Mask Policy

The Burke County Board of Education has voted to change its COVID-19 mask policy for students and staff to optional.

At Monday night’s regular meeting, school board members voted in favor of the policy change 5 to 2.

School board chairman Buddy Armour and member Don Hemstreet voted to keep masks mandatory.

The optional change took effect at the beginning of the school day Tuesday; however, masks remain mandatory on school buses because of a federal requirement.

Masks had been mandatory since the beginning of the school year in August.

Ulta Robbed

A man is arrested following a police chase that reportedly began with a robbery at the Morganton Heights shopping center.

On Sunday, Morganton Public Safety charged Jeffrey Barrett with felonious larceny after he allegedly took nearly 7-thousand dollars worth of perfume from the Ulta beauty store.

Reports say officers are still looking for the get-away driver, but they recovered the stolen goods.

Authorities report this is the second incident of theft at the Ulta store in the last month.

Meth Possession

An investigation into possible drug activity leads to the arrest of a Morganton man.

A news release from the Burke Sheriff’s Office says detectives along with Burke DSS officials were called to look into poor living conditions and possible drugs at 1186 McClean Street on November 10th.

Reports show officers made contact with 35-year-old Michael Travis Clark who resides at the residence.

Authorities reportedly located and seized methamphetamine from the home.

Clark was charged with felony possession of meth and held at the Burke County jail under a 5-thousand dollar secured bond.

Marion Man Indicted

A Marion man is indicted on a cruelty to animals charge after investigators say he struck and killed a man’s pet with his vehicle in June.

A McDowell County Grand Jury has indicted 54-year-old Wayne Gilbert Lassiter on one count each of cruelty to animals and habitual felon.

The habitual felon indictment indicates Lassiter has been convicted of multiple robbery and breaking and entering charges dating back to 1996.

Previous reports reveal that William Owensby on June 1^st was walking his dog Polly along his property on US 70 West near Pleasant Gardens.

Reports say Lassiter traveled left of center, running off the roadway, hitting a mailbox and landscaping rocks before colliding with the dog.

Lassiter told officials he must have fallen asleep.

The Highway Patrol charged Lassiter with driving while impaired and Careless and reckless driving.

Days after the incident, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged him with cruelty to animals.