Good morning, Hickory.

A 21 year old man from Charlotte, Tytian Elijah Kaylor, was arrested on August 29 by Conover police on charges of multiple property crimes including obtaining property by false pretense and breaking into a motor vehicle—he is held at Catawba County Detention Facility on a $70,100 bond and faces court on September 8, September 22, and November 17.

Jarrett Jacob Jackson, a 30-year-old man from Charlotte, was arrested on August 28 by Mecklenburg authorities and faces felony larceny in Gaston County as well as misdemeanor larceny charges in Catawba and Cabarrus Counties—he is held at the Catawba County Detention Facility with an $83,000 bond.

49 year old Michael Aaron Knepp, a homeless resident from Hickory, was arrested on August 28 and charged with failing to appear in court plus additional counts including felony breaking and entering, methamphetamine possession, probation violation, maintaining a place for controlled substance, assault on a female, resisting a public officer, communicating threats and possessing drug paraphernalia; he is held on a $45,000 bond with court dates set for September 15 and September 22.

Discovery High in the Newton-Conover City Schools district was ranked the sixth best public high school in North Carolina by U.S. News & World Report using 2022-2023 data and placed 275th nationally out of over 24,000 schools—its 162 students showed high AP participation and strong performance in reading and math.

On August 19, the Caldwell County Soil and Water Conservation District Board held a ribbon cutting in Happy Valley Greenway to reopen a restored section of the Yadkin River — a $500,000 project funded through the state’s StRAP program that fixed 430 feet of eroded bank after Hurricane Helene — and crews installed boulders and rock reinforcements while closing the greenway and parking area for about 45 days to allow heavy equipment access.

At the Bobby Isaac Memorial, Michael Bumgarner won the 150-lap late model race by over 3.5 seconds while Daniel Wilik and Cody DeMarmels won the limiteds and street stocks events.

Billy Jack Lester was treated for a medical condition after the limiteds race — his team said he is recovering—and Hickory Motor Speedway will host the Drift Revival next Saturday.

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.

Sails Original Music Series

6-7:30 p.m. — Taft Broome Park — Free admission — Experience the electrifying sounds of Selwyn Birchwood as part of a vibrant music series in Hickory.

The Piedmont Boys Live Performance

7-10 p.m. — The Premier — $— Enjoy an evening of live music from the acclaimed Piedmont Boys, who bring their Southern roots to Hickory.

Level X - Tribute to Women Who Rock

7-11 p.m. — The Premier — Ticket info TBA — Experience high-energy performances of iconic songs from legendary female artists.