Fitness Express in Spruce Pine is hosting the first annual Beast of the Bench powerlifting competition on June 23rd. This is a nationally sanctioned event held by Iron Boy Powerlifting with a bench press and strict curl competition. Those interested in competing go to ironboypowerlifting.com or call 765-6336. The first annual Beast of the Bench powerlifting competition June 23rd. Meet begins at 11:30. Spectators only $5. Fitness Express is located at 31 Cross Street, Suite 268 in Spruce Pine.
The public is invited to attend the celebration when Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Foundation dedicates a new Cumulative Giving Donor Wall on Wednesday, May 23 at 10:00 am. The location for the donor wall is off the main lobby entrance of the hospital, just past the Blue Spruce Gift Shop. The wall will honor donors who have supported the Foundation’s projects at the $10,000 lifetime giving level and above.
The donor wall was designed and created by studio furniture maker John Clark, who lives and works in Penland, NC. After earning an MFA from Boston University, he came to Penland School of Crafts in 1985 as an artist-in-residence and was coordinator of the wood program for nine years. He has created public works of art and furniture for the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga; Southern Living Magazine’s corporate headquarters; Mississippi Chemical Corporation; Harvard Business School; and the Mississippi Museum of Art. Clark’s work is also found in private collections around the country.
Light refreshments will be served following the dedication.
The Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Foundation is the fund-raising and friend-raising arm of the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. The Foundation’s mission is to connect the gifts and generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations with worthy funding opportunities within the hospital and in the community. Since its founding in 1995, the Foundation has returned over $7 million to Blue Ridge Regional Hospital and to the community by providing support for equipment, facility improvements, indigent care, and patient services.
In an effort to save local money, Mayland Community College will be going to a four-day workweek with extended daily hours. The college business hours will be Monday- Thursday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. The college, including the satellite campuses, will be closed on Fridays only, May 18 through the fist week of August.
Mayland saw a significant savings in operating costs last summer by utilizing the four-day workweek. The college does not expect to move to this schedule for the fall and spring semesters.
Mayland Community College receives operating funds from Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties that are earmarked to pay for utilities, building and grounds, general maintenance, security, and housekeeping services. Closing on Fridays helps reduce expenses in some of these areas.
Final registration for the Fall Semester will be held August 13.
Paul Moore, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D was awarded the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year for the North Carolina Dietetic Association (NCDA) at their annual meeting held April 15 and 16 in Charlotte, NC. This award is the highest recognition NCDA bestows and is made annually on the basis of professional achievement and active participation in the association at the national, state, and district levels.
Each year, NCDA recognizes the contributions of some shining individuals at the Annual Meeting. Award categories include: Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Recognized Dietetic Technician of the Year, Outstanding Dietetics Student Emerging Leader in Dietetics Practice, Outstanding Dietetics Educator and Outstanding Dietitian of the Year.
Paul is currently the Assistant Director for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s Wellness Center in Boone, NC and an adjunct instructor in the College of Health Sciences at Appalachian State University. He has served as the Foothills District Dietetic Association President this year, in addition to being the Annual Meeting Committee Co-Chair for the NCDA. Paul volunteers on the national level with the Weight Management Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as the Weight Management Matters newsletter editor and serves on its Executive Committee.
The NCDA is the state affiliate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association. The NCDA has approximately 2000 members comprised of Registered Dietitians, Dietetic Technicians Registered, students and other professionals in the field of nutrition and dietetics. The Academy has over 70,000 members and is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. To find out more information about the North Carolina Dietetic Association or the Academy, visit www.eatrightnc.org.
The United States Composting Council has designated May 6 – 12 as International Compost Awareness Week. Compost builds soil fertility, improves soil texture, and aids water retention. It also makes fertilizers more effective. To learn more about compost and how it can benefit your gardens go by MAYTime Composting Systems on the West side of Double Island Road, 2 1/2 miles north of the Micaville Loop, just past the Pleasant Gap Church. For more information contact Mark Langner at 828-231-9352 or visit www.maytimecomposting.com
“We don’t have a sales pitch, we just wanted to help people feel better,” said Tonya Ledford, part owner of the new business named H2O 2 Go. Ledford and Marie Biddix have just opened their new store on Hwy 19E across from Newdale Volunteer Fire Department. According to Tonya, her husband, Terry began drinking the high alkaline, restructured water and saw such an improvement in his health after one week that friends and family started asking him about it and began getting the water from them. Marie said they “couldn’t believe ..............
Business owners and entrepreneurs gathered at the Burnsville Town Center Tuesday evening, April 24th to make contacts, learn about financing opportunities, talk with regional experts to build relationships with customers, investors, partners, service providers and potential mentors. The Yancey County Certified Entrepreneurial Community Committee (CEC) has gotten Yancey County certified
Westside Rental held Husky Days Open House Tuesday, April17th. All the latest products by Husqvarna are at Westside Rentals. A Husky rep was on hand to demo saws and show the “exceptional products for exceptional results.” Westside Rental is this area’s Husqvarna dealer with a full line of tillers, mowers, weedeaters and saws plus sales and service. Located On the east side of town at 550 Highway 19 E in Burnsville.
Trooper Gene Williamson (right) from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and local owner of SUBWAY® restaurants Ashley Martin (left) were on hand May 8 to serve a sub lunch to students of Mitchell High School for their winning participation in the W8 2 TXT (Wait to Text) High School Pledge Competition. The school achieved the highest percentage of student pledges for Western North Carolina and was awarded a free lunch courtesy of SUBWAY® restaurants.
NC troopers and SUBWAY® restaurants kicked off the W8 2 TXT campaign in January and wrapped up the campaign and contest with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April. During the campaign, high school students were encouraged to take the W8 2 TXT pledge online at www.w82txtpledge.com. More than 12,000 students in the Carolinas, including 71 percent of the students at Mitchell High School, pledged to wait until they are not behind the wheel to send text messages.
Participating SUBWAY® restaurants and troopers also distributed over 175,000 glow-in-the-dark wristbands with the W8 2 TXT message as a reminder to wait until you are stopped and safe, before sending or reading messages. According to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Study, drivers who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to crash.
Richard Sparks, President & CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) announced the promotion of Carmen Lacey, MSN, RN to President of Cannon Memorial Hospital, effective April 1, 2012.
Chuck Mantooth has served as President & CEO of Cannon Memorial Hospital since 2006. Mantooth will remain in the role of CEO of Cannon. In addition, Mantooth becomes the President of Watauga Medical Center in Boone, taking on additional management roles within ARHS.
Watauga Medical Center, Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, Blowing Rock Hospital and Appalachian Regional Medical Associates are all managed by the parent Corporation of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, headquartered in Boone, NC.
Mr. Sparks' decision to promote Carmen Lacey to President of Cannon Memorial came about because of her tenure with the healthcare entities in Avery County, as well as, her excellent leadership, clinical, and management skills.
"I have the utmost confidence in Carmen's ability to lead Cannon Memorial Hospital. As with most small hospitals in the United States, Cannon has experienced many changes over the past decade. With each change, Carmen developed remarkable resilience, but has always remained true to her core beliefs in making life better for this community. Carmen's strong character, leadership qualities, compassion for our patients and belief in her staff put her in a position to succeed", stated Chuck Mantooth, CEO Cannon Memorial Hospital.
Carmen was born in Avery County and grew up in the Jonas Ridge Community of Burke County. She began her healthcare career as a staff nurse at Sloop Memorial Hospital in 1987 after completing her Associates Degree in Nursing from Western Piedmont Community College. Lacey went on to further her education by completing a BSN from Winston-Salem State University and a MSN from Gardner-Webb University. Lacey also holds a Certificate in Nursing Administration from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Carmen worked in several roles at Sloop Memorial Hospital until its merger with Cannon Memorial in 1999. At that point, she became the Director of the Medical/Surgical Unit, Restorative Care and the New Life Center. She has had duties in almost every area of clinical operations at Cannon Memorial Hospital over the past twelve years; most recently as the Director of Patient Care Services for the facility.
"I am excited about this new role and thankful for the confidence Richard Sparks and Chuck Mantooth have placed in me. In addition, I am forever indebted to the many nurses I have worked with over the years who have helped shape my nursing career and management style. I owe special thanks to Eula Johnson, RN and Pam Jameson, RN for taking me under their wings and growing me as a nurse", stated Lacey.
Carmen Lacey lives in Linville with her husband, Mike. She has three children, Melynda Henderson, who is a Physical Therapist, Laura Lacey who will begin her 1st year of Pharmacy School at UNC-CH this fall and Taylor Lacey who is completing her second year at UNC-CH.
For more information about Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, visit www.apprhs.org.
To have a successful restaurant, you gotta love it. So says Tom and Glenda Meeler who took over a Bakersville family landmark, Helen’s Restaurant back in September of 2011. The Meelers, who moved to Mitchell County from Myrtle Beach, SC after visiting the area on a business trip, said that they fell in love with the mountains and its people from the beginning. Their passion for this business and people guided them as they opened the restaurant.
“Everyone has been really receptive and our business has been great since we opened. We hope everyone will continue to come in and enjoy our menu,” said Tom who has tried to make as few changes as possible to the family style eatery.
With the exception of new floors and a few new furnishings, the Mellers have made few changes to the look of the restaurant. The biggest change the couple has tried to make is in the food itself and the way that it is prepared. “Nothing gets out of the kitchen without the seal of approval of Executive Chef Glenda, who Tom described as a country cooking chef who stays true to the many recipes that she learned from her grandmother.
Helens offers a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on home cooking, and the Meelers have designated Friday nights as Seafood night. “We have the best seafood I have found and we have had a lot of positive feedback about the way that the food is prepared,” Tom said, adding that local Chefs Jessica Smith and Carolina Cribb cater to his customers' needs. Jessica and Carolina are very talented chefs and they follow Glenda’s specifications to a tee,” Tom said.
Helens, which seats around 120 people, is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 5:30 a.m. until 7 pm in the winter, until 8:30 p.m. during the summer months. For takeout and call in orders you can phone 828-688-9999, or better yet drop in and say hello to Tom and Glenda and sample some of their fine food in person.
The committee for the 35th Annual Blowing Rock Hospital Benefit and Luncheon has chosen Reba Moretz as the honorary chairwoman for this year's fundraiser. "Last year, an outstanding member of the community, who had supported Blowing Rock Hospital over the years was selected as an honorary chairwoman. In keeping with the standard set by the selection of .....
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital has announced that there is a new way to get expert help to stroke patients, and it’s called TIA. TIA (pronounced tee-ah) is the name of the new telehealth robot at the hospital. The name stands for transient ischemic attack, which is another term for stroke.
Patients at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital who are exhibiting signs of stroke can be examined by Mission Health’s stroke experts in Asheville using the TIA robot. The robot rolls up to a patient’s bedside where a video screen allows a stroke specialist to talk with patients who are miles away. The physicians can ask patients questions and determine whether the patient needs to be transported to a facility that offers specialized stroke care.
“The tele-stroke technology and equipment has been vital to our patients. Since installing the equipment in January, we have helped 7 patients recover from acute stroke symptoms,” said Vicki Tolley, Emergency Services Director at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. Our emergency services department is now able to access expertise that was previously unavailable in our hospital. These specialists are able to better diagnose and treat out stroke patients.”
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the number one cause of adult disability. According to the National Stroke Association, more than 750,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke every year. It is also estimated that about 5.4 million Americans are living with the effects of stroke at any given time. About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, NC, is the state’s sixth largest health system and the tertiary care regional referral center for Western NC and the adjoining region. In 2012, Mission Health was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.
Founded in 1885, Mission Health is a not-for-profit, independent community hospital system that operates four hospitals, numerous out-patient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 750 physicians, and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Centers of excellence include heart, stroke care and neurosciences, and pediatrics. Mission Hospital, the system’s flagship hospital, is licensed for 730 beds and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. Other Mission
hospitals include Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion, and Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville.
Approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to serving and improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina.
Yancey Humane Society wishes to congratulate Doris Willis, Julie Tipton and Renee Tomberlin for their dedication and service to animals in Yancey County. They are all Animal Technicians. Doris has been an employee five years, Julie three years and Renee one year.(click headline to see pics)
