FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a new county burn ban ordinance on July 6, giving local officials greater authority to restrict outdoor burning during periods of elevated wildfire danger.

Four days into Rutherford County's municipal candidate filing period, no candidates have filed to challenge any incumbent mayor, and no one has entered the race for the two Town Council seats in Chimney Rock Village.

Rutherford County's $4.84 million courthouse expansion, approved by county commissioners in 2025, remains on track after a confirmed bedbug incident temporarily closed the courthouse, adding an unexpected challenge to one of the county's largest ongoing capital projects.

An eighth person has now been charged in connection with the homicide investigation of Jordan Elaine Wishon, whose disappearance led investigators to discover her body at a Rutherfordton home.