Here’s a check of the latest from WataugaOnline.com.
With North Carolina’s 41-cent-per-gallon gas tax suspended through Nov. 30, Attorney General Jeff Jackson has put major gas retailers on notice that the savings must reach drivers. His new N.C. Fuel Check lets drivers report stations they believe aren’t passing the savings along, at ncdoj.gov/ncfuelcheck or 1-877-5-NO-SCAM. Reports should include the station’s name and address, the date and time, the price per gallon and fuel grade, and a photo of the price sign and receipt. Prices are expected to come down as stations receive new deliveries, usually within about a week.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission says black bears are in their fall feeding phase, searching up to 20 hours a day for food, and sightings are rising in neighborhoods and on roads. Secure bird feeders, pet food, garbage and compost, check your yard before letting pets out, and use extra caution driving at night. Block crawlspaces, decks and sheds where bears could den. Questions? Call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A glowing, fan-shaped plume from a SpaceX Falcon 9 stretched across the sunrise sky above Rocky Knob early Tuesday, captured by Mike Jacobs. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 6:33 a.m. on NASA’s CRS-35 cargo mission to the International Space Station. Rocket plumes can be seen from hundreds of miles away when the sun is below the horizon at ground level but still lighting the high-altitude exhaust. See the photo on our Facebook page and tell us where you saw it. 📷 Mike Jacobs
QUICK HITS
The High Country’s busiest traffic weekend arrives Oct. 17–18.
The Sun Belt issued a joint statement as James Madison heads to the American Conference.
Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and Park Avenue waterline work is under way in Blowing Rock.
WEATHER
Check the current Hazardous Weather Outlook, live weather radar, and forecast for Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties on our Weather page. Forecast courtesy of the National Weather Service.
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Thanks for reading — see you tomorrow.
— WataugaOnline