Good morning, Hickory.

Catawba County has bought $3.6 million in land for a future life sciences campus and county officials said they plan to attract local research to the area—more details will be shared soon.

Hickory City Council met Tuesday and approved speed reduction markings along Falling Creek Road NE from 36th Avenue NE to 39th Avenue NE.

They also approved selling city property on Amity Street to SRV Acquisitions, LLC and the annexation of property on Springs Road NE owned by the Catawba County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

The City of Hickory Community Relations Council is now accepting grant applications from nonprofits, churches, schools, and local groups for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Applicants must submit forms by Oct. 10 at noon and can attend a grant workshop on Sept. 22 at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library + more details are available online or by calling Lieutenant Justin Levey.

The USDA honored seven North Carolina organizations with the Turnip the Beet Awards for summer nutrition programs—winners include Boys and Girls Club of Wake County and Halifax County Schools for gold recognition while groups like Catawba County Schools, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, the YMCA of Southeastern NC, Beaufort County Schools and Elizabeth-City Pasquotank Public Schools received silver and bronze awards to help children stay fed during summer break.

Caden Scarborough earned the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honor after pitching five innings with seven strikeouts and no hits against the Charleston RiverDogs on August 14—he is the second Crawdads pitcher to win the award in a row.

Pablo Guerrero led an 11-hit attack for the Crawdads on Tuesday, but Logun Clark’s two-run single in extra innings gave the Hillcats a 7-5 win—marking Hickory’s sixth straight loss; the team will take the mound today at 7 p.m. with Evan Siary starting.

Throwdown Jones & Bad Romeo Concert

7-11 p.m. — The Premier — Tickets starting at $17.45 — Enjoy a night of energetic rock music from the vibrant Throwdown Jones band.

Hickory Fair

9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. — Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds — Cost varies — Enjoy a vibrant mix of arts, crafts, and farming exhibits over six days.

Hickory Bot Battles Combat Robot Competition

September 12th & 13th — Carpenter Hall — Entry details TBA — Get ready for an exciting showdown of combat robots at the 8th annual Hickory Bot Battles.