Johnny Casey

2 weeks ago | citizen-times.com | Johnny Casey

Kelsey Brigman of Mars Hill Elementary was named District Teacher of the Year. Kelsey Brigman, Cynthia Belcher, Amanda Fox, Chastity Jenkins, Bart Morrell and Cindy Whitt were recognized as the 2025-26 Teachers of the Year. MARSHALL - Madison County Schools has announced its Teachers of the Year for 2025-26. The school system announced the winners in a release June 6. Mars Hill Elementary School's Kelsey Brigman was recognized as District Teacher of the Year.

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Johnny Casey

BURNSVILLE - After Yancey County exited a longstanding regional library board in response to a June 2023 Pride display at the Burnsville library, some residents say they are planning to sue the county. In September, the county commissioners voted to leave the AMY (Avery, Mitchell, Yancey) Regional Library System. According to the AMY Regional Library website, Dorothy Thomas was the first professionally trained librarian who served Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties beginning in 1948.

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Johnny Casey

BURNSVILLE - The Yancey County Board of Commissioners approved its 2025-26 budget June 9 amid the county commissioners' hotly contested takeover of the public library. According to County Manager Lynn Austin, the 2024-25 revised budget was $40.1 million. That 2024-25 revised budget was a bit "misleading," according to Austin and Commissioners Chair Jeff Whitson, as that figure includes FEMA reimbursement money. Yancey County was one of the hardest-hit counties in Tropical Storm Helene.

2 weeks ago | citizen-times.com | Johnny Casey

Tropical Storm Helene impacted roughly 190,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in North Carolina, about 20% of the total acreage managed by the service in the state. Damage includes 900 miles of Forest Service roads and 822 miles of trails in the Appalachian District alone. Recovery efforts are expected to take more than 10 years and involve timber salvage sales in some areas.

3 weeks ago | citizen-times.com | Johnny Casey

Madison County's proposed 2025-26 budget totals $33.4 million, a 1% increase from the previous year. The proposed budget maintains the current tax rate of 36 cents per $100 valuation. The budget includes raises for all county employees, with larger increases for the Sheriff's Office, Department of Social Services, and Health Department. MARSHALL - Madison County's proposed 2025-26 budget recommends no change to its tax rate of 36 cents per $100 valuation.