News (1417)
Holiday Event Featuring Visit From Santa Scheduled At Newton Library
Written by Rob Eastwood
The Catawba County Library invites the public to a holiday event next Monday (December 17) in Newton featuring a visit from Santa Claus. Families and children of all ages are invited to an event featuring bilingual storytime, crafts, and hot cocoa. Parents and grandparents are reminded to bring a camera to capture some photos of the kids interacting with Santa! The festivities kick off Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Main Library in Newton, and everything will be presented in English and Spanish.
Morganton Man Charged With Felony For Allegedly Transferring Price Tag
Written by Rob Eastwood
50-year-old Jesse Lynn Ethridge of View Street in Morganton was arrested Wednesday (December 12) by Granite Falls Police Officers. He's charged with felony larceny by transferring price tag. Ethridge was incarcerated in the Caldwell County Detention Center under $10,000 secured bond. He was scheduled to appear in District Court Thursday (December 13).
Lenoir Man Charged With Felony Break-in, Theft Counts
Written by Rob Eastwood
32-year-old Sidney John Bryant of Playmore Beach Road in Lenoir was arrested Wednesday (December 12) by Caldwell County Sheriff's Officers. He's charged with felony counts of breaking and entering, larceny, and possession of stolen goods. Bryant was jailed in the Caldwell County Detention Center under $20,000 secured bond. He was scheduled to make a District Court appearance Thursday (December 13).
Hickory Residents Among New Suspects On Iredell Most Wanted List
Written by Rob Eastwood
Two Hickory residents are among three new names added to the Iredell County most wanted list this week.
26-year-old Balie Frances Vasquez aka Balie Frances Baker is wanted by authorities in Iredell County on felony counts of safe cracking and larceny. Her last known address was 2572 9th Avenue SE in Hickory.
37-year-old Floyd Darnell Vasquez was also added to the Iredell County most wanted list. He's also wanted for felony counts of safe cracking and larceny. His last known address is also listed as 2572 9th Avenue SE in Hickory.
21-year-old Jessica Ruth Whitman was another new name added to the most wanted list in Iredell County. She's wanted on felony charges of breaking and entering and larceny. Whitman's last known address was 105 Moser Lane in Mooresville.
You can see the entire list of wanted suspects with their photos at www.iredellsheriff.com. If you have any information on any of the suspects on the list you can e-mail icsoinfo@co.iredell.nc.us. You can also call any tips into the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at their Statesville location, 704-878-3180, or the Mooresville office, 704-664-7500.
Suspect Arrested In Caldwell County On Fugitive Warrant From Kentucky
Written by Rob Eastwood
30-year-old Anthony Jared Dejarnatt of Barnwell, Kentucky, was arrested Wednesday (December 12) by Caldwell County Sheriff's Officers. He's charged on a felony warrant as a fugitive from another state. Dejarnatt is wanted in Kentucky on unspecified charges. He was placed in the Caldwell County Detention Center under $50,000 secured bond. A District Court appearance was scheduled for Thursday (December 13).
Grants Awarded To Hickory Metro Region For Economic Development
Written by Rob Eastwood
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 19 grant requests totaling $7,275,100, N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland announced today. The requests include commitments to create a total of 407 jobs, 167 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $95 million in private investment.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s team of rural economic development professionals supports the RIA’s work. RIA members review and approve funding requests from local communities. Funding comes from a variety of specialized grant and loan programs offered and managed by N.C. Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, led by Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Kenny Flowers. Grants can support a variety of activities, including infrastructure development, building renovation, expansion and demolition, and site improvements.
The RIA approved 14 grants under the state’s Building Reuse Program in two categories. In the Vacant Building Category, the City of Hickory was awarded a A $187,000 grant that will support the reuse of a 160,000-square-foot building. PTI, which manufactures custom, extruded, closed-cell foam profiles for various industries, will locate in the facility. PTI will bring its operations, currently in three locations, under one roof. The company plans to create 15 jobs and invest $300,435 in the project.
Also in this category, the City of Newton was awarded a $60,000 grant that will support the reuse of a 15,000-square-foot building, which will be occupied by James River Companies, a full-service equipment and tractor dealership serving customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company plans to create 12 jobs and invest $307,984 in this project.
The RIA approved three requests under the state’s Industrial Development Fund, Utility Account program. Burke County was awarded a $1,929,750 grant in this category that will provide water infrastructure improvements to Burke Business Park, an 83-acre site adjacent to I-40. The project is expected to enhance the site’s attractiveness to new businesses by addressing critical needs that require increased water pressure, including fire suppression.
For additional information about N.C. Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, and more about the grants awarded, visit www.nccommerce.com/rd.
Hickory Man Arrested on Cocaine & Firearms Charges
Written by Ralph Mangum
43-year-old Bryantae Monreek "Spunk" Evans of 10th Avenue S.E. in Hickory was arrested by Hickory Police just after 6 p.m. yesterday (December 12) for failure to appear on one felony count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine and one misdemeanor count of second-degree trespass. He was also served a bill of indictment for felony possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition, Evans faces charges for assault on a female (two counts), communicating threats (three counts), injury to personal property (two counts) and resisting a public officer.
Evans was initially arrested on October 30 of last year when Officers responded to a trespassing call at the Blue Ridge Heights Apartments. During the incident, 5.7 grams of crack cocaine was found.
On August 6 of this year, Police received information stating that Evans was in possession of a firearm and was discharging it within the city limits. He was arrested in connection to that incident on August 17.
Evans was taken into custody without incident yesterday at a residence on 1st Street S.W. in Hickory. He was jailed in the Catawba Co. Detention Facility with bond set at $29,000, secured. Superior Court appearances were scheduled today and on January 22. District Court dates are coming up on December 20, January 9 and February 6, all in Newton.
Texas Resident Arrested On Heroin Charges Filed In Catawba County
Written by Rob Eastwood
47-year-old Nereyda Garcia Salazar of Pasadena, Texas, was arrested today (December 13) by Hickory Police Officers. She's charged with trafficking, opium or heroin, possession of heroin, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver heroin. Salazar was jailed in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $500,000 bond. A District Court appearance is scheduled for Friday (December 14).
27-year-old Christopher Mark Conte of Maiden Wood Circle in Maiden, was arrested by Catawba County Sheriff's Officers. He's charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Conte was detained in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $2,000 bond. A Superior Court appearance was scheduled today (December 13).
Hickory Man Jailed on 17 Counts of Failure to Appear; More
Written by Ralph Mangum
22-year-old Rodney Tyler York of Main Avenue S.W. in Hickory was arrested by Hickory Police just after 9:30 last night on 17 counts of failure to appear and four felony probation violations, as well as one misdemeanor count of resisting a public officer. York failed to appear in court on charges of felony assault inflicting serious injury and two counts each of breaking & entering, larceny after breaking & entering, possession of stolen goods, speeding and driving while license revoked. He also failed to appear on single counts of reckless driving to endanger, failure to wear a seatbelt, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, carrying a concealed gun and reckless driving with wanton disregard for the rights or safety of others.
The assault charge comes in connection to a domestic incident that occurred on February of 2016 at York's residence. After his arrest yesterday, York was taken to Frye Regional Medical Center for the possible ingestion of a controlled substance. After he was cleared by medical staff at the hospital, York attempted to flee on foot, but he was detained by Hickory Police after a brief foot chase.
York was jailed in the Catawba Co. Detention Facility under a $184,000 secured bond. District Court appearances were set for January 9 and February 8 with Superior Court dates coming up on December 17 and February 21, all in Newton.
More...
Grant Awarded To Replace Bridges In Alexander, Iredell Counties
Written by Rob Eastwood
North Carolina recently won a grant of $23 million to replace dozens of bridges in 17 of the state’s most economically distressed counties. The U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD grant will be used to help complete a project to replace 77 bridges in Alexander, Iredell, Wilkes, Allegheny, Beaufort, Duplin, Edgecombe, Halifax, Hyde, Nash, Northhampton, Pitt, Sampson, Surry, Wayne, Wilson and Yadkin counties.
Most of the bridges are more than 50 years old, including a 97-year-old bridge in Alexander County and a 98-year-old bridge in Wilson County. The overall cost of the replacements is projected at $119.1 million, with the State Highway Bridge Fund paying for 58 of the structures and the BUILD grant covering the cost of replacing 19 weight-restricted bridges that could not be replaced using state funds.
The bridges included in the project serve communities with significant agriculture and agribusiness interests. Many of the bridges scheduled for replacement are weight-restricted which limits use by large trucks which often serve the agriculture industry as well as buses that take students to school.
The new bridges will be constructed to include weather and/or flood monitors to help provide better data and warnings about potential hazards. The sensors will provide critical information regarding weather conditions around the bridges to FIMAN, North Carolina’s Flood Inundation and Alert Mapping Network. North Carolinians can sign up for alerts from FIMAN at fiman.nc.gov.
Each bridge replaced will also include conduit to allow for future expansion of broadband fiber, decreasing the cost to provide broadband service to rural and underserved areas. Contracts to perform the bridge replacements will be awarded during the next two years and most projects will take less than a year to complete.
Felony Larceny Among Charges Lodged Against Man Arrested This Morning In Morganton
Written by Rob Eastwood
38-year-old Joshua Allan Reese was arrested this morning (December 13) by Morganton Public Safety Officers. He's charged with felony larceny of property, receiving or possessing stolen goods, and misdemeanor financial card fraud. Reese was arrested at 12:30 a.m. today at an address on Burkemont Avenue in Morganton. He was placed in jail in Morganton under $15,000 secured bond. A District Court appearance was scheduled today.
Oklahoma Man Charged With Felony Firearm Count In Catawba County
Written by Rob Eastwood
40-year-old Thalmus Jaton Linder of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was arrested Wednesday (December 12) by Long View Police Officers. He's charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm along with misdemeanor counts of assault on a government official or employee and possession of drug paraphernalia. Linder is also charged on a bill of indictment with felony flee to elude arrest with a motor vehicle. Linder was confined in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $20,000 bond. District and Superior Court appearances were scheduled today (December 13).
Statesville Man Arrested On Felony Break-in Charge In Catawba County
Written by Rob Eastwood
52-year-old Jeffrey Devon Turner of Signal Hill Drive in Statesville was arrested Wednesday (December 12) by Catawba County Sheriff's Officers. He's charged with felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure. Turner was incarcerated in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $2,000 bond. A Superior Court appearance is scheduled for February 4.
