By: Zachary Masters
In local news, The Appalachian reports that New River Power and Light will let the town of Boone meet 25% of its power needs through hydroelectric means by January 1st. The non-profit electric utility service unveiled the new plan as the Green Power Program. This program is a step on the way to help the town of Boone to reach its goal of being a carbon neutral community by the year 2030.
In state news, Union County Schools adjusted their Covid-19 safety protocols after being threatened with a lawsuit from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The Associated Press reports that this change includes allowing county health officials to handle contact tracing procedures. Union County is one of the only counties in the state that does not enforce mask mandates and does not have an online learning option for students.
In national news, the Wall Street Journal reports that GOP Senators blocked the Democratic backed government funding bill that would also raise the US government's borrowing limit. This denial comes as the current government funding is set to expire on October 1st. If lawmakers can not agree on a new government budget before this date, the government will be forced to enter another shutdown. This shutdown would cause most federally government provided services to temporarily be unavailable to the public.
This morning’s weather is brought to you by booneweather.com. Today, expect that wonderful Boone fall weather, as a high of 76 degrees and a low of 50 degrees is expected. Enjoy that sunshine on your drive this morning!