A Statesville man is charged with seven felony counts of indecent liberties with a child in a case that stands out because the public arrest warrants identify the minor victims by name.  John Wesley Campbell III was charged Feb. 19, 2026, in Rutherford County District Court records obtained by WCAB News. The seven counts involve three children under the age of 16 and allege offenses occurring between February 2023 and November 2025.

A structure fire that destroyed a secluded mountain rental cabin Friday night unfolded while local firefighters were already deployed to a large woods fire, underscoring mounting demands on rural emergency services in Rutherford County.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs imposed under a federal emergency powers law, ruling 6-3 that the Constitution gives Congress — not the president — the power to levy import taxes.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved more than $472 million in funding for 145 water and wastewater projects across North Carolina on Feb. 18, 2026, with communities in western North Carolina among the largest recipients. The awards will help strengthen infrastructure, improve drinking water safety, and increase resilience against storms and flooding.

North Carolina was among 26 states targeted in a nationwide U.S. Department of Transportation effort in January that removed nearly 2,000 unqualified commercial drivers and unsafe vehicles from the roads.