Archive - 2012 - News Article
January 10th
This photo of Daniel Whisnant is The O-N-E news photo of the week.
Whisnant was sentenced to 38-55 months in prison last week for the death of Charlie Sybrant. At his sentencing, Whisnant begged Sybrant's parents for forgiveness.
Sybrant died in 2009 when Whisnant, who was drunk, hit her with his car. He fled the scene.
Visit observernewsonline.com each Wednesday for The O-N-E photo of the week and every day for breaking news. To recommend photos of the week or offer news tips, e-mail onenews@observernewsonline.com.
A stretch of N.C. 16 Business near downtown Conover will be closed at night for much of January as workers repair a bridge over U.S. 70.
N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said U.S. 70 will also be closed three or four times at night during work on the bridge.
"They're doing a heat-straightening of some beams," said Michael Poe, an NCDOT district engineer for Catawba and Lincoln counties. "According to contract, the contractor is supposed to complete the project in 20 consecutive days from the beginning, and they are restricted to night work from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m."
Newton Police Department (NPD) apprehended a wanted suspect early Monday morning who has a history of trouble in the area.
Joshua Nathaniel Jones, 23, of 1330 B Ave. SE in Hickory, was arrested at his home about 1:12 a.m. Monday for multiple charges related to cocaine possession.
Jones, who was arrested by Hickory Police and turned over to NPD, was charged with selling cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and trafficking in cocaine following recent indictments sought by NPD.
This isn’t the first time Jones has been in trouble with the law.
N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced Tuesday that state funds will pay for the resurfacing of 19 stretches of Catawba County roadway this year.
N.C. Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti awarded a $5.3 million contract to Maymead Inc. of Mountain City, Tenn., to resurface short sections of roads that run through Newton, Conover, Hickory, Claremont and Maiden.
NCDOT says work can begin as early as March 15 and be completed by Nov. 15.
The $5.3 million is state money rooted in gas taxes and other funds, said Jerry Higgins, communications officer for NCDOT.
A man was hit by a car Tuesday while riding his moped in Newton.
Police say the man, whose name authorities had not confirmed, was driving his Gator 50 moped across the intersection of Robinson Road and Sandy Ford Road in Newton about 2 p.m. when a car struck him on his left side.
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper R.G. Griffin said the moped driver was injured and taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center. Griffin said the man was alert as he left the scene.
Catawba County Schools (CCS) officials say a group of white boys bullied a black girl with a noose Monday afternoon at Fred T. Foard High School.
The boys have been suspended from school as CCS continues to investigate the incident, but Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid said authorities have completed an investigation and no laws were broken.
North Carolina's attorney general is taking a stand against Duke Energy's proposed electricity rate increase.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports Attorney General Roy Cooper's office filed a legal brief Monday with the North Carolina Utilities Commission detailing his opposition to the rate increase averaging more than 7 percent.
Cooper says the higher power cost would be too much for Duke's 1.8 million customers in the state.
January 9th
Tuesday, Jan. 10
Bandys basketball at South Iredell
Bandys wrestling vs. South Iredell HS
Bunker Hill wrestling vs. West Caldwell, 7 p.m.
Bunker Hill basketball at West Caldwell
Fred T. Foard basketball at St. Stephens
Fred T. Foard wrestling vs. St. Stephens, 6 p.m.
Maiden basketball vs. East Burke
Maiden wrestling at East Burke, 7 p.m.
N-C basketball at Draughn
N-C wrestling vs. Draughn, 7 p.m.
St. Stephens basketball vs. Foard
NWC swim meet at Hickory YMCA
Wednesday, Jan. 11
N-C swimming at Valdese
NWC meet at Lenoir
Conover’s newest tech upgrade puts a host of city services in the palm of your hand — for free.
The city launched its “Conover Mobile” application recently, giving cell phone and tablet users an all-access look at the city virtually anywhere.
The web portal has already won a state award.
Conover was notified in December it was a second quarterly winner of the Government Innovation Grant award, a program intended to reward technology-based innovation across governments through incentives.
The N.C. State Bar placed an injunction on a Newton attorney and requested more of his financial records.
A Wake County Superior Court judge ordered Friday that a preliminary injunction be placed on Lewis E. Waddell, a licensed Bar attorney who operates a Newton office and lives in Conover, after it appears he mishandled funds in a local client’s estate bank account.
The Bar also requested Waddell turn over current and closed client files for further investigation.
Waddell says he has consented to the order and has turned over all of his financial records.
