Here’s a check of the latest from WataugaOnline.com for Monday, September 14, 2026.
First Lady Melania Trump to Visit Ashe County Tuesday
First Lady Melania Trump will visit Ashe County on Tuesday, Sept. 15, marking her first stop in western North Carolina since she and President Donald Trump toured Hurricane Helene damage in January 2025. According to the Office of the First Lady, Trump is scheduled to speak to elementary school students, teachers, and staff at noon Tuesday about the use of technology in education, and will visit classrooms to see how local schools are incorporating technology into instruction. The visit is also framed as an opportunity to highlight community resiliency in the region nearly two years after Hurricane Helene. A specific school for the visit has not yet been publicly announced. The visit comes one day before President Trump is scheduled to travel to Gastonia, where he’s expected to deliver remarks around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in support of U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, in Whatley’s hometown. The back-to-back appearances come as North Carolina begins mailing absentee ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, in a state expected to play a significant role in determining control of the U.S. Senate.
Watauga BOE to Consider Synthetic Turf Contract, Budget Resolution Sept. 14
The Watauga County Board of Education meets Monday, Sept. 14, with a synthetic turf field contract, the 2026-27 budget resolution, and a batch of policy revisions on the agenda. The meeting begins with a closed session at 4:33 p.m. covering personnel, student records, and attorney-client matters, before open session starts at 6 p.m. at the Margaret E. Gragg Education Center. The Superintendent’s Report, a Students’ Report from Brayden Howard and Rosalyn Rabinowitz, and public comment are scheduled early in the open session, followed by updates on classroom education technology and early literacy from Dr. Brian Bettis. Under the consent agenda, the board will consider a contract for a synthetic turf field with GeoSurfaces Southeast, along with the 2026-27 Title I budget, a declaration of surplus property, the kindergarten report card, and the personnel report. The board is set to vote on the 2026-27 budget resolution, presented by Mr. Joseph Nash, followed by a second read on Policy 4318, governing employee use of wireless communication devices. Also on the agenda: the repeal of two policies on participation by historically underutilized and minority-owned businesses, and first reads on a slate of other policy revisions, including a new policy on video and audio recordings by employees, updates to vendor list and construction bidding policies, instructional materials selection and objection procedures, religious-based exemptions from school programs, and school nutrition services. The board will close the meeting with a discussion of board operations, including a planned November work session and consideration of an earlier start time for future board meetings.
Traffic Shift Coming to N.C. 105 in Watauga County, Delays Possible in Foscoe Area
A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation will shift traffic to an on-site detour associated with construction repairs on N.C. 105 between Seven Devils Road and J.H. McLean Road on Monday. Digital message boards and other signage will advise drivers of the new conditions and traffic pattern. The workzone speed limit will be 30 MPH. Transportation officials advise drivers to adhere to the speed limit for their safety and that of construction crews. The contractor, Blythe Development, is replacing a damaged drainage structure. Transportation officials remind drivers to remain alert, obey all posted traffic signs, and follow instructions of flaggers for the safety of motorists and workers.
QUICK HITS
[Quick hit 2 — one sentence + link, optional]
[Quick hit 3 — one sentence + link, optional]
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.
Want your business in front of thousands of engaged High Country readers every day? Advertising space in this newsletter is open — email [email protected] to learn more.
Thanks for reading — see you tomorrow.
— WataugaOnline