The UNC Board of Governors will meet on a phone call on March 30 to discuss a plan that would issue refunds to students, a Board of Governors source told The Appalachian. The source said the plan should be in place next week. “It is the right and proper thing to do. We just need to officially vote and take action,” the source said. “I cannot believe anyone would be opposed to returning the...

AppHealthCare has announced a fifth Watauga County resident has tested positive for coronavirus. The person had a travel history and has been in isolation since being tested. The local public health staff have identified the close contacts, who have been in quarantine. “We have been preparing to see more cases here. Together, we will be able to move through the days ahead. We have a resilient...

A Watauga County resident became the fourth person to test positive for the novel coronavirus, AppHealthCare announced Thursday morning. This person has travel history and has been in isolation since being tested. Local public health staff identified close contacts to the person, and those contacts have been in quarantine. “We recognize that another case may cause increasing concern in the community....

In conjunction with towns of Beech Mountain, Blowing Rock, Boone and Seven Devils, Watauga County is ending short-term rentals effective March 26 at 12 p.m. The measure is another attempt to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and lessen its impact on the community. “We appreciate the solidarity between our municipalities and Watauga County to continue working together as we respond to this public...

Boy Scouts of America awarded the Venturing Leadership Award for the first time in almost 10 years to an App State student. Venturing is a program of the Boy Scouts of America that serves young men and women. The program provides experiences to help youth mature and prepare for a responsible adult life. To recognize participants and advisers who make exceptional contributions to venturing and...

To Jasper Yoke, a “thru-hiker” of the Appalachian Trail, the AT is much more than a footpath stretching from Maine to Georgia.  “It's a whole way of life, you know? It's not just a physical trail, it’s like a community that changes every year but also has this interesting continuity through the years,” Yoke said. “It's very much a walkabout, like a coming of age experience.”  Like...