Area News

By MICAH HENRY Local high school students addressed the Alexander County Board of Commissioners during their meeting on Monday, January 6, 2025. The five students who appeared at the meeting are members of the Alexander Central High School Swim Team. By explaining benefits of a having a local swimming pool for the county, they urged…

Wintry Weather is expected Friday into Saturday, January 10-11, 2025, according to the National Weather Service. ● A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for portions of the North Carolina mountains and the northeast Georgia mountains effective from 7 AM Friday through 7 AM Saturday. ● The Watch is likely to be expanded to additional…

By MICAH HENRY Emergency personnel responded to the site of an explosion and fire which injured two men on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 3880 Rocky Springs Road in Hiddenite. The explosion occurred about 11:06 a.m. in a garage building at Triple T Farms. The sliding garage doors were blown several feet away from the…

SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR STUDENTS, DELAYED FOR STAFF JAN. 6 UPDATE: On Monday, January 6, 2025, Alexander County Schools will be closed for students with an optional workday on two hour delay for staff.   COURTS ON TWO HOUR DELAY JAN. 6 As of 5:30 pm, January 5, the Alexander County Clerk of Court Office, District…

  The Honorable Courtney Sloane Marlowe took the Oath of Office on January 1, 2025, at the Alexander County Courthouse to become the newest District Court Judge for Alexander and Iredell counties. Judge Will Long (right) administered the oath to Marlowe (left) with her parents, Amy and Tim, holding the Bible. She was elected in…

  Taylorsville natives Brevan McAlpin and Robert Nieves, both age 22, have announced the opening of their new business: The Warehouse, a multi-faceted gym, at 719 Old Lenoir Road, Hickory. McAlpin and Nieves have a background in roofing — where they were able to scale their first business to over $15,000,000 in revenue in under…

In the aftermath of the devastating hurricane that impacted many residents of Swannanoa, NC, Hiddenite residents Jenna and Rodney Roberts, driven by a desire to uplift the Swannanoa residents’ spirits, initiated a Christmas stocking drive in November 2024. The response was overwhelming, said Jenna Roberts. Donations poured in from all corners, ranging from Amazon wishlists…

By MICAH HENRY There’s a new shop in town: The Happy Hub Nutrition, located at 128 Main Avenue Drive, across from Taylorsville Savings Bank’s drive-thru. Owner Jenny Olsen, of Conover, offers a variety of energy teas, iced protein coffees, and smoothies. Her official opening date is January 3, although she held a soft opening for…

A house fire in the Bethlehem Community displaced a family of four on Monday morning, Dec. 23, 2024, according to Bethlehem Fire Chief Ashley Starnes. The fire occurred about 12:39 a.m. Monday, at 75 Deer Valley Drive, off Blankenship Road in Bethlehem. Bethlehem Community Fire & Rescue was assisted by Wittenburg and Ellendale fire departments…

Recently, the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina (FCNC) announced the donation of the 86-acre Joe Mountain Preserve, located in Alexander County, by The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust. The preserve boasts an array of unique habitats, including rare glade systems, old-growth forests and over a dozen rare plant and animal species that are essential components…