A Morganton man, missing for almost week after a vehicle chase, is found deceased over the weekend.

32-year-old Douglas Allen Cox of Dysartsville Road, was in a vehicle chase with the McDowell County Sheriff's Office last Monday, that ended at Powerhouse Road and Conley Bumgarner Road in Burke County. Cox jumped from the vehicle and ran towards the river but was not located.

On Saturday about 2 p.m., Cox's body was found in the Catawba River near where he was believed to have entered the river.

The Medical Examiner's opinion was that Cox died of accidental drowning.

Agencies involved in the case include the Burke County Sheriff's Office, Burke Emergency Management and Rescue Squad, the McDowell County Sheriff's Office and the State Highway Patrol.

Local lawmen find drugs while looking for a cellphone that’s believed to hold evidence in another case.

A news release from Drexel Police states 35-year-old Todd Alan Setzer is charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a schedule two controlled substance, felony possession of meth, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers reportedly executed a search warrant Thursday night in attempts to locate a cellphone believed to hold information about a breaking entering and larceny case.

The release states officials located 23 grams of meth, nearly 2-thousand dollars in cash and drug paraphernalia.

The cellphone is question was discovered as well.

Setzer’s bond was set at 50-thousand dollars secured.

His first court appearance was earlier today.

Valdese Police and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division assisted in the search.

A gas line malfunction appears to be the culprit in a reported fire Wednesday at District Attorney Scott Reilly’s home in Conover.

Reilly told fire investigators his wife was cooking when a fire ignited behind the stove around 6:30 Wednesday evening.

A second and larger fire started in the home’s basement along a gas line.

No one was injured in the incident.

Officials with the Catawba County Fire Marshal’s Office say the fire is still under investigation, and there is no evidence of criminal involvement.

The fire marshal is being assisted with the investigation by the SBI and the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

A Lenoir woman charged with driving the getaway car in a Hickory robbery last week could face up to 11 years in prison.

That comment coming from Judge Mark Killian during Catawba County District Court Tuesday.

39-year-old Rebecca Lynn Miller is charged with felony flee to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, felony conspiracy robbery with a dangerous weapon, and resisting a public officer.

According to reports, Miller’s passenger, 35-year-old Bryan O’Neil Jensen of Blowing Rock entered the CVS pharmacy on NC 127 South, displayed a gun, and demanded medication last Friday.

With Miller at the wheel, reports say Jensen made off with nearly 36-thousand dollars worth of oxycotin, oxycodone, amphetamine salts, and morphine.

The pair led officers in a pursuit that ended whenever Miller wrecked inside Cleveland County.

Jensen reportedly fled on foot into a wooded area where officers later discovered him deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Miller was issued a 250-thousand dollar secured bond with her next court date set for February 12^th.

Officers in Hickory searching for a wanted subject, arrest a man on drug possession charges.

22-year-old Charlie Ray Hilton of Hickory is charged with one felony count of possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana and one misdemeanor count of drug paraphernalia – that according to Hickory Police reports.

Lawmen were reported searching a home on Third Street Southwest for the wanted person whenever they smelled marijuana.

Reports say officers seized more than 117 grams of marijuana and one dose of hydrocodone.

Hilton was issued a 5-thousand dollar unsecured bond.

The wanted subject remains at large.

Two people were arrested Tuesday following a shooting incident in Forest City.

24-year-old Dustin Scott Sisk and 35-year-old Brandy Nicole Wilson face multiple charges after deputies located a man who had been shot at 127 Jacobs Lane.

25-year-old William Hunter Huskey was reportedly airlifted to Spartanburg Regional for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Witnesses observed the suspects running from the scene.

Rutherford County deputies were able to stop a vehicle with Sisk and Wilson inside shortly after the incident.

Sisk was charged with a weapon of mass destruction and possession of a firearm by a felon.

He was issued a 25-thousand dollar secured bond.

Wilson was arrested by state probation and parole officers for a felony probation violation.

She received a 30-thousand dollar secured bond.

The incident remains under investigation.

A convicted felon flees from deputies in McDowell County and attempts to rid herself of a firearm.

30-year-old Kasey Elaine Grindstaff of Caraway Drive in Marion was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting a public officer.

Shortly after 5 Thursday afternoon, an officer stopped a vehicle in Old Fort for not having a license plate.

While the officer was speaking with the car’s driver, the passenger identified as Grindstaff fled on foot.

Reports say a short chase ensued, while the suspect threw her purse down and a revolver fell out.

A search of the purse turned up a second gun.

Grindstaff was taken into custody.

Two Lenoir residents face charges from separate drug busts this week in Caldwell County.

59-year-old Dennis Blaine Robinson of 1239 Old North Road is charged with one count of felony trafficking in meth by possession and one felony count maintaining a dwelling to keep and store a controlled substance.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old Angela Dawn Walsh of 2465 Collettsville Road is charged with one count of felony trafficking in methamphetamine.

Narcotic agents with the Caldwell Sheriff’s Office, Lenoir Police, and the Caldwell SWAT team executed drug search warrants at both residences after conducting undercover meth purchases from the suspects’ homes.

Officers located some 383 grams of meth, scales, firearms, one ounce of high grade marijuana, and 3-thousand dollars in cash at the Robinson residence.

He was jailed under a 25-thousand dollar secured bond with a January 23^rd court date.

A search of Walsh’s residence turned up more than an ounce of meth, scales, and a small amount of marijuana.

She was arrested and issued a 75-hundred dollar secured bond with a court date set for January 22^nd.

Residents in six counties, including McDowell and Rutherford, swindled out of millions of dollars by a husband and wife home builder team.

50-year-old Del Jon Bristol Junior and 46-year-old Serena Stamm Bristol of Marion have each been charged with one count of embezzlement and five counts of exploiting the elderly.

The couple owns World Outdoor Log Homes which they operated out of their residence on Pepperwood Drive.

A news release states reports have been pouring in from western NC victims that had contracted with the Bristols to build homes for them.

The couple reportedly took hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time from most of the victims – either from them personally or from their construction loans – for down payments, purchasing of materials and paying subcontractors, but the money wasn’t used for that and remains unaccounted for.

At least 20 victims report being scammed for well over 2-million dollars.

Reports with the McDowell Sheriff’s Office say the Bristols left town abruptly earlier this month.

Investigators tracked them to a condo on Lake Norman last week where they were taken into custody.

They are now in the McDowell County jail under 700-thousand dollar bonds each.

Additional charges are forthcoming.

The investigation continues.

Attorney General Josh Stein announced Wednesday that he does not object to HCA's acquisition of Mission Health System's assets.

According to a news release from NCDOJ, HCA has strengthened its commitments to provide healthcare services, the Dogwood Health Trust has agreed to make its board more representative of the communities it will serve, and the parties have agreed to enforcement measures that will ensure compliance with this agreement.

A agreement was reached last year for Nashville-based HCA Healthcare to acquire Mission Health for about $1.5 billion. Mission operates six hospitals in WNC including Marion and Spruce Pine.

A second person has been charged in connection with the theft of lawn equipment from a Lincoln County business earlier this month.

28-year-old Christopher Brian Bell of Dallas NC is now charged with two felony counts of breaking and entering, larceny, conspiracy, and possession of stolen goods.

More than 9-thousand dollars worth of landscaping equipment was reportedly taken from a lawn care business on Prince Drive while the owner was away on vacation.

Most of the stolen property has been recovered.

A former employee at the business, 27-year-old Dustin Lee Mullinax of High Shoals was arrested on January 6^th on the same charges and jailed under a 50-thousand dollar bond.

Deputies are still attempting to locate Bell.

The investigation continues.

An upcoming holiday reminder – Morganton City Hall is closed Monday January 21^st in observance of Martin Luther King Junior Day.

The Collett Street Recreation Center and Mountain View Community Center are also closed, but the Aquatic Center is open and operating on a normal schedule.

Morganton City garbage will not be collected Monday, and will operate on a one-day delay for the remainder of the week.

Morganton Public Safety firefighters responded to a residential fire Sunday morning at 304 Roper Street.

First arriving units reported heavy fire and smoke from the residence. All occupants and the family dog were out of the structure upon arrival of fire crews.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The American Red Cross responded to assist the occupants of the home with clothing and lodging.

A Lincoln County man was arrested Thursday following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.

Deputies responded after the woman sought help. 49-year-old Robert Lee Waldroup of Vale statrted an argument when she came home.

She told deputies that Waldroup struck her a number of times and attempted to choker her. He allegedly pointed a pistol at her and discharged the gun into the wall of the living room.

Waldroup was placed in custody under a secured bond of $200,000, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. 

NC Health officials report 16 people have died from the flu throughout the state so far in the 2018-19 season; with three additional deaths than the previous week.

Experts are saying the flu is currently widespread across the Southeast, including NC, but peak flu activity has not been reached yet.

It was January when the number of flu deaths began to soar in 2018.

At the end of last flu season, NC charted 391 flu deaths.- that’s the highest number since the state began tracking adult flu deaths in 2009.

Officials still encourage people to get their flu vaccine before the peak arrives.

They report it takes about two weeks for the flu vaccine to truly take effect.

A Morganton man is arrested for exposing himself on separate occasions at a local business.

20-year-old Cameron Allen Johnson of 2908 Jeeter Carswell Road was charged with felony indecent exposure.

Public Safety reports say Johnson allegedly exposed himself to a pair of young girls on different days last fall while at the Dollar Tree on Morganton Heights Boulevard – on September 29^th and again October 11^th.

Authorities had reviewed video surveillance of the suspect and additional photos of the suspect provided by a parent of a victim.

Wednesday, one of the two victims recognized the suspect standing behind her at WalMart.

Johnson was then taken into custody and placed in the Burke Catawba Confinement Facility under a 20-thousand dollar secured bond.

His court date is set for today.

A Lenoir woman is sentenced to at least six years in prison for larceny convictions.

60-year-old Sharon Denise Logan was convicted for larceny by defeating an anti-theft device, habitual larceny, and admission of her habitual felon status during Burke Superior Court Wednesday.

Reports with Morganton Public Safety say Logan was identified by store security for stealing three women’s handbags from a Burke County business on April 20^th 2016.

Surveillance showed her removing the anti-theft devices from the bags before leaving the store.

Logan’s habitual larceny charge is a result of multiple convictions in Burke and Caldwell Counties.

Her prison sentence was enhanced by Logan’s habitual felon status – including Caldwell convictions for felony larceny in 1998, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine in 1995, and obtaining property by false pretense in 1987.

A Maiden man faces up to 30 years in prison for a child sexual assault case reported last September.

29-year-old Douglas Glenn Queen Junior appeared in court on charges of first-degree statutory sex offense, indecent liberties with a child, and felony child abuse.

Queen entered a plea of guilty to all charges.

Records state the victim in the case is related to Queen.

A permanent no contact order has been put into place preventing Queen from ever having contact with the victim. 

The SBI is investigating a deputy-involved shooting in Rutherford County that occurred Wednesday night.

The officer was sent to check out a suspicious vehicle between Lake Lure and Union Mills.

Reports say the officer was checking for warrants on the occupants inside the vehicle, when he discovered one of the passengers - 31-year-old Paul Michael Wrenn had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.

Wrenn reportedly fled the scene, and as the officer caught up with him; Wrenn hit the deputy in the head repeatedly with a flashlight and attempted to take his taser.

During the assault, the officer shot Wrenn in the arm and was then able to summon help.

Both Wrenn and the deputy wee taken to Rutherford Regional Hospital and later released.

Wrenn was then arrested and charged with assault on a law enforcement officer causing physical injury, and resisting a public officer.

He is currently being held on a 500-thousand dollar bond.

Wrenn’s next court date is January 23^rd.

A Denver North Carolina man was injured in a Friday evening shooting at a residence in the Brendletown community.

A release from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office states 25-year-old Jeremy Nathaniel Smith suffered two gunshot wounds to the back at 2710 Mill Race Road.

Reports say Smith was transported to CHS Morganton for treatment.

No word on his current condition; nor suspect information.

The Burke Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate.

A break-in suspect fires a shot at a witness while at a McDowell County convenience store.

Reports say 37-year-old Joshua Adam Taylor of Marion was observed attempting to break into a vehicle at Samir’s on Sugar Hill Road.

The witness, 20-year-old Shawn Brown of Marion, confronted Taylor.

Taylor reportedly drew a gun and fired a shot at Brown before he fled the scene.

No one was injured, and further investigation revealed the weapon was a flare gun.

Taylor was taken into custody a short time later and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, breaking and entering a motor vehicle and injury to personal property.

Marion Police assisted in the search for Taylor.

A 2-point-2 earthquake occurred Monday morning just before 12:30 around three miles north-northwest of Canton.

This is just the most recent quake to impact western NC –

On December 12^th a 4-point-4 earthquake hit Decatur Tennessee about 180-miles from Asheville.

There were no reported injuries in either incident.

Two Old Fort men are being sought by McDowell County authorities as possible witnesses to a shooting.

29-year-old Dustin Bryan Smith and 36-year-old Brandon Lee Wilson are wanted for questioning regarding the shooting of 17-year-old Gabryiel Byrd of Marion on Wednesday.

Byrd was reportedly shot in the hand while at Smith’s and Wilson’s residence on Silvers Welch Road.

Byrd was treated at Mission Hospital McDowell.

Circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Smith and/or Wilson should contact the McDowell Sheriff’s Office at 652-2235.

Offender David Burleson died Saturday afternoon at Scotland Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide.

According to a news release from the State Department of Public Safety, Burleson was found unresponsive in his cell just after 12 Noon. Prison and medical staff along with local paramedics responded, but he was pronounced dead at 12:42 p.m.

Burleson was admitted to prison on June 21st as a habitual felon from a series of charges in Burke County. His projected release date was June 27, 2025.

The Scotland County Sheriff's Office was called in to assist with the investigation.

A Lenoir man faces charges in connection with a car wash break-in.

Lenoir Police officers responded Thursday night to a call of larceny at Bonnie Mist Car Wash #4 on Harper Avenue just after 8:40. Officers found damage to vacuum cleaners and a credit card scanner had been ripped off the wall. On Friday morning at 1:09, a Lenoir officer spotted someone near the vacuum cleaners that matched a description of the suspect, who officers had seen on video surveillance.

29-year-old Noah Daniel Pace was taken into custody and charged with felony counts of attempted breaking and entering and possession of burglar tools and a misdemeanor charge of breaking into a coin operated machine.

Bond was set at $5,000 secured and more charges may be forthcoming.

A woman was killed while her young son sustained injuries in a single-vehicle accident in Lincoln County Thursday morning.

A state Highway Patrol report states 29-year-old Heather Jade Hodge was traveling east on NC 182 when she apparently left the roadway, hit a culvert, and struck a tree.

Reports say she died at the scene.

Hodge was reportedly not wearing a seat belt.

Her 4-year-old son was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

According to the highway patrol report, he was restrained by a seat belt, but was not in a child restraint.

A pair of men from Georgia has been arrested at a Hickory motel on drug charges.

According to reports, 49-year-old Jeffery Ben Pavkovich was arrested at the Days Inn on 13^th Avenue Drive and charged with one felony count each of trafficking meth and maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for a controlled substance.

He was issued a 750-thousand dollar secured bond.

Hickory Police reports say 45-year-old Christopher Lee Broome was also arrested and charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.

Broome was given a 25-thousand dollar secured bond.

Both were reportedly found with a total of 377-grams of meth.

A traffic stop in McDowell County leads to a drug bust and theft ring arrests.

Investigating reports of a reckless driver on Sugar Hill Road, officers spotted the pickup truck matching reports at a nearby convenience store.

Deputies seized 1-point-2 grams of marijuana and a couple of guns.

22-year-old David Lee Carver, 36-year-old Brandon Kyle Brown and 43-year-old Rebecca Jean Buckner all three of Old Fort were issued citations for the drugs and released.

A news release says the pickup they were in was loaded with tools, but officers had no proof at the time that they were stolen.

That evening, the truck was again stopped for traffic violations by Old Fort Police who located 4-point-63 ounces of marijuana and a stolen shotgun.

The three suspects were then jailed on felony drug and weapons charges.

The following day, McDowell officers responded to a residential assault call where they discovered property that had been reported stolen during a three-month break-in spree in Old Fort.

An investigation led them back to the already-jailed suspects Carver, Brown, and Buckner.

Also arrested was 32-year-old Bradley Jordan Lowery of Marion for larceny and breaking and entering.

The four are charged with stealing more than 74-thousand-dollars worth of items from residents.

Some of the stolen property has been recovered.

Additional charges are pending.

An Alexander County man is issued a string of charges after attempting to elude officers Monday.

Reports say 45-year-old Steven Wayne Fidler was charged with fleeing or eluding arrest in a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, failure to heed lights or siren, driving while impaired, parole violation, and driving while license revoked.

Officers were reportedly responding to a suspicious vehicle call whenever Fidler refused to stop for police.

A pursuit took officers to Fidler’s home, where the suspect refused officer commands causing police to deploy a taser on him in order to take him into custody.

Fidler was placed under a 25-thousand dollar secured bond; with a first court appearance for January 7^th.