Source: Thomas Sherrill, WATAUGA DEMOCRAT, 1/30/20

 A 12-county area including Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties is targeted for an $11 million grant initiative designed to boost economic transformation in rural areas. “The Golden LEAF Foundation is pleased to announce its Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Northwest Prosperity Zone,” the organization said in a Jan. 22 statement. The Golden LEAF Foundation, based out of Rocky Mount, is an endowment nonprofit that receives 50 percent...

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