Around Burke for Dec. 21

The Paper’s offices will be closed Dec. 23-27 for the Christmas holidays. The Dec. 28 edition will be delivered as usual. Anyone needing assistance during the closure should email info@thepaper.media, which will be monitored daily with the exception of Christmas Day. The office will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30.

Toys for Tots applications are now open, and volunteers are needed. For the 17th year, the Marine Corps League Table Rock Detachment #1197 and Burke County United Way (BCUW) are joining forces to package and distribute toys to children in Burke County this holiday season. For the third year in a row, the First Presbyterian Church of Morganton and Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese will also partner to help distribute toys. To apply for Toys for Tots, go to bcuw.org/toys and click the “Apply Here” button to start the application process. BCUW is seeking 30-40 volunteers to help package and distribute toys in early and mid-December. To sign up for volunteer alerts, visit bcuw.org and click the “Volunteer” button at the top right. For more information, contact Abigail Taylor at Burke County United Way at abigail.taylor@bcuw.org.

The festive holiday light display at J. Iverson Riddle Development Center will be illuminated daily from 5:30-10 p.m. through Dec. 31.

The Burke County Beekeepers Association is hosting an open house Jan. 13, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Burke County Agricultural Building, 130 Ammons Drive in Morganton. There will be beekeeping displays, vendor exhibits, and the opportunity to register for 2025 Bee School. For more information, call the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke Center, at 828-764-9480.

The Burke County Department of Social Services is taking low-income energy assistance program applications for the following households: a household that contains a member aged 60 and above; and a household that contains a disabled person receiving a service through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). Everyone living at the residence must be included on the application. All other applicants may apply beginning Jan. 1, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to apply by phone, by submitting a paper application through mail, or by fax. Applications can also be submitted through epass.nc.gov. For questions, call the Department of Social Services at 828-764-9600.

Tickets to the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Benefit Gala — Glamourous Night at the Disco — are now on sale for the Jan. 25 event. Proceeds this year will go to support UNC Health Blue Ridge’s Cardiology services. Once all tickets are sold, call the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation at 828-580-5358 to be added to the waitlist. Visit event.gives/nhngala2024 to purchase your tickets now. Individual tickets are $150. The gala is black tie optional and will be held at the Foothills Higher Education Center in Morganton.

The Burke County landfill and convenience sites will be closed in observance of the following holidays: Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24), and Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25). Regular operations will resume on the day following each holiday.

All locations of the Burke County Public Library will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 24, through Thursday, Dec. 26, for Christmas and Wednesday, Jan. 1, for New Year’s Day.