By: Zachary Masters
In local news, The Appalachian reports that the Orange Route closed Thursday and Old Bristol Road will not be used by Appalcart, Appalachian State’s bus service, for the foreseeable future. The reasoning behind this is that there is a staffing shortage, as Appalcart is currently undergoing a major recruiting and training drive to find new bus operators. Many students who live off campus, like one Elle Brislin, a sophomore public relations major here at App State, stated that shutdowns like these, “...make it very challenging to plan on getting to school each day.”
In state news, the community around a Charlotte principal came together to help her and her family bounce back from a fiery tragedy. After a blaze destroyed the two-story home of Shannon Hamilton, a principal at Long Creek Elementary School, those around her decided to lend a helping hand. The Charlotte Observer reports that with donations reaching nearly $12,000 from sources like GoFundMe and independent local campaigns, Hamilton and her family with two special needs children are grateful to the outpouring of support from her peers. Those looking to donate can find the Hamilton's GoFundMe page at: gofundme.com/supporting-our-leader-shannon-hamilton.
In national news, New England took the brunt of hurricane force winds and heavy snowfall as a winter storm made landfall along the Eastern Coast. Areas in Maine, New York and Massachusetts reported some 100,000 residents losing power to their homes as snowfall blanketed power lines and roads with up to 21-inches of snow Saturday. The Wall Street Journal reports that, with temperatures expected to remain below zero across the American Northeast, sheets of ice are expected to continue to make travel difficult until later this week.
Today's weather is brought to you by BooneWeather.com. Today, expect a high of 42 degrees with a low 27 degrees as we move into the evening. Expect mostly sunny skies and a light Boone breeze we are all so used to this time of year.