The Burke County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for
New Covenant Lutheran Church on June 26 for its new location at 215
Pete Brittain Road, Morganton. Beverly Watts, President of Church
Council, and the Rev. Dr. Andrew Weisner cut the ribbon alongside
Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson, church members, friends, and
supporters. Also in attendance were Burke County Commission
Chairman Jeff Brittain and President and CEO of the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce Tonia Stephenson.
PAT APPLESON STUDIOS photos / FOR THE PAPER
On June 30, the Burke County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon
cutting for the Coldwell Banker Newton Real Estate American 250
Flag Mural. The Flag Mural is at 203 E. Union St., Morganton. Tim
and Debbie Newton and their grandchildren cut the ribbon alongside
Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson, other family members, team
members, friends, and supporters. Also in attendance were Burke
County Commissioners Brian Barrier, Randy Burns, and Mike Stroud;
Burke County Clerk of Court Crystal Carpenter; Morganton Main
Street Manager Makenzie McGinnis; President of Western Piedmont
Community College Dr. Joel Welch; President & CEO of Burke
Development, Inc. Brandon Ruppe; Executive Director of the Burke
County Tourism Development Authority Ed Phillips; President and CEO
of the Burke County Chamber of Commerce Tonia Stephenson; Burke
Chamber Board members Shaun Cline and Tonya Little; Burke Chamber
Board Member and Ambassador Ryan Morgan; and Burke Chamber
ambassadors Mackenzie Bostian-Adams, Jonathan Craven, Bill Fields,
Lindsey Hazelhurst, Stephanie Lipski, and Logan Smithers.
PAT APPLESON STUDIOS / FOR THE PAPER
The Burke County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for
AMOREM Valdese Memory Garden on June 23. The memory garden is at
1721 Enon Road, Valdese. April Moore, president & CEO of AMOREM,
cut the ribbon alongside Valdese Mayor Keith Huffman, board
members, team members, friends, and supporters. Also in attendance
were James Estes from Congressman Tim Moore’s Office, Valdese
Councilwomen Rexanna Lowman, Shannon Radabaugh, and Melinda
Zimmerman; Valdese Town Manager Todd Herms; Burke County
Commissioner Mike Stroud; President and CEO of the Burke County
Chamber of Commerce Tonia Stephenson; Burke Chamber Board Chair
Danette Brackett, and Board Member Myron Stephens; and Burke
Chamber ambassadors Carl Beardsworth, Gerald Greene, and Chance
Wright.
PAT APPLESON STUDIOS / FOR THE PAPER
Caldwell_county
Caldwell United Way, CIS Caldwell partner for annual donation drive
United Way of Caldwell County is currently holding its annual Stuff the Bus donation drive, in partnership with Communities In Schools of Caldwell County (CIS Caldwell), with a fundraiser scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3.
During Stuff the Bus, items are collected to help stock Classroom United, a teacher resource store that provides free school supplies, hygiene items, and resources to teachers and students in Caldwell County. Last school year, more than 14,000 total items were distributed to over 300 teachers at Classroom United, which is open from 3-5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays during the school year.
The Aug. 3 fundraiser will be held at United Way of Caldwell County, at 1248 Hickory Blvd. SW in Lenoir, with local resource partners and food vendors on hand. There will also be giveaways and a live radio broadcast for part of the day.
Community members can also donate school supply items — a list of needed supplies is available at tinyurl.com/yc49cta9 — at any of the following collection sites through Sunday, Aug. 2:
3 Drinks Down Beverage Co. (145 Cedar Valley Road, Hudson)
Bo’s Family Entertainment (1115 Blowing Rock Blvd., Lenoir)
Caldwell County Health Department/DSS (2345 Morganton Blvd. SW, Lenoir)
Caldwell County Schools Education Center (1914 Hickory Blvd. SW, Lenoir)
City of Lenoir (801 West Ave. NW, Lenoir)
Crumbl Cookies (2345 U.S. 70 SE, Hickory)
Delk 4 Law (110 Church St. NW, Lenoir)
Foothills Temporary Employment (125 Main St., Hudson)
Granite Insurance Agency (56 N. Main St., Granite Falls)
Helping Hands Clinic (810 Harper Ave., Lenoir)
Quest4Life Wellness Center (1031 Morganton Blvd. SW #A, Lenoir)
SERVPRO (121 Falls Ave., Granite Falls)
— JM
Obituaries
Roy 'Andy' Giles
Roy “Andy” Giles
FOR THE PAPER
Roy “Andy” Giles Jr., 85, of Morganton, passed away Sunday, July 26, 2026.
Born in Burke County, on June 16, 1941, he was the son of the late Roy A. Giles Sr. and Frankie Pitts Giles.
Andy was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and he worked as an attorney for the North Carolina state government. He was a big UNC Tarheel basketball fan, and he loved to read, be outdoors, and take walks in the woods or at state parks.
Those left to cherish his memory include his brother-in-law, Richard Perkins; nephew, Keith Bristol; nieces, Angela Perkins and Andrea Webb; and seven great-nieces and great-nephews.
In addition to his parents, Andy was preceded in death by a sister, Dorothy “Dottee” Perkins.
A cryptside service will be held at 3 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum.
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.
Community_news
Burke United Way welcomes Johnson as financial coach, resource coordinator
Suzanne Johnson recently joined Burke County United Way’s (BCUW) Financial Empowerment Program as a financial coach and resource coordinator.
Johnson
FOR THE PAPER
Johnson, who is certified with the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors, joined BCUW in March, bringing the program’s certified financial coaching staff to two. Keith Conley has served as a financial coach at BCUW since 2023.
Before joining BCUW, Johnson spent her professional career with Burke County Public Schools, most recently as the career and college promise coordinator and Burke Middle College school counselor. She has also worked with SPARC Programs and Services as a certified family centered treatment practitioner, assisting families navigating trauma and crisis by focusing on holistic wellness and resilience.
Now that BCUW’s Financial Empowerment Program has doubled its staff, it is equipped to serve more community members who want to take control of their finances. The program’s goal is to foster strong financial foundations for individuals and families through personalized coaching and support.
BCUW’s certified financial coaches work one-on-one with clients to assess their full financial picture, build a personalized goal plan, and provide ongoing support to help them stay on track. Coaching services help clients establish safe and affordable banking, improve their credit score, reduce and manage debt, build emergency savings, and gain confidence and clarity in their financial decisions.
Johnson and Conley have also each added the title of resource coordinator as BCUW expands its focus on financial wellness. The goal of this expansion is to equip Burke County employees with financial wellness resources and education that build long-term financial stability.
A Burke native, Johnson brings both local roots and professional experience to her new role. She is a graduate of North Carolina State University and Appalachian State University, and her background as a school counselor and family centered treatment practitioner give her a deep understanding of the challenges facing families across the county.
Johnson lives in Morganton with her husband, Mark, and stays active in the community through her interests in boating, pickleball, and volunteering.
To learn more about BCUW’s Financial Empowerment Program, visit bcuw.org/financial.
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