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The Lead Story
Exclusive: Chase Middle teacher faces obscenity charge
Jake Kenneth Barker, identified through Rutherford County Schools and other public records as a Chase Middle School teacher, was arrested Sept. 29 on a felony obscenity charge. The school’s staff directory lists Barker as a sixth-grade math teacher. A Rutherford County arrest warrant alleges Barker "knowingly" provided an obscene video to a 13-year-old on Sept. 28. The records do not establish whether the child attends Chase Middle or whether the alleged conduct occurred at s
Annie Dance
1 day ago1 min read
Latest News
Mary Wynn Bostic
Mary Wynn Bostic, age 84, of Mooresboro, passed away Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at Hilltop Health and Rehabilitation in Rutherfordton.
1 min read
Charles E. Smith
Charles E. Smith, age 89, of Ellenboro, passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at Fair Haven of Forest City.
1 min read
Court orders Spindale property sold after nuisance investigation
Officers describe drug transactions, overdose deaths and gunfire; judgment directs sale proceeds toward treatment A consent judgment orders a Grose Street property closed and sold after police documented drug activity, overdoses, gunfire, and repeated community complaints. Donna L. Jones and James Brandon Jones admitted a public nuisance existed at 162 Grose St., according to the judgment in Rutherford Superior Court case 26CV001513-800, State of North Carolina on behalf of t
2 min read
Local News
Court orders Spindale property sold after nuisance investigation
Officers describe drug transactions, overdose deaths and gunfire; judgment directs sale proceeds toward treatment A consent judgment orders a Grose Street property closed and sold after police documented drug activity, overdoses, gunfire, and repeated community complaints. Donna L. Jones and James Brandon Jones admitted a public nuisance existed at 162 Grose St., according to the judgment in Rutherford Superior Court case 26CV001513-800, State of North Carolina on behalf of t
2 min read
Rutherfordton begins $5.65M sewer upgrades, urges residents to stop flushing wipes
State and federal grants cover about 86% of the project budget, which includes treatment plant improvements, a replacement pump station, and service for St. Gabriel’s Church. Rutherfordton is beginning a $5.65 million wastewater improvement program to replace aging equipment and expand sewer service while asking residents to help prevent blockages by keeping wipes out of their toilets. Crews are mobilizing at the town’s wastewater treatment plant, and work has begun on the St
3 min read
Exclusive: Chase Middle teacher faces obscenity charge
Jake Kenneth Barker, identified through Rutherford County Schools and other public records as a Chase Middle School teacher, was arrested Sept. 29 on a felony obscenity charge. The school’s staff directory lists Barker as a sixth-grade math teacher. A Rutherford County arrest warrant alleges Barker "knowingly" provided an obscene video to a 13-year-old on Sept. 28. The records do not establish whether the child attends Chase Middle or whether the alleged conduct occurred at s
1 min read
Regional News
Rutherford Regional reaches 100 robotic-assisted surgeries after $2.2M investment
Rutherford Regional Health System has completed its 100th robotic-assisted surgery, reaching the milestone roughly four months after introducing technology designed to help surgeons perform operations through small incisions. The hospital announced the milestone on Sept. 29 and said Dr. Andrew Demeusy performed the 100th procedure. Its general surgery program uses the da Vinci surgical system for hernia repair, gallbladder removal, colorectal surgery, and other operations. Ru
4 min read
Old Fort woman faces meth trafficking charge
Chandra Danielle McCool, 32, was issued a $100,000 secured bond; a probable cause hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14. An Old Fort woman faces three felony drug charges after McDowell County sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of a possible assault involving a firearm said they recovered 50 grams of methamphetamine. Chandra Danielle McCool, 32, is charged with trafficking in methamphetamine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; and posses
1 min read
Lake Lure mayoral candidate told to leave dam bridge while documenting repairs
Two years after Helene, the town is preparing to celebrate the dam’s 100th anniversary while questions persist about pedestrian access, construction funding and a replacement timeline. LAKE LURE, N.C. — Mayoral candidate John Edmonds Kozma was walking on the bridge across the Lake Lure Dam on Sept. 25 when a person told him to leave, a video reviewed by WCAB News shows. Kozma, a Republican running as a write-in candidate, has used videos to document his visits and ask questio
3 min read
Business News
Rutherford Regional reaches 100 robotic-assisted surgeries after $2.2M investment
Rutherford Regional Health System has completed its 100th robotic-assisted surgery, reaching the milestone roughly four months after introducing technology designed to help surgeons perform operations through small incisions. The hospital announced the milestone on Sept. 29 and said Dr. Andrew Demeusy performed the 100th procedure. Its general surgery program uses the da Vinci surgical system for hernia repair, gallbladder removal, colorectal surgery, and other operations. Ru
4 min read
Council of state to consider $8.4M trail land deal
The proposed purchase covers nearly 3,600 acres in McDowell and Rutherford counties North Carolina’s Council of State is expected to consider an $8.4 million land purchase that could bring a trail connection between South Mountains State Park and Chimney Rock State Park closer to reality. The proposal is for the acquisition of approximately 3,592 acres off Conner Road for the Wilderness Gateway State Trail. The listed price is $8,399,242, or about $2,338 per acre. The land sp
3 min read
Governor unveils Helene economic recovery plan two years after storm
In a statement on Sept. 23, Governor Stein and the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) unveiled the Western NC Economic Recovery Plan, a long-term framework to rebuild and grow the region’s economy as western North Carolina approaches two years since Hurricane Helene. The plan was built with input from 28 counties, the Qualla Boundary, five regional councils of government, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations. “While the hea
3 min read
Obituaries
Mary Wynn Bostic
Mary Wynn Bostic, age 84, of Mooresboro, passed away Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at Hilltop Health and Rehabilitation in Rutherfordton.
1 min read
Charles E. Smith
Charles E. Smith, age 89, of Ellenboro, passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at Fair Haven of Forest City.
1 min read
Corbit Alan "Chino" Smith
Corbit Alan “Chino” Smith, age 60, of Bostic, passed away Friday, September 25, 2026. He was born Saturday, December 4, 1965 in Robeson County, to the late Rubin Smith and to Brenda Mercer Smith who resides in Lumberton, NC.
2 min read
Harrelson Funeral Home
Harrelson Funeral Home
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