This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Already a subscriber? Login or Activate your account.
You've reached the end of the standard E-Edition.
This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Travel
Spotlight
Blue Ridge Parkway visitors reminded to plan ahead for busy season amid Helene recovery
Mike Conley
As campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers open for the season this Memorial Day weekend, the Blue Ridge Parkway is asking park visitors to plan ahead and be patient for upcoming visits.
Multiple maintenance and repair projects are underway across several sections of the Parkway. This work is primarily related to ongoing Hurricane Helene repairs and two Great American Outdoors Act road projects underway in North Carolina and Virginia, according to a news release from the Parkway.
Visitors should use caution near all project areas and must not enter closed sections. The Parkway website and interactive map provide milepost-by-milepost status updates, with links to project information and detour maps.
Visitors enjoy the view at one of nearly 200 Blue Ridge Parkway
overlooks, near milepost 172.
PHOTO FROM NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
In a sign of ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery progress, the Blue Ridge Parkway recently reopened direct access to the Linville Falls trail system at milepost 316.4. This opens recreation access to the area by way of the 1.5-mile spur road. Visitors may continue to access the Linville Falls trail system from Old N.C. Highway 105 from the U.S. Forest Service parking lot. The visitor center, picnic area and campground remain closed, according to the news release.
Visitors are encouraged to confirm schedules and operating hours for all Parkway locations before they travel. A comprehensive list of open facilities — including visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas and other popular destinations — is available online and through the NPS App. Camping reservations are available at Recreation.gov.
The Parkway has winding grades, limited sight distances and stunning scenic views. Drivers should remain alert at all times. Safety guidance for drivers, motorcyclists and hikers is available on the Parkway website.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is among the largest designed landscapes in the United States, offering countless opportunities to experience southern Appalachian nature, history and culture. Whether driving the scenic route, hiking a trail or enjoying a concert or ranger program, visitors should plan ahead, recreate responsibly and take time to explore the thriving gateway communities along the route, according to the news release.
10 horses get loose in Iredell County
Owners charged
SARAH C. JOHNSON
Two people are facing misdemeanor charges after a herd of horses was spotted running around Iredell County.
Seven of 10 wild horses have been captured. The horses' holding location is being kept confidential for safety, Iredell County Animal Services said in an updated news release at 3:57 p.m. on Wednesday.
Kameron Denzel Steele, 27, of Harmony, and Favor Dior Springs, 20, of Gastonia, are each charged with misdemeanor allowing livestock to run at large forbidden, according to court documents.
The Iredell County Animal Services said the charges are "for failing to properly confine the herd and for not providing the required cooperation during recovery efforts."
The charges were issued on May 14, according to court documents. Steele and Springs were identified by Iredell County Animal Control as the owners of the horses, which have been identified as mustangs.
Mustangs are wild horses found in the western United States, according to the Mustang Heritage Foundation.
The herd of 10 mustangs escaped from an Iredell County property on May 11. Iredell County Animal Services is working to capture the animals. The mustangs have been spotted in the areas of Eufola Road, Lewis Ferry Road and surrounding communities, animal services said in a news release.
The Bureau of Land Management, Iredell County Sheriff's Office and the N.C. State Highway Patrol is helping Iredell County Animal Services with the investigation.
"Public safety is our top priority," animal services said. "Because these animals have been spotted near major roadways, including Interstate 40 and (U.S.) Highway 70, motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution when driving through these areas, particularly during dawn, dusk and nighttime hours."
Iredell County citizens are warned not to approach or attempt to capture the mustangs. "This may scare the herd and drive them further into traffic or dangerous terrain," animal services said.
Sarah Johnson is the courts and breaking news reporter for the Statesville Record & Landmark.
Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print.
You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it.
When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
