The Hickory Youth Council are increasing awareness about bullying at the Anti-Bullying Youth Concert.

The first Anti-Bullying Youth Concert is being held Friday, April 26, from 6 – 9 p.m., at “The Sails on the Square” in downtown Hickory.  The Youth Council created a video contest to bring a greater awareness to the issue of bullying in our area and the damage it causes.  Each video will be displayed at the concert.  Between the bands, all entries will be shown to the public, and the winning video will be announced at the event.  The Grand Prize winner will be presented with $100 cash prize and a free suite night at a Hickory Crawdads Game.  All participants will receive a grandstand ticket to a Hickory Crawdads Game on Monday, May 6.

Gardening for awareness is exactly what the Green Thumb Garden Club is doing.

Green Thumb Garden Club in partnership with the City of Hickory is installing a “Plant it Pink” Garden at the S.A.L.T. Block.  The looped pink ribbon design honors breast cancer survivors and offers support to those currently suffering from this disease.

Each year over 220,000 United States women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 die.  One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.

The Newton Elks Lodge honored Newton Police Department Lt. Travis Cline with the 2012 Officer of the Year award, which recognizes outstanding service to the community.

Cline’s peers nominated and selected him as the recipient. His fellow officers noted his dedication and service to the department and the citizens of Newton.

“I have been fortunate enough to work with an entire department of exceptional officers who work very hard every day to serve our community,” Cline said. “To be selected as Officer of the Year truly is an honor coming from such an outstanding group of officers. I appreciate the gesture, and our entire police department deserves the recognition and a very big thank you for all their hard work.”

Cline began working for the City of Newton in April 2006 as a patrolman.  He was promoted to sergeant in Sept. 2009, then to lieutenant in Dec. 2010.