The SBI is investigating an officer-involved shhoting that occurred just before 10pm Wednesday. Caldwell Communications received a 911 call from 75-year-old Donald Marcus, Sr. of Hudson. Smith made suicidal statements to dispatchers and said he had a handgun. Caldwell deputies responded and spoke to Smith trying to de-escalate the situation. However, Smith raised his right hand and fired a single gunshot. One deputy, seeing Smith raise his gun, fired two rounds from his patrol rifle. Smith, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound to the head and two wounds to the torso. A small caliber handgun was retrieved from Smith's right hand. The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office called the SBI to investigate.

A Granite Falls man is sentenced to prison following a guilty plea to multiple drug offenses. 35-year-old Patrick David Hollar plead guilty to manufacturing meth, attempted trafficking in meth by possession, and possession of heroin. Reports say a concerned citizen in Caldwell County told authorities in November 2015 that the defendant was manufacturing meth at his residence. During a search of his home, Caldwell County Sheriff's officers and SBI agents located the meth lab; finding items consistent with the manufacture of meth and also doscovering heroin. Hollar reportedly admitted to investigators that he made the meth for his personal use, and traded some in order to obtain supplies to make more. Hollar is sentenced to serve up to six years.

A Hickory man was given an active prison term of six to eight years following his guilty plea, Wednesday, to trafficking opium by possession during Catawba County Superior Court. 49-year-old James Arthur Kendrick was also imposed a mandatory fine of $50,000.