A motor vehicle accident claimed the lives of two Lenoir residents Wednesday. Lenoir police reports 39-yer-old Darrell Dean Profitt was driving NW on Valway Road when his pickup truck ran off the right side of the roadway shortly after 8pm. the truck then re-entered the roadway, crossed the center line before over-correcting and left the roadway a second time striking a tree. Profitt and a passenger 28-year-old Elizabeth Dawn Collins were pronounced dead at the scen by emergency medical personnel. Both occupants were reportedly wearing seatbelts. Investigators are still working to determine if vehicle speed and weather contributors to the accident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lenoir Police at 757-2100.

Marion Police are searching for a missing person, Gary Boatwright, last seen Monday at the Men's Shelter. He was on his way to work at Baxter Healthcare. Boatwright left driving a black 2003 Saturn with NC License Tag EMY-6610. He is described as a white male, 6', 170-180 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Marion Police at 652-5205 or the McDowell 911 Communications Center at 652-4000.

Lenoir-Rhyne is taking part in Monday's solar eclipse in a unique. A team of nine students from the College of Arts and Sciences will participate in NASA's Eclipse Ballooning Project. During the eclipse, Lenoir-Rhyne is one of about 50 college and university teams from across the nation taking part in the project. During the eclipse, teams will conduct high altitude balloon flights at various times, capturing video and images of an eclipse from space as it moves across the U.S. These images will be live-streamed on NASA's website for public viewing. The team will travel to Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Rosman on Sunday and begin setting up for the launch. Pre-med and Biology major, Sean Bryant is responsible for tracking the balloon, which will travel 80,000 to 100,000 feet at max altitude.