Governor’s Incentives

Governor Cooper Thursday afternoon announced an incentive for NC residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine –four 1-million dollar cash drawings in hopes of boosting the state’s overall vaccination percentage.

Over the next three months, four NC residents will win a million dollars each for having gotten at least one vaccine.

For residents receiving a vaccine and those who’ve already been vaccinated who are 18 and older are eligible and will be automatically entered.

North Carolinians 12 to 17 years old who have gotten at least one shot are automatically entered into four drawings to pay 125-thousand dollars for a college education at a school of their choice.

The first drawing will be on June 23^rd and will occur every other week until the last one on August 4^th.

The drawings will take place every other Wednesday and as an extra incentive for anyone getting their first shot today and going forward will be entered twice for each drawing.

State health officials report NC has recently fallen behind the national vaccine average with only 54-percent of adults who have gotten at least one dose.

That percentage is in comparison with nearly 64-percent of adults nationwide according to data with the state department of health and human services.

WNC Blood Demand

Blood donation-bank leaders in Western NC say our area is experiencing an emergency blood shortage – donations are the lowest they’ve been in 60 years.

Officials say demand is up from residents who are undergoing elective surgeries that they delayed because of the pandemic.

They further state the usual number of blood donors is down as well; making it critical for people to give blood if they’re able.

Withh historically low donor turnout, the executive director of the American Red Cross for WNC, Megan Robinson says as people return to a pre-pandemic life, donating blood has taken a backseat.

Officials state if the low donation trend continues, hospitals may begin to see blood rationing.

Murder Victim IDed

Authorities in Iredell County release the name of a man killed earlier this week, while lawmen continue to search for the suspect.

20-year-old Zion Treyshaun Gaither of Hickory was pronounced dead at Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville early Tuesday morning.

Officials are on the lookout for 31-year-old Tyrell Daniels in connection with Gaither’s death.

According to reports with the Iredell Sheriff’s Office, Daniels has made threats against law enforcement in the past, and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Daniels has a criminal history including several felony convictions for first-degree burglary, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, and assault.

Should anyone have information about his whereabouts, they are urged to contact the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office at 704-878-3100.

McDowell Theft Attempt

A McDowell County pair is charged in connection with trying to steal a dirt bike last month.

Deputies were called to River Hills Park in Marion May 21^st to discover a male suspect had fled into the woods, while witnesses had stopped a female driving a moped that had dropped the man off.

 The pair was identified by officers as 33-year-old Jessica Dawn Morgan of Old Fort and 34-year-old Cody Cheyenne Vance of Marion.

Reports say Morgan became irate with a deputy and was taken into custody on the scene, while officers located Vance several hours later.

Both were charged with attempted larceny.

In addition, Morgan was charged with resisting a public officer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNIX Packaging Hiring in Morganton  

UNIX Packaging, a family business, specializing in packaging beverages

is currently recruiting over 100 jobs in Morganton. The starting pay is

$15 per hour.  The project investment is upwards of $55 million dollars

and the company is anticipating their first bottle run in July. You can

apply in person at 100 Ceramic Tile Drive.

Old Textile Mill Renovation  

An old textile mill in Valdese will transform into a 60-unit housing

development along Main Street. A grant by Asheville based non-profit

Dogwood Health Trust to Northwestern Housing Enterprises, will create

affordable housing for 60 families. Construction is expected to begin

this summer, with an anticipated completion date of early 2024.

Dogwood is contributing $2 million dollars toward the $12.3 million

dollar renovation project. 

McDowell Wanted Man  

McDowell County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for 26-year-old

Cody Lee McKinney, who is wanted for questioning regarding a

disturbance with gunshots fired. McKinney was last seen leaving

the Nix Creek and Timber roads area on foot. He could be armed

so residents should be cautious and alert. Call the Sheriff’s Office

at 652-4000 if you see McKinney. 

 

COVID-19

New cases of COVID-19 in our area remain low to stable – at last report, only two Burke County residents remain hospitalized with the virus.

Burke has a total of 10-thousand-312 cases of COVID-19.

McDowell County’s latest total holds steady at 5-thousand-164.

Catawba County reported 15 new cases of the virus yesterday, for a total of 19-thousand-297.

Catawba still has 6 people in the hospital.

And Caldwell County reported 9 new COVID cases Tuesday afternoon for a total of 9-thousand-551.

There are three Caldwell residents still in the hospital.

The Burke County Health Department has announced a couple of upcoming vaccine clinics.

A walk-in COVID vaccine clinic will be held in conjunction with a local blood drive at Salem United Methodist Church on Salem Road from 2:30 to 5:30 pm tomorrow.

The clinic will be held in the church fellowship hall and no appointment is necessary to get the vaccine.

Then, a community vaccination drive-thru clinic will be held in the Valdese Weavers parking lot Friday June 18^th 9 am till 11 am for first or second doses of the Moderna vaccine.

You can register for an appointment online at myspot.nc.gov or walk-ins are welcome.

New Burke Superintendent  

The Burke County Board of Education Monday, selected Dr.Mike Swan to

serve as Superintendent of Burke County Public Schools. He is a 23-year

veteran educator with the school system and has served in various roles

including, teacher, assistant principal, principal, Director of Student Services,

assistant superintendent and interim superintendent. Dr. Swan, who was

chosen from a field of 13 applicants, was given a four-year contract.

Two Area Teachers Win New Tools  

Two area teachers are among four statewide to win tools to enhance

learning about space exploration. Andrea Gladden of East Burke Middle

and Vanessa Lail of Grandview Middle in Hickory won space exploration

bundles valued at $5,000 each. 27 educators statewide applied for the

competition by writing two paragraphs about what space exploration

means to them and what winning these bundles would provide to

their counties. The competiton was a joint effort of the North Carolina

Business Committee for Education, the Public Consulting Group and

Aldrin Family Foundation.

Murder Suspect Sentenced  

A Hickory man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found

him guilty of two counts of accessory before the fact to first-degree murder

in connection with the deaths of two people more than 5 years ago.

29-year-old Jordan Alexander Rivera was given two consecutive life

sentences on Monday, in Catawba County Superior Court. Rivera was

found guilty for his role in the March 12th, 2016, home invasion and

shooting deaths of Mark Anthony Wilson and Deidra LaCarol Ramseur

at the couple’s home on Rest Home Road in Claremont.

 

COVID-19

The beginning of a new week sees the continuation of relatively low increases of COVID-19.

Burke County Public Health on Monday reported three new cases since Friday for a total of 10-thousand-312.

97 cases are reported to be active, while 3 remain hospitalized.

In Caldwell County, four new cases of the virus was reported yesterday for a total of 9-thousand-542.

2 people in Caldwell are in the hospital.

Catawba County Monday afternoon reported 18 new cases of COVID for a total of 19-thousand-282.

6 Catawba County residents remain in the hospital.

McDowell County reported 5 new cases yesterday, for a total of 5-thousand-164.

Newton Murder

A man has been arrested and charged with murder in the weekend shooting death of a Newton woman.

Reports say Newton police responded to a residence on South Caldwell Avenue around 10:45 Saturday morning.

51-year-old Iris Ranae Robinson had reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

60-year-old Jessie Allen Crawford was identified as the suspected shooter; however, he had left the scene before officers arrived.

Arrest warrants were obtained for Crawford on first-degree murder charges.

According to reports, he was taken into custody at the police department around 2:30 Saturday afternoon.

Crawford was taken to the Catawba County Detention facility where he remains without bond.

Evidence Destroyed

A pair of suspects in a McDowell County child abuse case now faces charges of destroying evidence.

30-year-old Kirsten Nicole Williams and 26-year-old Sami Loraine Williams both of McKinney Road West in Marion were previously charged with child abuse inflicting serious injury after reports say they physically abused a boy who was in their custody.

During the investigation, detectives discovered the women altered and destroyed a video of the abuse.

Both suspects are additionally charged with altering, stealing, or destroying evidence.

Catawba Deputy Fired

An off-duty Catawba County deputy has reportedly been terminated following an alleged DWI-crash in their patrol car.

Officials say the officer was not working in any law enforcement capacity at the time of the accident, but wrecked along Radio Station Road after picking up his patrol vehicle from a maintenance appointment.

The NC Highway Patrol is investigating the incident and has charged the deputy with driving while impaired.

Reports with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office say the officer was immediately placed on administrative leave and has since been fired.

The name of the deputy has not been released.

 

 

Special Called BOE Meeting  

The Burke County Board of Education will have a Special Called Meeting

tonight at 6 o’clock, to act on the appointment of the next Superintendent

of Burke County Public Schools. The meeting will held in the Olive Hill Room

at the Olive Hill Resource Center on West Concord Street in Morganton.

April Unemployment Figures  

The April unemployment rate for the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro

area was 4.2 percent. Area county rates include Burke at 4%, Avery 3.5%,

Caldwell 4.5%, Catawba 4.3% and McDowell at 3.9%, according to last

week’s news release from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Caldwell Office Manager Pleads Guilty in Federal Court  

A Caldwell Office Manager pleads guilty in federal court to embezzling

more than $1 million dollars from his former employer. 55-year-old

Richard Allen Clark of Lenoir, pleaded guilty last week in the Western

District of North Carolina. From 2013 to 2019, Clark, as an office manager

for two family owned businesses in Lenoir, was responsible for bookkeeping

and financial records, making payments to vendors and the IRS and

reconciling the companies’ financial records, and used his position to

embezzle the money. 

Statutory Rape Charge  

An Eastern Burke County man is charged with Felony Statutory Rape of a

Person Under the Age of 15 or Younger. Last week Burke Detectives began

an investigation that resulted in the arrest of 21-year-old Branden Lee McCall

of Connelly Springs. He was held at the Burke County Jail under a secured

bond of $200,000. The Department of Social Services assisted the Burke

County Sheriff’s Office in the case.

 

COVID Update

COVID-19 numbers continue to remain low as Burke County Public Health on Friday reported 13 new cases since Tuesday.

Burke’s total now stands at 10-thousand-309, with 109 cases reported to be active and 6 residents hospitalized.

McDowell County reported 6 new cases last week for a total of 5-thousand-159.

19 people in McDowell remain quarantined.

Catawba County Friday reported 16 new cases of the virus for a total of 19-thousand-264.

8 Catawba residents are in the hospital.

Caldwell County saw 5 new cases for a total now of 9-thousand-538.

2 people in Caldwell remain hospitalized.

Freedom Park Work

Contractors with the City of Morganton will be completing resurfacing work at the entryway to Freedom Park from Independence Boulevard in the coming weeks beginning tomorrow.

The first two parking lots closest to the Independence Boulevard entrance will be closed Monday.

The park will remain open; however, anyone going to the park during the contracted work should plan to park in an alternative parking lot.

A speed bump will be installed in the area once paving is complete.

The park will be closed the day of the installation – the City of Morganton will announce the closing on their Facebook page.

Lincoln Sentence

A Lincoln County man has been sentenced to serve more than 20 years in prison following a guilty plea in Lincoln Superior Court last week.

24-year-old Nicholas Benjamin Lynch of Lincolnton received a sentence of a minimum of 192 months to a maximum of 243 months.

Lynch pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the February 2018 stabbing death of his father 59-year-old Oswald Bryan Lynch.

Lynch has been transferred from the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center to the state prison system to begin serving his sentence.

 

 

 

80 Percent Vaccinated

More than 80-percent of adults 65 and older in NC have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – that announcement Friday by the State Department of Health and Human Services.

State health officials say people who are fully vaccinated can do all of the things that they did before the pandemic.

They go on to say those who are unvaccinated still need to wear a mask in public indoor settings and outdoors as well when they cannot maintain physical distance.

To date, NC has administered more than 8-point-3 million vaccine doses.

Figures show 77-percent of the population 65 and older is fully vaccinated with close to 54-percent of state residents 18 and older having received at least one dose.

To find a vaccine location, visit myspot.nc.gov or call 888-675-4567.

Gorge Fall

A hiker falls to his death in Linville Gorge Thursday – marking the second fall-related death to occur in the gorge this year.

Just before 12:30 p.m., Burke County Emergency officials received the call about an injured hiker in the Rock Jock trail area off of Old NC 105.

Reports say rescuers found 30-year-old Michael Patrick Ryva of Illinois who had fallen approximately 80 feet.

Ryva was pronounced dead at the scene.

Crews worked for several hours to extricate Ryva from the rugged terrain.

Those assisting in the operation included Burke County Special Operations, Burke County Rescue, Burke County Emergency Management, NC Emergency Management, Oak Hill Fire and Rescue, Linville Central Rescue, and responders from Avery and McDowell Counties.

Deputy Pursuit

A license checkpoint in McDowell County last week results in a pursuit and the arrest of a Nebo man.

On May 31^st, deputies were operating a checkpoint on Sugar Hill Road when 26-year-old Cody Lee McKinney approached in his vehicle, and abruptly sped off.

Deputies recognized McKinney and knew he did not have an operator’s license.

Officers reportedly pursued him onto several roadways, with McKinney exiting the car to flee inside a home on Quail Hollow Road.

Deputies located him inside the house and took him into custody.

A search of his car turned up suboxone strips, pills, liquid THC, and drug paraphernalia.

McKinney was charged with failure to heed a blue light and siren, fleeing to elude arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a schedule three controlled substance, possession of synthetic cannabinoid, reckless driving to endanger, resisting a public officer, and failure to stop for a stop sign or flashing red light.