Good morning, Hickory.

Hickory City Schools named Saraia Surratt of Grandview Middle School as the EC Educator of Excellence for the 2025 to 2026 school year — she earned the award after representing the district at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Conference on November 20 and 21, 2025 — for her strong work with students with disabilities.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson and 25 attorneys general sent a letter on November 27th to Shopify urging the platform to remove merchants selling illegal e-cigarettes — officials reported that over 28 websites were selling e-cigarettes illegally and another 200 sites were offering unlawful tobacco products, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of state and federal laws.

Point of View Teen Writing Club

5-6 p.m. — Patrick Beaver Memorial Library — Free entry — Unleash creativity through writing challenges and storytelling games with fellow teen writers.

SAFe® 5.1 (LPM) Training Workshop

9 AM-1 AM — Hickory, NC — Early bird pricing starts at $1,346.06 — This two-day workshop equips attendees with essential Lean Portfolio Management tools and techniques.