Foothills Area Community Collective

09/11/2026

08/19/2026

📣 Calling all area potters, ceramic artists, and clay-creatives!

We dug into something special at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest and we’d love for you to be part of it.

In 2024, local potters Matt Hallyburton and Kim Ellington rediscovered and mapped one of the largest known veins of Catawba Valley clay beneath the park. The discovery opened up an exciting opportunity to connect conservation, art, and a centuries-old pottery tradition rooted right here in our region.

Now, FCNC is working with local artists to thoughtfully make this natural resource available through our Wild Clay Program and we’re looking for more potters to join us! [Note: We'll schedule our second annual clay distribution day in October. Date TBD.]

Whether you’re a longtime professional, an enthusiastic hobbyist, or somewhere in between, we’d love to connect with anyone interested in utilizing unrefined local clay.

Interested in getting your hands dirty with us? Check out our website for more information and to reach out: foothillsconservancy.org/oakhillpark/wildclayprogram

And please tag a potter who needs to know about this! 👇

08/09/2026

07/17/2026

Hey…so remember when I broke the news several weeks ago, and then just yesterday I reiterated that they’re “exploring the option” and likely going to bring the health department and social services under their control? Well…this is posted now. 🤗

So again I’ll say:

These are the same exact men who disgraced their seats by getting into a fist fight that made national news, with zero consequences. These are the same politicians who, within the last year, learned in real time during a meeting the amount of their constituents who receive services FROM said social services and health department and met that knowledge with what could be label as disgust, the same vindictive body that publicly berated a county employee who wasn’t there to defend himself then took an ax to the EMS budget to “teach them a lesson,” and the same dudes who were publicly whined about how they didn’t get enough glory to satiate themselves when Helene struck.

Handing total control of our public health and human safety is a recipe for catastrophe.

Here’s the abridged version of how this power grabbing consolidation could go wrong: political interference, loss of independent boards, loss of specialists, suppression of public data, mass resignation, retaliation toward employees, zero accountability, potential loss of state and federal funding, mishandling of department funding, logistical costs, and severe liability risks.

If you work for the health department, social services, or if you receive any of these services, SPEAK OUT!!!! JULY 27th!!

Placing life-and-death operations of public health and social services into the hands of our petty, ill-informed politicians is a betrayal of public trust that our county cannot afford.

07/02/2026

💧 Community Water Stations Keep the Homeless Hydrated in Hickory and Conover as Dangerous Heat Arrives

Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 7:15 p.m.

HICKORY, N.C. — A grassroots effort to help homeless and low-income residents stay hydrated has grown to three free water and ice stations across Hickory, NC and Conover, NC, and donations are arriving daily as the region braces for a stretch of dangerous heat.

Tyquan Cooper, the resident behind the drive, added a third cooler this week and has been restocking all three sites himself. On Wednesday he distributed 10 cases of water donated by Noah Taylor, along with more cases, sports drinks and ice dropped off by Debbie Tynan Caprin. The newest site, in Conover, came together with help from John Hayes and John Lookadoo. Cooper says each cooler now holds at least four cases of water.

"Let's continue to hydrate the city," Cooper wrote in a Wednesday post.

The stations are open to anyone in need. Oscar Najera, a local content creator known across the Catawba Valley for his community reviews, has been dropping off extra water and stopping by each location to help spread the word.

Drop-offs are welcome at any of the three sites:

Whole Life Wellness (behind the Hickory Soup Kitchen), 206 1st Avenue SE, Hickory
The Cognitive Connection (Springs Road), 929 15th St NE, Hickory
Strong Life Rescue (near Catawba Valley Medical Center), 1209 Fairgrove Church Road SE, Conover

The timing is no accident. The US National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC has issued a Heat Advisory for Catawba County and the Hickory Metro from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2, with highs near 100 degrees and a heat index as high as 106. Forecasters say dangerously hot conditions will hold through the Fourth of July weekend. Ongoing drought has also forced Hickory, Morganton and Lenoir to close their splash pads, cutting off one of the few free ways for families to cool down.

Heat is the deadliest form of weather in the United States, killing more people in an average year than hurricanes and tornadoes combined, according to the National Weather Service. The CDC recorded a record 2,415 heat-related deaths in 2023 and 2,394 in 2024 — more than 9,400 since 2020.

People without stable housing face the sharpest risk of all. A 2024 study from the Boston University School of Public Health found that extreme heat pushes up death rates among people experiencing homelessness far more than in the general population, largely because they often lack shelter, water and any place to cool off. That is the exact gap Cooper's coolers are meant to close.

Anyone who wants to help can drop off water, ice, sports drinks or snacks at any of the three locations, or message Cooper directly to arrange a donation.

Know of another cooling or hydration station open to the public in the Catawba Valley? Share it in the comments so we can help get the word out. Save this post for the drop-off addresses, and pass it along to keep the community informed as the heat builds.

06/13/2026

⚠️ URGENT WARNING: Multiple Overdoses Reported Across Catawba Valley Saturday — Dangerous New Batch Suspected in Local Drug Supply

Published June 13, 2026 6pm

CATAWBA VALLEY, N.C. — Catawba County News & Weather is tracking reports of multiple suspected overdoses across Caldwell, Burke, Alexander, and Catawba counties Saturday — an unusually high number of incidents concentrated in a matter of hours that has raised serious concern about the current local drug supply.

The reports span the Highway 321 corridor from the Lenoir area south through Hickory, as well as incidents in and around Morganton and Taylorsville. While official incident totals are still being confirmed, the volume of reports in a short window is not normal for this region, and CCNW is issuing this warning out of an urgent concern for public safety.

When overdose incidents spike suddenly like this, public health experts say it typically signals one thing: a new, more potent batch of fentanyl or he**in has entered the local supply.

Here is why that matters — and why it catches people off guard.

Illicit drugs like fentanyl and he**in are not manufactured under any regulatory standard. The concentration of the active ingredient can vary dramatically from batch to batch — even when the volume of the dose looks identical to what someone has used before. A person who takes their usual amount may be unknowingly consuming a significantly higher dose of the drug than their body has any tolerance for. This is not carelessness. It is a predictable consequence of an unregulated supply, and it is what appears to be happening in this region right now.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE IN THIS AREA — PLEASE READ THIS

This page is not going to tell you what to do with your life. But we are going to tell you what is happening right now in our community, because you deserve to have that information.

If you are planning to use any opioid — including he**in, or any substance that may contain fentanyl — in this area today or this weekend, please take these steps:

Start with a significantly smaller amount than usual. What your body has handled before may be an overdose dose from what is currently circulating. Wait, assess how you feel, and go from there.

Do not use alone. If you lose consciousness, you cannot call for help. Having another person present may be the only thing that keeps a bad situation from becoming fatal.

Have naloxone (Narcan) within arm’s reach, and make sure the person you are with knows how to use it and where it is before you use anything. You cannot administer it to yourself.

KNOW THE SIGNS OF AN OVERDOSE

• Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
• Blue or gray lips or fingertips
• Unresponsive to voice or physical touch
• Pinpoint (very small) pupils
• Gurgling or snoring sounds that won’t stop

If you witness an overdose:

Call 911 immediately. Administer naloxone if you have it — one spray in one nostril. If the person does not respond within two to three minutes, administer a second dose. Place them on their side. Stay until emergency personnel arrive.

North Carolina’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law (G.S. 90-96.2) provides limited protection from prosecution for certain drug-related charges for a person who calls 911 to report an overdose in good faith. Do not let fear of arrest stop you from making that call.

WHERE TO GET FREE NARCAN AND FENTANYL TEST STRIPS IN THIS REGION

Olive Branch Ministry / Points of HOPE
3730 N. Center Street, Hickory, NC 28601
Call or text: (828) 291-7023
Serves Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, and surrounding counties
Free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, peer support, and connection to treatment services — no judgment, no requirements

Free Narcan Vending Machine — Burke County
Located at Catawba Valley Healthcare, in the Town of Valdese
Available at no cost, no prescription or ID required
Established through a partnership between Burke County Government, Partners Health Management, and Healthy Blue

CVS Pharmacy Locations — Statewide
Narcan is available at no cost at CVS pharmacies across North Carolina under a statewide standing order. No prescription is needed. Ask the pharmacist.

Catawba County Public Health Department
(828) 695-5800

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS READY FOR HELP

NC HopeLine, Inc. : 1-855-467-3621
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free, confidential, and judgment-free.

Death is the only outcome that permanently ends someone’s chance at recovery. Everything else can be worked through. Stay alive.

CCNW will continue to monitor and update this situation as additional information becomes available.

05/13/2026

Mutual Aid Request, Cash-app and Venmo below

Hey guys. I’m very nervous about making a post like this because I’m already incredibly hard on myself and it makes me feel as if I am not doing enough even though I am trying my absolute best lol. Regardless, I am struggling and have been for quite some time now. My physical health has been down for so long due to my POTS and I feel as if I cannot ever catch up. Our healthcare system is so incredibly messed up and failing us. On top of that, it’s so difficult because I have to WORK to make money>working too much makes the illness stay in constant flare up>have to use money for countless doctors visits and to survive in general. It’s an endless cycle. I’m not getting the help I need.

Anyways, all of this being said.. I had been straining so hard physically with some life changes that had come up. This pushed me into a pretty bad flare up that led me to tearing up my car. /: I’m not exactly confident enough with setting up a GoFundMe or anything because honestly I don’t want to ask for a set amount or anything but if anyone is willing to help me out at all, I would deeply appreciate it for the repairs. (I will leave my cashapp/venmo in the comments). It honestly kills me to make a post like this because I feel very weak and not so hopeful at the moment. My baseline with POTS has declined significantly. The fact that I can’t even trust myself to drive my own car while I’m in a flareup bc I get so disoriented, makes me feel disheartened. If anyone at all knows of any POTS specialists in NC, that also would be so very helpful. Yes, I do need help financially.. but I also just am so tired of looking for doctors. I am willing to leave the area if I have to. I live in Morganton. Even Raleigh would be okay. I’ve asked around the Charlotte area and cannot find anyone who will accept my insurance. I want my quality of life back to at least somewhat near where it was and some normalcy. I’m sorry to leave a book on everyone’s feed I’m just very tired. Even kind words would be appreciated right now. Thank you