Boone/High Country

Appalachian State University's solar racing team placed first in the American Solar Challenge multi-passenger vehicle class over the weekend. They're now the first team in American Solar Challenge history to win the multi-passenger class twice.

There’s a High Country tradition that starts in August. Supposedly, it helps predict how many snowfalls the area will get during the winter. It’s called “Beans in a Jar.” For this week’s Carolina Curious, WFDD’s Reyna Drake discovers what’s behind the longstanding Appalachian ritual.

As North Carolina endures its worst drought in 18 years, Forsyth Utilities says following voluntary conservation now can help prevent required restrictions later.

Boone businesses say more graffiti is showing up downtown. Officials have launched a new effort to document the damage and organize a clean-up.

Boone Town Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center development Monday night. Watauga County leaders may soon consider a similar step.

Boone will consider a temporary ban on new data centers at a Monday meeting. The idea comes as proposals in Forsyth and Stokes counties face pushback.

The company says its line crews will remain on high alert throughout the weekend.

"Until we see a day above freezing, we are not going to make a lot of progress quickly," said NCDOT Maintenance Engineer Mark Crook, who covers part of the Triad.

The survey also asks about housing challenges like affordability and neighborhood safety.

In the 1990s, Howard Knob was sold to a private investor, sparking a conservation movement that led to the founding of what’s now the Blue Ridge Conservancy.