Archive
August 30th, 2011
If Hurricane Irene told us anything, it’s that preparation for emergencies can be a significant, and potentially life-saving, matter.
Before you go buying protection for dust storms or dig an underground bunker for tornadoes, it’s important to know what types of emergencies are most frequent to Catawba County.
The county’s emergency management coordinator said general preparation is always good, but there are certain incidents in specific for which area residents need to be ready.
The area chapter of the American Red Cross is sending more volunteers east to assist with clean-up and assistance efforts after Hurricane Irene.
The Catawba Valley chapter of the Red Cross is sending at least two more volunteers to counties in eastern N.C., adding to six volunteers and employees already helping out, said chapter Executive Director Suzan Anderson.
Serendipity--like a great lady—is standing regal and tall on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, despite the assault on her for a grueling 35 hours by an infamous lady, Hurricane Irene, last weekend.
The house made famous in the movie “Nights in Rodanthe” is owned by a Newton couple, Ben and Debbie Huss, who returned home late Monday night after spending four days in the house at the village of Rodanthe.
Carolyn Geneva Goble Duncan, of Newton, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011 at Catawba Valley Medical Center. Bass-Smith Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Carolyn Geneva Goble Duncan.
Marie Pordradsky Hewitt, 84, of Newton passed away Friday, Aug. 26, 2011, at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory. Born March 25, 1927 in France, of Slovakian parents. She was French through and through. The Hewitt family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover.
Despite falling behind 2-1 in its match against Bandys on Thursday, Newton-Conover never relinquished hope.
The Lady Red Devils (5-1, 2-0) won the final two games against the Lady Trojans (1-1, 1-1) to win the CVAC match in dramatic fashion, 25-21, 19-25, 9-25, 25-18, 15-13.
“Bandys played hard,” said Newton-Conover coach Linda Richards. “They are a good team. We are lucky to come out of here with a win.”
After losing the first game to Newton-Conover, Bandys picked up two impressive wins in the second and third games.
August 29th
Catawba County’s district attorney and his wife say they are thankful to be alive after a boat wreck threw them overboard Sunday evening.
Twenty-fifth Prosecutorial District Attorney Jay Gaither said he was blinded by bright lights before a boat he was driving crashed into another vessel on Lake Hickory on Sunday.
Gaither said he and his wife were celebrating their 17th anniversary on the lake Sunday evening and were driving down river at about 5 mph.
Homelessness and poverty has steadily increased in Catawba County in the past decade, and some area aid organizations said more can be done to help the growing population.
In the past 10 years, poverty has increased 77 percent in Catawba County, with nearby areas like Sherrills Ford being deemed some of the poorest in the region, according to data, released recently, by the Western Piedmont Council of Governments released recently.
Area emergency and public works personnel are helping clean-up efforts after Hurricane Irene ripped through sections of the North Carolina coast during the weekend.
Catawba County’s emergency services director as well as utility workers from Newton are helping restore power, remove debris and organize clean-up efforts in multiple counties near, or along, the N.C. coast.
Carolyn Geneva Goble Duncan, of Newton, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011 at Catawba Valley Memorial Hospital. Bass-Smith Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Carolyn Geneva Goble Duncan.
Marie Pordradsky Hewitt, 84, of Newton passed away Friday, Aug. 26, 2011, at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory. The Hewitt family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover.
A power outage in Conover on Monday has left about 600 Duke Power customers without electricity.
The utility failure is also impacting traffic signals in parts of the city, including the traffic light at Boundary and U.S. 321 near Newton.
Details in this story are developing. Check back with The Observer News Enterprise and observernewsonline.com for more information as it becomes available.
