Western Piedmont Community College recently received a donation of a ladder truck truck from Bakersville Volunteer Fire Department for use at WPCC's Emergency Services Training Center. Bakersville VFD was awarded a grant in 2015(the Assistance to Firefighters Grant) that funded a new ladder truck for their department. They use the ESTC to their members, and the department believed donating the truck to WPCC was the greatest use of the equipment. ESTC opened in 2010, and has since trained thousands of emergency personnel in WNC, according to a news release from WPCC.

Michael Willis has been appointed the Burke County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Director. Most recently, Willis worked as the Director of Emergency Service Programs for Western Piedmont Community College where he served on the NC Community Colleges Advisory Committees for both Fire/Rescue and Emergency Management programs. Willis will begin working at Burke County on November 14th.

Food Lion stores in the Charlotte and surrounding areas were given a "face-lift" with a fresh new look and added over 2000 new items. the Food Lion in Fiddler's Run in Morganton celebrated with a ribbon cutting Wednesday morning. Over an 8 month period, 142 Food Lion stores were given a new look, adding over 2000 items including organics and gluten free products. Stores now group items to make the shopping experience easier and hassle free. Every Food Lion store in Burke County was included in the marketing feat.

Two brothers have been charged in the death of a Long View man. According to WSOC-TV, 78-year-old Benny Daniels was last seen seen his home. His body was discovered in a shallow grave on his property on Wednesday. Charged with murder were Rodney and Thomas. A motive has not been established.

A Hickory man is arrested on fugitive charges. Burke County deputies detained 52-year-old Barry Wayne Brown on a charge of being a fugitive from justice.Reports indicate officers responded to Decker Road in Connelly Springs to a report of a suspicious subject walking along the roadway possible armed with a firearm. At that time, Brown was checked for warrants and found to be wanted out-of-state in Virginia and Florida. Brown has been confined at the Burke Catawba Confinement Facility without bond, awaiting extradition to Virginia.