Around 26,000 people cast ballots in Burke County during the early voting period, which ended Saturday, according to the Burke County Board of Elections. More than 3 million voters had cast ballots in North Carolina through early Saturday afternoon, according to the State Board of Elections. That represents a 13.4 increase over the entire 2012 early voting period. Election Day is tomorrow with polls open at 6:30am and closing at 7:30pm.

Morganton Public Safety responded Thursday afternoon to the old Morganton Railroad Depot, where 56-year-old Leigh Singley of Morganton had been struck by an eastbound Norfolk Southern train. Singley was listed in critical condition at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Morganton Public Safety Officers and Norfolk Southern Police continue to investigate, according to a news release from Public Safety.

A 25-year-old Connelly Springs woman was sentenced to spend at least 6 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child abuse inflicting serious injury. In Burke County Superior Court Thursday, Brittany Nichole Hefner pleaded guilty to charges related to injuries discovered on one of her 3-month-old children found during an investigation into the death of the child's twin brother. 21-year-old Nicholas Brandon Clark, the father of both children, has pending charges for murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious injury in the death of his son.

The regular Burke County Board of Education work session has been amended to a special called meeting for 3 specific actions tonight at 6 o'clock at the West Concord Resource Center in Morganton. Action will be taken.