The Hickory Daily Record is the leading source for news, sports, entertainment, classifieds and obituaries for North Carolina ... 's Catawba Valley, which includes four counties -- Catawba, Caldwell, Burke and Alexander -- and the cities/towns of Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton, Newton, Conover, Granite Falls, Valdese, Long View, Taylorsville and Hildebran. read more