A Marion man who attempted to stab a church member last June was given at least two years in prison in McDowell County Superior Court.

25-year-old Joshua James Betke was sentenced to 24 to 41 months in prison, with credit for 398 days served.

Betke had been found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

In June 2017, Marion Police were called to East Marion Baptist where church members were holding Betke down after he had tried to stab another church-goer.

Previous reports state Betke had then been staying at the local men’s shelter and came to the church to speak with his case worker from the shelter.

An altercation ensued with Betke attempting to stab the victim with a large knife.

He was later taken into custody under an 18-thousand-dollar bond.

Published reports say Betke has been previously charged in McDowell County with larceny and breaking and entering.

Records show he additionally has a drug offense in Michigan.

The Morganton City Council approved a measure at its Monday night meeting that allocates 120-thousand-dollars for low interest loans to aid in the creation of downtown housing in the central business district.

The Downtown Housing Improvement program establishes guidelines for allowing qualified and vetted applicants to receive a loan of up to 10-thousand dollars per unit.

The loans will be awarded on a first-come first-serve basis, and are designed to assist property owners in acquiring downtown housing.

Once the loan is awarded, the recipient will be required to begin construction within six months.

The loans will assist property owners in making necessary upgrades to structures in order to meet required state and local fire codes.

Catawba County Animal Services has confirmed the eighth case of rabies in the county so far this year.

Tuesday, Animal Services officials responded to a call from a Claremont resident whose dog came into contact with a raccoon.

The raccoon was sent to the state’s public health lab for testing.

Catawba animal services were notified today that the raccoon tested positive for rabies.

The dog was reportedly up to date on its rabies vaccine, but received a booster shortly after the incident.

Signs that an animal may be infected with rabies include loss of appetite, irritability, unusual aggression, and difficulty swallowing.

Rabies is a threat to pets and humans year-round.