Here’s a check of the latest from WataugaOnline.com.
A citizen walking a dog near Winklers Creek found what appeared to be a human skull Friday, Oct. 2, at about 2:49 p.m., in an area next to the Town of Boone water intake. Watauga County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Boone Police officers responded and began an investigation. A follow-up search Tuesday found no additional remains, and the recovered remains have been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for examination and identification. The investigation is ongoing, and officials say more information will be released as it becomes available.
William “Fred” Pfohl, the longtime Beech Mountain storekeeper who became the town’s first elected mayor, died Saturday, Oct. 3, at his home. He was 81. Pfohl and his wife, Margie, opened Fred’s General Mercantile on Feb. 9, 1979, and he kept it open through heavy snows and the isolation after Hurricane Helene. When Beech Mountain incorporated in 1981, he served on the first council and as its first elected mayor. He was also a founding member of the volunteer fire department and the mountain’s official weather observer for more than 30 years. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, with memorial gifts to the Blue Ridge Conservancy suggested in lieu of flowers
Working Wheels has completed its Helene Replacement Car Program, placing 46 vehicles with residents of 13 Western North Carolina counties who lost transportation in the storm. The 46th and final car was placed Sept. 28. The nonprofit used community donations to buy dependable used cars for people rebuilding after the September 2024 flooding. “46 families are back on the road,” Executive Director Jamie Beasley said. Working Wheels continues its regular Vehicle Purchase and Vehicle Repair programs.
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— WataugaOnline