A Rutherford County domestic violence investigation escalated from a reported misdemeanor incident to felony charges after investigators confirmed that gunfire struck an occupied mobile home, authorities said.

Candidate filing for North Carolina’s 2026 election cycle closed at noon Friday, Dec. 19, finalizing the field for local, state and federal races that will appear on Rutherford County ballots next year.

Santa Claus will make a special appearance in Rutherfordton on Tuesday, Dec. 23, as part of the town’s annual Santa Drive-Through, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m.

A man accused of choking a woman until her vision dimmed was brought before a judge days after his arrest, as newly filed warrants spell out graphic injury allegations and a strict court-ordered no-contact directive.

Detective Derrick McGinnis with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office has charged 27-year-old Joshua Mark Cline of Marion with felony Larceny of Chose in Action and felony Forgery of an Instrument.