A Hickory man faces multiple charges from a burglary investigation. The Iredell

County Sheriff's Office received an assault call early Thursday morning. The victim

had driven to Sheetz on Wilkesboro Highway, and had serious injuries to his head

and face. He was later taken to Baptist Hospital due to the head injuries.

Investigators obtained warrants on 22-year-old Lucas Bryan Colbourn of 153 18^th Street.

and arrested him at his home. He was charged with First Degree Burglary, First Degree

Kidnapping, Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Two

Counts of Felony Safe Cracking. Colbourn was transported to the Iredell County Detention

Center on a no bond hold.

Three Catawba County residents are charged in connection with a Christmas Eve breaking

And entering in the 5000 block of Springs Road. Deputies responded just before 1 a.m.

after a neighboring resident called 911 to report two males and a female were removing items

from the residence in question, and also gave a description of the suspect vehicle. The

occupants were unaware of the burglary, and identified items taken. Just after 1 o’clock,

a deputy attempting to located the suspects stopped a truck matching the description. Stolen

items were in the truck and as well as meth and marijuana. 39-year-old Christopher Eugene

McCrary of of Conover faces multiple charges and had an outstanding indictment for

Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. Also facing charges were 56-year-old Kenneth Scott Herman

of Conover and 33-year-old Alicia Renee Stewart of Catawba.

Starting today, the section of Main Avenue NW between Ninth Street NW and Fifth Street NW

will be closed to traffic as City Walk construction continues in Hickory. Access will remain

available to properties along the street. The closure will remain in place for about a month.

A Morganton man with an outstanding warrant is arrested after being spotted at a local convenience store.

A news release states on December 18^th, a Burke County Sheriff’s Office deputy witnessed a car at the Citco station on US 70 near the Drexel intersection.

Reports say 41-year-old Billy Lamour Jones of 200 Linville Road was a passenger inside the vehicle.

The officer reportedly was aware of the warrants against Jones; he then summoned detectives to the scene who took Jones into custody.

A search of Jones turned up suboxone, heroin, and drug paraphernalia.

He was charged with felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin, simple possession of a schedule three controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jones received a 25-thousand dollar secured bond and was held at the Burke Catawba District Confinement facility.

His court date is scheduled for January 8^th.

The new Ingles in Marion has opened for business.

Officials from the company of Ingles, the city of Marion, and the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce held a grand opening this week to celebrate the opening of the new and much bigger supermarket.

The new store houses a Starbucks and an Asian food express eatery along with an expanded bakery and deli.

The McDowell News reports there is still work to be done at the new facility.

This week’s opening is only the first phase of a three phrase store upgrade.

A wall to the left of the store is scheduled to be removed to make room for a pharmacy and a walk-in beer cooler area.

The old Ingles store is slated to be demolished to provide space for the new additions and other retail spaces.

If you’re traveling on this day after Christmas, experts say you should expect some roadway nightmares.

Triple-A is reporting more than 104 million people are expected to be on the roads this holiday, with drive times doubling or even tripling in some areas.

Officials say holiday cheer is at an all-time high, with unemployment at historically low levels.

They say travelers should be used to crowded highways and airports as this marks the eighth straight year of record-high travel during Christmas and New Year’s.

Triple-A expects to rescue more than 850-thousand motorists from the roadside – with dead batteries, flat tires, and lock-outs creating the biggest troubles for drivers.

A $1.5 million dollar grant for access road improvements has been approved near the

Hickory Regional Airport. The Appalachian Regional Commission's grant will be used

to widen and improve about a mile of roadway on 9th Avenue Drive NW to Goat Farm

Road, adjacent to the Airport. The grant is a joint award for Burke County and the

City of Hickory. Burke Development Incorporated and the City of Hickory are

working to attract other industrial users into the proposed industrial park located in

the City of Hickory, where the road improvements will lead.

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton area ranks 11^th nationally in a Best Places to Work in

Manufacturing report. smartaccess.com’s 4^th annual study finds that the South and

Midwest rank well. The study considered the percent of the workforce in manufacturing,

one-year job growth, one-year income growth and housing costs as a percent of income.

Spartanburg placed fourth while the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin area ranked seventh. The

manufacturing industry accounts for 8% of the U.S.workforce, according to the report

which was released last week.

Lincoln Sheriff’s detectives have charged a Belmont woman with felony identity theft..

35-year-old Elizabeth Brown Barnette was arrested last week and faces eight charges of identity

theft. A Lincolnton woman filed a report on September 30^th, of unauthorized transactions of

more than $1,400 on her Pay Pal account. Barnette was released after posting a $50,000 secured

bond.

The State Highway Patrol is putting safe driving at the top of its Christmas wish list.

Troopers are focusing this holiday season on driver behavior in an attempt to ensure

everyone arrives safely to their intended destination. This year, troopers hope to

decrease the number of collisons during the December 24th through January 2nd

time period, by focusing on violations such as excessive speeding, reckless driving,

following too close and impaired driving.

Construction work that would require lane closures along major highways will be

suspended today through January 2nd to accommodate travelers for Christmas and

New Year's Day. The weekends before Charistmas and New Year's Day, as well as

Tuesday December 24th, will see the heaviest traffic congestion periods for most of the

State especially on interstates such as I-95, I-77, I-85, I-40 and I-26. Drivers should

anticipate needing extra time to reach their destination and consider using an

alternative router if possible.

Two people face drug charges after an investigation at 2613 US 64 in Morganton.  Burke

Sheriff’s Office detectives and NC Probation and Parole officers made contact with

29-year-old Travis Shawn Baker and a search of the residence located suspected meth,

according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. A second person, 26-year-old

Treysa Withers of Hickory, was in possession of cocaine. Baker and Withers were

arrested and received a $5,000 secured bond each, with court appearances scheduled for

January 6^th.

Hickory firefighters responded Thursday afternoon to an apartment fire. The fire just before

3 o’clock at 250 5^th Avenue NE, was at a two story complex. No injuries were reported and

damages were considered moderate. The Red Cross responded to assist the occupants. Fire

investigators determined the fire started as a result of an electrical issue.

A Hickory man pleads guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to

distribute narcotics on the Dark Web. U.S.Attorney Andrew Murray announced Monday,

that law enforcement began investigating 35-year-old Travis Justin Stout in 2016 for

trafficking narcotics in the greater Hickory area. The drug trafficking conspiracy charge

carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, while the possession with intent to distribute

charge also carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. A sentencing for Stout has not

been set.

Caldwell County has received a $320,000 grant to support the renovation of two buildings

in Lenoir that are occupied by Fairchild Chair Company, Inc. The company, which

manufactures a wide range of furniture for residential homes, contract-hospitality markets

and senior living facilities, plans to add 40 jobs while investing more than $815,000 in this

project. The grant was among those approved by the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure

Authority.   

A Hickory man is sentenced following his involvement in a 2018 car crash that claimed the life of a man.

During Catawba County Superior Court Monday, 57-year-old Jeffrey Blain Bumgarner was sentenced 44 to 65 months following his conviction for felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, and felony hit and run death.

Reports state Bumgarner pleaded guilty to the offenses that claimed the life of 58-year-old Charles Shook Junior on February 10^th 2018.

A news release states Bumgarner left the scene before calling authorities.

He first indicated that he had been the victim of a hit and run, but later told investigators that he caused the fatal crash.

Also in Catawba County Superior Court Monday, a Newton man is sentenced to a term in prison following his conviction for multiple sexual offenses involving a child in 2014.

37-year-old Randy Eugene Dula will be imprisoned 12 to 19 years after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree sexual offense, attempted first-degree rape and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.

A release indicates the offenses occurred between March 1^st and July 31^st 2014 when the then-6-year-old female victim revealed to a family member what had happened to her on multiple occasions.

Dula will be required to register as a sex offender for 30 years upon his prison release.

A Burke County teenager that was last seen Monday morning just before 8 is believed to be a runaway.

A press release from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office says 16-year-old Jalynn Wallace of Hillock Drive Morganton was dropped off at school around 7:45.

The release says she is believed to be in the company of two companions in the Wilkes County area.

Wallace is described as a black female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 190 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone having information about Wallace’s whereabouts should call the Burke Sheriff’s Office at 438-5500 or Morganton Burke Crimestoppers at 437-3333.

All Crimestoppers tips are anonymous and anyone with information leading to an arrest may receive a cash reward.

A man is arrested and charged in connection with a Hickory church break-in just prior to their Sunday School services beginning.

Reports say 42-year-old Joseph Ray Durance of Hickory is charged with felony breaking and entering a place of worship, two counts of felony larceny after breaking and entering, and injury to personal property.

Hickory Police reports say Durance allegedly pried a brick out of a concrete cross monument outside the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church and used it to break a window to gain entry.

Reports say Durance initially made off with multiple gold cross necklaces, silver necklace chains, and other items.

According to reports, police quickly located Durance though and all stolen items were recovered.

He was given a 36-thousand dollar bond.

A string of thefts in Old Fort lead McDowell County investigators to the arrest of a suspect.

37-year-old Brandon Lee Wilson of Silvers Welch Road Old Fort is charged with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods.

Reports say Wilson was arrested October 8^th along with two others at the scene of a residential break-in and theft on Bull Walker Road.

Further investigation led to Wilson being charged in connection with separate thefts on Mount Hebron Road in which more than 5-thousand dollars worth of goods were taken.

Officers say some of the stolen property was recovered.

A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy died Sunday in an off-duty motorcycle crash in Lincolnton.

Just before 3 yesterday afternoon, 41-year-old Jamie Lavar Jackson was riding his motorcycle when he lost control and skidded into a stationary vehicle.

He was transported to Atrium Health Lincoln where he was pronounced dead.

A news release states Jackson was hired as a patrol deputy in May 2013.

He also worked as a narcotics officer.

Good news to report from McDowell County-

A man previously reported missing has been located.

Authorities report Christopher Morris was found unharmed.

Officials thank the public for their assistance.