Good morning, Hickory.

On May 29, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office arrested three men—29-year-old Juan Dario Carcamo of Manvel, 23-year-old Merin Arnoldo Sorto-Mata from Houston, and 23-year-old Ezequiel Cruz Garcia from Statesville—after a foot pursuit near a convenience store on Houpe Road following reports that fraudulent checks had been used since May 1 to obtain over $130,000; they face charges of resisting an officer and felony conspiracy with additional forgery charges for Carcamo and misdemeanor assault for Garcia, and bonds are set at $10,000, $6,500, and $15,000 respectively while Sorto-Mata and Garcia were placed on immigration hold.

Catawba County has allocated $710,753—almost 10% of its opioid settlement funds—to support four initiatives that include an opioid coordinator role, a pilot resiliency program in Newton-Conover City Schools, medication assisted treatment at the county jail, and a post-overdose response team planned to operate through summer. County officials said the one-time dollars will be spent strategically to create a lasting impact while additional funding requests are still under review.

City officials in Hickory are planning safety improvements at the intersection of Catawba Valley Boulevard and Startown Road and will ask for feedback at a public meeting on June 18 from 4-6 p.m. at Catawba Valley Community College’s Workforce Solutions Complex—input will help support a grant application through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All program.

Frye Regional Medical Center released its 2024 Community Benefit Report today, showing it spent over $250 million to improve health care access by adding 79 new providers, investing nearly $15 million in advanced equipment, providing $51.7 million in free care, and supporting 1,580 employees with salaries and benefits. The report also noted the hospital paid more than $35 million in local taxes and maintained key partnerships with schools and nonprofits to boost the community.

Hickory FC defeated Greenville United 3—1 on Wednesday night at Moretz Stadium in a game marked by aggressive play and six yellow cards by halftime.

The home team scored in the 23rd minute and won a penalty shortly after before Greenville briefly tied, and a late goal made the win certain.

Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball will open the NCAA DII Championships today with an 11:00 a.m. game against the #6 seeded East Stroudsburg Warriors at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary; the game was moved up two and a half hours due to rain concerns.

The Bears advanced to the SAC Championship series with three wins in Hickory, while East Stroudsburg earned their bid with a five-game winning streak (regional wins helped secure their spot).

Lenoir-Rhyne baseball earned multiple honors as three players were named All-Americans by the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association and seven Bears made the ABCA All-Southeast Region team—Mackenzie Wainwright was named Southeast Region Player of the Year.

The team will face East Stroudsburg in their first NCAA Division 2 Championship game today at 6 p.m. in Cary.

On-Site Tour of Senior Living Facilities

9 a.m. - 7 p.m. — Greens at Hickory — Free entry — Explore award-winning senior living facilities committed to quality care and engaging activities.

AWKN Conference

7 PM – 1 PM — Hickory Metro Convention Center & Visitors Bureau — Check event page for pricing — Big adventures await in Hickory, showcasing the local community's heritage and outdoor activities.

ACCW Live Wrestling Event

6-9 p.m. — Brookford Community Building — Tickets available now — Experience an epic Steel Cage Showdown for the Apple City Championship in Hickory.

Furniture Manufacturing Expo

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. — Hickory Metro Convention Center & Visitors Bureau — Complimentary tickets available — Discover the latest innovations and solutions for furniture manufacturing.

Halogen Lights & Pseudo Cowboys Concert

7-10 p.m. — The Premier — Tickets available — Experience a night of homemade rock from Hickory's finest musical talents.

CAPM Certification Training

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Hickory, North Carolina — 100% Money Back Guarantee — Engage in 32 hours of interactive classroom training for the CAPM certification with expert guidance.

Framed Felt Bugs Workshop

2-3 p.m. — Patrick Beaver Memorial Library — Free entry — Create fun framed felt bugs in a hands-on crafting session designed for kids aged 9-12.