Good morning, Hickory.

The Catawba County NAACP will celebrate executive members of its original 1950 branch on Sunday, Feb.

8 in a community event honoring local civil rights pioneers.

Unemployment rates in Hickory Metro counties fell in the December report from the NC Department of Commerce, with Catawba and Burke at 3.3 percent while Caldwell reached 3.5 percent (the metro now has the state's 5th lowest jobless rate).

Lenoir-Rhyne University received over 8,300 fall 2026 applications and saw campus visits jump 125% (with many out-of-state students) as Accepted Student Days are set for Feb.

7, Feb. 28 and March 21.

App State Baseball infielders Kameron Miller & Joseph Zamora were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt team on Feb.

4. The team will open its season with a three-game series against Canisius at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory from Feb. 13-15.

Lenoir-Rhyne Football announced its 2026 freshman signing class (41 recruits, including 26 from North Carolina) on Feb.

4 to strengthen the team with talent across multiple positions.

The Hickory Crawdads are partnering with Lenoir-Rhyne Men’s Soccer to host a youth soccer clinic at LP Frans Stadium on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is $20 and includes two hours of instruction, a Crawdads gift, and a ticket to the Saturday, April 4 game.

Candlelight Concert: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

6:30-7:30 p.m. — Drendel Auditorium — Tickets available — Experience the magic of tribute performances in a unique candlelight setting.

Love Music: An Evening of Romance and Strings

5:30-6:30 p.m. — Drendel Auditorium — Cost info not provided — Enjoy a romantic night of candlelit music with the WPS Maestro's Quartet.

Pigeon Forge Crew Concert

6-8 p.m. — The Premier — Ticket information available — Enjoy a night of music with the Pigeon Forge Crew at this local venue.