A 25-year-old Hickory man was killed Friday at South Mountains State Park, Reports indicate Ryan Yount lost his footing and fell off High Shoals Fall, just before 5pm. The fall remains under investigation, according to a state park official. but appears to be an accident.

A Catawba County woman is arrested for having a weapon of mass destruction. As part of a drug-offender roundup, 41-year-old Rebecca Lynn Rose of Conover was arrested on multiple drug offenses on a bill of indictment from the Catawba County grand jury. Once inside her residence, published reports say officers discovered an explosive device containing buckshot and black powder. The Gastonia bomb squad was called in to diffuse the home-mad device; which authorities state had the potential to kill several people in a room. Rose was charged with one felony count of heroin trafficking, one felony count of meth possession, and one felony count of possession of a weapon of mass destruction. She is being held at the Catawba County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond with a May 1st court appearance.

Late Thursday night, Hickory firefighters were dispatched to a reported fire alarm at Fiberline located at 280 Performance Drive. No fire injuries were reported and fire damages were confined to the duct/exhaust system.

On Tuesday, the South African Police Service in Pretoria charged parents of a 14-year-old girl with multiple sex discovered by the State Bureau of Investigation through a Catawba County child pornography case. Working with Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, the SBI was led to a suspect in Catawba County, who was located and found to be in possession of child pornography. The girl was located on February 14th, by HSI and the South African Police Service. The minor was interviewed and stated her parents were sexually assaulting her and producing pictures and videos of the activity.