COVID-19 UPDATE

Burke County is reporting 1019 cases of Covid-19 on Monday.  According to the

Burke County Health Department, 768 of those cases have recovered.  5 patients

are hospitalized.  Catawba County had 32 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday

bringing the total to 808.  338 patients have recovered in Catawba and 15 are

hospitalized.  In Caldwell County there are now 410 cases of Covid 19.  220

patients have recovered and 14 are hospitalized.  All patients associated with

Sawmills Fire and Rescue has now recovered.  Meanwhile Brockford Inn Assisted

Living had 47 total cases.  32 patients are residents and 15 are staff.  McDowell

County had 15 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday.  The total there is now 218 with

123 out of quarantine.

Fugitive Arrested in Caldwell County

A 33 year old man, wanted by the New York Police Department for a shooting

that occurred in the Bronx on May 15^th of this year, was arrested yesterday in

Caldwell County.  Jacqual Coward was wanted for attempted 2^nd degree murder in

the shooting of his friend.  Additionally, Coward was found to have two 

outstanding warrants for arrest in North Carolina for failure to appear o narcotics

and driving charges that date back to 2009.  Coward was arrested by the Lenoir

Police Department on information from the United States Marshals Service

Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.  He was placed in the Caldwell County Jail

where he was served with the warrants.

2 Correctional Center Inmates Captured

Two Catawba County Correctional Center inmates, who disappeared after 9p.m.

last Thursday, have been captured.  28 year old Nhia Vue and 35 year old Juan

McDonalds were captured without incident around 12:30 p.m. yesterday at the

Baymont by Windham Hotel in Hickory.  Vue, who was serving a 7 year, 9 month

sentence for drug trafficking was scheduled for release in 2025.  McDonalds who

was serving a 3 year 5 month sentence for speeding to elude arrest was

scheduled for release in November of this year.  Both will now face escape

charges.

Valdese Residents Arrested in Catawba 

Two Valdese residents were arrested on drug charges after inoperative tail lights

on their vehicle resulted in a traffic stop on Highway 70 South West in Catawba

County.  31 year old Johnny Allen Wade was charged with possession with intent

to sell or deliver meth, possession of Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 narcotics and

placed in the Catawba County Jail under 22 thousand dollar secure bond.  27 year

old Ashley Dawn Palmer faces the same drug charges, as well as failure to appear

charges and felony probation charges.  She received a 22 thousand dollar secured

bond on the drug charges, and a fifty thousand dollar secured bond on the failure

to appear charges ,as well as a five thousand dollar bond on felony probation

charges.  Deputies seized 11 grams of meth, 6 opiate pills and a small amount of

cash in the traffic stop.

Heroin Seized in Catawba

Catawba County deputies stopped a vehicle on Springs Road Sunday morning for

a revoked registration plate and found heroin.  33 year old John David Swink of

Conover was arrested after he stopped his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. 

Officers found 25.48 grams of heroin, .25 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia

on Swink and in his vehicle.  He was charged with felony drug charges as well as

fleeing to elude of arrest and felony probation violation.  He was placed in jail

under a one hundred fifty thousand dollar secured bond.

Allison Arrest

A Marion man observed by authorities behind a business in pre-dawn hours earlier this month faces drug charges.

Officers were reportedly patrolling US 70 East and noticed someone behind JB Galaxy’s on East Court Street just before 2 am on June 8^th .

The man was identified as 47-year-old Jerry Dean Allison of Ridge Street.

A search of Allison revealed drug paraphernalia and 2 grams of meth.