Marion News

Comments on Topix forums : MARION A Virginia man was found guilty Monday of first degree murder in the 1993 slaying of an Old Fort woman.

Josh Boatwright * jboatwright@citizen-times.com * updated July 14, 2008 11:09 am MARION The autopsy report of a man shot by a state trooper in March after he slashed the officer with a blade gave new details ...

Josh Boatwright * jboatwright@citizen-times.com * published July 15, 2008 12:15 am Comments on Topix forums : MARION A man shot to death by a state trooper after he attacked the officer with a box cutter had ...

Two people were killed in a house fire late Wednesday that may have been started by a cigarette, authorities said Thursday.

Grey Rock, the upscale housing development in Rutherford County that is home to the much-publicized HGTV 2006 Dream Home, has closed its sales office and shut down operations indefinitely because of the souring ...

The 2006 HGTV Dream Home at Grey Rock near Lake Lure. - SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN-TIMES

By BRITT COMBS

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The School Board's hope to build a second high school for McDowell County may not be a settled issue. Last month, the board sent a letter to the County Commission asking them to put a bond referendum on the November ballot. "The Board of Education, in a prior meeting, voted unanimously to make a formal request to the Board of County Commissioners to allow the voters of McDowell County the opportunity to vote on a bond to build a new high school," said Chairwoman Priscilla Owenby. She said the Commissioners turned down the School Board's request. read more at www.mcdowellnews.com

The McDowell Health Coalition needs your participation in the County-wide Health Assessment. This survey is completed every four years and the results are used to guide the work of the Health Coalition. The survey is available online (see the link above and below). Please pass along this information to others. The Coalition is seeking 1,000 responses to the survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mPKVYmc8x39Czka96NI0ww_3d_3d

Editor's note: This story is reprinted with permission of Lenoir News-Topic. Paul Teague is the paper's local news editor.

O'Dear's Country Diner reopened for business Thursday as health officials continued to investigate the source of salmonella contamination that has left at least 13 people sick.

By BRITT COMBS

Thursday, June 26, 2008

In the wake of Tuesday's passage of the referendum to allow alcohol sales, at least two city restaurateurs are already making plans to expand their service.

Comments on Topix forums : MARION City restaurants may serve beer and liquor after voters approved two ballot questions Tuesday.

Marion McDowell News

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Voters in Marion approved both the sale of beer and mixed drinks for restaurants in the city limits. Today's unofficial total was 481 for the sale of beer and 425 against it; and 482 for the sale of mixed drinks and 425 against it. Election officials said both beer and mixed drinks got higher vote totals in early voting as well.

By RICHELLE BAILEY Monday, June 23, 2008

Investigators have hit a stalemate in their probe of the alleged liquor-related assault of a Marion businessman last week, but they contend it's not for lack of trying.

"We have been actively investigating this since it was reported last Wednesday, and we have absolutely no leads," Investigative Lt. David Hogan of the Marion Police Department stated Monday. "Basically, we're ghost hunting."

Photo credit: Monty Tran

The Associated Press • updated June 20, 2008 7:33 am

GLOUCESTER, MASS. – A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said.

Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine in a story published Wednesday that the girls confessed to making the pact after the school began investigating a rise in pregnancies that has left 17 girls at the school carrying a child. Normally, there are about four pregnancies a year at the school.

By BRITT COMBS Thursday, June 19, 2008

Gary Jensen has a bone to pick with some of the rhetoric from the "Vote No" campaign and he's challenged them to put their money where their mouths are. "I was amazed to read in your letters (Wednesday) morning that thing about for every dollar in alcohol revenues there's an extra $20 in emergency services needed," he said, "and that's the third or fourth time I've seen that in the paper." Jensen, owner of the Switzerland Inn at Little Switzerland, said the numbers don't add up. "That's crazy," he said.... read more

By RICHELLE BAILEY Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A 14-year-old with a "Vote No" sign attached to his bicycle drew the attention of police Friday and drew the boy and his friend some trouble. Members of Citizens for Faith and Family Values (CFFV) reported last week that someone had been stealing small yard signs that exhibit opposition to the city's liquor-by-the-drink issue and had vandalized and spray-painted two large wooden road signs. Members of the "Vote Yes" camp, Citizens for Progress, have also reported that their yard signs were turning up missing. Read more.....

By MIKE CONLEY Monday, June 9, 2008

The city of Marion is known for its beautiful downtown and its outstanding parks. What isn't generally known is that the ABC store helps pay for it. Since the mid-1980s, the city has had an Alcoholic Beverage Control store and a board that oversees its operations. During those years, city officials have used the profits from the sale of liquor for downtown and economic development, parks and recreation and funding outside agencies like MACA, Family Services and the McDowell Chamber of Commerce.

Read more......

The city of Marion municipal mixed beverage and second primary elections will be held Tuesday, June 24 with polls opening at6:30 a.m. and closing at 7:30 p.m. Registration deadline is Friday, May 30. Absentee applications are available through Tuesday, June 17 with voting to begin Thursday, June 5 through Saturday, June 21 in the Board of Elections office. For more information, all 652-7121, ext. 342.

McDowell County Partnership for Children and Families will provide a series of classes using the Love and Logic curriculum for parents and caregivers of teens! Four different sessions will be offered Monday nights in June from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Corpening Memorial YMCA (348 Grace Corpening Dr). Attend one or all of the classes in this series on June 2nd, 9th, 16th, or 23rd. Classes are FREE and open to the public. To sign up for the Love and Logic series please call: McDowell County Partnership for Children at 659-2462 or Jeanette Furan at 668-4018.

Boone mayor questions ABC expert Clawson says she will opposed mixed-drink vote Mixed drinks were on the agenda for Thursday's Boone Town Council meeting, but it wasn't exactly happy hour, as Mayor Loretta ...