The Paper Media

Tucked away on a winding road in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, BamBam Bonsai’s Joe Winkler tends to nearly 1,000 bonsai trees. From a distance, the setup appears like a typical nursery with a large greenhouse and rows of plants, but up close, twisted trunks and carefully shaped branches reveal an art form with roots stretching back thousands of years.

Winkler’s collection is the product of 35 years of learning, growing, and selling bonsai. The art is all about time, he said. When someone buys a bonsai, they’re buying the years, if not decades, that it took for the tree to achieve its unique shape.

While “bonsai” is a Japanese term, the art of growing miniature trees in pots originated in China over 2,000 years ago. After moving from Florida to Burke County about a year ago, Winkler brought BamBam Bonsai and decades worth of experience with him.

Bambam bonsai

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Morganton bonsai grower works to make the art accessible to beginners After moving to Burke County, longtime bonsai artist Joe Winkler is growing about 1,000 bonsai trees while working to make the centuries-old art form more accessible through his nursery and

Donations continue to come in for the construction of a new playground at Children’s Park, with the Rotary Club of Valdese presenting a $55,000 contribution to the project during its regular weekly meeting June 2.

The meeting was held at Children’s Park instead of the Rotary’s usual gathering place in the Waldensian Room at the Old Rock School.

The contribution includes $25,000 from Rotary Zone 33, which covers the Southeastern United States; $20,000 from Rotary District 7670, which covers Western North Carolina; and $10,000 from the Rotary Club of Valdese.

The grants were awarded through Rotary’s Hurricane Helene relief and resiliency funding programs, with Rotary District Assistant Governor Shawn Hamm identifying the grant opportunity and bringing it to the attention of Friends of the Valdese Rec (FVR) President Beth Heile. Both Hamm and Heile are former presidents of the Rotary Club of Valdese.

Heile knew immediately that Children’s Park, which is prone to flooding and in need of new playground equipment, was the right project for the grant funds. Within three days, a successful grant application was submitted and awarded.

Valdese Rotary gives $55K for Children’s Park playground https://monkeylink.co/86a942

Valdese Rotary gives $55K for Children’s Park playground Donations continue to come in for the construction of a new playground at Children’s Park, with the Rotary Club of Valdese presenting a $55,000 contribution to the project during its

Morganton permits show more than $10 million in approved May construction

Morganton approved 99 building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits in May, with reported construction values totaling more than $10.1 million, according to the city’s May 2026 construction permit report.

The largest project by far was a renovation at Ingles Market at 120 Carbon City Road. The building permit, issued May 1 to Ingles Market Inc., listed Vannoy Construction as the applicant and carried a construction value of $5,997,815. The project was listed for mercantile use.

Vannoy activated its permit on June 2.

May’s activity marked a shift from the prior two months. The city approved fewer permits in May than in April, 99 compared with 123, but the listed construction value jumped sharply, from about $3.7 million in April.

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Ingles renovation permit drives Morganton’s $10.1M May total Morganton approved 99 May construction permits totaling more than $10.1 million, led by a nearly $6 million Ingles Market renovation, as commercial, public facility and residential projects pushed 2026 values

On Saturday, July 4, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday and the town of Glen Alpine will celebrate its own historic milestone: hosting Burke County’s official America250 Parade.

The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. that morning in the heart of downtown.

The town has held its own July Fourth parade annually for 68 years, attracting not only town residents but patriotic spectators from around the county.

Being named the official site for the America250 Parade puts the small town in a position of responsibility and prestige as well as being tasked with preparing for a larger parade audience than usual.

After being asked in February to host the parade, Glen Alpine formed its own Parade Committee. The group, spearheaded by town residents DeAnna Boone and Crystal Carswell, is composed of town volunteers, aldermen, and the mayor.

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Glen Alpine preps to host America250 Parade On Saturday, July 4, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday and the town of Glen Alpine will celebrate its own historic milestone: hosting Burke County’s official America250 Parade.

Morganton has selected a local advisory committee to help shape one of the city’s most important land-use overhauls in years, a rewrite of development rules that could affect how property is built, divided, landscaped, and regulated in the future.

In a June 1 memo to City Council, Wendy Smith, the city’s director of Development and Design Services, said the committee has been chosen to assist in development of Morganton’s new Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO. The memo says the group includes members selected for their knowledge of zoning, subdivision, stormwater, watershed rules, and other ordinances under review.

For Morganton property owners, builders, and residents, the practical meaning is simple: This is the rulebook rewrite that could eventually shape what gets built, where it gets built, and how difficult or easy the city’s development process is to navigate.

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City taps local committee to help shape Morganton development rules Morganton has named an advisory committee to help draft its new Unified Development Ordinance, a sweeping rewrite of local development rules that could affect zoning, subdivision, stormwater and future growth

Jayden Pupoh, a rising junior at the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media, has joined the staff of The Paper as a summer intern.

Pupoh’s parents live in McDowell County, and she attended McDowell High School as a freshman and sophomore. She completed her high school education at the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, graduating in 2024.

“This will definitely be a ‘hands-on’ summer for Jayden,” said Executive Editor Angela Kuper Copeland in announcing Pupoh’s appointment. “She will be writing a variety of stories and learning the routine of a working newsroom.”

A dean’s list student during each of her first four semesters at Chapel Hill, Pupoh is a staff member of the university’s student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, and is also active in student life at the university.

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Pupoh joins Paper staff for summer internship Jayden Pupoh is joining the staff of The Paper as a summer intern.

After a week of discussion about police staffing and the town’s long-term financial outlook, Glen Alpine leaders have proposed a budget that would maintain the current tax rate while relying on about $50,000 in reserves to balance spending.

The proposed $1.5 million budget would keep the town’s 26-cent property tax rate and comes after two budget workshops held on Monday, June 1, and Friday, June 5. Town Administrator Crystal Carswell presented the draft budget Monday evening and held a public hearing, where one resident spoke. The proposal is scheduled for a vote on Monday, June 22.

The budget includes projected revenues that are $223,826 less than expenses. However, Carswell noted that the number is deceiving, as about $172,000 is money that had to be budgeted from an Asset Inventory and Assessment Grant and a grant for the fire department. Grant money has to be accounted for, but it’s money that’s received, not spent.

That leaves about $51,000 needed from the town’s fund balance reserves to fill the gap between revenues and expenses. The town’s fund balance reserves currently stand at about $1.6 million, down roughly $90,000 from the previous year.

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No tax hike, but Glen Alpine taps savings as police shortage persists Glen Alpine leaders have proposed a $1.5 million budget that keeps the property tax rate at 26 cents while using fund balance reserves to close the gap between revenues and

If residents tune into CoMPAS at any point in the week, or stream the Morganton city council meetings, or really watch any video created for the city, they’re likely to be looking at the handiwork of Chad Medford, Morganton’s Studio Specialist.

“My world is video, I guess you could say,” Medford said, as static video feeds of the empty city council chambers rolled on the screen.

CoMPAS is Morganton’s city-owned television, internet, and telephone service, and Medford is the man who creates advertisements and manages the audio and video needs for local broadcasts.

Medford spent years working in television, particularly in camera operation, including a stint in the news industry with WLOS-TV, a television station based in Asheville.

He said the excitement of that job kept him hooked on working in the field.

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Chad Medford: The man behind Morganton's video needs If residents tune into CoMPAS at any point in the week, or stream the Morganton city council meetings, or really watch any video created for the city, they’re likely to

The Burke County Board of Education delayed a decision on whether to demolish vacant Chesterfield Elementary School after several members on June 8 questioned spending nearly $250,000 to tear down a property that could be worth more than $1 million.

In December 2025, Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan presented a bid from D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., Inc., of Hickory, proposing the demolition of the building, suggesting the school became an “attractive nuisance” for illicit activity.

On June 8, Swan brought the $246,000 quote back to the board for consideration. D.H. Griffin would handle the removal of the building, foundation, parking lots, and sidewalks, as well as sowing grass seed in its place.

Chesterfield has sat vacant for approximately eight years on Pax Hill Road in Morganton, after the school board voted in June 2017 to relocate the students to Mountain View Elementary in the school’s inaugural 2018-19 school year.

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Chesterfield Elementary: To demo or not to demo? Although school’s out for the summer, the Burke County Board of Education spent part of its June 8 meeting debating how to sell Chesterfield Elementary and the land it sits

The historic building that housed the 100 Main restaurant in downtown Valdese changed hands for the first time since 1964 last week, passing from the Waldenses Guigou family to Ryan Cook of Hook Properties.

Cook bought the property for $407,000. He closed on the deal last week, stating that the idea is to use the space for a new restaurant.

The former restaurant, 100 Main, was named for its location on 100 Main St. E. It operated for 11 years before an abrupt, permanent closure in January. Owner Brian Thompson said he was unable to reach a sustainable agreement with a potential buyer at the time.

The property was owned by Guigou Brothers Inc., according to county documents. It was constructed by Guigou Brothers in 1935.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate Broker Tim Newton shared the news on social media, thanking the Guigou family for their trust and for allowing him to assist with the sale.

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For the first time in 62 years, 100 Main St. E in Valdese changes hands The historic building that housed the 100 Main restaurant in Valdese changed hands for the first time since 1964 last week, passing from the Guigou family to Ryan Cook.