor Dr. Heather Norris's weekly update: Helene-inspired solar water research wins 3MT, finance students place top 16 globally at CFA Challenge, cancer therapy research underway, dining renovations approved. wataugaonline.com/app-state-up... #AppState #Boone #HighCountryNC

WATAUGA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEET TUESDAY — TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE AGENDA The Watauga County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings Tuesday when it meets for its regular session at 5:30 p.m. at the Watauga County Recreation Center Community Room. The first hea...

🏛️ Watauga County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 5:30 PM — two public hearings: one on data center regulations (county currently has none), one on development ordinance updates. Also: EMS tower, Helene recycling grant, Todd Park funding. wataugaonline.com/watauga-coun... #WataugaCounty #HighCountryNC

High Country Gas Prices Drop to $3.79 — First Real Relief Since Iran Conflict Began Gas prices across the High Country fell to $3.79 per gallon this week — down about a dime from last Sunday and the first meaningful relief local drivers have seen since the U.S.-Iran conflict sent pri...

⛽ HIGH COUNTRY GAS PRICES – April 19, 2026

Boone: $3.79 | Diesel low: $5.57
NC: $3.79 | National: $4.08

📉 Down ~$0.09 from last week — first real relief since the Iran conflict sent prices surging. Ceasefire holding for now, but situation remains fragile.

wataugaonline.com/high-country...

Wind Advisory and Freeze Watch in effect - Sunday April 19, 2026 The National Weather Service has issued two alerts for the High Country — a Wind Advisory that remains in effect through 4 p.m. today and a Freeze Watch issued for late Monday night through Tuesday mo...

💨 Wind Advisory until 4 PM today — gusts up to 45 mph. ❄️ Freeze Watch late Monday night through Tuesday morning — lows as cold as 30°. Protect plants and outdoor plumbing before Monday night. Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany counties. wataugaonline.com/wind-advisor... #HighCountryNC #NCWeather #FreezeWatch

❄️ Snow falling in the Beaver Dam area of Watauga County Sunday morning — temps in the low 30s as of 8:35 a.m. 📷 Paul Stout #WataugaCounty #HighCountryNC #AprilSnow #NCWeather

Boone Police Seek Public's Help Identifying Truck After Man Ejected from Bed The Boone Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying a vehicle and individuals involved in an incident in which a man was ejected from the bed of a moving pickup truck last Saturday...

🚨 Boone Police seeking info on dark-colored lifted Dodge Ram — white wheel well lighting, black wheels — after a man was ejected from the truck bed near Perkinsville Dr. & Grove St. on April 11. Tips: 828-268-6959 or text NCTIP to 274637. wataugaonline.com/boone-police... #Boone #WataugaCounty

Drought Monitor Update — Thursday April 16, 2026 North Carolina's drought continues to deepen for the fourth straight week, with Extreme Drought expanding to 30 counties — up from 23 last week and just 7 one month ago. In the High Country, Wilkes Co...

Drought Monitor: NC Extreme Drought expands to 30 counties — quadrupled in one month. Wilkes remains D3. Watauga, Ashe, Avery still D2. All 100 NC counties in drought. Fourth straight week of worsening.

wataugaonline.com/drought-moni... #NCwx #HighCountry #DroughtMonitor #Boone #WataugaCounty

Watauga County Fire Marshal Issues Local Burn Ban; Violations Carry $100 Fine The Watauga County Fire Marshal's Office has issued a local burn ban that runs concurrently with the statewide ban already in effect, adding an additional layer of restriction and a $100 fine per offe...

Watauga County Fire Marshal issues local burn ban on top of statewide ban. All open burning prohibited, all permits cancelled. Violations: $100/offense. Cooking fires must be in enclosed grill or appliance. Ban runs concurrent with NC Forest Service statewide ban. wataugaonline.com/watauga-coun...

Governor Offers $25,000 Reward in 1982 Disappearance of Wilkesboro Woman WILKESBORO — Governor Josh Stein announced Tuesday that the State of North Carolina is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons ...

NC Governor Stein announces $25,000 reward in the 1982 disappearance of Angela Hamby in Wilkesboro. Hamby, 20, left home Oct. 29, 1982 and never returned. Case unsolved 40+ years. Tips: Wilkesboro PD (336) 667-7277 or NC SBI (919) 662-4500. wataugaonline.com/governor-off...

BREAKING: Explosion and large fire reported at 625 Burl Brown Road in Vilas at 1:43 AM Wednesday. Multiple agencies responded. Fire now under control. Joint investigation underway — Watauga Fire Marshal + Sheriff's Office Investigations Division. wataugaonline.com/explosion-an...

Samaritan's Purse Delivers New Bridge to Valle Crucis Community Cut Off by Helene A Valle Crucis neighborhood cut off for weeks by Hurricane Helene finally has its permanent bridge back. A dedication ceremony was held Monday for a new bridge in the Valle Crucis community, replacing...

A Valle Crucis neighborhood cut off for weeks after Helene has its permanent bridge back. Samaritan's Purse built the new structure. Original 1966 bridge was swept away when the river rose 25 feet. Dedication held Monday. wataugaonline.com/samaritans-p...

State and Federal Fire Restrictions Now in Effect Across North Carolina Fire restrictions are now in effect at both the state and federal level across North Carolina, as dangerous wildfire conditions show no sign of improving. Beginning Wednesday, April 15, the U.S. Fores...

Fire restrictions now at state AND federal level in NC. Starting April 15: no open burning or campfires outside developed sites on Pisgah, Nantahala, Uwharrie & Croatan National Forests. State burn ban since March 28: 554 wildfires, 2,200+ acres, 150 citations. wataugaonline.com/state-and-fe...

Nonprofit Complies with State Requirements, Delivers Hundreds of Hurricane Helene Home Repairs A new Rapid Response Special Report from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) found Baptists on Mission, a nonprofit organization awarded grant money from the State of North Carolina t...

NC state audit finds Baptists on Mission in full compliance on $3M in Helene relief grants. 472 home repairs completed at avg $6,392/home — vs. $20K estimated. Projects included Boone, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, and more. No audit recommendations. wataugaonline.com/nonprofit-co...

That glow in the High Country sky early Tuesday morning was a SpaceX Falcon 9 — 29 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral, the 1,000th of 2026. WataugaOnline reader Anita Watson captured the exhaust plume. Did you see it? 📷 Anita Watson

Helene Recovery at Grandfather Mountain State Park North Carolina State Parks is actively working to reopen the Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park following the significant damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The trail and campsite remain...

Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park remains closed after Hurricane Helene. Debris removal just started in early spring 2026 — full reconstruction still ahead.wataugaonline.com/helene-recovery-at-grand...

Watauga County Sheriff's Office Helps Investigate Cartel-Linked Meth Trafficking Ring; Two Sentenced to Federal Prison Two Mexican nationals have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in a conspiracy that stretched across Watauga, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties, accord...

Two Mexican nationals sentenced to federal prison for trafficking meth across Watauga, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties. Watauga County Sheriff's Office helped investigate. Law enforcement found CJNG cartel-branded clothing in leader's trailer. wataugaonline.com/watauga-coun... #WataugaCounty

Boone Fire: Smoking Materials Ignite Deck Fire on Hwy 421 South A fire that could have been far worse was contained Friday afternoon after improperly discarded smoking materials ignited mulch and debris under a first-floor deck in the 2000 block of Highway 421 Sou...

Improperly discarded smoking materials sparked a deck fire on Hwy 421 South in Boone Friday. Tenant & neighbors fought it before crews arrived — fire didn't reach the structure. With NC-wide drought & burn ban in effect, Boone Fire urges home wildfire safety. wataugaonline.com/boone-fire-s...

⛽ GAS PRICES – High Country, April 12, 2026

Boone: $3.88 | Diesel: $5.69
NC: $3.90 | National: $4.13

📌 May vary and change after posting.

WataugaOnline.com/high-country-gas-prices-steady-at-3-88-as-ceasefire-brings-uncertain-hope-for-relief/