Connect Lenoir, Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2020

The Parks & Recreation Department is hosting several events at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center to celebrate Black History Month. Check out the latest edition of Connect Lenoir for more information and updates.

Upcoming Events

Women of Gospel Concert

Sunday, February 2, 2020, 3:00 PM @ Martin Luther King Jr. Center

Black History Month starts with the the Women of Gospel Concert featuring Ms. Faith Dula-Banner from Lenoir, Miss Tonie Carlton from Lenoir, Miss Kyesha...

More multifamily housing on the horizon

Construction is underway on two multifamily housing projects that will add more than 100 new apartments to the City of Lenoir.

Yorke Lawson and Tom Niemann, owners of Blue Bell Lenoir, LLC, are building 46 market-rate apartments in the old Lenoir Cotton Mill/Blue Bell, Inc. plant on College Avenue in downtown. Mark Morgan, owner of MC Morgan & Associates, INC, has broken grou...

City trims trees in downtown

A professional contractor recently finished trimming dozens of trees in Downtown Lenoir.

"Over the past couple of years, we’ve had some concerns with streetscape trees limiting signal visibility at intersections," Public Works Director Jared Wright said. "By hiring a professional tree trimming contractor, we were able to perfor...

Police K9 Axel passes

After providing six years of exemplary service to the City of Lenoir Police Department, and providing his handler and family six years of love and companionship, Police K9 Axel passed away yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, due to cancer.

Axel was born June 30, 2013, in the Czech Republic and was purchased by the City of Lenoir Police Department in August 2014. Sgt. Zachery Poythress trained Axel from start to finish while the sergeant earned certification as a Comprehensive Polic...

Don't forget about curb-side Christmas tree pickup

The City of Lenoir offers lots of sanitation services for customers, including picking up Christmas trees. Residents can request many of those services on the City website.

The Sanitation Division provides weekly garbage collection, bulk and white goods pickup, yard waste collection, limbs and trimmings pickup, leaf collection, and Christmas tree pickup. The division also manages the City's Recycling Center, located...

New year, new homes in Downtown Lenoir

The new year will bring new places to live in Downtown Lenoir as developers finish up work on two new housing projects in the heart of the city.

Jesse Plaster is building five apartments at 1001 West Ave. in downtown, and Steven and Jamie Stewart are working on converting 819 Harper Ave. into a mixed-used building with office space on the first floor and an apartment on the second story. Stewart h...

Luminary display starts tonight

City of Lenoir employees set out roughly 8,000 luminaries Friday morning at Blue Ridge Memorial Park.

The annual Luminary Display at Blue Ridge Memorial Park starts tonight at 6:00 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020.Every December, City staff and volunteers place thousands luminaries on the graves at Blue Ridge Memorial Park to honor families whose loved ones ar...

Holiday safety tips from the City of Lenoir

Keep your Christmas merry and your New Year happy with a few holiday safety tips.

City of Lenoir Fire Chief Ken Hair said the holidays are always a good time to remind everyone of important fire safety tips.

“According to the National Fire Protection Association, 44% of holiday home fires start when decorations are placed too close to a...

New section of greenway completed at Wilson Park

Public Works finished paving a new section of greenway at Wilson Park, and Parks & Recreation recently sowed the shoulders.

The gate between the parking lot and the new section at Wilson Park will remain closed until staff can install new bollards, however, the public is welcome to use the new section, just mind the shoulders.

Wilson Athletic Park is located at 1010 Powell Rd N...

City Council honors Donald Hall

The City of Lenoir City Council honored retiring employee Donald Hall Tuesday night, Dec. 1, 2020, during the City Council meeting.

Hall started working for the City of Lenoir on Aug. 1, 1980, as a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I. In 1987, Hall obtained additional certification to Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator II and further certification in 2000 to Wastewater Treatment Pl...

Main Street America puts spotlight on City businesses

Last month, Main Street America interviewed three Downtown Lenoir business owners as part of the Business Spotlight: Women-Owned Businesses on Main Street series.

Main Street America talked with Jennifer Sime, owner of Doodle Bugs; Iris Bender, owner of Taste of Havana; and Heather Bryant, owner of High Country Herbs. Doodle Bugs, located at 106 Main St. NW, is a boutique specializing in children's clothing and gif...

City expanding greenway at Wilson Park

Public Works staff have prepped a new section of greenway at T.H. Wilson Park. Workers plan to pave the new section Monday, weather permitting.

Public Works Street Division staff have already graded the new section and put down stone base. The section will add about 700 feet to the greenway and create a loop around the park. The loop will be just over 3,000 feet or about .56 miles long.

Parks and ...

Warren Harper, City's first African American firefighter, passes

The City of Lenoir extends our condolences to the family of Mr. Warren Harper, who passed away Saturday Nov. 14, 2020. Mr. Harper served as the City of Lenoir's first African American firefighter.

Mr. Harper retired from the City of Lenoir Fire Department in 1999 after 30 years of dedicated service. Fire Department Chief Ken Hair, then an engineer, worked with Mr. Harper for the last seven years of Mr. Harper's career with the City.

"O...

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

How lovely are your branches!

City of Lenoir staff from several departments put up and decorated the City's 20-foot-tall, 1,000-light, supersize Christmas tree Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2020. 

Public Works delivered and placed the tree on the southwest corner of the square ...

Bright lights, big savings

City Building Maintenance staff have spent the last few months installing more than 900 new, LED lights in several City facilities. The LED lights are brighter, more energy efficient, and they are already returning savings.

Public Works Director Jared Wright said the lighting upgrade was a project waiting for the right time and the right price. 

"Earlier this year, we were buying new lights for a couple parks, so we decided to check on prices and possible incent...

Turkey Tuesday canceled this year

Below is a joint statement from Mayor Pro Tem Crissy Thomas and Councilmember Ike Perkins regarding Turkey Tuesday.

"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with all the City of Lenoir facilities closed, Turkey Tuesday, which is hosted at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center has been cancelled. We pray and look forward to giving out Turkeys next year, 2021. Everyone contin...

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

The CDC as well as NCDHHS suggest alternative Halloween activities instead of traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating. If residents do choose to trick-or-treat or hand out candy, they should follow the NCDHHS and CDC guidelines below.

Click here to read information from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Click here to read the CDC Holiday Guidelines.

Happy Halloween from the City of Lenoir!

Photo by Daisy Anderson from Pexels

Leaf collection starts in November

The Public Works Department has started collecting leaves in hot spots across the City of Lenoir. All residents will get at least three leaf pickups between November and January.

Residents should rake or blow leaves into piles behind the curb or ditch line. Be sure to remove all bricks, rocks, sticks, or glass. Those items can injure employees and damage equipment.

Residents will get three leaf pickups - one pickup in November, one...

Paving on Mulberry Street starts Monday

Workers will start paving Mulberry Street Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, weather permitting. On-street parking will not be permitted on Mulberry Street during paving. Drivers should expect delays.

Earlier this week, contractors paved Greenhaven Drive from Blowing Rock Boulevard to Arlington Circle and Industrial Court from Morganton Boulevard to Polychem Court. Workers will restripe the lanes on the streets once paving is complete for all three roa...

City Council honors Jeff Hayes and Roger Barlow

The City of Lenoir City Council honored retired employees Jeff Hayes and Roger Barlow Tuesday night, Oct.20, 2020, during the City Council meeting.

Jeff Hayes retired Sept. 1, after 36 years of service with the City. Mr. Hayes started his career with the City of Lenoir in 1984 as a Water Plant Operator. He was promoted to Chief Water Plant Operator in 1989.

Roger Barlow retired Aug. 1, after 30 years ...

Paving project started this week

Workers started a paving project this week, and the first street to be resurfaced was Greenhaven Drive. Greenhaven Drive now offers a smooth ride from from Blowing Rock Boulevard to Arlington Circle.

Industrial Court should be paved this week from Morganton Boulevard to Polychem Court, and Mulberry Street will be paved next week from Morganton Boulevard to College Avenue, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen issues. On-street parking on Mulbe...

City moving forward with some events, canceling others

The City of Lenoir plans to hold some holiday events this year and cancel some others based on Centers for Disease Control and State guidelines.

The City is moving forward with the Downtown holiday light show. Staff plans to place a massive Christmas Tree in Downtown, and the City will also hold the Luminary Display at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in December.

"Due to state and federal guidelines,...

City Council honors Richard Hedrick

The City of Lenoir City Council honored long-time Planning Board member Richard Hedrick Tuesday night, Oct. 6, 2020, during the City Council meeting.

Mr. Hedrick served 23 years on the Planning Board, first as the Extraterritorial representative, then as a regular member. He also was an inaugural member of the Lenoir Historic Preservation Commission. Mr. Hedrick retired off the Planning Board in August...

Like online services? We have a few.

The City of Lenoir has several online services available through the City website. We also have plenty of ways to get in touch with City staff.

Pay Online

Our most popular online service is Pay Online. Customers can pay their City utility bills and tax bills via our payment portal. Residents can also set up an automatic bank draft to pay bills. That way, customers don’t have to bother wi...

City paving streets

A couple key thoroughfares in the City of Lenoir will get a fresh layer of asphalt during the next few weeks.

Sections of Greenhaven Street, Industrial Court, and Mulberry Street should be paved by the end of October, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen issues.

Mulberry Street will be paved from Morganton Boulevard to College Avenue. Greenhaven Street wi...

Want backyard chickens? There are a few rules.

City of Lenoir residents can keep backyard chickens as long has they apply for and receive a permit, but backyard roosters aren't very welcome.

City of Lenoir Code allows for up to four backyard chicken hens. Roosters are not allowed under the Backyard Chicken Permit. Residents must apply for a permit and follow the rules outlined in Sec. 3-2 of the City Code:

• Hens must be kept within an enclosed ...

City opening playgrounds and picnic shelters tomorrow

In response to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's Executive Order 163 (EO163), the City of Lenoir is opening City playgrounds and picnic shelters at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.

The City’s outdoor basketball court, tennis courts, and skate park will be open as well.

Governor Cooper recently announced that the state will move into Phase 2.5 starting tomorrow. Mask mandates and other prevention methods remain in effect and...

City offering payment plans for some utility customers

The City of Lenoir recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has created financial hardships for some of our residential utility customers.

In an effort to provide a way for customers to bring their balances up to date, the City will offer payment plans for customers who were unable to pay their utility bills since March, April, May, June, and July this year. Customers will have to meet the f...

Utility bill help available for City residents

The City of Lenoir and Caldwell County Yokefellow, Inc., are partnering to provide utility bill assistance for City water, sewer, and solid waste fees.

The help only applies to City of Lenoir bills, not any other type of bill such as power, phone, or internet.

Funds are available to residents who live inside the city limits of the City of Lenoir and meet the income requirements. To qualify, gross househol...

Post 29 recognizes Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year

American Legion Post 29 Commander Wayne Mihelich honored and recognized a City of Lenoir Firefighter and Police Officer Tuesday night Aug. 4, 2020, during the City Council meeting.

Mihelich recognized James Greer as Firefighter of the Year and Chris Maher as Police Officer of the Year for the City of Lenoir.

"Lt. Greer is an integral part of the Fire Department’s success internally and externally," Fire Chief Ken ...

Barlow retires, several firefighters being promoted this month

With the retirement of Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Roger Barlow, several opportunities for promotion within the Fire Department opened up.

Fire Chief Ken Hair has made the following promotions from within the department that will be effective later this month.

Chris Jacobs has been promoted to Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal effective Aug. 24.  Jacobs has served the department since Sep...

High-tech sludge dryer coming to wastewater treatment plant

One of the foundations of modern civilization is indoor plumbing. Running water and flushing toilets make life better. In a city, everything flushed down a toilet doesn't magically disappear. It all gets treated at a sewer plant.

This week, workers started installing a new treatment system at the Lower Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Staff have nicknamed the new equipment "the poop dryer." The new system will replace the plant’s old treatment process, "t...

City of Lenoir wins Excellence in Communications Awards

The City of Lenoir was among 21 North Carolina governments to earn recognition in the North Carolina City & County Communicators’ (NC3C) 2020 Excellence in Communications Awards.

The City of Lenoir won First Place in Digital Technology - Audio, and Second Place in Digital Technology - Website.

Local government communicators from across North Carolina submitted 192 entries in the 2020 NC3C award program. All entries were judged by p...

Controlled burn on Sunset Street

The City of Lenoir Fire Department will perform a controlled burn at 213 Sunset St. tomorrow, June 24, 2020. Residents will see smoke in the area.

The house located at 213 Sunset St. caught fire a couple years ago and has been vacant since. Recently, the property owner asked if the City’s firefighters would use the structure for training purposes. The burn will allow the City’s f...

Statement from Mayor Joe Gibbons Regarding the Death of George Floyd

As the Mayor of the City of Lenoir, I wish to express my thoughts regarding the tragic and unnecessary death of Mr. George Floyd that occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I join many of our neighbors across our communities and our country who are hurting and angry regarding the senseless brutality that led to the death of Mr. Floyd. I am disturbed and saddened by these actions and the tragic loss of life. There are no excu...

Section of greenway near Days Inn closed

A small section of the City of Lenoir greenway near Days Inn on US 321 has been closed due to a sink hole.

City staff will repair the sinkhole as soon as possible. Until then, the public should avoid this section of the greenway.

More parking and access points are listed on the greenway page. Click here to visit the Greenway page.

Read on...

WPCC student donates plants to Community Garden

A Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) horticulture student delivered nearly 1,000 plants to the Community Garden Friday, May 29, 2020. Community garden volunteers will tend the plants this summer and donate the harvest to local ministries.

Brandy Richthammer is a horticulture program student at WPCC. To help raise money for the program, students and staff hold an annual plant sale where they sell plants that have been raised by the spring semester students. Due to COVID-19 lock downs, the p...

City facilities remaining closed through Safer At Home Phase 2, July 4th Celebration canceled

City of Lenoir facilities, including the outdoor pool, will remain closed through Safer At Home Phase 2. Staff, with the approval of City Council, also canceled the July 4th celebration.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued his Safer At Home Phase 2 executive order Friday, May 22, 2020. Phase 2 limits mass gatherings to no more than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors in most circumstances. Click here to read the press release. S...

No increase in taxes or fees in proposed 2020-2021 budget

City of Lenoir City Manager Scott Hildebran presented his 2020-2021 proposed budget to City Council Tuesday night, May 19, 2020. There is no increase in taxes or fees in the proposed budget.

The proposed budget and presentation are available online at www.cityoflenoir.com/budgetproposal. City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget during the June 2, 2020, regular meeting. After the public hearing, Council will vote on the b...

Finance Dept. receives award for CAFR

The City of Lenoir Finance Department has again received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award (PDF)

The GFOA presented the award to the City for its latest comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). A CAFR is a set of financial statements that contains a wide variety of infor...

Public Utilities encourages businesses to flush water lines before reopening

The City of Lenoir Public Utilities Department encourages any businesses that have been closed for more than 10 days to thoroughly flush all their water pipes before reopening.

Related: Governor Cooper Announces Modified Stay At Home Order and Transition to Phase 1 of Easing Restrictions, May 5, 2020

When water stays in pipes for too long, it can become stagnant. Over time, the disinfectant in the water, such as chlorine, will li...

City rolling out new garbage carts

The City of Lenoir is distributing new, roll-out garbage carts this week. The Sanitation Division plans to start automated garbage collection on the Monday route next week. The remaining routes will be phased in during the next two months.

Contractors are delivering the new carts this week. The carts are a warm gray and have the City of Lenoir seal impressed on the sides in white. There is also a link to the garbage collection page on the City website. The carts are bar coded so staff know ...

City moving to automated garbage collection

The City of Lenoir Public Works Department is moving to automated garbage collection this year. On Tuesday, City Council adopted a new sanitation ordinance as part of the move.

Public Works Director Jared Wright said the move will improve the City’s garbage collection service in a few different ways.

"We’ve been planning to move to fully automated collection for a while, and we started the process last ye...

Caldwell County Sheriff and Police Chiefs issue joint statement regarding Stay At Home Order

Caldwell County Sheriff Alan Jones and Police Chiefs Brent Phelps, City of Lenoir; Richard Blevins, Town of Hudson; and Chris Jenkins, Town of Granite Falls, issued the following joint statement regarding Governor Roy Cooper's Stay At Home Order.

Caldwell County Law Enforcement Agencies statement regarding the recent Stay At Home Order

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued a Stay At Home Order effective at 5:00 p.m. yesterday, March 30, 2020. The order was included in the Governor’s E...

Caldwell County sets up health information line

Earlier this week, the Caldwell County Health Department opened its Health Information Line to answer questions and provide information about COVID-19. Call the health information line at 828-426-8456.

828-426-8456 - Caldwell County Health Information Line

If a person believes they have been exposed to COVID-19 and develops a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, they should call their healthcare provider, urgent care, or the health ...

Lenoir wins again at state conference

By Garrett Stell, gstell@newstopicnews.com
Mar 12, 2020 4:36 PM

Lenoir again has won awards at an annual state conference of downtown development officials.

The North Carolina Gravity Games was chosen in the category of Best Downtown Event or Series, and the reconstruction project of 122 Boundary St. was chosen in Best Endangered Properties Rescue Effort at the 2020 North Carolina Main Street Conference in Ne...

City declares state of emergency

In response to the recent declarations by NC Governor Roy Cooper and the Federal government, and to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Coronavirus, City of Lenoir Mayor Joe Gibbons officially declared a state of emergency for the City of Lenoir.

Mayor Gibbons declared the state of emergency Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The declaration allows the City Manager to take proactive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 including altering the way City services are delivered to residents. In addition t...

City recreation centers closing

Given the executive order of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Saturday, March 14, 2020, the City of Lenoir will close all City recreational facilities through March 29.

On Saturday, Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order to stop mass gatherings of more than 100 people and to close K-12 public schools for at least two weeks. To abide by the Governor’s order and help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Ci...

Several city events canceled

In accordance with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommendations, the following City events have been canceled:

• Leprechaun Leap 5k/10k
• West End Plan Community Workshop
• Carolina Sweetheart 4 Miler
• Lenoir Downtown Cruise In (April 4)
• Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza
• Bootlegger 100 Cycle Race
• 10th Annual NC Gravity Games & Street Fest

In addition to canceling these events,...

City of Lenoir Coronavirus Action Plan

The City of Lenoir is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and working in partnership with local and state agencies to address community and employee safety.

Staff has developed a flexible action plan to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to provide essential City services to our residents.

“The safety of our community is our top priority,” City of Lenoir Mayor Joe Gibbons...

Stay in the loop with CodeRED Emergency Alerts and Notify Me

If you want to stay in the loop about what's happening in the City of Lenoir, you need to sign up for CodeRED and Notify Me.

CodeRED and Notify Me serve two different communication functions. Staff uses CodeRED to send out emergency alerts and general announcements to all residents. Notify Me is a subscription service. Residents can sign up to receive notifications about City n...

Council reviews progress, looks to the future

City Council reviewed the past year's economic progress during a planning retreat last month. Councilmembers were impressed with the number of new businesses and the amount of new investment in Lenoir.

City Council held their annual Planning Retreat Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, at the Blue Ridge Energy Caldwell District Office. To kick off the retreat, City Manager Scott Hildebran and Mayor Joe Gibbons gave a state-of-the-city update. The presentation include...

City facilities opening late Friday

Due to the weather, City of Lenoir City Hall and other facilities will open at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020.

The start of the City Council Planning Retreat tomorrow has been delayed as well. The retreat will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Energy Caldwell District Office Community Room. Click here to visit the Agenda Center and download the ret...

Becky Gibbons receives first "Gibbons Award"

Becky Gibbons received the first Gibbons Award Tuesday night, Feb. 18, 2020. The award is named in honor of Mayor Joe Gibbons and his wife, Becky.

Main Street staff and volunteers presented the award during the "I Heart Main Street" celebration held at 1841 Cafe.  The celebration is a way to show appreciation for the time and hard work volunteers and staff invest in Downtown Lenoi...

Mayor Gibbons gives Key to the City to Police Chaplain Larry Smith

City of Lenoir Mayor Joe Gibbons gave a Key to City to Police Department Chaplain Larry Smith last week. Gibbons and Police Chief Brent Phelps thanked Smith for his many years of service to the City and to the Lenoir Police Department.

Smith worked as a telecommunicator for the department for several years, and he has served as a Volunteer Chaplain since 2004. Smith and his wife plan to move out of the area later this year, so he will no longer be able to serve as a Chaplain.

Mayor Gibbo...

Don't move or drive around barricades

Due to recent heavy rain, the City of Lenoir is experiencing localized flooding on some city streets.

 If you see a barricade, do not move the barricade or drive around the barricade. Also, never drive through flood water. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than half of all flood-related drownings occur when...

Coronavirus Action Plan

The City of Lenoir's Coronavirus Action Plan and updates are available on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) page.