Area News

The public is invited to the Alexander County Independence Celebration on Saturday, July 16, which will feature a free concert at the new Alexander County Courthouse Park and a free fireworks display at Alexander Central High School. On The Border – The Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band will perform on the Rotary Performance Stage from 6:30…

By ANGELA FARR KING Dr. Betsy Curry, the Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Alexander County Schools, has a nose for data. She studies data daily in order to keep a pulse on the progress of all children in the Alexander County School System. In a recent Alexander Cuonty Board of Education presentation and…

A man who operated an auto detailing business in Taylorsville has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term in a Federal drug case. On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Larry Elwood Steptoe, 41, of Hickory, NC, to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for distributing…

Alexander County Emergency Services reminds citizens to exercise caution during the current heat wave. Be prepared for the extreme heat, drink plenty of fluids, and be on the lookout for heat-related illnesses (yourself and others). Learn more at www.ready.gov/heat.

Coley is July’s “Saved by the Belt” recipient Taylorsville’s Beulah Coley and her 5-year-old daughter, Cora, were driving back from a weekend getaway at the family’s mountain cabin when tragedy struck unexpectedly, according to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. Thankfully, she and her daughter were wearing their seat belts. That decision saved their lives and…

Alexander County man stopped for drink, “stunned” to win $100,000 RALEIGH – Daniel Costner of Taylorsville stopped to get a drink, tried his luck on a new lottery game, and found himself the first winner of the game’s $100,000 prize, according to a NC Lottery Commission press release. “I was stunned,” Costner said. “I had…

By MICAH HENRY Whether it was a car or truck or some other vehicle, all types have passed through the bays of Pearson’s Automotive in the long tenure of brothers Raleigh and Coy Pearson. The two brothers had about three years prior experience running a service station in Catawba County for a friend when they…

By MICAH HENRY For five decades, the local company Craftmaster Furniture has produced quality upholstered sofas and chairs. The company management and employees recently marked the milestone with a 50th anniversary celebration, said CEO Roy Calcagne, including with associates who have been at the company the entire half century. He noted that Craftmaster was incorporated…

By MICAH HENRY A new group is hoping to improve the lives of convicted felons, reduce recidivism (the likelihood they will offend again), and create better outcomes for all Americans. New Hope Initiative (NHI), incorporated a year ago, is “a collective of felons and families of felons who believe in the need for major criminal…

  By ANGELA FARR KING At the June 28, 2022, Town Council meeting, the second public hearing was held to review the 2022-2023 proposed budget. The Council voted unanimously to adopt the new budget with an addendum to the motion stating that new water rates would begin on Tuesday, June 28, instead of July 1.…