There will be a Special Joint Meeting today of the Burke County Board of Education and the Burke County Board of Commissioners. The meeting, at 5:30 in the West Concord Resource Center, will include a presentation of options concerning overcrowding at Mountain Crest Elementary, There will be a selection of an option by the Board of Commissioners and Board of Education.

The investigation continues into the fatal shooting Thursday night in Nebo. The McDowell County Sheriff's Office was called to 522 Lake Lamar Loop about 6pm. Deputies found 71-year-old Allen Robert Causby of Nebo, dead from a gunshot wound. The shooting occurred on property belong to 67-year-old Larry Gilliand. It was reported that Causby had been on Gilliand's property earlier in the day, was told to leave, and returned armed. There was a subsequent confrontation between the two and shots were fired. Assisting the Sheriff's Office were members of the SBI, the Highway Patrol and McDowell County EMS and Dysartsville Fire Department.

Jury selection in the triple homicide case of Everette Porshau Hewitt was completed last week and opening statements are scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9:30 at Catawba County Superior Court in Newton. Hewitt is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the March 15 2011, shooting deaths of Wade Sigmon and Connie Miller at Oak Knoll Mobile Park in Conover. He is accused of also shooting Joseph Burke, but he survived.

Three Lenoir residents face charges after a narcotics search Thursday morning. Lenoir Police Department's Narcotics Unit and Criminal Investigations Division served a search warrant at 215 Norwood Street. Areested were Jasmine Paige, charged with Misdemeanor Simple Possession of Schedule VI Controlled Substance, Keenan Antonio Dula, charged with Felony Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Xzavian Jerrod Dula, charged with Felony Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance along with Misdemeanor Larceny. These arrests are the result of citizen complaints, and the investigation spanned several months.

With the beginning of the prom season, The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is conducting Operation "Drive to Live" this week. The operation will be conducted daily from 6am through 5pm. The operation is an initiative by the Highway Patrol to reduce the number of teenage related traffic collisions and deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, young drivers are significantly over represented in fatal crashes, particularly 16 and 17 year olds. One area that is very concerning is distracted driving.