Area News

A water outage affected several customers, including at least two churches, on Sunday morning, September 15, 2019. Alexander County Emergency Services Director Russell Greene noted that Alexander County water customers in the Liledoun Road and Cornerstone areas near Taylorsville experienced low water pressure Sunday morning. Crews with the City of Hickory, which operates and maintains…

It will be a banner year for Caring Hearts Pregnancy Center in Taylorsville. This year, explained Executive Director Denise Garnes, CHPC will converting to a medical center which will have on-site ultrasound availability. “We cannot wait for the opportunity to do scans in the future, allowing a mother/family to having their first ‘window’ into the…

State Sen. Andy Wells, (R) of Hickory, who represents Alexander and Catawba counties (District 42), has announced his intention to run for the seat of N.C. Lieutenant Governor in the 2020 election. “Earlier this year, in a single month, 130,000 illegal immigrants poured across our border. But, here in North Carolina, Democratic sheriffs in our…

FDA Combating Epidemic of Youth E-Cigarette Use with Plan to Clear Market of Unauthorized, Non-Tobacco-Flavored E-Cigarette Products On Sept. 11, 2019, the Trump Administration announced that as part of its ongoing work to tackle the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, the FDA intends to finalize a compliance policy in the coming weeks that would prioritize…

East Alexander Middle School’s Dr. Angela Charles, Principal, and Mrs. Daigle, Assistant Principal, are excited to announce the kickoff of their school’s focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). The initiative was commemorated with a STEAM Night on Thursday, September 5, 2019, in which students and parents could visit various STEAM displays and…

An exciting day of innovative, hands on arts and heritage activities is planned for the Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center’s 38th Annual Hiddenite Celebration of the Arts. This one-of-a-kind, arts and cultural heritage festival will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2019, on Hiddenite Church Road in Alexander County from 9:00am until 4:00pm. Celebration of…

On Friday, October 11, 2019, the Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center will hold their annual fundraising event with all proceeds benefiting the Center and their ongoing efforts to provide arts and cultural opportunities for all ages. The Fall Arts Gala will feature live music by the Todd Wright Jazz Quartet, dancing, a silent auction filled…

A retirement reception was held for Alexander Sheriff’s Office Detective Robert L. “Bob” Benfield, of Bethlehem, on August 29, 2019. Benfield was surrounded by friends, family, and fellow officers. He has served 33 years in area law agencies and will continue in part-time work as an officer and department Chaplain, despite recently suffering a heart…

Veteran raised first US Flag over Hawaii as it became state By MICAH HENRY It was sixty years ago this summer that US Air Force veteran Allie “Ray” Lovette helped usher in Hawaii’s new era — one of statehood. Ray, age 81, who served in the USAF from 1957 to 1960, was stationed at Hickam…

By TOSHA BROWN The Town of Taylorsville Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at Town Hall for the regular scheduled monthly meeting. The meeting was opened in prayer by Mayor George Holleman. Mayor Holleman swore in part time Taylorsville Police Officer Joseph De La Riva at the meeting. Officer De La Riva,…