Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - A husband and father of three was hit and killed by a car while working on the back of a garbage truck in Lincoln County Tuesday night He was described as a devoted husband and loving father A GoFundMe was set up for the family to help pay for the funeral and daily living costs “Any support to help them through this difficult time would be greatly appreciated,” the GoFundMe organizer wrote over $600 has been raised for the Carpenter family The deadly crash happened around 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, along North Carolina Highway 27 near Highway 150 in Lincolnton Troopers said a Mack garbage truck was stopped in the travel lane of Highway 27 when a Toyota Camry “failed to reduce speed adequately” and hit Carpenter near the back of the truck She was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed --> Previous coverage: Sanitation employee hit, killed by car while working in Lincoln County Paramedics rushed Carpenter to an area hospital Investigators do not believe impairment was a factor in the crash; no other injuries were reported 22-year-old Yonathan Misael Paz Molina of Lincolnton was arrested by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Officers on April 29 on seven felony counts of statutory rape of a child Paz Molina had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female on multiple occasions The juvenile was living with the man at the time of the investigation and was placed in Lincoln County D.S.S Detectives say the man is not related to the juvenile who is believed to be originally from Honduras Crouse Detention Center under a no bond hold He was also placed an immigration detainer A District Court appearance was scheduled for May 20 30-year-old Peter Grant Catoe of Knollwood Drive in Boone has been arrested by Boone Police… 42-year-old Christopher Scott Woody of Antioch Road in Morganton was arrested by Burke County Sheriff’s… 33-year-old Kayly Renee Allman of Glen Powell Avenue and 41-year-old Dustin Ray McCurry of Hawkins… Queen City News LINCOLNTON N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The manager of a Lincolnton vape shop was charged with 12 felonies tied to underage sales after the store was the site of a shooting earlier this month the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and Lincolnton Police Department concluded a joint investigation involving Dave’s a tobacco and vape shop on North Aspen Street ALE says they received complaints regarding an increased amount of vape products confiscated from underage students; Dave’s is roughly 500 feet from the entrance to Lincolnton High School.  ALE special agents identified and determined Delta9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products from Dave’s contained more than 0.3 % THC making the products illegal to possess and sell Dave’s manager Omari David Cole was handed 20 criminal charges an armed robbery led to an “exchange of gunfire” at this same location Two men were arrested after fleeing to a local urgent care after being injured in the shooting ALE is the lead enforcement agency for the state’s alcoholic beverage control 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 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLNTON (WBTV) - A sanitation employee was hit and killed by a car while he was working in Lincoln County Tuesday night The driver of the vehicle that struck Carpenter was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed The deadly collision happened around 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, along North Carolina Highway 27 near Highway 150 in Lincolnton --> Latest update here: Father of 3 hit, killed by car while working on back of garbage truck in Lincoln County Paramedics took Carpenter to a local hospital Investigators do not believe impairment was a factor in the crash No other injuries were reported from the crash --> Also read: Gas leak shuts down major highway in Matthews for hours Authorities advised that the roadway was closed for about two hours during the on-scene investigation A worker in a roadway was struck and killed in a collision Tuesday night (April 29) The deceased is 35-year-old Brandon Scott Carpenter of Dallas State Highway Patrol responded to a fatal collision in Lincoln County on NC 27 near NC 150 A 2014 Mack garbage truck was stopped in the travel lane while performing its duties A 2011 Toyota Camry traveling west on NC 27 failed to adequately reduce speed and struck a worker in the roadway at the rear of the truck was transported to an area hospital where he passed away from his injuries 35-year-old Danica Lashea Borders of Lincolnton The initial investigation does not indicate impairment to be a contributing factor Borders was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed the roadway was closed in the area for approximately two hours No other workers on the commercially operated truck were injured A home sustained heavy damage in a fire Sunday night (May 5) Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has received an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog… North Carolina election officials routinely update the voter registration rolls through a uniform and nondiscriminatory… By Connor LomisPublished: May 2025 at 2:37 PM EDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLNTON (WBTV) - Seven arrests were made Wednesday after undercover deputies allegedly bought “large amounts” of illegal drugs from suspects in Lincoln County The arrests were reportedly made on Wednesday and crack cocaine throughout the Lincolnton area the seven people below were arrested and charged --> Also read: Duo tried to steal 6 shopping carts of electronics from Union County Walmart, deputies say By Brandy BeardPublished: May 2025 at 2:59 PM EDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLNTON (WBTV) - A man was charged with child sex crimes and held without bond following an investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was charged with seven felony counts of statutory rape of a child on Tuesday Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed an immigration detainer on Paz Molina Crouse Detention Center and held without bond Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMorning 3 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day A husband and father of three was hit and killed by a car while working on the back of a garbage truck in Lincoln County on Tuesday night Read more here. The Trump administration’s tariff policy against China is causing shipments of goods from China to drop but the chief executives of Target and Walmart privately warned U.S President Donald Trump that it could lead to supply shortages voters were bracing for whatever happens next See what locals had to say here. An Appalachian State University student was in the ICU this week after she was hit by a car leaving a music festival in Boone over the weekend See more details here. We’re also tracking thunderstorm chances over the next few days including during the Lovin’ Life Music Fest in Charlotte this weekend Read the full forecast here, or watch below. Watch WBTV News and QC Life live in the video player below. — Paying customers of a Lincolnton cemetery are outraged with how their buried loved ones are being treated Residents have called out Forest Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum on Highway-150 for improperly kept graves The cemetery is home to hundreds of gravesites Crystal Norville has in-laws buried at the site and said she recently began to notice problems with specific graves “I noticed that the graves were sinking and I walked out across the graveyard and I fell into a grave,” Norville said Norville found graves with cracked headstones She noticed some gravestone pictures were destroyed and flower holders were knocked down or completely missing Norville said she is working with the Cemetery Commission to hopefully spark change at Forest Lawn Cemetery. She recommends anyone with loved ones buried at the cemetery, who has also noticed problems, to reach out to the Cemetery Commission at (919) 981-2536. “These people deserve better,” Norville said. WCCB attempted to reach the NC Cemetery Commission by phone for comment, but has not yet heard back. Faithful Heritage Holdings has also not yet responded to questions asked through email and voicemail. LINCOLNTON, N.C. – An attempted robbery was stopped thanks to an employee who fought back. Lincolnton Police say two men went into Dave’s vape shop to rob it Thursday afternoon, while a third waited outside in a getaway car. At least one had a gun. Police say they assaulted an employee in the store, stole merchandise and cash. But as they ran from the store, the employee fired a gun at them, hitting one of the robbers. The two robbers later showed up at a local urgent care to get medical help, where they were arrested. The getaway car driver was also located and arrested. 20-year-old Kwan Monteith, Junior and 20-year-old Jacorrian Montgomery are now charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon. More charges are pending. LINCOLNTON, N.C. – A Lincolnton vape shop owner is facing 12 felony charges following an investigation by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and the Lincolnton Police Department. The agencies started looking into Dave’s on North Aspen Street after getting complaints about increased amounts of vape products confiscated from underage students. The tobacco shop is directly across from Lincolnton High School. Special agents identified and determined THC products from Dave’s contained more than 0.3 % THC, making the products illegal to possess and sell. As a result, Omari Cole faces 20 criminal charges, 12 of of which are felonies. Forcing skip."),history.go(-1))})},1e3),window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],window.dataLayer.push({event:"GAEvent",eventAction:"contentStart",eventCategory:"video",eventLabel:"Highlights: Lincolnton's L.J Smith takes over OT to oust Maiden",videoTitle:"Highlights: Lincolnton's L.J Smith takes over OT to oust Maiden",eventValue:"HTML Video",idAsset:"21886036",siteSection:"HighSchoolOT",contentSource:"HighSchoolOT",updated:"2025-02-28T22:20:06-0500",published:"2025-02-28T22:20:06-0500",contributors:[{role:"Web Editor",name:"J Mike Blake",url:"/rs/bio//"}]}),window?.testify&&window.testify([{sensor:"content-start",dimensions:[{name:"user",value:userNonce},{name:"url",value:document.location.toString()}],measures:[{name:"id",value:"21886036"},{name:"title",value:"Highlights: Lincolnton's L.J Smith takes over OT to oust Maiden"},{name:"updated",value:"2025-02-28T22:20:06-0500"},{name:"published",value:"2025-02-28T22:20:06-0500"}]}])}),n.on("adend",()=>{n.play()})})Boys BasketballHighlights: Lincolnton's L.J Smith takes over OT to oust MaidenThe Wolves are moving on the third round after a 72-69 win in overtime at Maiden on Feb — The North Carolina Cemetery Commission has answers for what is being done to resolve damage at a Lincolnton cemetery WCCB reported Wednesday that customers of Forest Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum were unhappy with the state of the graveyard An NC Cemetery Commission representative reached out to WCCB Charlotte’s Zane Cina to detail the steps the organization has taken to get the damages repaired The Cemetery Commission says Faithful Heritage Holdings the Florida company which owns and manages the cemetery According to a statement from the Commission cemetery “management reports that several steps have been taken to correct the damage.” Faithful Heritage Holdings, Inc. has not yet responded to an email or voice mail left by WCCB asking what exactly those steps include The NC Cemetery Commission said that while ownership appears to be cooperating right now the Commission’s investigation is ongoing and they’ll continue to verify complaints If the investigation reveals enough wrongdoing the Commission could ask a judge to place Forest Lawn Cemetery in receivership Receivership could lead to the cemetery being impounded The Cemetery Commission said that currently nine different cemeteries across the state are in receivership Five of those cemeteries were placed in receivership due to the mismanaging of funds So far the NC Cemetery Commission said it has received multiple formal complaints about the conditions of Forest Lawn’s grounds A commission representative said it will take much more complaints from customers before the problems can be brought to court LINCOLNTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There has been a push in North Carolina municipalities to put zoning restrictions in place which ban new vape shops from opening near schools Dave’s vape shop is right beside Lincolnton High School on North Aspen Street According to Lincolnton’s assistant city manager the business was allowed to open there under the city permit it received in November 2023 State Alcohol Law Enforcement agents say they started looking into Dave’s because they say they got more and more complaints about vape products confiscated from underage students A couple of businesses and neighbors don’t like the vape shop being so close to Lincolnton High School A two-lane street is all that separates them Neighbors remember the chaos three weeks ago The neighbor didn’t know where the shots came from at first and feared it was a school shooting “I initially was pretty spooked because I live close to the high school so I thought they could come here to hide,” said the neighbor police say three suspects robbed the store and got into a shootout with a worker there we don’t have a lot of violence,” said another neighbor ALE officials and the Lincolnton Police Department announced that they charged Omari Cole ALE agents say they found some of the business’s Delta 9 products contained more than 0.3% THC “I don’t have a problem with someone doing their business as long as it isn’t detrimental to the kids at the school,” said Binderup He says Lincoln County officials should consider doing what one other county in North Carolina There they’ve banned new vape shops from opening within 1,000 feet of a school in the unincorporated parts of the county “Especially with the heightened awareness on shootings at schools we don’t need the opportunity for a threat,” said Binderup The assistant city manager for Lincolnton says when Dave’s opened in 2023 the business was allowed to open up based on the zoning a new city zoning amendment was passed that bars new vape shops to open within 500 feet of a school Assistant City Manager Scott Clark sent Queen City News the following information on the requirements of the zoning amendment: Smoke shop with the following prescribed standards:   Shall not be located within 500 feet of any K-12 public school or licensed childcare facility;             2.   Shall not be located within 1,000 feet of any other smoke shop;             3.   Separation is required to prevent overconcentration which is defined as three or more of these uses existing within a 1,000-foot radius of the business Required separation distance shall be measured as a radius from the front door of one business to the front door of the surrounding business located within or outside the city’s corporate limits; and             4.   Must meet all sign regulations in the udo including but not limited to: (a) flashing signs or any signs with flashing or intermittent light or lights or reflective devices of changing degree of intensity or color are prohibited; or (b) a maximum of 10% of the wall area of any wall on the building LINCOLNTON, N.C (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Two men have been charged, one of whom was injured by gunfire, in connection to an armed robbery in Lincolnton Thursday afternoon.  According to the Lincolnton Police Department, officers responded to the Dave’s vape shop on North Aspen Street around 1:15 pm. Upon arrival, they located a male victim from the store on the ground with physical injuries.  The investigation determined that two suspects entered the store, located a few blocks from Lincolnton High School, to commit a robbery while a third suspect remained in their vehicle. Officers believe at least one of them was armed.  The suspects, Kwan Monteith Jr. and Jacorrion Montgomery, allegedly physically assaulted a store employee and stole items, along with an undisclosed amount of cash. As the suspects fled the scene, officers say there was an exchange of gunfire, resulting in one of the suspects being shot.  Shortly after, the suspects drove to the Atrium Urgent Care in Lincolnton. Two of them were taken into custody at Urgent Care, and the third was located behind a business on Stanford Drive.  One suspect was transported to a hospital by Lincoln County EMS for a gunshot wound, and the employee was transported by Lincoln County EMS for injuries to the head.  Monteith and Montgomery were charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon.  The case remains under investigation, and additional charges are pending.  The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.  Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to Babycenter, 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. If you’re a teacher, take advantage of these freebies and deals! Forcing skip."),history.go(-1))})},1e3),window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],window.dataLayer.push({event:"GAEvent",eventAction:"contentStart",eventCategory:"video",eventLabel:"Lincolnton boys basketball coach Jalen Littlejohn on what makes recruit L.J Smith special",videoTitle:"Lincolnton boys basketball coach Jalen Littlejohn on what makes recruit L.J Smith special",eventValue:"HTML Video",idAsset:"21857037",siteSection:"HighSchoolOT",contentSource:"HighSchoolOT",updated:"2025-02-12T15:39:05-0500",published:"2025-02-12T15:37:44-0500",contributors:[{role:"Web Editor",name:"J Mike Blake",url:"/rs/bio//"}]}),window?.testify&&window.testify([{sensor:"content-start",dimensions:[{name:"user",value:userNonce},{name:"url",value:document.location.toString()}],measures:[{name:"id",value:"21857037"},{name:"title",value:"Lincolnton boys basketball coach Jalen Littlejohn on what makes recruit L.J Smith special"},{name:"updated",value:"2025-02-12T15:39:05-0500"},{name:"published",value:"2025-02-12T15:37:44-0500"}]}])}),a.on("adend",()=>{a.play()})})Boys BasketballLincolnton boys basketball coach Jalen Littlejohn on what makes recruit L.J Smith specialSmith has more than 1,500 points before his sophomore year ends He's one of the top 100 recruits in the 2026 class LINCOLNTON, N.C. — Repairs seem to be underway at a local cemetery after WCCB Charlotte’s Zane Cina started to ask questions. Complaints about damaged graves have piled up at Forest Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum in Lincolnton. Now WCCB has answers from the North Carolina Cemetery Commission about what the organization is doing to help concerned patrons Since WCCB’s first report in February about disrepair at the cemetery 22 different complaints have been filed with the State’s Cemetery Commission 10 are about issues dealing with individual merchandise damages such as cracked headstones A Commission representative stated in an email that six of the 10 have been repaired and the other four are awaiting vase replacements The Commission rep said evidence of orders for those four vase replacements have been provided by cemetery staff WCCB contacted the cemetery’s Florida based owner, Faithful Heritage Holdings, INC A self-described manager answered the phone but only said “no comment” before abruptly hanging up the call WCCB did not have a chance to ask a question A handful of cemetery customers have said they struggle to contact ownership themselves A crew visited Forest Lawn Cemetery Wednesday to see what repairs have been completed Next to several graves three large piles of dirt draped with loosely tied tarps could be seen Next to one of the dirt piles laid an upside down headstone completely severed from the ground A rectangular block of granite could also be seen the crew only found one headstone with a crack running down the middle More than 30 different grave plots were observed to be covered in straw which barely hid the exposed dirt underneath Of these many graves only one appeared noticeably to be slightly sunk in A representative with the Cemetery Commission stated while it is not pretty in the short term straw covered graves are necessary to keep seed or sod and fresh soil from getting washed out and blown away during windy or rainy weather The straw ultimately allows for grass to grow over plots uninterrupted A former Forest Lawn employee spoke anonymously during a phone call The employee believes the straw won’t fix the more apparent problem that comes with sunken in graves “You need to put dirt on that,” the former employee said “Straw is not going to cover it.” The former employee said she does not have any loved ones buried in the cemetery but she still watches the graveyard closely as she deeply cares for the affected families The employee feels that cemetery ownership is dragging its feet with repairs “I think they’re hoping it goes away,” the past employee said “They’re hoping that these families quit calling.” The previous employee said she too has struggled to reach ownership The Cemetery Commission planned to visit Forest Lawn by the end of the week that visit has now been pushed back to the second week of March an update will be sent to each of the received 22 complaints A Commission rep said Forest Lawn grounds crews are in contact with the State organization almost daily Forcing skip."),history.go(-1))})},1e3),window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],window.dataLayer.push({event:"GAEvent",eventAction:"contentStart",eventCategory:"video",eventLabel:"Lincolnton high-scoring sophomore L.J Smith on what he's learned after last season ended with injury",videoTitle:"Lincolnton high-scoring sophomore L.J Smith on what he's learned after last season ended with injury",eventValue:"HTML Video",idAsset:"21857026",siteSection:"HighSchoolOT",contentSource:"HighSchoolOT",updated:"2025-02-13T13:31:07-0500",published:"2025-02-12T15:37:00-0500",contributors:[{role:"Web Editor",name:"J Mike Blake",url:"/rs/bio//"}]}),window?.testify&&window.testify([{sensor:"content-start",dimensions:[{name:"user",value:userNonce},{name:"url",value:document.location.toString()}],measures:[{name:"id",value:"21857026"},{name:"title",value:"Lincolnton high-scoring sophomore L.J Smith on what he's learned after last season ended with injury"},{name:"updated",value:"2025-02-13T13:31:07-0500"},{name:"published",value:"2025-02-12T15:37:00-0500"}]}])}),n.on("adend",()=>{n.play()})})Boys BasketballLincolnton high-scoring sophomore L.J Smith on what he's learned after last season ended with injurySmith averaged more than 30 points per game but had his freshman year cut short with injury (WBTV) - Within hours of a teenager’s body being found on the side of a Lincoln County road Monday authorities said there were obvious signs that he was murdered Shortly before noon, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said a 16-year-old’s body was found along Whitehouse Drive in Lincolnton they called the teen’s death a “possible homicide.” investigators said there were signs of foul play but still did not comment on how the teenager may have been killed is that the area where his body was found is not one that is often traveled that area,” Lincoln County Chief Deputy Matt Lykins said “The only thing down there is the old mill itself Now it gets rented out...it’s being utilized for workers to come in and do things but traffic is very non-existent down there.” but authorities said Whitehouse Drive was not a place the teen should have been found Investigators were at the scene for hours Monday working to gather clues as to what may have happened Officials have not yet publicly released the teenager’s name Anyone with information about the case should call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 704-732-9050 the Lincoln County Communications Center at 704-735-8202 or Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 704-736-8909 Previous Coverage: Teen found dead on side of Lincoln County road, deputies say A third draft of the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 conference realignment plan for high school athletics was released Friday morning With a move to eight classifications looming ahead of the 2025-26 school term the state’s athletic governing body has spent the last few months seeking input and drawing proposals as to how the new system may work After separating schools by their Average Daily Membership (ADM) in November the NCHSAA provided a first draft in November A second draft was released in late January REALIGNMENT SECOND DRAFT: NCHSAA's second conference realignment draft shakes up one Gastonia, Shelby league FIRST DRAFT: NCHSAA conference realignment proposal is out. How are Gastonia, Shelby schools affected? To the chagrin of some, the current grouping of Southern Piedmont 1A/2A could receive another go, the latest draft proposal calling for six of seven schools presently in the league to be part of a 2A/3A/4A conference. According to the plan, Lincolnton, Stuart Cramer and West Lincoln would join Bessemer City, Burns, Cherryville, East Gaston, Highland Tech and Shelby in the league. East Lincoln and North Lincoln are slated to be part of a 4A/5A conference, the latest proposal grouping them with Bandys, Bunker Hill, Foard, Hickory, Maiden, Newton-Conover and West Iredell. Meanwhile, much of Big South 3A as we currently know it would remain intact, with 5A schools such as Crest, Forestview, Hunter Huss, North Gaston and South Point joining Class 6A’s Ashbrook and Kings Mountain. Lincoln Charter would be part of a 2A/3A/4A conference with Bradford Prep, Christ the King, Community School of Davidson, Corvian Community, Langtree Charter, Pine Lake Prep and Lake Norman Charter. Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy (1A)*, Carolina International (1A), Jackson Day (1A), NCSSM (Morganton (1A), Thomas Jefferson (1A)*, Mountain Island Charter (2A)*, Queens Grant (2A), Sugar Creek (2A), Piedmont Community Charter (3A) * Schools also part of a football-only conference along with Albemarle (2A), Gray Stone Day (2A), North Rowan (2A), South Stanly (2A), North Stanly (3A) and Union Academy (3A). Bradford Prep (2A), Christ the King (2A), Community School of Davidson (2A), Corvian Community (2A), Langtree Charter (2A), Pine Lake Prep (3A), Lake Norman Charter (4A), Lincoln Charter (4A) 2A/3A/4A Conference CCherryville (2A), Highland Tech (2A), Bessemer City (3A), Lincolnton (3A), Shelby (3A), West Lincoln (3A), Burns (4A), East Gaston (4A), Stuart Cramer (4A) Bandys (4A), Bunker Hill (4A), Foard (4A), Maiden (4A), Newton-Conover (4A), West Iredell (4A), East Lincoln (5A), Hickory (5A), North Lincoln (5A) Crest (5A), Forestview (5A), Hunter Huss (5A), North Gaston (5A), South Point (5A), Ashbrook (6A), Kings Mountain (6A) 18-year-old Daniel Ervin McCray of Otis Dellinger Road in Lincolnton was arrested Tuesday (March 11) by Maiden Police Officers. He’s charged with possession of methamphetamine. McCray was incarcerated in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $2,000 bond. A District Court date was scheduled today (March 12). Forcing skip."),history.go(-1))})},1e3),window.dataLayer=window.dataLayer||[],window.dataLayer.push({event:"GAEvent",eventAction:"contentStart",eventCategory:"video",eventLabel:"Lincolnton's L.J Smith and Jalen Littlejohn dissect how the Wolves advanced to the 3rd round",videoTitle:"Lincolnton's L.J Smith and Jalen Littlejohn dissect how the Wolves advanced to the 3rd round",eventValue:"HTML Video",idAsset:"21886037",siteSection:"HighSchoolOT",contentSource:"HighSchoolOT",updated:"2025-02-28T22:22:07-0500",published:"2025-02-28T22:20:05-0500",contributors:[{role:"Web Editor",name:"J Mike Blake",url:"/rs/bio//"}]}),window?.testify&&window.testify([{sensor:"content-start",dimensions:[{name:"user",value:userNonce},{name:"url",value:document.location.toString()}],measures:[{name:"id",value:"21886037"},{name:"title",value:"Lincolnton's L.J Smith and Jalen Littlejohn dissect how the Wolves advanced to the 3rd round"},{name:"updated",value:"2025-02-28T22:22:07-0500"},{name:"published",value:"2025-02-28T22:20:05-0500"}]}])}),n.on("adend",()=>{n.play()})})Boys BasketballLincolnton's L.J Smith and Jalen Littlejohn dissect how the Wolves advanced to the 3rd roundOther players stepped up for the Wolves to pull out the win on Feb News Joseph Caley received a new home thanks to Homes For Our Troops The City of Lincolnton gave a local veteran a hero’s welcome celebrating his and his family’s imminent new beginning.  Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a national nonprofit that purchases land and builds new custom homes to donate to severely injured post-9/11 military veterans constructed with modifications to provide greater access for injured or disable vets lower light switches and higher electric outlets has built over 400 homes for vets in its 20 years they have lost the freedom of independence that they were fighting to defend for us,” said Bill Ivey This is repaying a debt we owe these guys and gals.” Joseph Caley was serving as an infantry platoon leader in Kalsu attempting to rescue a civilian after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated The explosion left Caley with a traumatic brain injury Caley was a limb salvage patient for 11 years before deciding with his physicians to have it amputated below the knee in January of 2021 He recalled being transported to Eisenhower Medical Center at what was then Fort Gordon “I still have one that goes from Landstuhl Germany to Andrews Air Force Base,” Caley said “This is one of the very few mementos that I keep and lends some validity to what happened to me.” Caley learned about HFOT when he was introduced to a builder—a neighbor of a family he lodged with during a visit to San Antonio as part of his amputee care He would apply for the program shortly after Ga.… we kind of want to consider this is a small part of the world,” said Caley who currently lives in Martinez with his wife and two children “Those things don’t happen to people like me.” The nonprofit organized one of its kickoff events in which it honors recipients with a special ceremony coordinated with the community where a selected veteran chooses to have his or her home built: in this case Caley and his family were escorted to the Lincoln Center by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and processional of veteran motorcycle clubs the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Georgia the American Legion riders,  and the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club There they were greeted by a crowd that included fellow vets and their families with the Thomson High School Navy JROTC Color Guard The crowd then moved inside for a ceremony celebrating Caley receiving a new home from HFOT in Lincolnton After a video presentation sharing Cadey’s story there was a series of addresses including two friends Another veteran echoed Cadey’s experience of how the injury prevented him from doing “dad things,” like carrying his son Cadey himself offered thanks to the organization and encouraged others Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com Letters to the Editor | Opinion Briefs General News | News | Politics & Government Crime & Courts | News News | Politics & Government The Augusta Press encourages and welcomes reader comments; however we request this be done in a respectful manner and we retain the discretion to determine which comments violate our comment policy remove and/or not allow your comments to be posted The types of comments not allowed on our site include: Forgot your password? website@theaugustapress.com Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - A missing woman from Lincoln County has been found dead Twenty-six-year-old Hope Vergara went missing Sunday 5 after she walked away from her home on Don McGinnis Road in Lincolnton along with the sheriff’s office drone team and K-9 units Crews from Gaston County also helped with the search the Lincoln County sheriff said swift water rescue teams were in ponds and in the South Fork River The sheriff’s office said she was found near Davis Road Deputies said no foul play was suspected in her death Related: ‘Never going to have peace’: Lincoln County mom fights for justice after teen son killed Recently, the Lincolnton Wolves announced the following slate of games for 2025 including two contests against Cherryville and Highland Tech Among other teams on the schedule are Burns Shelby and on the road against Stuart Cramer Below is the Wolves' 2025 regular season schedule ⚫️LINCOLNTON FOOTBALL 2025 SCHEDULE 🟡Come out and support the Wolves this FALL in the new Southern Piedmont Conference!The Wolves are Ready to HUNT🐺#WolfWay #Family pic.twitter.com/Wyskc0qdaa To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App -- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi ANDY VILLAMARZOAndy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007 writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Authorities canceled a Missing Endangered Alert for a missing Lincolnton man A Missing Endangered Alert was issued for 74-year-old George Reid Edwards Friday afternoon Friday in the 1100 block of Buffalo Shoals Road Edwards is believed to be driving a black 2017 Chrysler Pacifica passenger van with N.C The vehicle has a Dallas Cowboys sticker on the windshield His direction of travel was unknown.  Police say Edwards left his residence without his cellphone or wallet and family members say he has a cognitive impairment.  weighing 195 pounds with a full grey beard Police say he is possibly wearing grey and black gym shoes and a black hat.  please contact Lincoln County Communications at 704-735-8202 or Det Jon Propst with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 704-732-9050 or Lincolnton/Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 704-736-8909.  Houser was not directly arrested for involvement in Bisson’s death according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Houser was arrested Saturday on “outstanding warrants” after agreeing over the phone to turn himself in The man was charged with one felony count of concealing and failing to report a death -- though it appeared that charge was not related to Bisson’s death Authorities said that in addition to the charge Houser was “also wanted for questioning in the death of Sydney Bisson.” It was not immediately clear what role investigators believe Houser may have played in Bisson’s death It was also not immediately said how Bisson died. Bisson’s family told WBTV that they believe the “individual responsible for [her] death is now in custody.” “This development brings us a step closer to achieving the justice that Sydney deserves and we remain steadfast in our commitment to seeing this person prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the Bisson family told WBTV over the weekend The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Bisson’s body was found in the early morning hours of Sunday close to NC East Highway 150 in Boger City that they had identified the body as Bisson Authorities said he has additional charges pending in Catawba and Gaston counties -- though officials did not say what those charges were Houser was being held without bond at a Lincoln County detention center He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday Bisson’s death was still under investigation by the sheriff’s office Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 704-732-9050