Independent local coverage for Catawba County, Hickory, Newton, and Conover.
Latest local news
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O’Charley’s closes its Hickory restaurant — and the last one in North Carolina
O’Charley’s closed its Hickory restaurant on Sept. 9 after 26 years on Highway 70 SE, ending the chain’s last North Carolina location as company-owned stores shut nationwide.
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Mooresville mosque debate packs the chamber. The board still has no vote to take.
Mooresville residents filled two hours of public comment on the Islamic Center of Lake Norman. The board says religious assembly is by-right in that zone — and it has no vote to take.
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Nearly 75% of Hickory AP exams clear the college bar
Hickory City Schools students earned a 3 or higher on nearly 75% of 398 AP exams in 2025–26, beating state and global averages in six courses.
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Corning builds the cable. Meta and Microsoft build the demand.
Corning expands optical cable in Hickory for Meta, while Microsoft builds data campuses across Catawba County and Verizon locks in more Corning fiber.
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Town of Catawba will take down license-plate cameras after council declines funding
Automated license-plate cameras in the Town of Catawba are coming down after the council declined to keep paying for them.
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Claremont, Catawba County weigh up to $56M in incentives for Prysmian’s $1B expansion
Fiber-cable maker plans 385 new jobs and roughly 900,000 square feet of new space; state One North Carolina grant is $1 million if targets are met.
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State Board sets December hearing on Catawba school merger
Briefs are due Oct. 5. The board will discuss the plan Nov. 4–5 and hold a hearing Dec. 2–3 before a vote.
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Hickory sets Patriot Day ceremony at Union Square for 9/11’s 25th anniversary
The city asks the public to gather at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, and for churches to toll bells at 8:46 a.m.
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Six Hickory schools meet academic growth in 2025-26 state results
NCDPI’s 2025-26 results, posted Sept. 2, show Oakwood and HCAM at B, Northview moving from D to C, and Viewmont meeting growth after missing it a year earlier.
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Newton-Conover posts 94% graduation rate and third year with no D or F schools
District live-feed notices on Sept. 2 say N-CCS ranks 10th in the state for graduation and that Shuford Elementary and Newton-Conover Middle exceeded growth.
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Newton celebrates 90 years of The New State Cinema and new local owners
The city joined a Friday, Aug. 28 ribbon cutting at 117 North College Ave. for the downtown three-screen theater that opened in August 1936.
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Hickory fills September with I heART Hickory theater, museum reopening, Sails, and film
The city posted a month-long arts calendar Sept. 1, from Hickory Community Theatre’s A Chorus Line through the Footcandle Film Festival Sept. 18–27.
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New Translations opens Hickory’s fall Sails Original Music Series on Sept. 4
The free 7 p.m. Union Square concert is presented by Protection Products, Inc.; live painting by Dan Smith will be auctioned Oct. 2 in Newton.
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Hickory opens nominations for 2026 Business. Well Crafted. Awards
The Business Development Committee will take nominations through 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, in eight individual and business categories.
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Hickory sets third Ruff, Ruff, Run 5K and Dog Festival for Sept. 26
The 11 a.m. race at Winkler Park is $30 through Sept. 13, then $35; the dog festival runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Hickory City Schools opens year with nearly 3,600 students, “Branching Out” theme
In her Aug. 24 board report, Superintendent Jennifer Griffin described Senior Sunrise at Hickory High and first-day kindergarten at Oakwood and Jenkins.
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Newton Parks & Rec’s Paw-Triotic Pet Mania names Lilly Best of Show
The Aug. 19 downtown show, sponsored by CareVet of Conover Pet Veterinary Hospital, also crowned smallest, largest, waggiest-tail, look-alike, costume, and most paw-triotic pets.
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Commissioners OK fire PPE, stream-debris grant, Hickory school capital shift, former Western Steer site
The Aug. 17 Board of Commissioners meeting lasted 28 minutes and covered firefighter gear, a $375,000 stream-debris grant, Hickory City Schools capital, and purchase of the former Western Steer property in Newton.
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Hickory Community Relations Council seeks Fall 2026 project grants through Sept. 28
City-funded awards may cover service contracts and honoraria, not salaries, buildings, or political or religious advocacy; 15 copies of each request are required.
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Frye Regional and CVCC put athletic trainers on campus for Red Hawks
FryeCare’s Dr. Michael Simhachalam is team physician and Dr. Reid Russell is team orthopedic surgeon under a partnership announced Aug. 13.
