Home burns, displaces mother, five children
By MICAH HENRY A house fire on Sunday afternoon, March 12, 2023, caused a local family to lose their home. The fire services were dispatched at 3:49 p.m. to 2189 Bethel Church Road in northeast Alexander County. Vashti Fire Department responded to the house, which was fully involved in fire by the time firefighters arrived,…
Read MoreAnn Carolyn Harris Coggins
Ann Carolyn Harris Coggins, 83, of Newton, passed away unexpectedly on March 21, 2023, at Catawba Memorial Hospital in Hickory. Ann was born March 24, 1939, in Burke County, to the late Harley Harris and Vera Rae Booker Harris. Ann was a furniture worker and she was a member of Bright Light Tabernacle. Those left…
Read MoreJerry Harmon to headline Hiddenite event
The Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center will host its first Steak Dinner Fundraiser on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 7 p.m. to celebrate Alexander County heritage with special guest Jerry Harmon (https://www.jerryharmonmusic.com/), singer, songwriter, and master storyteller. The event will be held at the Hiddenite Center’s Educational Complex Ballroom (70 Hiddenite Church Rd., Hiddenite). Proceeds…
Read MoreVerla Evalee Hodges Richards
Verla Evalee Hodges Richards, 89, of Taylorsville, passed away on March 20, 2023, at her home. Evalee was born April 9, 1933, in Smyth County, Virginia, to the late Howard Finley Hodges and Elsie Pennington Hodges. Evalee was a textile worker and a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Granite Falls. In addition to…
Read MoreWilliam Barry “Jabo” Fleming
William Barry “Jabo” Fleming, 71, of Love Valley, passed away unexpectedly on March 19, 2023, at his home. Jabo was born December 31, 1951, in Iredell County, to the late William Worth Fleming and Inez Nance Fleming. Jabo worked in construction as a carpenter. Those left to cherish his memory include three sons, Daniel Fleming…
Read MoreCarol Louwona Woodring Greene
Carol Louwona Woodring Greene passed away on March 17, 2023, in Catawba County. She was born on October 19, 1955, in Caldwell County, to the late Jake William Woodring and Alma Maxizene Phillips Woodring. Carol was a loving wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. She loved to read and watch TV shows like Swamp People,…
Read MoreBill Tester
Bill Tester, 82, beloved husband of Audrey Tester, passed away on March 17, 2023. He was a husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, and US Army and Navy Veteran. He touched many lives. We were all blessed to have known him. He was a likable, fun-loving, and easy-going man who was full of life. He was…
Read MoreElizabeth “Ann” Plemmons Rosenbaum
Elizabeth “Ann” Plemmons Rosenbaum, 79, passed away on Friday, March 17, 2022, at Frye Regional Medical Center. She was born on February 12, 1944, to the late Bill Tipton and Althea Levine Plemmons. During her working career, she worked in the textile industry as a weaver. Ann was of the Christian faith. Those left to…
Read MoreFire burns three acres
A controlled burn from Wednesday night, March 15, 2023, escaped the landowner’s containment lines on Thursday afternoon, March 16, due to sporadic wind gusts. The fire was located near Jake Reese Court and Basin Creek Drive on the side of Barrett Mountain, according to David Huffman, Alexander County Ranger for the N.C. Forest Service. Three…
Read MoreAlexander tied for third lowest unemployment in NC
Alexander County tied for third lowest unemployment rate in North Carolina for January 2023, according to information released by the N.C. Dept. of Commerce on Friday, March 17. The unemployment rate in Alexander was 3.2 percent in January. (State data showed 18,119 people in the civilian labor force and 582 unemployed.) This was up from…
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