The City of Morganton has issued a press release announcing the resignation of Comma Director Jim Smith effective immediately.

Smith has held the position of Comma’s Director since 2016.

City officials will now begin a search for Smith’s replacement.

The release further states the city thanks Smith for his service and for the past three years of success at Comma.

A Salisbury man was rescued from a fiery tractor trailer crash on Interstate-40 in McDowell County Tuesday morning.

Reports from the state highway patrol say 39-year-old Richard Justin Wayne was traveling west between Marion and Old Fort driving an 18-wheeler hauling mulch.

Wayne reportedly veered into the left lane and struck the guardrail causing his rig to overturn and catch on fire.

A pair of witnesses to the accident, Tony Roten of North Wilkesboro, and Brad Bost of Hickory both rushed to the cab of the truck, broke the windshield, and pulled Wayne from the burning vehicle.

State troopers credit the two with saving the trucker’s life.

Reports indicate the impact caused the cab and trailer to separate taking out a sizable portion of the median.

Officials say Wayne was transported to Mission Hospital McDowell with non-life threatening injuries.

A Mecklenburg County Court ruling led to the confiscation of gaming devices in Catawba County.

The ruling signed April 26^th partially rejected a request from gaming company Fun Arcade for a preliminary injunction.

The ruling notes some of the games are essentially slot machines and fall under the state’s gambling laws.

The ruling further allows lawmen to remove some games from public places.

Hickory Police reports say just a few blocks from the police headquarters, officers were busy photographing and confiscating skill games at the Lucky Stop convenience store on First Avenue Southwest.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

An Alexander County man is arrested on 20 counts of statutory sex offense with a child and taking indecent liberties with a child.

44-year-old Robert Boyd Fox of Hiddenite was arrested last Friday on the felony charges.

His bond was set at 1-million dollars with additional charges possible.