Rutherford County’s congressman seeks recognition for Revolutionary War victory; Navy secretary would decide the name. U.S. Rep. Tim Moore is asking the Navy to name a future warship USS Kings Mountain, honoring a Revolutionary War victory with deep ties to Western North Carolina. Moore, a Republican whose 14th Congressional District includes all of Rutherford County, submitted an Oct. 7 letter on the battle’s 246th anniversary. His office announced the request that day. The

Eastbound traffic will remain open between Executive Drive and College Avenue during drainage work for the new U.S. 221 interchange. Westbound traffic on Charlotte Road between Executive Drive and College Avenue will be detoured beginning Sunday, Oct. 11, as crews install drainage structures and piping associated with the new U.S. 221 interchange. The restriction is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Sunday and continue through 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to a notice from Ru

A Nebo man faces a felony charge after investigators said on Oct. 8 they found him in possession of a motorcycle reported stolen from a residence in August. Sammy Lee Hensley Jr., 36, is charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to McDowell District Court records. Detective Adam Burnette of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Deputies responded to a Nebo residence Aug. 29 after receiving a report of a breaking and entering, according

Ronald Keith Goode sold nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine and 12 firearms to an undercover agent during an investigation in Rutherford and Cleveland counties. A Mooresboro man with prior methamphetamine trafficking convictions was sentenced on Oct. 6 to 22½ years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine and firearms during an investigation involving Rutherford and Cleveland counties. Ronald Keith Goode, 53, received a 270-month prison sentence followed by five years o

Reginald Curtis sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer; deputies later found about 1.2 kilograms in his vehicle. A Morganton man who distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in Burke and Catawba counties has been sentenced to 17½ years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso sentenced Reginald Curtis, 47, to 210 months in prison, followed by five years of supervise

Anthony Acevedo also ordered to pay $62,000 in restitution A Charlotte man was sentenced Oct. 7 to 8½ years in federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material, including a video depicting the torture of an infant, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Anthony Eliu Acevedo, 27, also received a lifetime of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender, pay $62,000 in restitution and pay $10,000 in spec

William Molisee pleaded guilty to firearm and methamphetamine charges Sept. 25; both prison sentences were suspended and two other charges dismissed. A Morganton man who was arrested after deputies responded to a report of unsafe gunfire received suspended prison sentences and supervised probation before the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office announced his arrest more than a month after the incident, court records obtained by WCAB News show. William Andrew Molisee, 32, pleaded

Exclusive details: Court records describe hotel disturbances, release restrictions and a delayed hearing A Charlotte woman charged with trespassing and resisting Mitchell County deputies was ordered to stay away from Switzerland Inn, according to court records reviewed by WCAB News. The records provide additional details about the allegations against Erica Michelle Strein, 42, and reasons for a postponed court appearance. Strein was arrested Oct. 5 on one misdemeanor count of

Patsy Lowery, age 77, of Rutherfordton, passed away Monday, October 5, 2026, at Fairhaven Home in Bostic.

Ruby “Geraldine” King, age 69, of Henrietta, passed away Saturday, October 3, 2026 at her home while being surrounded by her loving family.

Brittany Greene, age 28, of Forest City, passed away Friday, October 2, 2026 at her home.

Travis Paul Cook received a $100,000 secured bond; court records list an Oct. 19 probable cause hearing. A 40-year-old Nebo man faces eight felony charges and two misdemeanor charges after authorities say he broke into multiple vehicles and a building at a West Marion residence Sept. 27. Deputy Caleb Baliles of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged Travis Paul Cook with six counts of felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle, one count of felony larceny after breaki

English has been NC’s official language since 1987 Gov. Josh Stein is challenging a proposed English-language instruction requirement as part of a broader federal Head Start overhaul that the Trump administration says would expand access, improve nutrition and give parents and local providers greater control. In an Oct. 5 letter, Stein asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw or substantially revise provisions affecting classroom staffing, preschool

A Marion woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for collecting more than $30,000 in Hurricane Helene assistance by falsely claiming the storm destroyed her home. Peggy Lee Cantrell, 41, was sentenced Sept. 17 by Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. She must repay $30,631.59 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and serve four years of supervised release after pri

Facial screening affects western North Carolina residents traveling by plane Rutherford County and western North Carolina residents flying internationally through Charlotte Douglas Airport may encounter a camera that compares their face with a passport or other government travel-document photograph. That technology is part of a nationwide border screening system that U.S. Customs and Border Protection says has surpassed 1 billion traveler identity verifications. CBP announced

What families can request, record, and do if they want another educational setting. Parents of more than a half-dozen children have contacted WCAB News seeking clarity about school notification requirements, expressing frustration and weighing other educational options. Their questions followed the Sept. 28 arrest of a Chase Middle School math teacher, first reported by WCAB News. Some families are considering enrolling their children in charter schools or homeschooling. One

Rutherfordton’s Oct. 3 event featured downtown activities, police vehicles and community groups Families and visitors filled downtown Rutherfordton for the Hilltop Fall Festival on Oct. 3, with entertainment, vendors and children’s activities drawing praise alongside questions about town spending and festival offerings. The Saturday event featured a magic show, a car show, and a pet costume contest hosted by Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue, according to the town’s MyRuth

Rutherford County commissioners are scheduled to consider a resolution Monday, Oct. 5, authorizing two county officials to handle disaster assistance matters as a Hurricane Helene acquisition project advances with 23 properties approved by FEMA. WCAB News obtained the public record identifying those properties through open-source investigative tools. Another 13 properties included in the county’s original application remain under FEMA review. The public-facing meeting agenda

Comments are due by Nov. 2 on proposed interim discharge limits, construction deadlines through 2031, and conditional cancellation of more than $67,000 in penalties. The public has an opportunity to comment on a proposed state wastewater agreement that would allow pollutant concentrations above the town’s underlying permit limits while sewer improvements proceed through 2031. The public comment period opened Oct. 3 and closes Nov. 2. The North Carolina Department of Environme