Rutherford College Elementary School will close after this school year. According to the Morganton News Herald, the unanimous vote by the Burke County Board of Education, came Monday night at a special called meeting in Morganton at the West Concord Resource Center. Rutherford College Elementary students will attend Valdese Elementary starting in August 2018.

A Burke County woman pleaded guilty, Monday in Burke County Superior Court, to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 3-year-old son. Jamie Lyn Basinger, 24, was given a suspended sentence of 19 to 32 months with 36 months of supervised probation for the March death of Landyn, who died of hypothermia from frigid weather conditions on the front porch of the defendant's residence. Landyn was found on the front porch just before 8am on March 15th. An investigation by Burke County Sheriff's detectives showed that the child celebrated his third birthday the night before, but managed to get out of the house during the night and could not get back inside.

Discovered 'passed out' behind the wheel, a driver now faces drug possession charges. Cameron Allen Johnson, 19, of Marion was charged with possession of methamphetamine and marijuana - McDowell officers initially responding to the report of a suspicious vehicle. Johnson's vehicle had reportedly left an Old Fort fast food restaurant, crossed the road, and became stuck on a curb. The suspect was discovered passed out behind the driver's wheel. A search of Johnson's vehicle turned up 12.9 grams of meth and 3.1 grams of marijuana.

Charges of felony breaking and entering to a motor vehicle and misdemeanor larceny are filed on a Granite Falls man. On Wednesday December 6th, Elite Auto in Hildebran, contacted Burke 911 to report vehicles broken into and several items of property stolen. Burke County Sheriff's detectives responded and the case was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division. Detectives interviewed Edlyn Richard Johnson, Jr, 39, who confessed to the crimes, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office. He was placed in the Burke Catawba District Confinement Facility under a $10,000 secured bond. Further arrests are expected.