The UNC System is aiming to prioritize its students' mental health with assistance from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. This announcement came with a report from the system titled, “Healthy Minds, Strong Universities: Charting a Course to More Sustainable Student Mental Health Care.” Five million will go toward the reports’ eight recommendations:  Recommendation...

In the 14 months since the first recorded COVID-19 case in Watauga County, students and residents have been asked to adhere to mask mandates, social distancing requirements and capacity restrictions. Now, those restrictions have been lifted.  App State announced in a campus-wide message Friday that masks will no longer be required on campus in the fall for vaccinated individuals and Tuesday the...

North Carolinians can expect a mask-free summer earlier than expected, effective immediately.  Gov. Roy Cooper announced he is lifting the state’s mask mandate, mandatory mass gathering and capacity limits and social distancing requirements in a press conference May 14, ahead of his June 1 deadline to lift COVID-19 restrictions for the summer. People will no longer be required to wear a mask...

In an executive order Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina in response to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline.  On May 9, the Colonial Pipeline reported a ransomware cyber-attack resulting in the shutdown of the pipeline and a fuel shortage across the state.  The pipeline is the largest pipeline system for refined oil products in the U.S. and the primary...

Effective immediately, Heather Norris will assume the permanent position of Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor after serving as interim since February 2020. Chancellor Sheri Everts wrote in a campus-wide email Friday that Norris’ leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic has been “exceptional.” “She has risen to each challenge, building consensus, leading by example and fostering...