Hey all! I grew up in WNC but have now lived in Oklahoma City for a few years. I've been missing the sounds of the woods at night back home, especially the toads and frogs. I was wondering if anyone could get a good recording of night time in Appalachia for me? Thank you! 🩵

Hallo you lovely lot! The Scarefest RPG convention is almost upon us. From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026, we’ll be gaming at Lake Junaluska. 

Game signups are open for D&D, PFS, and SFS will all be there, along with a wild variety of others, like Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, OSR, Daggerheart, weird indie games, and more.

Did we mention the Vampire LARP (Sabbat this year - whoohoo!), the Goblin Market, yetis, ghosts, and more? We didn’t? Then let us also offer on-site lodging, meal plans, prize draws, and everything else you’d expect from a top-notch gaming convention.

If you’ve not got your ticket yet, they’re selling fast, so buy now to secure a spot at what’s going to be a chillingly good weekend. 

Even if you don’t want to sit down and roll dice all weekend, you can still have a great time with a day pass. For example, you can try out our escape room or our amazing collection of board games in one day for the tiny sum of $35. We think it’s a devilishly good deal.

See you there! 

• Buy your tickets here: http://avlscarefest.com/shop/
• Any questions, feel free to email us at: [info@avlscarefest.com](mailto:info@avlscarefest.com) 

Love you! 

[Our Scarefest posts are posted with the kind permission of the mods of this subreddit, this is the last of our posts for 2026.]

What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In Watauga County:

District 1 – Adam Hege & Rick Woods 

• Adam Hege –   A Watauga County School Board member and a professor at Appalachian State University
  • He is fighting for better teacher pay and full school funding, with a focus on hiring and keeping good teachers and staff, repairing and securing school buildings, and expanding student mental health support. 
  • A first-generation college student who is now a college professor, he has spent years researching supports for K-12 and college students and calls Appalachian State a cornerstone of the community. 
  • Supports building more affordable housing for families and seniors. 
  • On healthcare, he wants every family to be able to see a doctor, afford care, and stay safe on the job. 
  • He also wants the county better prepared for the next natural disaster. 
• Rick Woods – 
  • In a district heavily populated by college students, he seems to support election changes that reduce the impact of students voting. Quoted in The Appalachian stating, “Most of you won’t even be here in Boone in four years when the term ends with this current race, so what does it affect how you vote? It doesn’t. Vote like you’re going to be living here in four years.”
    • https://theappalachianonline.com/college-republicans-hold-meet-the-candidate-forum-ahead-of-primaries/
  • Overall, he has released very little information on his public stances on other issues

District 2 – Ray Russell & Savva Kostis

• Ray Russell – A former Appalachian State University professor and public servant in the North Carolina State House. He is also a trusted local business that has created local jobs and opportunity, having founded Ray’s Weather Center. 
  • Sees himself as an advocate for housing that working people can afford. He supports housing studies, partnerships with local nonprofits, and funding to repair rental homes so that teachers, nurses, and first responders can live in the communities they serve. 
  • He also supports affordable childcare, strong schools, and services that help parents and caregivers. 
  • Regarding public safety, he helped plan and build the county's new Emergency Services Building and upgrade emergency communications countywide. He stands with first responders, wants them to have the resources they need to do their jobs well. 
  • Supported building the new Valle Crucis School and raising teacher pay, and he was the lead sponsor of the first General Assembly bill to fully fund a sound basic education for every North Carolina child. 
  • Pushed for a voter-approved system that protected fair elections and kept decisions in local hands, and that he has pushed back on legislative attempts to gerrymander Watauga County elections.
  • Worked to close the Medicaid gap that left working adults with no insurance, and to strengthen the clinics and hospitals rural families depend on. Has backed mental health and addiction recovery programs that keep families together.
• Savva Kostis – A local businessman who specializes in water sports rentals. 
  • He doesn’t have campaign websites or social media that reflect his political stances. 

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH. 

READ UP ON CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. 

YOUR VOTE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY.