The newly appointed board member took his oath and students and employees were recognized in Monday night's Burke County Board of Education meeting. Seth P. Hunt Jr. took his oath to begin the meeting with the help of his wife, who held his bible. The principal and assistant principal of the year were recognized during Monday's meeting. East Burke Middle Assistant Principal, Teresa Dale, was nominated by her peers as Assistant Principal of the Year. Dale is a Burke County native who began her teaching career at W.A.Young Elementary before moving to Hildebran Elementary. Dale spent her last years teaching at Salem Elementary and is in her 5th year as Assistant Principal at East Middle. Brett Wilson, Principal at Walter Johnson Middle was named Principal of the Year. Elementary and middle school students competed in the annual Burke County Spelling Bee on October 24th. The runnerup was Mikala Lynch of Rutherford College. The winner was Grayson Vanderby of Chesterfield Elementary. Eight items were approved on the consent agenda, but new board member, Hunt, abstained from making a vote as he had not reviewed the items.

A Connelly Springs man remains at large - wanted in connection with a Sunday shooting that left a man seriously injured. Witnesses at Knob Superette Convenience told Burke deputies they heard a gunshot and saw 2 vehicles exit the parking lot on Hwy 70. Officers, shortly thereafter, found a vehicle overturned in a ditch on Berea Church Road. No one was inside the vehicle, and a handgun was discovered in the roadway along with sawed-off 20-gauge shotgun in the vehicle. Authorities were then notified a man identified as Buddy Cook had arrived at CMC-Valdese with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Cook told officers he had been shot by 31-year-old Kevin Matthew Revis. Cook was transported to CMC-Charlotte and listed in stable condition. The Burke County Sheriff's Office has issued a warrant on Revis for felonious assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious bodily injury. Anyone with information should call 438-5500 or Crimestoppers at 433-3333.