Good morning, Hickory.

Catawba County Schools will scale back its planned middle school expansion and reallocate leftover funds for athletic facilities and capital improvements.

The district noted that funds from the original plan ($120 million) will be used to strengthen school infrastructure.

The General Assembly approved funding for a new economic forecasting tool (designed to collect vital county-level data) that will help guide local budget planning.

Officials say the tool will improve regional economic forecasting.

Frye Regional Medical Center hosted its second annual RN Signing Day, welcoming 19 new nursing graduates and launching a yearlong nurse residency program that will support their careers locally.

Catawba County Public Health was honored for its best practices in public health; the award shows strong local partnerships + lasting benefits to the community.

Due to rain, the Hickory Crawdads game against the Delmarva Shorebirds scheduled for Tuesday, July 28 in Maryland was postponed and played as a doubleheader on Wednesday, July 29 starting at 5:05 p.m. Both games lasted seven innings, and the Crawdads maintained a four-game lead in the Carolina League South Division.

Blakgraz Live Concert

7-10 p.m. — City Walk Brewery & Distillery — Cost Info not listed — Enjoy an evening of live music with 112+ original songs from Blakgraz.