A home sustained heavy damage in a fire Sunday night (May 5) Hickory firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire at 1038 12th Street NE firefighters reported fire and smoke coming from the rear of the two-story house Firefighters were notified that all occupants were safely outside the residence which was reported to be controlled by 8:12 p.m The Hickory Fire Department responded with three engines Catawba County EMS and Hickory Police also responded to the scene St Stephens Fire and Long View Fire assisted by covering districts Damage to the house was considered to be heavy One firefighter received a minor injury; but no other injuries were reported The Red Cross was called and will be assisting the residents Occupants reported that the smoke alarms alerted them to the fire Hickory Fire Investigators responded and determined the fire was accidentally caused by an electrical issue Morganton Public Safety responded to a vehicle accident… Catawba County agencies and organizations will commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations,… Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has received an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog… (WSBT) — No one was injured when a car went into Hickory Village Apartments Monday morning There is no word on what caused the driver to crash into the building Queen City News (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames at a home just outside of downtown Hickory Sunday night Crews responded to 1038 12th Street NE around 7:37 p.m Fire and smoke could be seen coming from the rear of the home all the residents of the home were outside at the time and reported that the smoke alarms alerted them to the fire Catawba County EMS and Hickory police also responded to the scene Hickory Fire Investigators determined the cause was accidental and started due to an electrical issue these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals Crawdads' Pablo Guerrero (27) drives a base hit to right field during a home game in April The Hickory Crawdads baseball team won the final game in a six-game series against the Columbia Fireflies on Sunday after losing the first five games the Crawdads fell to Columbia in a 10-0 loss in a game of errors starting a series against the Augusta GreenJackets starting Tuesday the Hickory Crawdads turned to what they do best – shutdown pitching A trio of pitchers flirted with a no-hitter as the Crawdads edged out Columbia 1-0 at Segra Park Hickory (12-15) ended a six-game losing streak in the process and stopped a five-game winning streak for Columbia (18-9) Taking the lead among the Crawdads trio on the mound was Ismael Agreda The right-handed pitcher allowed two baserunners over five innings and struck out seven Agreda did have to work out of trouble in the first inning stole second and went to third on a wild pitch Agreda was able to get Derlin Figueroa to line out to left before Stone Russell flied out to right Agreda went on to set down 11 in a row before hitting Brennon McNair with a pitch The inning ended when Agreda struck out Roni Cabrera and catcher Ben Hartl threw out Salon attempting to steal second to complete the double play The no-hit watch continued until the seventh when Acosta and Figueroa singled to start the inning was able to hold Columbia scoreless by retiring Russell Columbia pitchers matched the Crawdads zero-for-zero through the first eight innings Josh Hansell started and went five innings allowing three hits and striking out seven Mason Miller entered in the sixth and kept Hickory in check through the eighth The Crawdads broke through in the ninth with the game’s only run Hartl reached on an infield hit and moved to second when Russell’s throw from third got away for an error Rafe Perich steered a single through the infield for an RBI single The Crawdads went on to load the bases in the ninth as Dalton Pence completed his two innings of perfect relief work and picked up the victory (1-0) Miller suffered the loss and dropped to 3-1 the game was called after five innings due to rain The Crawdads committed five errors which led to eight unearned runs in the contest The pitching staff was not without culpability as they contributed to the defeat with four walks two hit batters and a balk that allowed the final run of the game to score Hickory had three hits – two by Antonis Macias – and had one runner reach third when the team loaded the bases in the fourth The Fireflies needed one hit to score four runs in the first The final indignity for the Crawdads came in the fifth inning Pitcher Angel Anazco hit Jorge Hernandez with a pitch After a grounder moved Hernandez to second Asbel Gonzalez hit a routine single to left to move Hernandez to third As the ball returned to Rafe Perich covering third threw the ball into the dugout without calling a timeout The umpires awarded Hernandez the run and moved Gonzalez to third on the miscue Anazco’s balk completed the scored Gonzalez for the final tally Persistent rain occurred throughout the evening which originally delayed the game’s start by 74 minutes The rain returned prior to the start of the sixth inning and the umpires called the game after a 30 minute delay The loss by Hickory (11-13) was its fourth in a row Hickory added to its season high streak of five straight losses Hickory brought a shutout to start its winning streak Columbia starting pitcher Tanner Jones needed 58 pitches to get through six innings against the Crawdads All the scoring in the game happened in the early innings Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account SC— Columbia had an offensive outburst and utlized a rain-shortened game to earn their first shutout of the season in a 10-0 victory in five innings against the Hickory Crawdads Saturday at Segra Park The game started in a 1:15 minute rain delay before kicking-off Then after the conclusion of the fifth inning the tarp came back on the field for a 31-minute delay before the officials called the game due to inclement weather Yunior Marte came out of the gates and pushed the Fireflies through 4.1 scoreless innings before handing the ball to the bullpen punching out a pair and completing the fifth inning The Fireflies took advantage of a myriad of mistakes from the Crawdads to hang four on the scoreboard in the first Starter Aneudis Mejia walked two batters and hit a batter and the Crawdads defense committed three errors to give the a 4-0 lead as the club headed to the second frame The Fireflies only had one hit in the first inning The shortstop has seven hits this week for Columbia the Fireflies scored three more unearned runs Derlin Figueroa and Stone Russell legged out back-to-back triples to score Colton Becker Ramon Ramirez and Figueroa to push Columbia’s lead to 7-0 Brennon McNair put a charge to the game with a two-out homer over the home run porch in left field that pushed Columbia’s lead to 8-0 McNair has now homered in back-to-back games for the second time this season The Fireflies added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a throwing error and a balk to make the final score 10-0 The Fireflies close out their series with a 5:05 contest against the Hickory Crawdads at Segra Park 5.79 ERA) takes the hill for the Fireflies and Hickory counters with righty Ismael Agreda (0-1 Tomorrow night is Star Wars Night presented by Founders Federal Credit Union The Fireflies will be auctioning off game-worn Star Wars themed jerseys to benefit Make-A-Wish South Carolina and the team will close out the night with kids run the bases presented by Bang Back Pinball Lounge Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com Hickory FC defeated Mint Hill FC 6-1 to open the season in a friendly (exhibition) game Saturday at Moretz Stadium Hickory jumped out to a 2-0 lead in less the eight minutes and scored three goals in each half in the rout Hickory scored the first goal on an own goal a Mint Hill FC defenseman flicked the ball into the net for the first goal of the 2025 season the first goal of last season for Hickory FC was also an own goal a header by Juan Pablo Correa bounced just short of the goal Jonah Straube nudged it in with his head to give Hickory FC a 2-0 lead Ignacio Juanche tapped a shot in from about 10 yards out with Hickory FC leading 3-0 the 6’2″ Straube expertly nodded another shot high into the net to give Hickory FC a 4-1 lead Jaheim Smith tacked on a goal drilling a left footed shot into the upper left of the goal from about 10 yards out The final goal of the night came from one of the returning players for Hickory FC A low cross from Steven Stone was lifted by a sliding John Osadolor five yards away His shot found the upper part of the goal and Osadolor threw his arms out while on his back in jubilation as Hickory finished with the 6-1 win Hickory FC’s season in National Premier Soccer League Southeast Division play gets underway Saturday on the road at Charlottetowne Hops FC Saturday at 8pm The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has finalized the brackets for the 2025 Baseball… The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has finalized the brackets for the 2025 Softball… The Lenoir-Rhyne Softball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in… TOP: The Hickory FC fans showed up in droves to support their team Saturday at Moretz Stadium right: The Hickory fan club band showed up in full force for the first home game of the 2025 season Saturday at Moretz Stadium far right: Hickory’s Leo Souza (14) avoids a sliding Mint Hill defender while chasing a loose ball The Hickory fan club band showed up in full force for the first home game of the 2025 season Saturday at Moretz Stadium Hickory’s Ignacio Juanche (28) battles for control against a Mint Hill defender Hickory FC’s season-opening friendly match against Mint Hill FC drew 2,561 fans to Moretz Stadium despite thundershowers in the area on Saturday evening Hickory’s Maxime Wester (44) works the ball against a pair of Mint Hill defenders The attendance mark was more than 700 ahead of the club’s inaugural game last spring Hickory’s Leo Souza (14) avoids a sliding Mint Hill defender while chasing a loose ball The team treated the fans to an offensive clinic against Mint Hill FC Hickory FC scored twice in the first eight minutes and went on to win the game 6-1 The club will open the NPSL season on Saturday at Charlottetowne FC They will return home to face Bristol Rhythm AFC on May 16 Jason Koon is the Sports Editor for the Hickory Record and can be reached at jason.koon@lee.net Email notifications are only sent once a day we were the newest,” said Hickory FC head coach Carlos Rubio “Last year was the excitement of something new Hickory City Council meets in regular session Tuesday night (May 6) Under Reaffirmation and Ratification of Second Readings is the consideration to amend the city code of ordinances by enacting a backflow prevention program Among the items on the consent agenda is the approval to amend the traffic ordinance by adjusting the current speed limit along Fairgrove Church Road between US Highway 70 to the northern corporate limit to 45 miles per hour to make the speed limit consistent along that roadway Also on the consent agenda is the approval to amend the traffic ordinance by repealing the current speed limit of 45 miles per hour along 2nd Avenue NW between US Highway 321 to the western corporate limit approximately one-tenth of a mile west of 18th Street Place NW and enacting the speed limit to 35 miles per hour The consent agenda also includes multiple items related to work that is planned at the intersection of US 70 and 4th Street Drive SW. The full agenda can be found at www.hickory.gov Tuesday’s Hickory City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m Whitener Municipal Building at 76 North Center Street in Hickory The SUN Bucks food program is back for 2025 and is expected to provide benefits… Alexander Central’s Jenna Mason (15) slides safely into base against South Caldwell’s shortstop Sydnee Bumgarner (3) on Friday in Hudson With Catawba County area high school baseball and softball conference tournaments in the books here are six players who stood out during championship week Bumgarner sets a goal for herself at the beginning of every season She wants to break her father’s baseball home run record every season Bumgarner already had 10 coming into the conference championship game Her 11th of the season on Friday was a three-run shot over the center field wall that helped turn a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead Bumgarner said adding power to her already stout hitting game was a focus for her coming into this season As one of the smaller players in the lineup she said power hitting for her is all about contact and precision South Caldwell’s Sydnee Bumgarner (3) celebrates after a producing a double late in the game against Alexander Central on Friday in Hudson “I don’t think about it as much,” she said I think I just work more timing and hands and seeing the ball better I just leave it up to the pitcher because half of the ball speed comes from them.” held down an elite lineup from the circle for five innings and blasted a two-out game-winning home run in the seventh inning on Friday night head coach Casey Justice said he thought he had a pretty good freshman in Moore that freshman was named conference tournament MVP “I really was not expecting this at all,” 15-year-old Moore said about her freshman year and the tournament MVP nod South Caldwell’s Maddy Moore has her eyes on the strike zone early in the game against Alexander Central on Friday in Hudson Moore credited the support of her teammates for the poise she displayed on Friday “This whole team has a great bond,” she said “I think them cheering me on and believing me gave me a lot of confidence.” Williams went 3-for-6 for two doubles and five RBIs for Maiden in the conference tournament championship game on Thursday The timing of those hits proved even more important than the stat line His first hit of the night came with two outs in the fourth inning and a man in scoring position The single knocked in Thomas Mast to extend the inning and cut into the West Lincoln lead ABOVE: Maiden’s Zane Williams drives a base hit to the outfield during Thursday night’s game in Maiden BELOW: South Caldwell’s Sydnee Bumgarner (3) celebrates after a producing a double late in the game against Alexander Central on Friday in Hudson Williams’ second hit came in the middle of an eight-run Blue Devils rally in the bottom of the fifth It was a two-RBI double with two runners in scoring position that tied the game at seven And his third hit was the biggest of the night an RBI walk-off double that gave Maiden the trophy Maiden head coach Dustin Hull said it’s the kind of clutch performance he has come to expect from Williams We want to give him as many at bats as possible so he’s got more games under his belt than anybody else does.” Williams went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs against East Burke on Tuesday Chappel did his part in the conference tournament final on Thursday He drew four walks and scored the first run of the big five inning run that gave Maiden its first lead of the game It was his performance in the semifinal game April 29 against East Burke that was something special Maiden’s Collin Chappel produces a one run single in the game against Bunker Hill on Tuesday in Maiden The only thing that kept him from tossing a complete game shutout against the Cavaliers was the mandatory pitch count He hit 100 pitches with one out to go in the seventh inning giving up three hits and striking out eight He led the Blue Devils to a 7-0 win in that game Thurman has been a workhorse in the circle all year for the Bears She pitched all but 15 innings for Bunker Hill coming into the conference championship game on Friday After throwing three complete games in two days the week before she logged 14 innings in two games on Tuesday She gave up three runs and five hits in an 8-3 win over East Burke in the first game shutting out West Caldwell on just two hits Thurman struck out 25 batters that afternoon to push her season total over 200 It was a good day for Bunker Hill all around in the batter’s box Sophomore Gracie Setzer and freshman Kyra Ryhal both homered in the East Burke game It was Setzer’s sixth of the year and Ryhal’s first varsity bomb Kylie Killian had two doubles in the second game against West Caldwell The Western Foothills Athletic Conference doesn’t have a conference tournament the final week of regular season play was a spectacular one for McFarland McFarland threw a no hitter against one of the most potent lineups in the conference on Tuesday She walked three East Lincoln batters and hit one McFarland struck out 15 batters and needed just 23 at bats to finish off the Mustangs She allowed three runs on six walks in that game but made up for all three runs at the plate She hit a two-run homer and then scored again after drawing walk The Spartans now have 51 home runs on the season “Nobody game us a chance except for these girls right here,” said Bandys softball coach Todd Smith The Cougars got behind early but came back to win the game 11-7 The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in finding a wanted person Sheriff Kevin Bean announced that 41-year-old Jacob Andrew Byrd of Hickory is currently wanted by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office Byrd faces two counts of trafficking opium or heroin and one count of maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Jacob Andrew Byrd contact the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office at 828-758-2324 You can also call Crimestoppers at 828-758-8300 You could be eligible for an award through Crimestoppers and you do not have to reveal your name A Watauga County resident is charged in connection to the death of a Hickory man… Hickory Public Library will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the… The City of Newton Fire Department has started conducting routine fire hydrant flow testing throughout… Madison Wilson (1) delivers a pitch in a SAC tournament game on April 26 in Hickory the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team can call themselves SAC Tournament Champions 1 Wingate 3-2 to take home their second consecutive conference crown the Bears booked their 17th trip to the NCAA Tournament Madison Primm makes contact in a SAC tournament game on April 26 in Hickory Lani Warren launched a two-run shot to left field in the bottom of the first and SAC Freshman of the Year Avery Kiger scored the game-winning run on a homer in the sixth Pitcher Madison Wilson threw five scoreless innings to pick up the win for LR and Faith Carrigan closed the game for the first save of her career The Bears will find out their seed and location of the NCAA regional on Monday 3 Carson-Newman 12-3 on Saturday to earn a spot in the South Atlantic Conference finals next weekend William Girardi allowed one earned run on five hits in 7.1 innings of work Owen Blackledge went 4-for-4 at the plate with his 12th home run of the season and three RBIs Cole Laskowski and Eli Willen highlighted a five-run fifth inning for the Bears with a pair of two-run homers William Girardi delivers a pitch during the game against Carson-Newman on Sunday The Bears reached the semifinal game with an 8-2 win over Wingate on Saturday and a 5-4 win against UVA Wise on Friday They will face Catawba in the final series next weekend Catawba is the top team in the SAC with a record of 25-5 in conference play After falling to Anderson in the SAC tournament 4 seed in the South Region of this year’s NCAA Tournament The Bears will battle Wingate on Wednesday at 4 p.m LR beat Wingate in their meeting earlier this season It was a 9-6 win at the Crown Classic in Charlotte This is the fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bears LR has gone 79-14 over the last five years including a run to the 2023 national championship The men’s and women’s track teams both finished as the runners-up at this years SAC championships last week Sprinter Alexis Brown was named Track Athlete of the Meet She finished first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and anchored the first-place 4x100-meter team The relay team booked a trip to nationals with a time of 44.73 It is the fifth-best time in Division II this spring Kahlil West took home Field Athlete of the Meet honors He finished first in the long jump and notched second-place finishes in the decathlon and the high jump It was West’s second-straight SAC Championship Field Athlete of the Meet award Duke star Cooper Flagg is headed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No The Bears took the first game of the doubleheader 5-2 and then won a wild regular season finale 14-11 Faith Carrigan's no-hitter was the 24th in school history and gave the Bears the series win over Emory & Henry A 17-year-old baseball top 100 ranked pitcher made his debut this season sports and entertainment news on our daily podcast There are two meetings this week involving City of Hickory boards and commissions in the City Council Chambers in the Julian G the Library Advisory Board will meet at 4 p.m in the Patrick Beaver Memorial Library on the SALT Block Hickory FC kicks off the 2025 season tomorrow (May 3) at 7 p.m with a home match at Moretz Stadium against Mint Hill FC sponsored by Catawba Valley Engineering & Testing Single game and season tickets are available at HickoryFC.com Moretz Stadium is on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University previews and more about your favorite baseball teams on any device with 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Details > Subscription page to make a change to your subscription Feel free to Contact us “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings poses with Hickory native Rhyne Modlin on the TV show’s set A Hickory man recently competed on the TV game show “Jeopardy!” said he applied for the show as a challenge for himself “The entire thing was about the ‘Can I do it?’ personal challenge,” Modlin said “I have no idea if this will lead to anything in the future or not I can walk around saying I was on ‘Jeopardy!’ for the rest of my life.” He could not say how many episodes he will appear in “Jeopardy!” can be watched on the NBC-owned local TV channel WCNC at 7 p.m Not only was preparation for “Jeopardy!” mentally challenging but the trip to Los Angeles was physically taxing Modlin said he suffered a series of infections when he was young The long-term effects of the previous illnesses still affect him Modlin said his condition impacts his sleep schedule because in order for me to function at the highest level I have to stay within that sleep zone,” Modlin said “By the time I got to the studio on tape day I was having trouble walking across the lot I hadn’t been sleeping a lot for a long time on the stage of the TV game show “Jeopardy!” in March Modlin drank Mountain Dew to get some caffeine Modlin spent nearly two years auditioning and preparing After a tough series of interviews and auditions Modlin found out he was selected for the contestant pool Modlin got the call that he was chosen for the show He flew out to Los Angeles for filming in March with his parents Rhyne Modlin said the studio was chaotic and fast paced said he had no doubts that his son would be chosen “I had tabs on my phone keeping track of stuff I had tabs all over my computer,” Rhyne Modlin said I had 43 notebooks full of handwritten notes that I filled out trying to get ready.” Modlin said if he saw something interesting He spent about a month practicing his reaction time with a pen to prep for hitting the buzzer during the show he and his wife refrained from discussing some topics in front of Rhyne to avoid giving him inaccurate information “It seems like most of the quotes that you hear are usually wrong and misappropriated,” Rhyne Modlin said Rhyne Modlin does not watch “Jeopardy!” He said it has been at least a decade since he watched an episode Modlin said some of the contestants he met were trying to get on the show for the last 14 years Modlin said he has played more than 100,000 games through the trivia company Sporcle over the past seven years I like to have a lot of expert knowledge and a lot of different fields as opposed to just specializing in one thing,” Modlin said “I think it’s fun to be able to know a lot of things and then you can strike up a conversation with somebody about something that’s important to them and you actually know how to talk to them about it.” Modlin works at Advanced Hydrogen Technologies Corporation in Morganton Modlin and his partner develop industrial processes and technologies “We’ve developed a lot of really cool technologies like dissimilar material bonding and advanced ballistics,” Modlin said He said he helped develop technology used in fracking Modlin’s favorite trivia categories are geography and physics Sarah Johnson is the courts and breaking news reporter for the Hickory Daily Record Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly North Carolina is growing — with over 600,000 new North Carolinians moving to the Tar Heel State over the past five years driving that population increase is economic expansion North Carolina is a top state for manufacturing and business and many companies are looking to come to or expand in North Carolina bringing with them tens of thousands of high paying jobs and further cementing the state’s status as an economic powerhouse in the South Accompanying North Carolina’s population and economic growth is an ever-accelerating need for more energy — especially electricity Electricity demand has remained relatively flat for decades but with the expansion of advanced manufacturing and a renewed push to produce American-made products electricity demand in the state is growing and is expected to increase significantly In order to continue to provide affordable and reliable electric service to families and businesses and support the need for new “always available” baseload electricity generation and the infrastructure needed to power more homes hospitals and manufacturing and tech facilities electric companies are going to need to be able to build things more quickly and as inexpensively as possible the legislature is addressing this very issue and a bill has already passed the Senate overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis will modernize practices regulating electric companies at the North Carolina Utilities Commission The provisions in SB 261 have the potential to reduce baseload generation project costs by updating policies that allow electric companies to recoup financing costs during the construction process rather than waiting to recover these costs after all construction is complete Since many projects take a number of years to build this practice will reduce the amount of debt electric companies have to carry — making it cheaper and faster for companies to build — saving customers billions of dollars SB 261 will keep North Carolina moving in the direction of developing cleaner electricity generation resources by ensuring that the Utilities Commission continues to develop a plan along with the electric companies and other stakeholders to achieve emissions reductions The bill maintains the least cost resource planning provisions in current law/rules that protect consumers from unnecessary cost increases; and requires that any resource changes improve reliability and resource adequacy of the existing electricity grid the United States is experiencing substantial growth in electricity demand States that adopt policies that allow electric companies to most swiftly and affordably respond to that demand will be in the best position to reap the rewards of economic growth It is important that North Carolina's elected officials balance opportunities for economic growth and jobs with protecting utility customers from volatile rate increases Legislation similar to SB 261 has passed in states like South Carolina Passing SB 261 will keep North Carolina on par with its competitors and secure investments in the state’s energy infrastructure creating a positive ripple effect on the economy and quality of life for North Carolinians while still maintaining the Utility Commission’s strong regulatory oversight over electric companies Southeast director for Consumer Energy Alliance letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly Letters to the editor are the opinion of the author died last weekend after she drowned at a Bonita Springs beach as bystanders attempted lifesaving measures According to a Lee County sheriff's incident report arrived at Little Hickory Beach shortly before 7 p.m A witness told sheriff's officials during a 911 call that he was at the beach with his wife and three children while two children played in waist-to-chest-height water Animal cruelty arrest: Fort Myers man arrested after Fort Myers Police find dog with collar embedded the witness told authorities he could only see one of the children standing in the water and could not see the second one The witness said he then went out to the shore where he could see the girl floating face down the girl was unresponsive and not breathing A bystander r began to perform CPR while others called 911 First responders rushed the girl to a Collier County hospital At least two 911 calls alerted authorities Dispatchers remained on the line with witnesses for just over eight minutes who remained on the line for about three minutes told a dispatcher she was by Sea Isles Condominiums The woman said the girl was drowning when bystanders pulled her to shore "Now they're trying to get the water out of her lungs," she said the dispatcher asked the woman to walk to the nearest street and alert first responders as they approached the scene A second 911 call lasted about five minutes The second witness was also by Sea Isles Condominiums and it looks like there's an unconscious little girl right by West Bay [Beach] Club." The witness said it seemed as if the girl had been "pulled under." "It looks like there's a lot of sand coming out of her mouth," the witness said of the girl He said other bystanders were already performing CPR he approached the other bystanders and guided them through the lifesaving measures as the dispatcher provided them with instructions over the phone Authorities did not release identifying information concerning the girl Hickory offers a fine dining experience inspired by the diverse flavors of Appalachia is leading the team with a focus on elevating Appalachian roots on a plate "I want everything to taste as close to springtime year-round because this is the most exciting time in Appalachia for me So there are a lot of components in this that are very vibrant," said Milton Milton draws inspiration from his upbringing "We try to use so many ingredients that people forget are indigenous to here and I would pick persimmons and Paw Paws and chinkapins on the banks of the Clinch River with my mom The new spring menu features dishes such as duck we're putting back into the community what was given to us and we're trying to show people that you don't have to go 100 miles to get a good meal You can come right here in your back door and get a good meal," said Stafford The menu includes Appalachian staples like beets "This may not be exactly what you grew up eating but there's bits and pieces of it all throughout there that will hopefully give you that taste memory of being with your grandmother or being down on the farm and smelling fresh hay I try to evoke those kind of things," he said May God bring comfort and peace to you all during this time of loss We are very thankful for the privilege that God gave us to meet you and Ernie and to serve with you for a year at Providence Baptist church I’m sorry to hear the passing of Ernie I worked with him in the pharmacy at Grace Hospital for several years.He taught me how to swallow capsules ,he’ll probably laugh about that Our condolences to you Diane and your entire family I worked with Ernie at Grace Hospital for a number of years I worked on 6th floor,med surge floor when I started out.Anytime that I had a question or needed help with a med,he would take the time to give me the answer He was the best of the best.I will always remember his kindness and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Phone: 8288740411 Fax: (828) 874-5390 Visit our Granite Falls location A Hickory firefighter received a minor injury while fighting a house fire on Sunday evening Hickory Fire Education Coordinator Terri Byers said The Hickory Fire Department determined an electrical issue was the cause of the blaze Hickory firefighters were sent to the reported fire at 1038 12th St Firefighters arrived at the house in three minutes Firefighters reported seeing fire and smoke coming from the back of the two-story house All occupants were able to escape the house safely Smoke alarms in the house alerted the residents to the fire Firefighters put the fire out by 8:12 p.m. The American Red Cross is helping the family Catawba County EMS and Hickory Police Department also responded to the scene Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter The only reason I've been able to come up with is because students are leaving Catawba County Schools an… Hawks Landing in north Hickory was purchased for $27 million The Village at Catawba Ridge was purchased for $16 million There was a child in the car at the time of the crash Deputies were sent to the scene of the death shortly before 11:30 p.m One of the guns was reported stolen out of Lincoln County By Caleb WethingtonPublished: Apr 2025 at 11:26 AM CDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInNASHVILLE (WSMV) - The Metro Nashville Police Department identified a woman who was killed in a crash on Old Hickory Boulevard on Wednesday morning MNPD reports that the woman killed was identified as 30-year-old Roberta Osgood Here are instructions on how to watch WSMV4 live on various platforms. Police said that it appears Osgood was driving her 2017 Toyota Highlander west on OHB when she traveled off the roadway She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center “There was no evidence of alcohol or drug involvement at the scene Osgood was wearing her seatbelt,” MNPD said “The preliminary contributing factors to this crash appear to be speed and failure to maintain lane of travel.” and federal government websites often end in .gov Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address Before sharing sensitive or personal information make sure you're on an official state website Predecessor takes on a new leadership role overseeing multiple parks in eastern Pennsylvania region PA – Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn today announced the appointment of  Stacie Hall as the new park operations manager for the Hickory Run State Park Complex in Eastern Pennsylvania “Stacie is a strong leader who is familiar with the region and the Hickory Run complex which makes her a great fit for this role,” Secretary Dunn said and dedication will ensure these parks continue to thrive as valued outdoor destinations for Pennsylvanians and visitors from all over the world.” “I grew up in this area and spent so much time at these parks as a child I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in the area as a steward of these wonderful natural spaces,” said Hall visitors and the surrounding communities to ensure these places are protected and conserved for future generations.” Hall comes to the Hickory Run complex after nine years at Pymatuning State Park most recently serving as the assistant manager Her career with DCNR began as a park manager trainee in the western region of Pennsylvania’s state park system She spent time in the Resource Management Division in DCNR’s Harrisburg office and later spent 10 years at Ohiopyle State Park Hall holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science Environmental Policy and Biology from Albright College and visiting national parks with her family – husband Former Hickory Run State Park Complex Manager Rex Bradish has transitioned to a leadership role overseeing the Anthracite Division His new responsibilities include Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center “I will miss the daily management responsibilities and interacting with visitors but I’m really looking at being able to help out the new generation of managers at the amazing parks in this region,” said Bradish “I grew up with these parks and appreciate all they have to offer I hope to share that with visitors across the new division.” Bradish holds an undergraduate degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Penn State He began his career at DCNR as a ranger at Ricketts Glen State Park before being selected as a park manager trainee spending time in DCNR’s Harrisburg offices and the southcentral region of state parks He also has served as an assistant manager at Cook Forest and Clear Creek state parks and park operations manager at Promised Land and Hickory Run state park complexes Last year, Governor Josh Shapiro launched Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway a new tourism brand highlighting the Commonwealth’s outdoor recreation opportunities Pennsylvania’s state parks provide free access to nature making them ideal destinations for relaxation and adventure Visit DCNR’s website for more information about Pennsylvania state parks and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for happenings on public lands The number of people in the labor force in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan area declined over the past year dropping from 172,035 in March 2024 to 170,417 in March 2025 The statewide labor force has steadily increased March 2025 marked the 16th consecutive month that the Hickory area — comprised of Catawba Caldwell and Alexander counties — had fewer people in the labor force when comparing year-over-year data November 2023 was the last time the metro area had more people in the labor force than it did the same month in the previous year Department of Commerce defines the labor force as “the total number of age 16+ noninstitutionalized civilians who are working or are actively seeking work and are available for employment.” Catawba County’s labor force had about 850 fewer people in March 2025 than March 2024 A chart showing the trend of the Hickory metro area’s labor force from January 2023 to March 2025 Western Piedmont Council of Governments Director of the Workforce Development Board Charity Patterson Hamber said the declining workforce is largely due to an aging population The workforce development board is comprised primarily of private sector employers “As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age we are witnessing a significant outflow of experienced workers,” Hamber said by email “This trend not only reduces the overall labor pool but also leads to the loss of valuable leadership institutional knowledge and industry expertise.” Hamber said fewer college and high school-age people are entering the workforce compared to previous generations “A secondary factor involves a segment of the adult population who are not currently engaged in the workforce,” Hamber said “Many are serving as caregivers for family members while others may have the financial stability that allows them to opt out of the labor force altogether.” Hamber said the health care industry was the most likely industry to struggle with hiring “As the baby boomer generation continues to age the demand for health care services will only increase creating a sustained need for workers across a variety of health care professions,” Hamber said Catawba Valley Medical Center Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Michele Sedney said the hospital system has experienced difficulty hiring in recent years Catawba Valley Medical Center has experienced workforce shortages just like other hospital and health care systems,” Sedney said in an email “We have made significant progress over the past two years in recruiting incentivizing agency staff to convert to full-time regular staff and apprenticeship programs as initiatives the hospital system has taken to address hiring issues “We have seen improvement in the hiring situation,” Sedney said “We aren’t going to stop focusing our efforts on workforce because there can be external forces beyond our control that can impact our hiring situation at any point in time.” Catawba Valley Medical Center had 140 open jobs listed on their website Catawba Valley Medical Center was the largest employer in Catawba County as of the third quarter of 2024 A chart showing an upward trend in the state’s labor force from January 2023 to March 2025 Hamber said the Western Piedmont Workforce is working with partners in the region and has established a certified health care pathway than can help people gain skills and certifications to become health care workers According to the state department of commerce the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro area saw private education and health service jobs increase by 500 while professional and business service jobs decreased by 400 over a year The data also showed a decrease of 1,200 manufacturing jobs and an increase of 600 jobs in the trade The March 2025 unemployment rate in Catawba County was 3.5% similar to March 2024 when the unemployment rate was 3.6% The city of Hickory’s March 2025 unemployment rate was 3.5% The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metro area had an unemployment rate of 3.6% in March 2025 The metro area’s unemployment rate was 3.5% in March 2024 The number of people employed in the metro area decreased by 1,743 and the number of unemployed increased by 125 in year-over-year data North Carolina’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in March 2025 up from March 2024 when the unemployment rate was 3.9% Billy Chapman is a reporter with the Hickory Daily Record wchapman@hickoryrecord.com Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Hickory City Council met in regular session Tuesday (April 15) and the consent agenda were unanimously approved Under second readings was a speed limit reduction to 25 mph along 4th Street NW from 3rd Avenue NW to 7th Avenue NW and along 4th Street Drive NW from 7th Avenue NW to 16th Avenue Among the items on the consent agenda was the approval of a resolution regarding the condemnation of properties for temporary and permanent easements for construction of a multi-use trail for the aviation walk connector the consent agenda included the acceptance of the base bid and approval of the contract with In-Water Services Company in the amount of of $613,618 related to the city’s raw water intake system Council also amended the City Code of Ordinances by enacting a Water System Backflow Prevention Program The next Hickory City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday Walmart plans to remodel stores around Hickory and other locations in North Carolina in 2025 according to a press release from the company Morganton and Taylorsville will be renovated Supercenter stores in Hickory and Granite Falls were not on the list of stores scheduled for a remodel The company will reopen the Walmart Supercenter in Lenoir on May 2 at 9 a.m The reopening celebration includes the presentation of $7,500 in grants to local organizations and the unveiling of a community-inspired mural A rendering of the front of a remodeled Walmart Supercenter Several Walmart Neighborhood Markets will be remodeled in the area expanded online pickup and delivery and remodeling the pharmacy area “Our stores often serve as the heartbeat of the communities we operate in and these remodels are a testament to our dedication to enhancing that role,” Annie Walker A rendering of a remodeled grocery section at a Walmart with new signage The company plans to remodel 41 stores in North Carolina this year Locations in the area that are scheduled for a remodel include: the company employs over 62,000 people in North Carolina across 220 locations Walmart is the largest employer in North Carolina Walmart was the fourth largest employer in Iredell County seventh largest in McDowell County and 10th largest in Burke County Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots stores out of bankruptcy last year “There’s not a lot to do after dinner here so we thought let’s do dinner and let’s do after here in one place.” it is a decision that has been made,” the Camping World vice president said An online publication of Appalachian State University Funds for the food pantry were donated by local residents David Mofford ’09 and Zac Giffin and Zac Giffin made a generous donation to establish the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub at the App State Hickory campus “The Appalachian family has always stepped up to help each other in times of need we’re glad to help bring a vital service to the Hickory campus.” faculty and staff rise above these challenges to eliminate the worry and help ensure our students can thrive.” App State Dean of University Libraries Sue Polanka BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Hickory campus is now home to the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub — a vital resource for Mountaineers who are experiencing food insecurity The food pantry was funded by a generous donation from local residents David Mofford ’09 and Zac Giffin 28 ceremony celebrated the opening of the food pantry which is the first space to be dedicated on the App State Hickory campus The event was attended by the donors and their families as well as university leaders and members of the App State Hickory community App State Dean of University Libraries Sue Polanka said of Mofford and Giffin and today we honor them for their outstanding character and support of App State students.” Polanka helps manage the food pantry in Belk Library and Information Commons on the Boone campus and has been a steadfast advocate for providing resources to combat food insecurity Library staff at the Hickory campus oversee the new Mofford and Giffin Food Hub addresses the crowd at the dedication of the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub Recent studies indicate that more than 44 million people in American households experience food insecurity at some point — and at least 1.2 million North Carolinians the university’s network of food pantries distributed more than 28,000 pounds of food on App State’s campuses welcoming more than 3,000 visitors during the fall semester alone “David and Zac are helping extend this important work to our Hickory campus,” Polanka said The dedication of the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub was held Feb The food pantry was made possible by a generous donation from local Hickory residents David Mofford ’09 and Zac Giffin are Giffin; Mofford; App State Acting Provost Neva J Specht; Interim Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Will Sears; Dean of University Libraries Sue Polanka; and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor J.J Mofford and Giffin both cite past personal experiences as important motivating factors in their commitment to giving back to their communities Mofford, a Hickory native and 2009 graduate of App State, served as president of the Student Government Association during his time as a student providing him with a broad awareness of the needs of App State students He said his parents — who were local business owners in the Catawba Valley until their retirement — instilled in him a strong sense of philanthropy and community support which is reflected in his support of the first food pantry at the Hickory campus we’re glad to help bring a vital service to the Hickory campus,” said Mofford “The Mountaineer Food Hubs across the university provide a safe nonjudgmental space for support during times of need We’re hopeful that this will be a great resource for many years to come.” is equally invested in giving back to the Hickory community Giffin has spent his career helping others having worked for Duke Health Development and Alumni Affairs where he supported philanthropic efforts for Duke Children’s Hospital and Duke Cancer Institute Gifts to the Mountaineer Food Hub can be made online or by contacting Jeff McPherson at [email protected] Share your feedback on this story App State’s network of campus food pantries helps meet the needs of Mountaineers In addition to the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub at the App State Hickory campus a food pantry can be found in each of the following facilities on the Boone campus: A satellite food pantry is available at the App State Academy at Middle Fork Learn more about the Mountaineer Food Hub. And view food pantry locations by visiting App State’s interactive campus map App State addresses critical needs across the university These needs are as diverse as providing scholarships so that students can attend App State to making sure our faculty and classrooms are empowered to graduate 21st-century professionals Every gift to the university has the power to ensure the App State Experience for our students and make a difference Appalachian State University’s Mountaineer Food Hub and Free Store is available to students The Food Hub serves as a means to address food insecurity and provides staple foods breakfast items and personal care products The Free Store is a means to conserve resources and provides interview clothing App State’s Mountaineer Food Hub has new resources to address food insecurity within the Boone campus community thanks to a $50,000 donation from Harris Teeter — marking the largest corporate gift in the food hub’s history Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University If you cannot find what you're looking for here Copyright 2025 Appalachian State University University CommunicationsASU Box 32153Boone, NC 28608828-262-6156[email protected] Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback our WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News tipsters alerted us to a rollover crash on Old Hickory Blvd The wreck occurred between Birchwood Lane and Russell Road Jackson police and fire responded to the scene and were seen asking motorists to take an alternate route According to the Jackson Police Department via the Atlas One app There is no immediate word on the cause of the crash Stay with us online and on air as we work to gather more information For more local traffic coverage, click here NC- The Hickory Crawdads and Hub City Spartanburgers will play a two-game exhibition series to kick off the 2025 season The Ranger affiliates will begin the series in Hickory April 1st at 6pm before heading to Spartanburg for a game on Wednesday evening at 6:35pm Tickets for the Hickory game are on sale now and start at $9 Concessions and the Performance Food Group Crawdads Café will be open with the full menu available for food and drinks presented by Hebrew National and WHKY 1290AM and 102.3FM will return for the exhibition Hot dogs will be $1 and fans can bring their dogs for a $1 ticket that is donated back to the humane society It will also be a Craft Beer Tuesday by Lowes Foods and craft beer will be half off As the Crawdads head to Spartanburg on Wednesday, it will be the first game hosted by the Spartanburgers, who are playing in their inaugural season. As a membership benefit, Crawdads season ticket members can get free tickets to the game in Spartanburg. To RSVP for the event members can reach out to John at [email protected] “The arrival of the Spartanburgers creates a fantastic opportunity for our affiliates going forward with the ballparks just 90 miles apart and both under strong DBH leadership,” said Josh Bonifay “These games will be a great chance for our players to get their feet wet in their respective home ballparks before regular season games start,” Bonifay said “With the renovations done in Hickory over the past several years and a ballpark opening in Hub City that will be the pinnacle of Minor League Baseball The Crawdads will return to North Carolina following the Wednesday game for Opening Night in Kannapolis on Friday The three-game series will reignite the Battle of the Backroads rivalry with Kannapolis an opponent they haven’t played since the 2019 season April 8th will be Opening Night in Hickory as the Augusta GreenJackets come to town for six games Tickets for the regular season will go on sale on Friday please call the ‘Dads front office at (828) 322-3000 NC — NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick will return to his short track roots in a special way this spring as he has been named Grand Marshal for the “Ross & Witmer 255” at Hickory Motor Speedway on Thursday The event serves as the fourth race of the 2025 season for the Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour co-sanctioned with the ASA Southern Super Series Harvick’s appearance adds star power to what is already shaping up to be one of the premier mid-week racing showcases of the year just days before the NASCAR Memorial Day Weekend festivities at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be competing in the Legend car division at the Hickory event Harvick’s career is marked by both longevity and dominance ranking him among the top 10 all-time winners in NASCAR’s premier division Harvick also scored two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships and totaled over 100 wins across NASCAR’s top three national touring series Known as one of the sport’s most respected and media-savvy veterans his presence at Hickory continues his deep-rooted connection to grassroots motorsports The Ross & Witmer 255 event will take place over two days: For those unable to attend in person, full exclusive live coverage of the event will stream at www.tracktv.com — the official digital home of the Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour Cobb County DOT will hold a public meeting on Tuesday from 5 pm to 7 pm at Burnt Hickory Church of Christ in Marietta to discuss proposed safety improvements at the intersection of Barrett Parkway and Burnt Hickory Road Join us in person to learn more or click below to view the project factsheet and comment cards Factsheet and Comment Card Project Concept Board Powered by I.F. Cobb DOT contractors will begin a drainage project on Burnt Hickory Road This project is essential to replace two 6-foot corrugated metal pipes that cross underneath Burnt Hickory Road Construction is expected to be completed by November 18 Burnt Hickory Road will be closed to through traffic from Mars Hill Road to Hadaway Road for the duration of this project For more information and updates about road closures in Cobb County, visit cobbcommute.org. The Hickory Crawdads banged out 13 hits on Thursday night to defeat the Salem Red Sox 8-0 at LP Frans Stadium Thomas Ireland and William Privette stymied the Red Sox scattering seven hits while striking out ten Salem hitters on their way to the club’s second shutout of the season tossing four scoreless frames to lower his ERA to 4.30 The effort was highlighted by a six-strikeout performance that saw the Florida native pitch the four innings without surrendering a walk holding Salem (7-11) to just two baserunners in his four innings of shutout ball the Saskatchewan native retired the final eight hitters faced to move his record to 2-1 William Privette pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the second time this week as Maxton Martin and Luis Marquez paced the attack with a trio of hits for each on the evening Jose De Jesus collected his first base knock in a Hickory uniform to go with three RBI to help the ‘Dads cruise to victory Chandler Pollard returned from the IL tonight and immediately impacted the Crawdads the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Week as the Crawdads go after their second win of the series on Friday against Salem starter Blake Aita Friday’s game will be 2000s night with a post-game firework show by Bumgarner Oil and WHKY 1290AM & 102.3FM {Information provided by the Hickory Crawdads}