The suspect in Wednesday night's fatal shooting at a Hickory fast-food restaurant appeared in court Thursday morning. 22-uear-old Eric Terril Yount of Granite Falls was arrested in Caldwell County following the shooting at McDonald's on Highway 321. He was charged with one felony county of first-degree murder and one felony count of attempted first-degree murder. Published reports say Yount requested a court-appointed attorney and the judge appointed defense attorney Vicki Jayne. Court reports indicate the judge advised Yount of the severity of the charges - stating that a murder conviction could either bring the death penalty of life in prison without parole. He remains in the Catawbal County Jail without bond, with a court appearance scheduled for March 24th.

A vehicle crash Thursday night on Sanford Drive caused serious injury to a Lenoir woman. The 2015 Kia hit a utility pole which caused a power outage to about 1,600 residents. Monique Burton was traveling east, towards North Green Street, when the Kia left the right side of the road , near the entrance to Catawba Meadows. Burton overcorrected and struck a utility pole-head on, according to Morganton Department of Public Safety. The vehicle continued down an embankment and struck a tree. Burton was taken by Burke EMS to CHS Morganton with serious injuries. Two passengers in the vehicle had no reported injuries. Contributing factors to the crash are likely driving too fast for conditions, as the roadway was wet and it was dark at the time of the crash.

A Morganton Officer interrupts a break-in. On Wednesday, POS Paterno with MDPS was flagged by a resident on North Chestnut Street to investigate a suspicious female in a pink jacket walking around a neighbor's residence carrying a brick. As he approached the house, Paterno heard glass break and found 24 year old Angeleigha Smith, wearing a pink jacket, climbing out of a window that had been smashed. Smith admitted to breaking into the house to take property that she claimed belonged to a family member. The homeowner was contacted and stated that Smith did not belong in the house. She was charged with felony breaking and entering and two misdemeanor drug related charges. Bond was set at $10,000.