Deputy Chief Steve Moore has been appointed to serve as interim Fire Chief for Hickory Fire effective October 1^st.

The appointment comes with the retirement of Fire Chief Fred Hollar.

Moore will serve as interim chief until the search for someone to fill the position permanently is completed later this year.

Moore began his career with the City of Hickory in 1999.

Since 2009, he has served as Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention, as well as Operations.

Our country continues to struggle with opioid addiction- its’ effect on families, the economy, and the role of pharmaceutical companies; and criticisms of perhaps overly eager health care officials to prescribe them for pain control.

According to recent statistics, four North Carolinians die daily from a medication or drug overdose.

Since 1999, the number of drug poisoning deaths in our state has increased by 440-percent; from 363 to more than 19-hundred in 2016.

Beyond the painful human cost, the economic impact of opioid abuse is staggering.

The President’s Council of Economic Advisors estimate the economic cost of the opioid crisis at more than 500-billion dollars in 2015.

The Catawba County Library is hosting a member of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division to give an update on the epidemic from a law enforcement perspective.

The program will be held at the Maiden Branch library at 11 am Saturday September 22^nd.

The program will cover what law enforcement is doing to combat the problem, and tips on what the community can do to help their efforts.

For more information about the event, you can contact the Catawba County Library at 465-8665.

Governor Roy Cooper delivered a Monday  update regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Florence that wreaked statewide havoc over the weekend.

Cooper called the weather event a monumental disaster for NC; confirming that 17 people have thus far died as a result of the storm.

The Governor remarked that 26-hundred people have been rescued from the flood waters as well as hundreds of pets.

Reports indicate 12-hundred roads throughout the state remain closed; more than 300 being primary roads.

Parts of Interstates 40 and 95 remain closed to traffic.

Parts of Burke County also experienced flood waters and flooded roadways-

Burke County Emergency Management reported flooding in the John’s River area.

Barricades were placed at Bost Road, Corpening Bridge Road, John’s River Road, and Spainhour Road to warn motorists of impassable roadways.

The Burke County Emergency Operations Center was activated by local emergency officials days before Florence struck the NC coast, in order to organize needed resources, and continued to assess local needs throughout the weather event.