Two WYFF News 4 employees were killed Monday afternoon when a tree struck their vehicle in Polk County.

Weekend Anchor Mike McCormick and Photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died when the incident occurred on Highway 176. The pair were covering the continuing story of the impact of heavy rain in the area, according to wyff.com.

McCormick joined WYFF News 4 in April 2007, while Smeltzer had shot news in the region for about 10 years.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is being handled by the State Highway Patrol. Highway 176 is shut down between Ozone Drive in Saluda and Harmon Field Road in Tryon.

Also, due to flash flooding, Chimney Rock State Park is closed due to instability in the upper parking lot.

A Burke County Elementary School was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after three individuals were seen walking on campus with a firearm.

The three reportedly went into a wooded area near Icard Elementary while Burke Sheriff’s narcotic’s officers utilized a 4-wheel drive to locate the suspects.

Officers reported hearing a gunshot fired within yards of their location; however, within seconds, officers located the three suspects in the edge of a field near the utility right-of-way.

One of the male suspects reportedly fled armed with a 410 gauge shotgun into the woods but was cut off buy uniformed officers; and complied with deputies’ commands to drop the gun.

The other two were captured by narcotics officers.

18-year-old Douglas Allen Shuford of Icard School Road Connelly Springs, 18-year-old Justin Wayne Hatley of Simpson Avenue Connelly Springs, and 33-year-old Tabitha Evans of Icard School Road Connelly Springs were arrested and taken into custody.

Shuford has been charged with possessing a firearm on educational property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of a domestic violence order that had been issued May 2^nd.

His total secured bond is 30-thousand-dollars.

Hatley and Evans were each charged with aiding and abetting possessing a firearm o educational property.

Hatley’s secured bond – 1-thousand dollars, Evans secured at 3-thousand-dollars.

A news release states approximately 15 deputies responded to the incident and were assisted by the NCHP.

Mortimer Campground in the Wilson Creek area of Caldwell County is temporarily closed due to flood damage.

The US Forest Service is working to assess and repair damage.

Officials anticipate the campground will remain closed over Memorial Day weekend.

The campground will reopen as soon as conditions are safe for visitors.

Significant rainfall last weekend caused flooding of Wilson Creek and its tributaries as well as landslides and washouts on area roads.

Forest Service officials remind motorists traveling in the Wilson Creek area to be cautious; as further rainfall is expected into the weekend causing additional impacts to roadways.

An area emergency services director is serving on an incident management team that departed for Hawaii last weekend in response to the erupting Kilauea volcano.

McDowell County Emergency Services Director William Kehler is on the NC team working from an emergency operations center on the big island of Hawaii supporting the Hawaii County Civil Defense agency.

The team consists of one state emergency manager and nine county and local emergency managers from throughout NC.

Team members arrived there last Saturday and will remain there for 14 days before returning home.

NC emergency officials have often assisted other states during disaster situations.

A Hickory man charged with leaving the scene after reportedly striking and killing a man in Long View last week made his first court appearance in Catawba County Monday.

Judge David Aycock told 25-year-old Michael Ryan Cooke that he faced a Class F felony that carries a maximum sentence of 59 months in prison.

Police reports show Daniel Eric Wilson was walking in an eastbound lane when he was killed on US 70 in Long View May 16^th.

Cooke turned himself into authorities on the following Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He was issued an 18-thousand-dollar secured bond last week but was not in custody at the time of today’s hearing.

Cooke reportedly spoke only to say he had hired an attorney.

He will be back in court June 11^th for a probable cause hearing.

Caldwell County Emergency officials are working to determine damages and needs after heavy flooding in certain areas over the weekend.

Assessment teams have begun going door-to-door in the Wilson Creek and Edgemont areas,

Each team is made up of a representative from Caldwell County law enforcement, Emergency Services, the Health Department, and the American Red Cross.

Areas being examined include Highway 90 at Edgemont Road, Brown Mountain Beach Road north of the Wilson Creek Visitor Center, and roads surrounding those areas.

Officials will ascertain the amount and kind of damages to homes; as well as damage to wells and septic systems.

They will give residents information about how to handle damage to those type systems.

The Wilson Creek and John’s River areas in Caldwell experienced severe flooding Friday night into Saturday.

Morganton crews plan to flow-test fire hydrants in the Oak Hill area today and Wednesday.

The testing may cause water in the Oak Hill community to become murky.

A release says staff will work to clear the water as quickly as possible.

Crews will be flow testing in the area of NC 181, Frank Whisnant Road, and Spainhour Road.

Officials report water will be safe to drink during the testing.

Residents are urged to turn on several faucets in their homes to flush their water lines to allow and discoloration in their water to dissipate.

Should you live in the Oak Hill area and still experience cloudy or discolored water Thursday morning, call the city’s Water resources Department at 438-5276.

A search is ongoing for a man who went missing along Elk River Falls in Avery County Sunday afternoon.

The Avery County Sheriff’s Office reports the man was wading near the waterfall when he went under and failed to re-surface.

Reports say the man, from Ohio, was in town for a wedding that had taken place earlier in the day.

Multiple rescue crews from Avery and surrounding counties are assisting in the search.

Emergency officials say the water’s current was stronger and water levels were higher due to recent heavy rains.

CHS Blue Ridge proposes to construct new space on the Valdese hospital campus for existing hospital outpatient services.

According to a news release from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, the project is expected to cost just over $83 million and would be completed in December 2021.

A public hearing for this project will be held at noon June 18th in the Valdese Public Library, 213 St.Germaine Avenue, SE.

NCDOT is requesting a non-declared emergency provision to hire contractors immediately to assist with storm damage recovery in Polk County.

Severe rain and thunderstorms on Friday night closed I-26 for about 6 hours, U.S.176 and multiple secondary roads in the county for longer periods of time.

The provision would expediate the process of local DOT officials hiring a contractor cleanup, debris removal, culvert replacements, shoulder repair, guardrail restoration and other restorations. Early estimates for the contract range from $1.5-2 million.

A man turned himself into Long View authorities Friday morning after being charged with one count of felony hit-and-run causing serious injury or death.

Michael Ryan Cooke is believed to be responsible for striking and killing a man walking in the roadway on US Highway 70 around 5 am Wednesday.

Reports list Cooke as the co-owner of the truck that drove away from the fatal scene.

A warrant had been issued for Cooke’s arrest Thursday afternoon.

Cooke was issued an 18-thousand-dollar secured bond with a court date set for today.

Phony IRS callers are making rounds in McDowell County again.

Authorities are urging citizens to steer clear of their claims.

Residents are receiving calls from individuals saying they are from the IRS; telling those they call they owe money and giving them instructions how to pay their debt, and further threatening that if they don’t pay, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

Keep in mind, the IRS does business through the mail, never by phone.

Officials advise residents to ignore these calls, and do not send money or give any personal information.

Anyone with questions or concerns can call the McDowell Sheriff’s Office at 652-2235.

Kayakers discovered a body near Paxton Creek in Marion just after Noon Monday.

Emergency units were called to the scene initially as a report of a possible drowning.

According to the McDowell Sheriff’s Office, three kayakers were in the area of Paxton Creek behind Woody Farm Drive whenever they spotted the victim in the water.

Officials say the white female was taken to Chapel Hill for autopsy and identification.

The case remains under investigation by the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

A suspected chop shop has been located in Caldwell County.

Caldwell County deputies on Tuesday obtained a search warrant for 3990 Tom Calloway Lane in Hudson.

Multiple stolen vehicles and registration plates were recovered during the search.

Reports say property recovered was reported stolen from several western NC counties including Caldwell, Catawba, Lincoln, and Wilkes; and also from Simpsonville SC.

The investigation continues while charges are pending.

Anyone with information should call Caldwell Crimestoppers at 758-8300.

A crash Tuesday afternoon on Interstate-40 has reportedly claimed the lives of a pair of motorcyclists.

Emergency responders report two motorcycles collided with each other causing both to slide hundreds of yards near the 115 milemarker eastbound I-40, killing Roger Lee and Kaa Yang, both of Catawba County.

Reports say the cycles were traveling in a group of four prior to the mishap.

Burke County EMS, first responders, and REACT responded to the scene.

The NC Highway Patrol is investigating.

Witnesses identify a couple who broke into a Marion home.

40-year-old Terri Jo Allen and 36-year-old Chet Eugene Saylor both of 2294 Mudcut Road Marion have been charged with breaking and entering, and larceny.

Jonathan Lee told McDowell deputies someone had entered his property on Lee Drive and stole 225-dollars-worth of items including a guitar, a chainsaw, a machete, and a large knife.

Witnesses reportedly identified the suspects as being Allen and Saylor.

All of the stolen property was recovered.

Caldwell County officers assisted by federal authorities have apprehended a Hudson man for the alleged distribution of a controlled substance.

30-year-old James Douglas Chester was discovered with a package containing approximately 7 pounds of high grade marijuana.

Narcotic agents with Lenoir Police, Caldwell Sheriff’s ICE Unit, and the US postal inspector service were investigating Chester as they learned he had been directing marijuana packages mailed to another address from California.

Agents found the drugs whenever they managed to intercept Chester’s last package and obtained a search warrant to inspect it.

During a controlled delivery and his arrival to pickup his package, Chester was taken into custody.

Armed with a second search warrant, officers also discovered drug paraphernalia at his home.

Chester was charged with felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and felony conspiracy to deliver marijuana.

He was jailed under a 150-thousand-dollar secured bond.

Two others have been identified as suspects in the case with charges likely.

The state’s drug guidelines show the seized marijuana has a street value of nearly 80-thousand-dollars.

An Alexander County prison was reportedly on lockdown Monday afternoon after a fight broke out among inmates.

The NC Department of Public Safety reports several inmates at Alexander Correctional Institution were involved in the argument using homemade weapons and crutches.

The fight took place in the prison’s recreation area around 2 o’clock and was broken up by correctional officers.

A section of the facility was placed on lockdown because of the incident.

Two inmates were transported to medical facilities with minor injuries.

No officers were hurt.

A bust at a Hickory hotel nets drugs, guns, and cash.

37-year-old Heath Blake Winkler of Hickory was charged with trafficking after hotel staff found more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine, over half a pound of marijuana, a firearm, and 14-hundred-dollars cash in his room according to Hickory Police.

After being taken into custody at the Quality Suites on 13^th Avenue Drive Southeast last Friday, Winkler was charged with felony trafficking meth, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule-6 controlled substance.

Winkler was issued a 150-thousand-dollar secured bond.

Two McDowell men have been indicted by a grand jury after being accused of separate child sex crimes.

50-year-old John Wesley Conner of Nebo faces five counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of statutory sex offense with a child, and one count each of statutory rape of a child, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In January, Conner’s family had reported him missing, claiming he was threatening to harm himself.

The McDowell Sheriff’s Office began a search and uncovered allegations of inappropriate contact with an 11-year-old.

Three days later, Conner was located and taken into custody.

In an unrelated case, 28-year-old Copper Urion Eckenrod of Marion is charged with four counts of indecent liberties with a child, three counts of first degree sex offense and two counts of first degree statutory sex offense.

According to McDowell detectives, Eckenrod allegedly had sexual contact with a female acquaintance for years.

The girl is now 9; but the incidents began when she was 5.

Both Conner and Eckenrod’s next court appearances are scheduled for June 11^th in McDowell County Superior Court.

Lincoln County officials are looking for two people wanted in a rash of burglaries that happened at four businesses early Tuesday morning.

Three restaurants and a marketplace were discovered broken into; as officials say robbers used a large rock to break out the windows at each of the businesses.

The thieves reportedly took money during each break-in, and stole a safe from one of the restaurants.

Should you have information, call Lincoln Crimestoppers at 704-732-8909.

Catawba County Sheriff candidate Jason Reid states he had nothing to do with the search warrant being sealed.

The former Catawba sheriff’s captain held a press conference Monday afternoon to respond to the unsealing of the search warrant that occurred May 4^th.

Reid says the search warrant was executed by the state bureau of investigation on the sheriff’s office and narcotics unit on April 19^th.

Reid is under investigation for stalking, cyberstalking and willfully failing to discharge duties.

The investigation began after Reid’s ex-girlfriend accused him of placing a tracking device on her car and stalking her.

Reid describes the situation as a (quote) “political attack.”

Approximately 2,529 voters cast their ballots in Burke County during the early voting which ended Saturday.  Of that total, 1,679 voters cast Republican ballots and 853 Democrat.  Polls will open at 6:30 Tuesday morning at all of Burke County's precincts for the May 8th primary.  Voters will have until 7:30 p.m. to cast their ballots.

An on-going dispute leads to the arrest of a Morganton man and charges for assault.

Reports with Morganton Public Safety say Austin Dyer told officers he had been shot at after pulling into a church parking lot on St. Mary’s Church Road last Tuesday.

Dyer identified the shooter as Samuel Baker Gramer of 601 St. Mary’s Church Road.

Dyer reportedly pulled into the parking lot behind Gramer’s vehicle and the suspect vehicle began speeding away; -at which point Gramer allegedly pointed a gun out the window and fired rounds in Dyer’s direction.

The round missed Dyer striking the church damaging a stained glass window.

Shell casings were recovered to assist investigators.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested Gramer and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Officers recovered the gun used in Tuesday’s incident and also discovered drugs and paraphernalia belonging to Gramer.

He was subsequently charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver a schedule-one controlled substance.

Gramer was issued a 20-thousand dollar secured bond.

Investigators additionally charged Gramer’s girlfriend who was found to be the driver of the vehicle.

Raelyn Shae Brown was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

She received a custody release from the Burke County Magistrate’s office.

Authorities are continuing to investigate.

A Marion man faces sex offense and other related charges from incidents that began two years ago.

49-year-old Gary Dean Jimison of Sun Ridge Drive has been charged with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of secret peeping.

Jimison is accused of using his cell phone to watch and record a 17-year-old victim, with whom he is acquainted, while she was undressed in her residence.

The incidents reportedly began in 2016 and have continued until recently.

Investigators with the McDowell Sheriff’s Office are on the lookout for a truck thief.

24-year-old Tanner Scott Campbell of Huskins Branch Road in Marion has been charged with felony larceny of a motor vehicle.

Reports say Campbell is also an absconder and wanted by state probation and parole officers.

Campbell allegedly stole a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado valued at 58-hundred dollars from Quality Stone on US 221 in Marion April 14^th.

Officers have since been unable to locate the suspect.

Campbell is described as a white male, who is 6-feet-2, weighs 170 pounds, and has strawberry blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyone having information regarding Campbell’s whereabouts should call the McDowell Sheriff’s Office at 652-2237 or McDowell Crimestoppers at 65-CRIME.

A Hudson man has been charged with a break-in at a Marion business.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged 40-year- old Robert Warren Perkey Junior with breaking and entering, larceny from a motor vehicle and injury to personal property.

James Bowie owner of Complete Auto Care on US 70 East in Marion told officers someone attempted to break into his business causing 600-dollars-worth of damage to the front door.

Reports show the suspect also entered two vehicles on the property, causing at least another 400-dollars-worth of damage.

Perkey was captured on surveillance video at the business; while witnesses were able to give his tag information to authorities.

A Hudson man has been charged with a break-in at a Marion business.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged 40-year- old Robert Warren Perkey Junior with breaking and entering, larceny from a motor vehicle and injury to personal property.

James Bowie owner of Complete Auto Care on US 70 East in Marion told officers someone attempted to break into his business causing 600-dollars-worth of damage to the front door.

Reports show the suspect also entered two vehicles on the property, causing at least another 400-dollars-worth of damage.

Perkey was captured on surveillance video at the business; while witnesses were able to give his tag information to authorities.

A man suffers only minor injuries in a small helicopter crash in Lincoln County Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred in the Iron Station community when the aircraft clipped a tree and crashed.

Reports say the man was still learning to fly the aircraft described as a gyrocopter.

The  incident was only his second flight.

A motion has been filed by local and area news outlets to unseal SBI search warrants in the investigation of a Catawba County candidate.

The search warrants name sheriff’s candidate Jason Reid as subject of an SBI investigation for allegations of stalking.

The state bureau of investigation search warrants executed on the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office remains sealed.

Superior Court Judge Dan Kuehnert reportedly sealed the documents and placed a gag order on all parties related to the case.

In that the warrants were sealed in a closed session and a gag order was allegedly implemented without following established procedure, several news agencies were prompted to file the motion yesterday to unseal the warrants and lift the gag order.

The motion filed by the Hickory Daily Record, WBTV, WSOC, the Charlotte Observer, the Associated Press, and the Carolina Public Press cites numerous examples of state and federal case law that contends infringement on First Amendment rights, as well as the public’s rights to have access to the warrants.

Local law enforcement officers will be participating in the annual Special Olympics “Flame of Hope” torch run this Friday.

The run begins at the old Burke County Court House around 9:00 am with officers to proceed along US 70 until they arrive at Hickory Police Department for the passing of the torch.

The Flame of Hope will be carried by law enforcement agencies all the way to Raleigh for the summer games opening ceremony at the N.C. State University.

Torch runners are asking motorists to be cautious and patient for those who may use US 70 during that time Friday.

Officials say the runners will be covering a mile every 10 or so minutes.

Those agencies participating include the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Morganton Public Safety, Foothills Correctional, the NC Department of Public Safety, Athletic Performance Lab and Pfeiffer Wellness Center.

A fifty year old Lenoir man has been arrested and charged with two felony counts of possession of gun on educational property.  The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said that Blaine Frances Pennington, III of Post Place Lenoir was placed in the Caldwell County Detention Center yesterday under 25 thousand dollars secured bond, after school personnel at both Happy Valley School and Collettsville School got his name and license plate number and requested he leave the  property.  Pennington complied with their requests and school personnel reported the incidents to the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.  Deputies then stopped Pennington in his vehicle on Abington Road near the intersection of Bucher Anderson Road where they say he had a Taurus 380 semi-automatic piston in a holster by his side.  After questioning, officers said he had no legitimate reason to be on school property.  Pennington will make his first appearance in District Court on Thursday.

159 people cast ballots yesterday as early voting continues at the five voting sites in Burke County.  Of that number 100 Republican ballots were cast and 59 Democrat.  Early voting for the May 8th primary ends in Burke County this Saturday.  Voters can still cast ballots through Friday from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.  Saturday's voting hours will be from 8 to 1.

A Marion woman is charged with larceny.

The McDowell County Sheriff's Office, this morning, reported the charge on 24-year-old Miranda Lea Gatewood of 143 Mountain Street.

According to the Sheriff's Office, someone reported on March 18th that $300 worth of coins had been stolen from the Wilson Valley Drive home of Raymond Tumbo. An investigation led to Gatewood, who was an in-home care worker for the victim.

Hickory Downtown Development Association has been designated as an accredited Main Street America progam.

HDDA has administered the Main Street Program for the City of Hickory since 2007. The purpose of the Main Street program is to stimulate economic development within the context of historic preservation.

Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years.