The meals are sponsored through Ashewood Grief and Counseling Services, AMOREM’s grief support program.
Organizers said the meals are one of several opportunities offered to help individuals and families cope with the loss of a loved one, and that community grief support services are available to anyone who needs help.
Allen VanNoppen is the publisher. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 orallen@thepaper.media.
Obituaries
Josephine “Jo” Howell Garland
Josephine “Jo” Howell Garland
FOR THE PAPER
Josephine “Jo” Howell Garland, 89, of Drexel, went to her Heavenly Home on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at her residence after a period of declining health.
Mrs. Garland was born Aug. 11, 1936, in Mitchell County, a daughter of the late John and Minnie Buchanan Howell. She was retired from the textile industry and after retirement assisted her daughter with her hair salon, meeting and making many new friends. She loved the Lord and served as a faithful member of Icard’s Grove Baptist Church where she helped with the senior citizens meals and a former member of the WMU.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Dorothy Sparks, Lillian Clayton, Helen Buchanan, Naomi Reynolds; and a brother, James Howell.
Those left to cherish her memory are son, Lyle Garland (Tamara) of Thomasville; and a daughter, Lori G. Greene (Eric) of Drexel, and her twin sister, Madeline Jean Usery (Charles) of Lowell, NC. Also surviving are her grandchildren, Ashley Ingram (Brian) and Megan Garland; great-grandchildren, Taylor Garland and Landon Garland; step-grandchildren, Chuck Bartlett (Mia), Curt Bartlett, Shane Bartlett (Kerri); step-great-grandchildren, Caroline Bartlett, Madie Bartlett, Lily Bartlett, Lucas Bartlett, Thomas Bartlett, Eloise Bartlett, McKayla Ingram and Nicholas Ingram; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Josephine “Jo” Garland will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in the chapel of Heritage Funeral Service, Valdese, with the Rev. Lee Joyner officiating.
Entombment will follow in the Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Wednesday at Heritage Funeral Service, Valdese.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Carolina Caring and all of her caregivers, “All God Sent,” for the excellent care given Mrs. Garland.
Memorials may be made to Icard’s Grove Baptist Church, 3097 Icard Grove Ave., Connelly Springs, NC 28612 or Carolina Caring, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, NC 28658.
On the morning of Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, Nellie Sue Jenkins Aldredge, 84, of the Glenwood Community, passed away at Mission Hospital in Asheville.
She was born in Haywood County on July 22, 1941, to the late Dewey Crawford Jenkins and Lena Burr Messer Jenkins.
Nellie retired from Baxter Healthcare. A longtime member of Glenwood Baptist Church, she loved the Lord and attending worship services. At the time of her passing, she was the oldest member of the church. Nellie was a wonderful cook who enjoyed reading, visiting yard sales, and working with her flowers. A wonderful wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and great grandmother, she will be deeply missed by her family.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Terri Aldredge Seitz, and her husband, Ralph; one sister, Selma Jenkins Smith; and five brothers, Max Gene Jenkins, Nick Jenkins, DC Jenkins, Bill Jenkins, and Eugene Jenkins.
She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Donald Edward Aldredge; two daughters, Donetta Aldredge (Travis) and Sue Hicks; one granddaughter, Terosha Seitz; one great-granddaughter, Kayleigh Floyd; and two sisters, Genevieve Jenkins Grogan and Elizabeth Jenkins Adelman.
The family received friends on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, from 2-4:00 p.m. at Beam Funeral Service.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Glenwood Baptist Church with the Revs. Jim Brewer and Dennis Love officiating. Burial followed in Glenwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are encouraged to Glenwood Baptist Church for the Youth.
Morganton
Gov. Stein calls for pay raises as NC correctional officer vacancies strain Morganton-area prisons
Gov. Josh Stein said North Carolina’s prisons are facing a staffing crisis that puts employees and the public at risk, and he urged lawmakers to invest in recruitment and retention as the General Assembly continues without a comprehensive state budget.
Speaking at a Correctional Leaders Association Southern Region meeting in Charlotte, Stein said starting pay for North Carolina correctional officers is the second lowest in the nation and that more than one-third of correctional officer positions statewide are unfilled.
“Correctional officers keep North Carolinians safe every day, but their work goes mostly unseen,” Stein said. “Without enough correctional officers, staff and the public are put at risk.”
Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Dismukes said prisons are operating under critically low staffing levels and called for “meaningful pay increases that reflect the essential role correctional officers play in public safety.”
Stein’s proposed 2025–27 budget includes a $195 million public safety package that would address staffing shortages through pay increases and recruitment and retention bonuses, according to his office. The proposal also includes funding aimed at preventing school- and community-based violence and combating fentanyl and opioid trafficking.
In Burke County, the staffing challenge has direct local implications because Morganton is home to Foothills Correctional Institution, a state prison operated by the N.C. Department of Adult Correction. The facility, located at 5150 Western Ave., houses close- and minimum-custody adult male offenders and has an offender capacity listed at 858, according to the state.
Morganton also has other corrections-related operations in the area, and local law enforcement and court systems can feel the strain when staffing shortages ripple through transport, intake and supervision processes. Stein and Dismukes said the state needs budget certainty and sustained investment to stabilize staffing levels.
The governor said he will continue pressing lawmakers to pass a broader public safety package that includes raises for correctional officers and other law enforcement positions
— AVN
Community_news
Lake James Watershed Symposium returns Feb. 17 in Morganton at NCSSM campus
FOR THE PAPER
This free event will be held Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at
NCSSM in Morganton.
For The Paper
Residents who care about Lake James and local water quality are invited to a free daylong symposium in Morganton focused on issues affecting the Lake James watershed.
The fifth annual Lake James Watershed Symposium will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton.
The event is hosted by the Lake James Environmental Association, Catawba Riverkeeper, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and NCSSM–Morganton.
Organizers said the symposium is designed to bring together community members and partners working to protect the watershed. The program will include presentations, discussions and networking focused on current challenges and ongoing efforts to safeguard water quality in the Lake James area.
— AVN
Allen VanNoppen is the publisher. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 orallen@thepaper.media.
Born in California on Aug. 15, 1954, she was the daughter of the late Joe Bowen and Zena Belle Bowen.
Kim was an active member of North Morganton United Methodist Church. She graduated from Salem High School and worked at Broughton Hospital for many years as an x-ray tech. After Broughton, she began the first sonography program in North Carolina at Caldwell Community College, from which she retired. Kim was an avid football fan and enjoyed all sports.
She was a wonderful friend to many and was known for her kindness and compassion. Her favorite thing in the world was being a Mimi.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Dr. Natalie Whitaker (Keith); grandchildren, Chase Whitaker, Ava Whitaker, Lance Watts, and Justin Watts; and daughter-in-law, Amie Watts.
In addition to her parents, Kim was preceded in death by her son, Neil Watts.
The graveside service will be held at noon today, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Burke Memorial Park with the Rev. David Rorie officiating.
A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Kim’s home.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.sossomanfh.com.
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