One stop early voting for the June 7th primary begins today and ends Saturday June 4th. Some counties may not be open on the first Saturday, or Monday May 30th (Memorial Day). The regular deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail for the June 7th primary is Tuesday May 31st. Primary Election Day is Tuesday June 7th will polla opening at 6:30am and closing at 7:30pm.

An Alexander County woman has been charged with second degree murder in the death of her 4 day old infant. According to WSOC-TV 22 year old Aishia Marie Pacheco was charged Tuesday. Officials went to the home just before 6:15am. WSOC reports that the Alexander County Sheriff's Office states that Pacheco smothered her infant son. An autopsy is scheduled at the Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

A 49 year old Hickory man was sentenced to serve 13 to 17 years in prison following his guilty plea Wednesday, in Catawba County Superior. John Wayne Travis entered the guilty pleas for first-degree sex offense and was sentenced by the Honorable Daniel A.Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County. Heather Cash investigated the case for Hickory Police with assistance from the Catawba County Children's Advocacy and Protection Center, and Assistant District Attorney Michael Van Buren handled prosecution.

Larceny and drug charges, along with habitual felon status, landed a Hickory man a prison sentence. 40 year old Jerome Lewis Mack, pleaded guilty to larceny from a merchant, habitual larceny, possession and sell of cocaine, and admitted to being an habitual felon Wednesday, during Catawba County Superior Court. The Honorable Daniel A.Kuehnert, Superior Court Judge from Burke County, sentenced Mack to serve 7 to 10 years in prison. Mack has a lengthy criminal record that led to his habitual larceny and habitual felon status, significantly enhancing his prison sentence. Officers with Hickory Police and the Catawba County Sheriff's Office investigated the offenses. Wes Hawn and Michelle Lippert prosecuted the cases for the 25th District Attorney's Office.