W. A. Young Elementary School Principal Christie McMahon has been named 2018 Burke County Public School’s Principal of the Year.

McMahon is in her second year as principal at W. A. Young and has served previously as assistant principal at Salem, Forest Hill, and Drexel Elementary Schools and Liberty Middle School.

McMahon is now eligible for Region 7 District Principal of the Year.

A Valdese man is charged after allegedly holding a female at gunpoint last month.

A news release from the Burke Sheriff’s Office states 47-year-old Ronald Ray Stroup of 4099 Kings Mill Road had been using methamphetamines for a few days according to his victim.

She further told deputies Stroup wanted to go to Valdese Hospital for an unknown reason when the incident occurred as she was being held against her will.

The release says while on the way to the hospital, Stroup stopped his vehicle near a church on Main Street in Valdese allowing her to exit the car.

On September 25^th, Stroup was arrested for violation of a domestic violence protection order and given a 25-thousand dollar secured bond.

Burke’s Criminal Investigation Division later issued a warrant on Stroup for felonious restraint.

The warrant was served Monday October 15^th while he remained in custody on the initial charges.

Stroup was issued an additional 25-thousand dollar secured bond.

A McDowell High School student has been charged with possession of marijuana on school grounds.

Deputies with the McDowell Sheriff’s Office used a K-9 to conduct a drug sniff of random vehicles in the school’s parking lot.

The K-9 alerted to a vehicle that was being driven by the 17-year-old student who was charged.

Officers reportedly found more than 11 grams of marijuana inside the vehicle’s trunk.

No injuries were reported from an early Wednesday morning townhouse fire in Hickory.

Just after 4:30, Hickory firefighters responded to 2705 North Center Street at the Westminster Park Townhomes.

Authorities evacuated the complex in order to safely locate the origin of the fire.

Fire investigators determined the blaze started in the upstairs bathroom and was caused by a lamp which had been placed too close to a curtain.

Catawba EMS and Hickory Police assisted on the scene.