COVID-19 Update 

Burke County Public Health reported 276 active cases of COVID-19 on

Monday, with a total of 9-thousand-655 cases since the panademic began.

Three Burke residents are in the hospital.

McDowell County saw an increase of 7 cases of coronavirus, yesterday, for

a total of 4-thousand-858, with 45 McDowell residents in quarantine.

Caldwell County reported 20 new cases of the virus for a current total of

8-thousand-895, with 15 patients hospitalized.

Catawba County saw 38 additional cases of COVID-19 for a new total of

17-thousand-606, with 18 people in the hospital.

Hospice Grant

Burke Hospice & Palliative Care recently received a grant from the J.Alex

and Vivian G.Mull Foundation. The grant of $2,200 purchased bathing

equipment for the organization’s inpatient unit. The funds were used to

buy two shower chairs and materials for the unit.

McDowell Arrests 

A Burnsville man is charged with possession of methamphetamine in

McDowell County. About 11 p.m.March 7^th, a McDowell deputy was

patrolling on U.S.70 West and stopped a vehicle for reported traffic

violations. The driver, 50-year-old Wesley James Presnell, was wanted in

Caldwell County. Deputies, while taking Presnell into custody for the

outstanding warrant, located meth in his possession.

Also in McDowell County, a deputy about 9 p.m.on March 18^th, was in the

area of Nix Creek and Zion Hill roads and saw a motorcycle that he had stopped

the day before. The operator, 31-year-old Joshua Kyle Sluder of Lake Lure,

led the deputy on a pursuit, before stopping at a residence on Timberwolf

Lane and was taken into custody on various driving charges.

DOT Roadway Work  

DOT closed a section of a Catawba County road, yesterday, for a weeklong

maintenance project. A section of the 21^st Street Drive Southeast Extension

between U.S.70 and Startown Road closed, and is scheduled to reopen on

March 29^th. Crews will be filling a grassy area at the center of the roundabout

with concrete, weather permitting. Traffic will be detoured to Startown

Road and U.S.70 and motorists should expect some delay.

Vale Arrest  

A Vale man was arrested on Sunday for a True Bill of Indictment

handed down by a Lincoln County Grand Jury on March 15^th.

54-year-old Michael Anthony Rednour of Howard’s Creek Mill Road

was taken into custody by Lincoln deputies without incident. The

BOI involves charges of trafficking in meth, possession with intent to

sell and deliver meth and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of

sell, store and manufacture meth. Bond was set at $150,000 secured

with a court appearance scheduled for March 30^th.