Archive - Jan 12, 2012
In light of the noose-bullying incident this week at Fred T. Foard High School, do you believe racism and discrimination are problems in Catawba County?
Let your voice be heard. Vote in our new reader poll at observernewsonline.com.
Look for a new poll each Friday, and pick up the weekend edition of The Observer News Enterprise at newsstands throughout Catawba County.
Paul Franklin Hicks, 64, of Mack Ballard Road, Denver, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at his residence. Burke Mortuary in Maiden is serving the Hicks Family.
Terry Wade Simmons, 46, of Queen Anne Lane, Bessemer City, died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at his residence. Burke Mortuary in Maiden is serving the Simmons Family.
Catawba County citizens, there's still time to share your cute babies and pets with your neighbors.
The O-N-E invites citizens to submit pictures for a special section Jan. 26 inside OUTLOOK.
Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all invited to share photos of their new bundles of joy that arrived during the past year.
Meanwhile, The O-N-E invites pet owners to share photos of their pets.
"We hope parents and pet owners will email photos to us or visit our website and upload photos of babies and pets," said The O-N-E Publisher Michael Willard.
Catawba County aid and emergency workers are helping their Burke County neighbors who are homeless after tornadoes ripped through the Icard area Wednesday night.
Emergency officials estimate the severe weather affected more than 56 homes in Burke and Rutherford counties, including 18 homes that were completely destroyed and five that sustained major damages.
The National Weather Service's forecast office in Greer, S.C., said Thursday that investigators confirmed a tornado with winds of around 115 mph.
An additional 1,500 children will be served by an expansion of Catawba County's dental health practice, health officials say.
Construction crews began renovating Catawba County Public Health’s (CCPH) dental health practice this week, and it's a project leaders say will double square footage, update and add new equipment, and provide more adequate public and private areas.
The dental practice will remain open under current hours during the renovations. Construction is set to be completed within about 60 days, said Kelly Isenhour, CCPH assistant health director.
As the sun rose Thursday morning, the tremendous scale of the devastation became apparent.
A windy, narrow path called South Fork Road, in Icard off Old N.C. 10, was one of the hardest areas hit.
You had to pass through a police roadblock just to get access to the street.
Burke County sheriff’s officers said there were several reports of looting in the area the night before, when January tornadoes ripped through the region, injuring dozens, damaging nearly 60 homes and changing people’s lives.
Driving along South Fork, signs of the storm were virtually everywhere.
Jake Shimabukuro believes music is the greatest gift, and the ukulele is the friendliest way to present that gift to the world.
Jake Shimabukuro’s life is centered on the ukulele — it’s been that way since he was 4 and picked up a “uke.”
“My mom played and taught me my first few chords,” Shimabukuro said. “I started strumming mainly traditional Hawaiian music has a child.”
Later, though, Shimabukuro enjoyed the challenge of trying to play other styles of music on the four string, two octave instrument, such as jazz, classical or rock.
By
The Associated Press and The O-N-E reports
BRUSSELS — Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize says it is cutting almost 5,000 jobs in the United States as it closes underperforming stores.
Delhaize said Thursday that it is shutting down 113 Food Lion supermarkets, as well as seven Bloom and six Bottom Dollar Food stores within the next 30 days.
According to documents published online by Food Lion, the Hickory Bottom Dollar Food store on U.S. 70 will be converted to a Food Lion. No other Hickory Metro grocery stores owned by the company are affected. A Bottom Dollar Food store will be closed.
Severe weather swept through the Catawba Valley on Wednesday evening, and The Observer News Enterprise delivered information about storms and emergency warnings to online readers and Twitter followers throughout the event.
Get news updates on Twitter @TheONENews and visit www.observernewsonline.com often for breaking news information.
The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that a tornado damaged dozens of homes and injured at least 15 people in western North Carolina.
The weather service's forecast office in Greer, S.C., said Thursday that investigators confirmed the tornado with winds of around 115 mph.
The storms struck in Rutherford and Burke counties late Wednesday afternoon as a cold front moved through the western Carolinas, meteorologist Neil Dixon with the weather service office in Greer, S.C., said.
