By Holly Hodges
In local news, the 66th annual Farm City Banquet returned on November third after a hiatus due to COVID-19. According to the Watauga Democrat, the event featured live music, fellowship and awards at the Boone United Methodist Church. Coyote Kitchen and J.P. Mason helped cater the event with the help from local farms. Tickets to the event also doubled as a ticket for their raffle. Multiple businesses in the area came together to support the event and provide the raffle baskets. After the dinner portion, awards were handed out to members of the community who helped maintain agriculture.
In North Carolina news, a controversial teacher licensure-salary model was introduced by the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission. According to the News & Observer, the Commission voted 9-7 in favor of the “Blueprint for Action” model which would pay teachers based on educator effectiveness rather than years of experience. The new model features a tiered system to classify teachers as apprentices or a level 1 through 4. The Blueprint for Action would require teachers to demonstrate their effectiveness before moving to the next level. Teachers would be given a specific amount of time, ranging from three to six years to advance to the next level. If teachers are unable to fulfill the necessary requirements, they could be demoted to a Teacher Assistant. Critics of the system claim it is a merit pay system that won’t accurately reflect the work of teachers which could result in educators leaving the field.
Yesterday, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center announced that they have discovered part of the destroyed Challenger shuttle buried at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. According to reports from the Associated Press, the discovery came over 30 years after the tragedy. Divers first located the piece back in March while searching for the wreckage of a World War II plane. This was one of the largest pieces from the Challenger that’s been recovered. The piece is believed to be part of the shuttle’s belly. The fragment is still buried on the ocean floor off of the Florida coast near Cape Canaveral while NASA figures out the next step. So far, roughly 47% of Challenger debris have been recovered since the explosion in 1986.
Today’s weather is brought to you by Ray’s Weather Center at Booneweather.com. This morning, you can expect to see foggy conditions and some heavy rains that will unfortunately continue throughout the day. Today’s high is 63 and the low is 45, though wind gusts could make the weather feel cooler.