A Lincoln County man is sentenced to prison following his guilty plea to sexual offenses with a minor. 41-year-old Clayton Houston Hoyle pled guilty to stautory rape, statutory sex offense, and indecent liberties with a child - landing him a prison term of at least 13 years. Reports say the offense occurred in 2014 when the 15-year-old victim was assaulted at a family member's residence. Following the incident, DNA samples were taken and resulted in a match to the defendant. Hoyle will also have to register as a sex offender and enroll in satellite-based monitoring for the remainder of his life.

A missing Alexander County teenager has been located. 19-year-old Ailyah Cline was found Wednesday in Yadkin County and is reported to be safe, according to the Alexander County Sheriff's Office.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, based in Morganton, is growing its staff to provide additional communications, financial and administrative support. The conservancy is seeking a full-time communications and outreach associate, a part-time staff accountant and a part-time office administrator. Descriptions and details for each position are available at foothillsconservancy.org/jobs. All will remain open until filled.