A woman found dead on the grounds of the Old Burke County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon has been identified. Morganton Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division is handling the investigation into the cause of death of 36-year-old Joy Lynett LaValley of Morganton. results from a preliminary autopsy are pending.

A Granite Falls man receives an active prison sentence following his guilty plea to drug charges and admission as a habitual felon. 39-year-old Timothy Shawn Byrd was sentenced up to 8 years during Caldwell County Superior Court Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to maintaining a dwelling to sell meth and possession with intent to sell and deliver meth. Byrd's sentence was enhanced by prior felony convictions for breaking and entering in Caldwell County (November 1997), and obtaining property by false pretense in Caldwell County (October 2007 and July 2012).

A 40-year-old man pleaded guilty to felony possession of meth and felony flee to elude arrest, and admitted his habitual felon status on Tuesday, during Caldwell County Superior Court. Joshua Duerr Pate was sentenced to serve 6-9 years in prison. His habitual felon status enhanced his sentence. Pate previously was convicted in Watauga County of larceny (July 1996), second-degree burglary (March 2009), and common law robbery (July 2012).

Clocks will spring forward one hour Sunday morning. This is a good time to make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working. Although a large percent of American homes have smoke alarms, many do not work because of dead or missing batteries. For more information about smoke alarms, call the Hickory Fire Department at (828) 323-7521.