Commerce estimated Burke County’s April labor force at 38,496 residents, with 1,259 counted as unemployed. In March, Burke had a 3.4% unemployment rate.
Dr. Mo Drinkard has become executive director of Catawba Riverkeeper, the nonprofit that protects the Catawba Wateree River Basin, including Burke County waters such as the Catawba River and Lake James.
The fourth annual Lake James Watershed Symposium is a free, all-day event open to the public and sponsored by Duke Energy. It is set for Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the barn on the campus of the North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics in Morganton.
A $1.24 million grant from the Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization and Western Piedmont Council of Governments will fund the construction of a pedestrian sidewalk across Canal Bridge on N.C. 126 in Burke County. The bridge will connect Fonta Flora State Park and Overmountain Victory Trails, facilitating the development of more state trails. Scheduled for construction in fall or winter, the walkway will span 480 feet on the eastern side of the bridge without disrupting automobile traffic. Local organizations have contributed to the project, and the effort has been a community-supported initiative to enhance pedestrian infrastructure in the area.
