Years of delays. Millions in borrowing. And questions about what might have been. Plus, changing traffic patterns, a shift in development decisions, and a few surprises in the restaurant inspection scores. Here are five stories to watch for in the Saturday, Nov. 14, edition of The Paper.
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HOW DID VALDESE'S $11.5M PROJECT GET HERE?
Why is Valdese borrowing $10 million for a new public safety building while nearby Granite Falls is building a fire station with state grant money? Town Manager Todd Herms says years of changing plans and delays added an estimated $3.5 million to Valdese's costs. We trace the project's eight-year history, the funding opportunities explored, and the decisions that brought the town to this point.
THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED. AND THE ONES GETTING BUSIER.
Traffic between Morganton and Lenoir is surging, with one stretch of U.S. 64-N.C. 18 gaining 5,600 vehicles a day over the past decade. Meanwhile, some longtime commercial corridors are seeing sharp declines. We examine where drivers are going, where they're disappearing, and what the changing patterns reveal about growth in Burke and Caldwell counties.
WHO GETS THE FINAL SAY?
Caldwell County commissioners have voted to give up their authority to approve or deny special-use permits, shifting that responsibility to the Board of Adjustment. The change removes elected commissioners from the final decision on certain potentially controversial developments. We explain what it means for developers, nearby property owners, and residents who want their voices heard.
A RESTAURANT SCORE DROPS AGAIN. HOW DID YOUR FAVORITE FARE?
Atlantic Country Buffet received an 87 during its September health inspection. In October, its score fell to 82, the lowest among Burke County restaurants inspected that month. Meanwhile, six Burke establishments and 17 in Caldwell earned perfect scores of 100. See which restaurants landed at the top and bottom of our monthly rankings.
FOXES, OPOSSUMS, AND A MYSTERIOUS DEER.
An exotic deer roaming Burke County sparked a social media frenzy, but it's hardly the strangest animal Hannah Simmonds has encountered. At River Rock Wildlife Rehab, she cares for injured and orphaned wildlife, along with three marble foxes confiscated from an illegal fur farm. Step inside a local rescue where the residents are unpredictable, the work never ends, and saying no isn't easy.
Read the full stories in tomorrow's Paper.
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