In a groundbreaking move, Alleghany Community Television (ACTV) ventured into new territory on July 22, 2015 at 6:00 pm.  That moment marks Alleghany County’s first television news show, Mountains and Valleys News.  Designed to give a rundown of local news, weather and sports, the program furnishes 30 minutes of news that matters most to the people Alleghany and surrounding counties.  In addition to traditional news coverage, the program will list local obituaries and items of special interest.  Leading this endeavor are a group of talented Alleghany High School (AHS) students and lifelong residents of Alleghany County.

Kasey Caudill

Kacey Caudill is a rising senior at (AHS).  The daughter of local mail carrier Lori Hirschy and former Alleghany County sheriff Mike Caudill, Kacey is active in the AHS Student Council, BETA Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletics (FCA) and varsity volleyball.  She plans to major in communications in college and aspires to become a sportscaster.  She says quite confidently that her goal is to become the next Erin Andrews.

Sydney Jones

Sydney Jones is also a rising senior at AHS.  Sydney is the daughter of Danny and Rebecca Jones.  She spent three years away from Alleghany County in Boone when both her parents went back to college.  At AHS, Sydney’s athletic talents are utilized on the basketball, volleyball and softball teams.  After high school, she has a path mapped out that takes her to Wilkes Community College, Appalachian State University and then to medical school at Wake Forest.  She plans to become a neurologist.

Jade Shepherd

Jade Shepherd rounds out the broadcast team.  Like Kasey and Sydney, Jade will be a senior this year at AHS.  The daughter of Tony Shepherd and Jenny Lineberry, Jade is the upcoming student body president at AHS.  She is a member of the BETA Club, FCA, and competes in softball and volleyball.  She is also student at the North Carolina School of Science and Math where she takes classes online.  Jade plans to attend Virginia Tech University with the goal of becoming a biomedical engineer.

Benny Ray

Working behind the camera is Benny Ray.  Benny is a recent graduate of AHS and has chosen to take a year off from college to gain work experience in broadcast production.  The son of Jeff Ray and Sydney Woodie, Benny plans to attend Wilkes Community college next fall and begin working toward a career in graphic design.

Jade and Sydney honing their skills at the 2015 Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention.

The skills and confidence these four are developing will carry them far into their chosen careers.  While ACTV’s primary mission is to train tomorrow’s broadcast professionals while keeping the community informed, it is obvious that these young people are on the path to becoming leaders in a variety of fields.  Developing those leadership skills is a large part of what they do each day whether in front of or behind the camera.

Mountains and Valleys News can be seen on Skybest TV on channels 21 and 22 and ACTV Broadband channel 98 at 7:00 am. 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm.  The show can be viewed on demand at www.actv.me.

Sponsorships are available.  For more information about these opportunities to support community television, contact station manager Charles Scott at 336-657-0825.