NC House Representative, Virginia Foxx, in the Watauga High School auditorium. Foxx has been serving North Carolina for 19 years. She represents the 5th Congressional District which includes counties Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, and Wilkes. Photo Creds: Charlie Stumb, Yearbook Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn, and Carrie Bradbury, Review Desk Lead North Carolina House Representative, Virginia Foxx, visited W

A picture taken of sophomore Myra Stern’s snowy backyard on a cold, remote day last year.  Weather like this has led to students having to take out their Chromebooks and log into a Google meet for school instead of being in person. Photo creds: Myra Stern  Ria Titus, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn The beloved snow days of the past filled with hot cocoa and movies have been replaced by the echoes of teachers’ voices on Chromebooks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, computers were

An image of what shows up when a student searches for something they're not supposed to, or a teacher/ administrator restricts what they are doing. Ria Titus, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn This podcast answers student questions about Go Guardian, explains what it is and why it was implemented. It can be accessed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18gn6w_2SXcfL7tl8mv0dfqWl8j8FszbP/view?usp=sharing

For most seniors, the process of college applications has been unfamiliar terrain, filled with unanswered questions and confusing concepts. A large source of uncertainty for Watauga High School’s class of 2026 has specifically been the GEAR UP fee waiver. 

North Korea test launching an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on March 16, 2023. As independent journalists were not allowed to view this event, it is unknown if the image is verifiable. Photo Credits: Korean Central News Agency, Via Associated Press. Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn Since 1992, the United States has not conducted any tests of nuclear bombs. However, an announcement by President Trump has brought into question whether testing may resume after

Watauga’s attendance monitor, Ms. Molly Russell, sits at her desk taking care of attendance for the day. Her job consists of making sure students are present and accounted for. Photo Creds: Abbi Clark Abbi Clark, Sports Desk Lead for The Powderhorn For many students at Watauga, coming to school can feel like a chore, and skipping class may seem tempting. The fear of failing a class due to absences may have been the encouragement needed to get some students out of bed in the m

A policy written years ago suddenly became the center of controversy this year, as Watauga County schools confronted a harsh reality: there weren’t enough bus drivers to get students to school. With more than 1000 students relying on buses as a form of transportation, the district had to enforce a long-unenforced rule: Policy 6301.

The monthly school board meeting was this Monday, November 17. These meetings often cover accomplishments of students and staff throughout the County, and the board passes policies that directly affect Watauga County school system.

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green visited Watauga County Schools on October 22, 2025, determined to investigate pressing challenges in North Carolina public education.

El superintendente de instrucción pública de Norte Carolina, Maurice “Mo” Green, visitó las escuelas del condado de Watauga el 22 de octubre de 2025 para conocer de cerca los principales retos que enfrenta la educación pública del estado.

Watauga High School students with their first block off-campus have noticed a  new requirement before returning to their cars after a morning club meeting. Students must now obtain a “pass” from the front office, which typically entails a light green Post-It note with the student’s name and the date written on it, before crossing the street to the parking lot.

Within Watauga's diverse student body, many students think about trades or apprenticeships when considering post-high school plans. Watauga's various CTE programs allow students to explore these options.

Sandy Hook, Columbine, Parkland, and Uvalde are some of the many names ingrained in the modern student's mind. Violence in schools is a growing issue, and the anxiety these events instill in adolescents is growing at a parallel rate.

Un paciente recibe una vacuna de su médico. Si usted o un ser querido desean vacunarse contra el COVID, hay vacunas disponibles en numerosos lugares del condado de Watauga. (Crédito de la foto: Unsplash) Jax Marsh, escritor por The Powderhorn Translation by Bethany Atwood Los cambios en las regulaciones del Centro para el Control de Enfermedades y el gobierno de los Estados Unidos generaron confusión en torno a la disponibilidad de las vacunas contra el COVID. Muchos medios d

Changing regulations from the Center for Disease Control and the United States government created confusion around the availability of COVID vaccines. Many news outlets originally cited that senior citizens must consult doctors before getting their COVID vaccines but failed to mention the vaccine’s availability for teenagers.

After Hurricane Helene, administrators saw a time for possible change at Watauga. The administrators sent out a survey to parents about how they should change the schedule for the upcoming school year.

Imagine you’re at Regal Cinemas, watching the latest movie. It’s amazing! The plot is well-crafted, the scenes are engrossing, and the acting is incredible.

With news apps, Instagram stories, and TikTok influencers dominating how young adults consume information, traditional journalism is being replaced by fast, often biased content. The constant stream of information can feel overwhelming, blurring the line between truth and opinion and leaving many anxious and fatigued.

Watauga High School’s hybrid schedule has created difficulties for students in the band. The current schedule the high school follows allows for two types of classes: A/B classes, which are year-long classes that meet every other day, and block classes, which are semester-long classes that meet every day.

The House floor is quiet. The United States of America currently finds itself in the second week of a government shutdown as the Republican and Democratic parties fail to agree on a new congressional budget.