Archive - Jun 2011
June 30th
Authorities are searching for multiple suspects that broke into the same house that was targeted in a breaking and entering incident May.
Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid was the first responder to a breaking and entering call on Lee Cline Road in Conover on Thursday, where multiple suspects kicked in the door to a home that was previously broken into May 17.
Reid said it did not appear the suspects took anything and fled the scene in a gold SUV.
Multiple gravel and dirt roads in the area will be paved during the next year, but it is still unclear which streets will get the makeover.
Catawba County commissioners recently accepted a state transportation presentation that outlined proposed paving opportunities in the county.
The stateâs Board of Transportation will give the final approval of the plans next month.
âEvery couple of years, we do a number of surveys that determine which roads need to be paved,â said Jackie McSwain, district engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Janice Wilkinson Braswell, 70, of Conover, passed away Monday, June 27, 2011, at her residence. The Braswell family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation in Conover.
Betty Jo Robinson Jacumin, of Hickory, died at her residence June 29, 2011. The Jacumin family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home, Hickory.
A Maiden man is facing five misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after officials found 100 dog carcasses on his property in March.
A criminal summons was issued June 22 from the District Attorney's Office for Billy Roy Hewitt, 68, of 4160 H.E. Propst Road, which stated that Hewitt "unlawfully and willfully did intentionally torment and deprive of necessary sustenance an animal." The summons said the cruelty charges reflect the health of three male dogs and two female dogs.
Newton's downtown 63-year-old water tank's logo size problem is fixed.
After the water tank had a fresh coat of paint from its rust, city officials requested a new "Newton, the heart of Catawba County" logo be painted. It was painted about two weeks ago, but was not done correctly.
Newton City Manager Todd Clark previously told The O-N-E that the red and blue graphic on the water tower was positioned wrong on both sides and was about a third of the size it was before the refurbishing project.
A Vale man is happy to be alive after falling 40 feet down an old well Thursday near the Lincoln County line in western Catawba County. Â
First responders rescued Billy Townsend, 44, of Vale, on Thursday after he stepped on what he thought was a sturdy metal well cover and plummeted 25 feet into icy cold waters. He then descended another 15 feet.
âI donât know if that well has a bottom, but I didnât want to find out,â Townsend said, adding that the frigid well water was the worst part of the entire ordeal. âThe whole time I was thinking, âLord, just help me get out of this hole.ââ
Wrestling superstar and WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter visited Hickory on Saturday as part of the Hickory Crawdads game against West Virginia.
During his time at the game, O-N-E Sports Editor Cody Dalton spoke to Slaughter and interviewed him on a variety of topics.
Q: Were sports something you played growing up?
SS: I played a lot of baseball growing up. I did the pony league, little league and the Babe Ruth league, Legion ball in high school. I played football, too.
Q: How did you transition that into a professional wrestling career?
Four musicals, a Shakespeare classic and a âback by popular demandâ comedy highlight the Hickory Community Theatreâs 2011-12 season.
Leading the fun on the Jeffers Theater main stage is the timeless classic musical âThe Sound of Musicâ in September. It is followed by âDisneyâs The Jungle Book âKidsâ showing in October.
June 29th
Marilyn Flo Rockett Esch, 83, of Conover, died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at the Alberta House in Conover. The Esch family has entrusted the funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover.
William Charles Boyd, 61, of Newton, died Tuesday, June 28, 2011, at his residence. Arrangements are incomplete with Drum Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Conover.
Filing for 2011 municipal elections will start Friday for most cities and towns in Catawba County.
Those wishing to file for election or re-election can visit the Board of Elections office in the Catawba County Government Complex from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Board of Elections Director Larry Brewer said potential candidates can also file for election through the mail, but said âmost people come by the office because there are other forms to fill out, also.â
