With less than a three-day supply of most blood types available , the American Red Cross is facing a blood shortage and has an emergency need for blood and platelet donors to give now to replenish the blood supply.

Upcoming blood drives include:

Connelly Springs

* Monday July 15th - Carolina Rehab Center, 3647 Miller Bridge Road, from 2-6 p.m.

Morganton

* Tuesday July 16th - First Baptist Church, 502 West Union Street, from 2:30-7 p.m.

Granite Falls

* Tuesday July 16th - Sawmills Volunteer Fire Dept, Hwy 321-A North - 2-6:30 p.m. and

Claremont

* Tuesday July 16th - Boxcar Grille, 3140 N.Oxford St., 1:30-6 p.m.

Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urged to donate. You can also make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Contractors began working Monday to make water and sewer line improvements on Bouchelle Street from Fleming Place to Catawba Street. Traffic will be affected by the work. Contractors may need to close the road intermittently to complete work. Flaggers will be in the area as work is performed each day. The work is expected to take about three weeks.

A Madison County woman is charged with meth possession in McDowell County. Just after 3 a.m. on June 18^th, a McDowell deputy was patrolling in Old Fort and spotted a pickup truck in a parking lot on Catawba Avenue. 39-year-old Amy Marie Parrish of Marshall, was the driver of the truck and a search uncovered a syringe containing 1 gram of meth.

A runaway teenager has been located. Sarah Greene has been found safe, according to the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.