Weekly gas price update …
Average retail gasoline prices in North Carolina decreased by 8 cents over the past week, averaging $2.12 per gallon on Monday, Jan. 19. This compares with the national average that decreased by 7 cents over the past week to $2.04 per gallon, according to www.northcarolinagasprices.com.
National, state debt update …
As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, the United States’ national debt was $18,092,757,510,386, according to www.usdebtclock.org. That debt figure breaks down to $56,506 in debt per person and $154,050 in debt per taxpayer.
Also as of 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, North Carolina’s state debt was $54,486,014,212, which breaks down to $5,532 in debt per citizen.
State unemployment and food stamp update …
As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, 277,239 state residents were registered as unemployed, according to www.usdebtclock.org, and 1,611,763 North Carolinians were registered as food stamp recipients out of a total state population of 9,853,419.
Avery’s Hoilman claims $1 million Powerball prize …
The search is over for a player who won $1 million on a Powerball ticket sold in Spruce Pine.
Rachel Hoilman of Newland matched all five white balls but not the red Powerball in the Jan. 3 drawing to win the big prize. She purchased the $2 Quick Pick ticket, which beat odds of one in 5,153,633, at the Murphy USA on Halltown Road in Spruce Pine.
“It feels surreal to win something like this,” Hoilman said. “It’s a blessing. This money will help us and it will help others.”
A second $1 million Powerball ticket purchased in North Carolina remains unclaimed. The ticket, from the Christmas Eve drawing, was sold at the Harris Teeter on South Tryon Street in Charlotte.
The jackpot was last won on Nov. 29. North Carolina has had three Powerball jackpot winners who won between $74.5 million and $141.4 million.
Ticket sales made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion for the state last year. For details on how more than $5.9 million in lottery funds have made a difference for specific education programs in Avery County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.
North Carolina Education Lottery net proceeds will be used this year to help pay salaries of teachers and teacher assistants, for pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, school construction and repair and need-based college scholarships and financial aid.
Blue Ridge Brass and Montreat Scottish Pipes and Drums perform in Linville January 25 …
Blue Ridge Brass and Montreat Scottish Pipes and Drums will perform at Linville Falls Community Church starting at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25. The performance is open to the public, free to attend and will last approximately one hour. The group will play traditional and contemporary Scottish and Celtic music. The inclement weather alternate date is Feb. 1.
Wildlife Commission schedules second public meeting on proposed Linville shooting range …
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission will hold a second informational meeting on Feb. 18 in Morganton to discuss constructing a shooting range on the Linville Tract of the Pisgah Game Land in Burke County.
The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and will be held at Municipal Auditorium located at 401 S. College Street.
The proposed site for the range is near the intersection of Highway 126 and Wolf Pit Road, north of Lake James, in Burke County. Plans for the range include a 25-yard pistol range and a 100-yard rifle range.
Commission staff will present another overview of the proposed shooting range and discuss additional sound studies that have been performed since the first meeting, which was held on June 16, 2014, in Marion.
The commission will hear public comments on the proposed shooting range at the conclusion of the overview and sound study discussion. Following the meeting, commission staff will present the project, along with public comments, to the Wildlife Commissioners for their consideration at the March 5 business meeting.
The proposed range is part of an initiative by the Wildlife Commission to develop and enhance public shooting facilities across the state. For more information about shooting ranges in North Carolina, as well as updates on proposed shooting ranges, visit the Commission’s Shooting Range page on its website by clicking to www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/BeforetheHunt/ShootingRanges.aspx.
Avery Chamber of Commerce Open House January 29 …
The Avery County Chamber of Commerce invites members and prospective members to join the chamber staff and board of directors for its sixth-annual Chamber of Commerce Open House. The networking event takes place at the Avery County Chamber from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29. The Avery County Chamber is grateful for the local restaurants and vendors who will provide the appetizers and prizes for the evening.
Also, if you join the chamber or renew your current membership (primary business annual dues only) before Feb. 14, you will receive a 10 percent discount. For more information, call (828) 898-5605, click to www.averycounty.com, or visit the Avery County Chamber of Commerce, 4501 Tynecastle Highway, Unit 2, Banner Elk, 28604. The chamber is located in the Shoppes at Tynecastle at the intersection of highways 105 and 184.
Viticulture conference brings viticulture specialists to Madison County …
On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Sustainable Appalachian Viticulture Institute, Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard and the French Broad Vignerons will host the fifth annual Grape Growers Conference in the Madison County Cooperative Extension auditorium in Marshall. Come learn how to participate in the fastest growing industry in North Carolina that provides more than $1.5 billion economic impact in NC. The all-day conference will feature speakers from around North Carolina who will share information on everything from growing cold-hardy grapes to making wine. The goal of the ongoing Grape Growers Conference is to expand its participation by commercial growers, wineries and craft beverage makers across the region.
“There will be interesting speakers with useful information to help you grow cold-hardy grapes in the mountains” Chuck Blethen, the conference organizer, said. The Sustainable Appalachian Viticulture Institute was formed five years ago to provide educational opportunities in organic and biodynamic viticulture for cold-hardy grapes in Western North Carolina. Studies of other similar regions show the economic impact of the many businesses and jobs that are created from the grape industry. More than 150 different products can be derived from grapes including preserves, balsamic vinegar, paper, bio-fuel for energy generation, pigments for paints, neutraceuticals and many other value-added products. Wine is just one product, but a very important one, that helps create tourism in the grape-growing regions. Blethen said, “Western North Carolina has the right soils, the right amount of rain in most areas, the right climate and farmers who know how to grow things. The farmers who own their land, have farming equipment, and have a long heritage of growing crops on the steep slopes of the mountains are our most valuable resources.”
The conference Early Bird registration fee is $45 paid in advance before midnight Feb. 12. Registration fee includes lunch, coffee break refreshments, handouts and free parking. After Feb. 13, the registration cost online is $50. Online registration is now available by clicking to www.GrapeSAVI.org until noon on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
Registration fee includes lunch, coffee break refreshments, handouts and free parking. (Walk-in registration will be $55 but will not guarantee a lunch will be available.) People who register in advance will receive a copy of the agenda and directions to the conference location.
For additional information about the upcoming conference, schedule a TV appearance or radio interview, contact Blethen at (828) 606-3130 or email blethen@grapesavi.org.
National college scholarships available through SkyLine …
Area high school seniors whose parents are telephone service subscribers of SkyLine Membership Corporation and SkyBest Communications may apply for national scholarships available through Foundation for Rural Service.
FRS was established in 1994 by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, of which SkyLine is a member. The FRS promotes, educates and advocates rural telecom issues in order to sustain and enhance the quality of life within communities throughout rural America. Through its various programs and initiatives, the foundation strongly supports the continuing education of rural youth.
This year, 30 one-time, $2,500 FRS scholarships will be awarded to rural high school seniors: One per geographic region of the NTCA membership and one to a student sponsored by a NTCA associate member. The remaining 19 awards will be distributed proportionate to the number of applications received per region. FRS will fund $2,000 of each scholarship, with the sponsoring cooperative of each winning student providing a $500 match.
Additional scholarships to be awarded through this program include the following:
• Four $5,000 FRS Staurulakis Family Scholarships. Students who are majoring in math, science, engineering or medicine will be given preference.
• One $2,500 Everett Kneece Return to Rural America Scholarship.
• The Colt Ford Scholarship, awarding up to $15,000 to rural students.
According to the FRS, more than two-thirds of rural Americans with postsecondary degrees never return to their rural communities, so this program gives particular emphasis to those students who plan to return to their community following college. Other eligibility requirements include the following:
• Applicants must be children of SkyLine members or SkyBest customers who subscribe to either company’s telephone services.
• Applicants must be graduating from high school this year and reside full-time with their parent(s) in the companies’ service area.
• Applicants must have at least a “C” grade-point-average. FRS scholarships will be awarded to deserving students whose academic credentials fall within an average to above-average range.
• Applicants must be accepted to an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.
• Applicants must express an interest to return to a rural community following graduation.
• Applications must be sponsored by SkyLine, an NTCA-member company.
Scholarship applications are available at all area high school guidance departments and at SkyLine Customer Service Centers in West Jefferson, Seven Devils and Sparta. Scholarship information and application forms also may be accessed through SkyLine’s website (www.skyline.org). Completed applications must be submitted to SkyLine’s corporate offices by Friday, Feb. 13. All applicants must be sponsored by SkyLine, and completed applications received by this deadline will be signed by a SkyLine official and submitted to the FRS for consideration by the March 2 postmark deadline.
If any SkyLine-sponsored students are named winners, they will be announced in May. Since 2006, 12 area students have received FRS-related scholarships.
For more information about these national scholarships, contact Karen Powell, SkyLine Public Relations administrator, at SkyLine’s corporate offices at (800) 759-2226.
Key Club, Kiwanis ready Reading Is Fundamental books for local distribution …
Allison Gregory (left) of the Avery High Key Club assists Kiwanian Ann Swinkola with the stamping of Reading Is Fundamental books. Key Club and Kiwanis volunteers joined on Jan. 17 to ready 5,000 recreational reading books for distribution to the county’s pre-K to fifth-grade students. Kiwanis has sponsored this book-gifting program for the last 24 years, with each student choosing three books to keep. In 2015, the 120,000th book will be presented to a student from Avery County Schools. Allison has fond memories of receiving her books when she attended Banner Elk School.
Winners of home energy contest to be announced this week …
This Thursday, Jan. 22, Appalachian Voices will announce the winners of its “High Country Home Energy Makeover” contest, each of whom will receive a comprehensive energy audit and home improvements from local professionals in the coming weeks to help save energy and money.
A total of $4,850 worth of home energy improvements will be awarded. Two families will each receive roughly $800 in improvements such as weatherization, air sealing or insulation. The grand prize winner will receive roughly $3,250 in improvements, which could cover the cost of weatherization, upgrades to the heating system or other work.
Approximately 50 members of the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation (which was not affiliated with the contest) entered to win. Over a 12-month period beginning in winter 2013, the applicants spent on average more than 8 percent of their gross monthly income on energy bills, including electricity, oil and natural gas — nearly three times the national average. One-fifth of them spent at least 15 percent of their income on their energy bills. The applicants spent 30 percent more on just electricity than the average BRE customer. Full results of the contest and stories about the winners and other contestants will be released when the winners are announced.
The contest is timed to coincide with the onset of the coldest part of the winter season, when many families in the High Country see their electric and gas bills skyrocket due to increased energy costs and leaky windows, doors and attics. Appalachian Voices developed the contest in part to raise public awareness about the many benefits to individuals, local communities and the environment of energy efficiency home improvements. The contest demonstrates the strong need in Western North Carolina for more utility-based energy efficiency programs, especially ones that cover the upfront cost of home energy improvements that would provide the greatest benefit to families hardest hit by high energy bills.
The contest covered the BRE service area (generally, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell and Watauga counties, and parts of Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties). The contest was sponsored by Appalachian Voices, the Blumenthal Foundation, ResiSpeak, LifeStore Insurance and four local energy efficiency businesses: Blue Ridge Energy Works LLC; High Country Energy Solutions Inc.; HomEfficient; and Sunny Day Homes. The North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance and another local energy efficiency business — ReNew Home, Inc. — are providing direct support to the contest as well.
Simon, Smith named to Furman Dean’s List …
Furman University students Scott Simon of Banner Elk (son of Dominic and Heather Simon) and Shannon Smith of Linville (daughter of Terry and Sara Smith) are included on the dean’s list for the 2014 fall semester. Furman’s dean’s list is composed of full-time undergraduate students who earn a GPA of 3.4 or higher on a four-point system. Furman is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college of 2,600 students in Greenville, S.C.
Local students honored for academic achievement at CCCTI …
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, which has campuses in Hudson and Boone, has released its President’s, Dean’s and Honors lists for the fall 2014 semester.
For inclusion in the President’s List, a student must be full-time and have a GPA of 4.0. For the Dean’s List, a student must be full-time and have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Part-time students who earn a 3.5 GPA or higher qualify for the Honors List.
President’s List
Heather Marie Austin, Banner Elk
Piotr Jan Hudzik, Banner Elk
Holly Ann Spencer, Beech Mountain
Dean’s List
Austyn Patryck Conroy, Newland
Martie Anne Dodd, Banner Elk
Kendall Tomas Gotay, Banner Elk
Kelsey Dawn Rominger, Banner Elk
Honors List
Rebecca E. Anderson, Banner Elk
Daniel Edward Davis, Elk Park
Megan Renee Ledford, Newland
Kiwanis rallies behind Reading Is Fundamental program …
Mary Jo Brubaker of the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk rallies the club membership behind the Reading Is Fundamental program. For more than 20 years, recreational reading books are distributed annually to pre-K to fifth grade students in Avery County Schools. Each child receives three books as personal property. For 2015, more than $7,500 worth of books will be distributed. Kiwanis meets on Tuesdays over the lunch hour on the campus of Lees-McRae College.
Christmas Tree and Ornamental Workshop Friday …
The Avery and Mitchell Cooperative Extension centers will host the annual Christmas Tree and Ornamental Workshop this Friday, Jan. 23, at Mayland Community College’s Spruce Pine Campus, in the Sam’s Center Auditorium. The meeting begins at 11 a.m. and will conclude in the early afternoon.
A total of 3.0 pesticide credit hours have been approved for sub-classes: L, G, D, N, I, O and X. This workshop is for both the commercial and private applicators.
Topics of discussion include the new Landscape Contractor License Program; Westar Herbicide trials and First Rater Herbicide trials; review of pesticide trials; new research on Phytophthora and the impact Phytophthora could have.
Lunch is provided. Register by contacting the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center at (828) 733-8270. Registration is required to attend. For more information regarding the 2015 Christmas Tree and Ornamental Workshop, contact the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center at (828) 733-8270.
Avery Farm City Banquet February 7 …
The annual Avery County Farm City Banquet takes place on Saturday, Feb. 7, (snow date is Saturday, Feb. 21) at Crossnore Baptist Church, beginning with dinner, catered by Dan’l Boone Inn, at 6 p.m.
Farm City is an annual celebration of a growing partnership between farm and non-farm, rural and urban people.
Farm-City Week promotes the exchange of ideas and information that will result in greater understanding between rural and urban communities. It is this understanding — as well as the growing partnership — that will continue to protect our land, our water, our air and our food.
In Avery County, Farm City Banquet is a local observance of Farm-City Week and is under the sponsorship of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with Avery Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Avery County Farm Service Agency, Avery County High School FFA and Avery County Farm Bureau. The program will include such awards as: “Farm Family of the Year,” “Young Farmer of the Year,” “Woman in Agriculture,” “Teacher of the Year,” “Youth in Agriculture,” “Volunteer of the Year” and more. Tickets are available at the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center and the Avery Soil and Water Office. Door prizes are part of the event. For more information or to purchase tickets, regarding the 2015 Avery County Farm City Banquet, contact the Avery County Cooperative Extension Center at (828) 733-8270.
ACA Navigators at Cannon Memorial January 31 …
ACA Navigators will be at Cannon Memorial Hospital from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, to answer questions on the Affordable Care Act and enroll interested residents. Open enrollment runs through Feb. 15. Enroll by calling (800) 318-2596; by clicking to www.healthcare.gov or by calling (855) 733-3711 to make an appointment with an ACA Navigator in North Carolina. The help is free and unbiased.
No questions about past medical history (surgery, diabetes, cancer, etc.) will be asked. Interested parties will be asked about tobacco use; there is about a 20 percent surcharge for tobacco use (not just smoking) in North Carolina.
Attendees will need 2014 income information for each person in their tax household, Social Security (or Immigration document) numbers for each person in the tax household, information about any existing health insurance and an email login and password.
The ACA provides 10 essential health benefits: Annual checkups; preventive care (mammograms, pap test, etc.); vaccinations; prescription medicines; emergency room visits; mental health screenings and treatment; pregnancy, maternity and newborn care; hospitalizations; laboratory services; ambulatory care (care without being admitted to the hospital); rehabilitative services (physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.); and pediatric services. All plans sold in the ACA marketplace contain these 10 essential benefits. This means people will get help paying for these services — not that they are free.
If you have Medicare or other government insurance, generally you will not be able to purchase insurance through the ACA.
The penalty in 2015 for not having affordable health insurance will be $325 per adult and $162.50 per child in a tax household or 2 percent of a person’s yearly household income, whichever is larger. This penalty rises in 2016. Penalty is paid in the spring when people file income tax for the previous year.
For more information, contact Cindy Williams, ACA Navigator for Yancey, Avery and Mitchell counties, at cindyw@coabc.org or (828) 208-2465
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