Archive
December 27th
Irene Baker Campbell, 85, of Newton, passed away Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010, at Abernethy Laurels. The Campbell family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover.
Robert Henry Nichols, 86, of Conover, died Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010, at Palliative CareCenter & Hospice of Catawba Valley. The Nichols family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Conover.
The weekend's snow gave county residents a white Christmas, but it also gave them potentially treacherous travel conditions.
State and local crews forfeited their Christmas breaks this weekend to spend Saturday and Sunday clearing and preparing roadways for motorists.
Public works crews and emergency responders, however, had few difficulties.
"It was very uneventful for that much snow," said Catawba County Emergency Services director Bryan Blanton, of the county's requests for emergency services during the winter weather. "I think the timing was good."
Snowfall blanketed Catawba County during the holiday weekend, but the resulting ice and snow caused mostly minor problems for county residents.
Catawba County received about 5-8 inches of snow this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The holiday snowfall marks the first white Christmas for the area in more than six decades.
The O-N-E wants to see your favorite snow pictures.
Send us your snowman, snow angel or any other snow-related pictures. Pictures will be posted on our website, as well as in future print editions.
Upload the pictures to our website by clicking on "submit a photo" or e-mail pictures to onenews@observernewsonline.com.
December 24th
An elderly Maiden couple died after an automobile accident Thursday morning on N.C. 16.
Vera Caldwell, 90, was driving herself and her husband, Frank, 94, in their 2002 Ford Escape when they were hit by a 2011 Honda minivan driven by Heather Joyner, 40, of Hickory.
The impact spun the Caldwells’ car onto the shoulder of the road in the southbound lane and sent Joyner’s car off the road to the left.
Joyner was treated and released at Frye Regional Medical Center.
December 23rd
Norma Sue Monday, 66, of Conover, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, at her residence. A private service was held Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010.
Catawba County residents might not have a white Christmas this year.
But for many residents, it will be a bright Christmas with elaborate and festive holiday decorations.
Homes throughout the county are decorated in varying degrees of holiday cheer, with white and colored lights, inflatable snow globes, nativity scenes and, of course, Christmas trees.
"We decorate every year," said Patty Tucker, who lives with her family on West Sixth Street in Newton. "We've gotten a little more extensive with it since the kids have come."
Conover strives to be a "community of choice" in Catawba County.
This means a safe place for residents and their families and a dynamic economic environment for businesses, said Conover Mayor Lee Moritz Jr.
To make that vision a reality, city officials work to plan goals and realize those accomplishments each year, and the city adopted mission and vision statements about a year ago when Moritz took office.
Police are investigating a reported break-in after a thief made off with money from a popular area restaurant.
An employee of Geppeto's Pizza and More in Newton unlocked the downtown Newton restaurant Thursday at about 9 a.m. to find the cash register in disarray, said Newton Police Department Lt. M.D. Beal.
The employee called 9-1-1, and police arrived on the scene minutes later. After searching the building, investigators determined an unknown suspect gained access to the restaurant by prying open the back door.
Speeders and drunk drivers beware.
Newton Police Department recently hired a traffic enforcement officer to keep the city a safe place to live, work and drive.
Officer Brett Williams will patrol Newton's streets, looking for traffic violations in an effort to make the city and its citizens safer.
"My main objective is to make our city a safer place to live," Williams said. "We will be actively looking for infractions."
