Area News

Murder suspect located in Ohio A man who is a suspect in an October 7 murder in Taylorsville has been captured, according to Alexander County Sheriff Chad Pennell. On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at approximately 1:03 PM, deputies with the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence located at 209 Stan De La Drive,…

A reader recently brought The Times’ attention to Dr. Jamon Flowers’ career and accomplishments, and the educator obliged us with a phone interview. From ACHS to Higher Education Dr. Jamon H. Flowers, age 48, is a proud Alexander County graduate who attended Taylorsville and Stony Point Elementary Schools and East Junior High before earning his…

By ANGELA FARR KING The Alexander County Board of Education met for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 13. The highlights of the evening were the approval of the audit of last year’s financial report and the approval of the budget for the 2025-26 school year. Sharon Mehaffey, the Chief Financial Officer for…

The 35th Annual Taylorsville Apple Festival will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in downtown Taylorsville. This year’s festivities will include crafts, fun, food, live music, and, of course, apples grown here in the Brushy Mountains. The Main Stage will have an Opening Ceremony at 8:00 a.m. with…

On Monday, October 13, 2025, North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, his wife, Macon, and Administrative Office of the Courts representatives visited the Alexander County Courthouse to meet with the Clerk of Court staff. The state-level court officials told the local staff they were on the cutting edge of technology as Alexander joins…

Recently, three local Alexander County young men travelled to Athens, GA, to compete in the first annual National Youth Cattle Working Contest. They were representing North Carolina as the 2025 State Champions. During the September 17 competition, they were tasked with vaccinating, tattooing, ear tagging, DNA sampling, and deworming two cows and one calf. They…

Members of the State Education and Workforce Innovation Commission (EWIC) met on Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Alexander Central Fire Academy, located in the former Sugar Loaf Fire Department building. The EWIC group, appointed by state and Department of Public Instruction leaders from across the state, has generously supported Alexander County through grants in…

Members of the Alexander Rescue Squad’s Junior Rescue Competition Team were recognized at the October 6, 2025, meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners for their outstanding performance at the state level, according to a county press release. Terry Foxx, Captain of Alexander Rescue Squad & EMS, said the four-member team competed at the…

Alexander County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is proud to announce the addition of a second ambulance to EMS Station 2 (Bethlehem base) in response to a growing number of emergency calls in the southwest region of the county. A total of eight paramedics are being hired to staff the new ambulance, which was put into…

By ANGELA FARR KING Scottie Barnes said she would never go back inside a prison after spending much of her childhood accompanying her mother on weekend visits to see her father, who was in and out of prison all of Scottie’s life. Scottie said, “We would borrow a car and pack sandwiches because we didn’t…