Today is Election Day with polls open until 7:30pm. Early voting totals included Burke County 26,026, McDowell County 12,667, Catawba County 48,766 and Caldwell County 25,570. The Big Dawg 92.1 and AM 1430 WMNC will provide election return updates after the polls close.

Because of increased fire risk, the N.C.Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and canceled burning permits for the following WNC counties, Alexander, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey. The burning ban will be in effect until further notice. Under NC law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was issued.

Due to an extremely high risk of wildfire, 14 state parks in WNC have placed temporary bans on campfires, according to NC State Parks. Wildfires of less than 100 acres have erupted at Chimney Rock State Park and South Mountains State Park. Backcountry trails and campsites at South Mountains have been closed. Campfire bans are in effect at Chimney Rock, Crowders Mountain, Elk Knob, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain, Hanging Rock, Lake James, Lake Norman, Mount Mitchell, Morrow Mountain, New River(including Mount Jefferson State Natural Area), Pilot Mountain, South Mountains and Stone Mountain State Parks. Cooking fires using propane and other approved camp stove fuels are allowed in designated areas. Check the park page at www.ncparks.gov for fire restrictions that may be in place.

Morganton's new Development & Design Director was introduced and council approved a motion to adopt an ordinance to permanently close undeveloped streets in Monday night's regular Morganton City Council meeting. A public hearing was held to consider an ordinance that would permanently close and abandon unopened portions of Murphy Street, McEntire Avenue and an un-named street between Murphy Street and Carbondale Lane. The public hearing was a result of a petition from soneone who owns a number of lots near and mostly between the Murphy Street and McEntire Avenue intersection and Carbondale Lane. No one spoke during the public hearing and the ordinance was adopted to close the unopened portions of these streets unanimously. Phillip Lookadoo, the new Development & Design Director for the City of Morganton, was introduced to council before a resolution was passed to appoint Lookadoo as the Review Officer for Planning and Zoning as it is a statutory requirement. Council approved 5 items on the consent agenda. Some of those items include gutter installation for fire stations #1 and #3 and Catawba Meadows Maintenance Building, and landscape agreements with NCDOT for I-40 exit 104/Enola Road and exit 105/Sterling Street. The agreement will ensure the I-40 exits and entrances into town are maintained to the city's standards.

Around 26,000 people cast ballots in Burke County during the early voting period, which ended Saturday, according to the Burke County Board of Elections. More than 3 million voters had cast ballots in North Carolina through early Saturday afternoon, according to the State Board of Elections. That represents a 13.4 increase over the entire 2012 early voting period. Election Day is tomorrow with polls open at 6:30am and closing at 7:30pm.

Morganton Public Safety responded Thursday afternoon to the old Morganton Railroad Depot, where 56-year-old Leigh Singley of Morganton had been struck by an eastbound Norfolk Southern train. Singley was listed in critical condition at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Morganton Public Safety Officers and Norfolk Southern Police continue to investigate, according to a news release from Public Safety.

A 25-year-old Connelly Springs woman was sentenced to spend at least 6 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child abuse inflicting serious injury. In Burke County Superior Court Thursday, Brittany Nichole Hefner pleaded guilty to charges related to injuries discovered on one of her 3-month-old children found during an investigation into the death of the child's twin brother. 21-year-old Nicholas Brandon Clark, the father of both children, has pending charges for murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious injury in the death of his son.

The regular Burke County Board of Education work session has been amended to a special called meeting for 3 specific actions tonight at 6 o'clock at the West Concord Resource Center in Morganton. Action will be taken.

2430 people in Burke County cast ballots Friday, on the final full day of early voting. Totals of 24,142 include 8356 Democrats, 9404 Republicans, 6303 Unaffiliated and 79 Libertarian. Voting today concludes at 1pm. Election Day is Tuesday with polls open from 6:30am till 7:30pm.

A Morganton man was sentenced to serve 5-7 years in prison on Tuesday. 36-year-old Brandon Lail pleaded guilty to felony larceny, possession of stolen goods and admitted his status as an habitual felon. In May, the victim reported that his motor vehicle had been broken into and his golf clubs had been stolen. The clubs were located by officers at Hickory Pawn and Gun and identified by the owner as those stolen from the vehicle. The pawn ticket provided information that Lail had pawned the clubs the same day they were reported stolen. Video surveillance showed the defendant pawning the clubs. Lail's sentence was enhanced by his habitual felon status that includes prior felony convictions for financial transaction card theft in Cleveland County in 2009 and obtaining property by false pretense in Burke County in 2012 and 2015.

Three suspects connected with the death of a Hickory woman made their first court appearances in Catawba County Thursday. 49-year-old Tina Louise Swink of Taylorsville and 33-year-old Micky Lee Swink of Hickory were both arrested and charged with murder - related to the death of 66-year-old Patricia Diane Swink of Hickory. 39-year-old Richard Deal of Hildebran has also been charged with accessory after the fact. Hickory Police made the arrests after hours of investigation and numerous interviews following the incident.

The September unemployment rate in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton area was 4.7%. Area county rates include Alexander at 4.1%, Avery 4.4, Burke 4.8, Caldwell 5%, Catawba 4.6, McDowell 4.3 and Watauga at 3.9%. Scotland County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 8.5%, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.6%. Rocky Mount had the highest metro area rate at 7% with Asheville the lowest at 4.8%.

A Morganton woman and her 2 sons were arrested Monday, during a traffic stop. Officers with the Burke County Sheriff's office attempted to serve warrants on Sabrina Starnes and Mikall Piercy at their residence, 4091 Snowhill Church Road, on Monday. After finding no one at home, officers left, but recognized Starnes' vehicle travelong on Kathy Road and made a vehicle stop. In the car with Starnes were her 2 sons, Dillon Frye and Mikall Piercy. During the stop, officers seized a stolen shotgun from the vehicle. Frye was taken into custody for probation violation and was ordered held without bond. Starnes and Piercy were taken into custody for outstanding felony warrants. Starnes was given a $40,000 secured bond and Piercy a $20,000 secured bond. All 3 people were confined at Burke-Catawba District Confinement Facility.

Hickory Police investigating a homicide. 66-year-old Patricia Diane Swink of 9th Avenue NE was discovered by police Monday night - deceased inside her Hickory residence. Reports show Swink's vehicle had been stolen from the crime scene, but has since been recovered by officials. A press release states Hickory Police are still investigating the incident as a homidide, and it is believed that the suspect was known by Swink. Anyone with information is urged to contact Hickory Police at 828-324-2060.

1584 people cast ballots Wednesday, as early voting continued at the five Burke County locations. 20,039 people have now voted in Burke County, with early voting continuing today till 5pm, Friday from 8am-5pm and Saturday 8am-1pm.

A student at Hudson Elementary, who has not attended school this week, has been diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis. Contact with someone with pneumococcal meningitis , presents no particular risk. The school has followed all procedures and guidelines provided by the Caldwell County Health Department, according to a news release from Caldwell County Schools.
Symptoms may include:
* Sudden onset of fever
* Severe headache
* Stiff Neck
* Nausea or vomiting
Parents are encouraged to contact their family physician if their child exhibits any of these symptoms.

Captain D.Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department was promoted to Deputy Chief of Police on Tuesday. A 19-year-veteran of the Hickory Police Department, Baer began his career with the department in 1997 and has held supervisory roles in Special Investigations, Charles P.A.C.T. and Support Services. In 2010, Deputy Chief Baer was promoted to Division Commander of Support Services and Division Commander of Criminal Investigations in 2012. He is also responsible for the addition of the Code Enforcement Unit to the Police Department. A formal promotional ceremony will be held for Deputy Chief of Police Baer on Friday November 11th at 4pm in the multi-purpose training room at the Hickory Police Department.

A residential search leads to the arrest of a Nebo couple. 25-year-old Nicholas Cody Walker has been charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia, following a search conducted by McDowell deputies and Probation officers. Authorities also charged 52-year-old Karen Ringgold with possession of drug paraphernalia. Both Walker and Ringgold were reportedly on probation and were therefore subject to warrantless searches. Reports say a half gram and other drug use items were discovered in the search.

A Taylorsville mans was sentenced Tuesday in Catawba County Superior Court. 46-year-old James Maurice Wilson was given an active prison term of 77 to 105 months by the Honorable Kevin M. Bridges, Superior Court Judge from Stanley County, following his guilty plea for habitual larceny and his admission to being an habitual felon. Michael Rollins investigated the case for the Hickory Police Department. David Learner and Kyle Smith handled prosecution for the 25th District Attorney's Office.

Hickory City Council met Tuesday night. Two Presentations were heard including a presentation on Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and a Proclamation presented to Hendrick Honda Heroes after workers assisted a driver during high water some time ago. A four-item consent agenda passed 7-0. One departmental report detailed a recent bus tour to Rock Hill, to look at economic development, what works and what doesn't.

1604 people cast ballots Tuesday, at the five Burke County early voting locations. That brings the early voting total in Burke County to 18,402. Early voting continues through 1pm Saturday.

The McDowell County Sheriff's Office is looking for a missing Marion woman. 38-year-old Lucretia Gayle Haynes of Green Street Loop was last seen on Wednesday. She is described as a white female, 5' 5'' tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with long brown hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses. Haynes could be driving a silver 4-door 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt with NC tag DMX-8076. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Haynes should contact the McDowell County Sheriff's Office at 652-2235 or the McDowell County 911 communications center at 652-4000.

2075 people voted Friday in Burke County early voting and another 1624 cast ballots Monday at the five early voting sites. That brings the total to 16,688 with early voting continuing through Saturday. The total includes 6548 Republican voters, 5,944 Democratics, 4,151 Unaffiliated and 45 Libertarian.

Walter Johnson Middle School Principal Dr.Brett Wilson has been named the 2016-2017 Principal of the Year. Burke County Public Schools Superintendent Larry Putnam announced Wilson as the Principal of the Year at the school on Tuesday. Putnam treated Wilson to lunch and the two returned to WJMS to find the entire student body outside in the front lawn waiting to congratulate Wilson wit the announcement. Having come from Hildebran Elementary late last year, Wilson is in his first year at Walter Johnson Middle. He is a former math teacher and has been in education since 2003. Wilson came to Burke County Public Schools in 2008 as a teacher before becoming an assistant principal. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from N.C.State as well as a master's of school administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from WCU. Wilson resides in Valdese with his wife and three children.

Working through the City of Morganton, the Historic Burke Foundation has been awarded a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $11,100 to repair the cedar shingle roof on the McDowell House at Quaker Meadows Plantation. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and is a designated local landmark. The Historic Burke Foundation, Inc. will provide $3,514 in matching funds for the project.

A Caldwell County man is charged with Misdemeanor Larceny Political Sign Violation. According to a news release from the Burke County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to Rutherford College Town Wednesday, in reference to a larceny of a political sign. Witnessess told the Sheriff's office that saw a male subject take and drive away with a Donald Trump for President Election political sign from the roadway at the Rutherford College Early Election Poll Site. After an investigation, a deputy was able to obtain a warrant for arrest for 21-year-old Caleb Thomas Eanes of Lenoir, who was taken into custody Saturday, without incident.