ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY DEC 28 Peter Givens is retiring after 25 years with the Blue Ridge Parkway out of the Vinton Ranger Station office. He has spent nearly 40 years with the National Park Service. Givens stands in a portion…

A pending merger of two Eastern North Carolina economic development alliances is scheduled to become effective Jan. 1 and move the combined headquarters to Greenville. The merger of the NCEast Alliance, with offices in Kinston, and North Carolina’s Northeast Alliance,…

THIS WEEK: EMERALD ISLE Join Emerald Isle Parks Recreation, 7500 Emerald Drive, for a scavenger hunt. Search for hidden treasures along the multi-use path, with prizes for the winners. Event takes place at 10 a.m. Dec. 29. For more information,…

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Here are a few of the things Peter Givens will not see at his new workplace: A black bear staring at him across Rock Castle Creek. A dead deer with its hindquarters sticking out of the…

Local News Helping hands: Midlands schools’ holiday charity drives help thousands in need

A pending merger of two Eastern North Carolina economic development alliances is scheduled to become effective Jan. 1, 2015, and move the combined headquarters to Greenville. The merger of the NCEast Alliance, with offices in Kinston, and North Carolina’s Northeast…

MOUNT AIRY — The Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina held its annual Award Ceremony in late October to award those for innovative, best practices, creativity and outstanding efforts in tourism marketing. Two organizations in Surry County were awarded —…

Like any football coach, Stanford’s David Shaw had some sleepless nights this season as his team achieved a 7-5 record. To clarify, many college football programs would be thrilled to be 7-5 at this point of the year. The reason…

The Georgia Department of Transportation released information Tuesday regarding construction of the new Lake Strom Thurmond bridge connecting McCormick County to Lincoln County, Georgia. The 1,680-foot U.S. Highway 378 bridge is 67 percent complete and is expected to be finished…

Courtesy photo/Ken Thomas, kenthomas.us Natural beauty Cathedral Falls at Gauley Bridge is just one of innumerable spots of natural beauty that attract visitors to West Virginia. Once they’ve visited, respondents to a recent tourism study report much higher values to…