Some Morganton city residents will have an interruption to their water services Wednesday. Water Resources plans to shut off water at 10pm Wednesday to repair a faulty valve. One lane of North Green and NC 181 will be closed beginning at 1pm Wednesday in preparation. The shut-off will affect North Green from Independence Boulevard to the upper St.Mary's Church Road intersection at 181. Businesses and residences in these areas should expect to be without water for an estimated six hours. For more information contact the city's water resources department at 438-5276.

Eastern Burke County will be welcoming a new industry and creating more than 150 jobs. Zrodelta, maker and distributor of ammunition and firearms will open a company headquarters in Rutherford College. The new business will create 151 jobs and invest $34 million dollars over the next five years. The company will locate in the former BSN building adjacent to I-40 at Exit 113, and will begin establishing operations in February. A news release from Burke Development states an announcement was made last month that the company will receive a $500,000 building re-use grant to renovate and up-fit the building to meet their specific needs. The project is also supported by local grants from Burke County and the Town of Rutherford College - providing additional assistance for building and grounds renovations.

A Fleetwood NC man has been charged in connection with the kidnapping of a Valdese man. Robert Leroy Littleton, 31, has been charged with being a fugitive from justice, and first-degree kidnapping. Last Friday, the Burke Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division was contacted by Valdese police regarding the abduction of Carlton Lamar Edmondson, 30, whose parents told officers they had received anonymous phone calls stating their son had been kidnapped - further demanding money for his return. Burke detectives and SBI began following leads in the case that took them to Boone and Johnson City. Investigations led them to Littleton as a suspect - he was located in Mountain City and was arrested for Edmondson's kidnapping. Officials learned that Edmondson was taken to a remote location in Tennessee, assaulted and abandoned. Edmondson has not been located. The Johnson County Sheriff's Department continues to work the case as a missing person incident. Edmondson is a black male, 5'9", weighing about 250 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is asked to contact the Burke County Sheriff's Office at 438-5500. Additional arrests and charges are pending.