Watauga Judge Halts Boone's New COVID Restrictions

Watauga County Superior Court Judge R. Gregory Horne issued a temporary restraining order late yesterday that forbids the town of Boone from enforcing a 14-day quarantine on visitors from out-of-county which was passed by the council on Thursday evening. 

The request for a temporary restraining order was filed at 4:07 p.m. by Anne-Marie Yates, Mountain Resort Management LLC (dba Holiday Inn Express), Hospitality Group of Hickory, and Smokey Mountain Hospitality LLC. The parties are represented by Boone attorney Nathan Miller.

Both Anne-Marie Yates and Judge Horne are former chairs of the Watauga Republican Party (Horne prior to becoming a district court judge in 2004), and Nathan Miller was a former vice chair of the Watauga GOP and past chair of the Watauga County Commission. Anne-Marie Yates has been a perennial plaintiff in lawsuits brought by Miller.

A hearing before Judge Horne is scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 1.

Meanwhile, the Boone Town Council is meeting in closed session this morning at 11 a.m.