Steve Ohnesorge

The county is not scheduling first dose vaccinations right now because they don’t have the vaccine.

More than 7,000 people in Burke County have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far.

Morganton Public Safety officers have charged a man with felony larceny after more than $30,000 worth of equipment was stolen from the Burke County Search & Rescue Team last Friday night.

Officials say they had been planning for this day.

What began as rain, turned to snow, and then clear skies with bright sunshine. It’s expected to turn again to cloudy skies and more snow Friday night.

Crystal Bennett described as a special person who meant a lot to many. Bennett was an EC Teacher at Ashe County High School.

Appalachian and other resorts have restricted the number of visitors.

In Avery County, the case count is at 168, according to County Manager Phillip Barrier, with 30 of those cases at a local prison.

There are traffic jams, ski areas sold out, lodging booked solid and restaurants at COVID-19 capacity with dozens of people waiting outside.

Health Department officials in Alexander County say they wasted no time after 1200 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived last week.

Some sections could get half a foot or more of the snow. For visitors and locals alike, it’s welcome, they said.

With forecasts pointing to a White Christmas for many parts of the North Carolina mountains, visitors are excited.

Frontline healthcare workers at UNC Healthcare Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir began to be vaccinated on Wednesday just as officials identified a cluster of coronavirus cases in the Emergency Department there.

Officials say they are trying to stay ahead of the storm that was expected overnight. Sleet and freezing rain could begin early Wednesday morning.

Both affected schools will be sanitized but no one other than the cleaning crews will be allowed in the building for at least two weeks.

Most ski slopes close at 10 p.m., but a few stay open later on weekends. It’s after the slopes close that many restaurants say they do big business.

The Pfizer vaccine requires steady temperatures of minus 80 degrees Celsius.

It’s early in December but some Christmas tree choose-and-cut lots in the North Carolina mountains may close for the season after this weekend.

Because of COVID-19, the resort is requiring people to register online and make a reservation.

The experience of online learning due to the coronavirus crisis has given an extra option for snow days, say officials.

Along with the snow came very cold temperatures and brisk winds.

Despite coronavirus concerns, Interstate 40 in Catawba County had the look of a normal busy holiday travel day on Wednesday.

Avery County Manager Phillip Barrier says people need to work together and fight the coronavirus and that mask wearing is “the only defense right now that we know of.”

Leeanne Whisnant, Director of Human Services for the county, doesn’t agree with the designation.

Sixteen roads remain closed and some could stay shut down for many months to come, said Sheriff Chris Bowman.

Officials are urging people to pay attention to the signs and don’t take chances driving through high water.

On-campus, cases have been low since the semester began in August.

City Walk is a 10-foot-wide concrete pathway going almost two miles across town and through the downtown area.

Four million trees will be shipped out of North Carolina to all points around the country in the coming weeks.

It turns out that almost half of Avery County registered voters had already voted.