2430 people in Burke County cast ballots Friday, on the final full day of early voting. Totals of 24,142 include 8356 Democrats, 9404 Republicans, 6303 Unaffiliated and 79 Libertarian. Voting today concludes at 1pm. Election Day is Tuesday with polls open from 6:30am till 7:30pm.

A Morganton man was sentenced to serve 5-7 years in prison on Tuesday. 36-year-old Brandon Lail pleaded guilty to felony larceny, possession of stolen goods and admitted his status as an habitual felon. In May, the victim reported that his motor vehicle had been broken into and his golf clubs had been stolen. The clubs were located by officers at Hickory Pawn and Gun and identified by the owner as those stolen from the vehicle. The pawn ticket provided information that Lail had pawned the clubs the same day they were reported stolen. Video surveillance showed the defendant pawning the clubs. Lail's sentence was enhanced by his habitual felon status that includes prior felony convictions for financial transaction card theft in Cleveland County in 2009 and obtaining property by false pretense in Burke County in 2012 and 2015.

Three suspects connected with the death of a Hickory woman made their first court appearances in Catawba County Thursday. 49-year-old Tina Louise Swink of Taylorsville and 33-year-old Micky Lee Swink of Hickory were both arrested and charged with murder - related to the death of 66-year-old Patricia Diane Swink of Hickory. 39-year-old Richard Deal of Hildebran has also been charged with accessory after the fact. Hickory Police made the arrests after hours of investigation and numerous interviews following the incident.

The September unemployment rate in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton area was 4.7%. Area county rates include Alexander at 4.1%, Avery 4.4, Burke 4.8, Caldwell 5%, Catawba 4.6, McDowell 4.3 and Watauga at 3.9%. Scotland County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 8.5%, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.6%. Rocky Mount had the highest metro area rate at 7% with Asheville the lowest at 4.8%.