By: Devin Stewart
In local news, The Watauga Democrat reports Grandfather Mountain is kicking off its Fall Color Ramble. These are a series of guided walks through the mountains' most colorful locations. The walks will be offered daily at 2 p.m. Oct. 2 to 10, weather permitting. The starting location will vary day to day. Participants should visit the park’s entrance gate or Nature Museum upon arrival to determine the starting point for the day’s walk.
In state news, CBS17 reports as opioid overdoses continue to rise across the state, treatment centers are running out of room for patients. Addiction recovery centers such as Healing Transitions’ Women’s Campus are reaching capacity and having to turn people away. Extensions to the facility began this week. This will add 90 new beds and more restrooms and showers for occupants to use. In 2020, opioid overdoses increased 34 percent across North Carolina, according to the CDC. The new addition to the facility will provide more space when it is needed most as the pandemic continues to impact the opioid crisis across the state.
In national news, NPR reports The U.S. Postal Service will implement new standards for first class mail and periodicals. This will slow target delivery time by 30 percent. However, 61 percent of first class mail and 93 percent of periodicals will not be affected by these changes. Also, beginning Oct. 3 and going until Dec. 26, the Postal Service will temporarily raise prices on all “commercial and retail domestic packages” for the holiday season. All of these are changes under the Postal Service’s 10-year strategic plan that was announced in March. So, if you are sending packages out this holiday season, you may want to do it sooner than later to avoid delays and extra costs.
This afternoon’s weather report is brought to you by Boone Weather dot com. The pleasant weather conditions are sticking around for your Friday afternoon and into the weekend. Besides a few scattered afternoon clouds, expect sunny skies for your afternoon with a high of 71 degrees and a low of 51 degrees.