Area News

The 2025 Hometown Christmas will begin on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at Alexander County Courthouse Park. The Christmas Tree Lighting will be at 5:30 p.m., to illuminate the town’s 39-foot tall holiday decoration. The Dec. 4 music includes Taylorsville Elementary School students and the Antioch Baptist Church Handbell Choir. A cruise-in is also planned. Those…

  Alexander County candidates for several countywide offices in the 2026 Election have filed to run for positions this week, as filing opened Monday at noon. The candidates which had filed as of Tuesday evening, Dec. 2, 2025, are as follows: • Board of Education: Rob Argüelles, School Board District 2, and Matt Reese, School…

The 78th Annual Alexander County Christmas Parade is this Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in downtown Taylorsville. The parade is held each year on the first Saturday in December. Parade Grand Marshal is George Herman, who is well known throughout the county for his years of service with the Alexander County maintenance crew.…

Alexander County officially welcomed a new leader on Monday, December 1, 2025, as Justin Mundy was sworn in as County Manager at 8:30 a.m. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Chairman Marty Pennell introduced the new County Manager to department heads. “Today is an important day for our county, as we have the privilege of welcoming Justin…

A “Request for Statement on Proposed Town of Bethlehem” is one of the items on the December 2, 2025, agenda of the North Carolina Local Government Commission (LGC). The incorporation group’s proposed budget is currently under review by the NC Treasury, which is the final step before it’s sent to the General Assembly. The meeting…

Firefighters battled a blaze at Statesville Pallet Co. in Hiddenite on November 24, 2025. Alexander County Fire Marshal Chris Hicks released information about fire the following morning. “On Monday evening, November 24, Alexander County first responders were dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 351 Old Mountain Road in the Hiddenite Community. The call was…

A Newton man faces multiple charges after leading officers on a vehicle chase in Alexander and Caldwell counties on Saturday night, according to Alexander County Sheriff Chad Pennell. On November 22, 2025, around 10:50 p.m., deputies with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry traveling at a…

By MICAH HENRY The work of Alexander County Emergency Medical Services’ Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) paramedics and peer support personnel was recognized by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Joseph Crosswhite on Thursday, November 20, 2025. He presented the PORT personnel with a certificate of appreciation acknowledging their assistance to the Alexander County judicial system.…

By MICAH HENRY A man who grew up in the Sugar Loaf Community is now director of the largest municipal library system in the state of New Jersey. Yes, Terry Hill, 50, is the Director of the Jersey City Free Public Library system, which has twelve locations and two bookmobiles. He recently did a phone…

Three local people are facing charges in connection with a drug case in southwestern Alexander County. The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office initiated a drug investigation in October 2025 on Steffey Lane in the Bethlehem Community, said Sheriff Chad Pennell. The investigation resulted in multiple felony drug charges, as follows: Steven Douglas Brown, White male, age…