Top Charlotte Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
Corporal punishment is not allowed in North Carolina prisons but it is in some N.C. public schools. Nineteen of the 115 districts in North Carolina allow corporal punishment as a form of discipline for children as young as age five.
WATCH Behind The Story with Dave Faherty
Channel 9 Eyewitness News discovered hundreds of instances when corporal punishment was used and cases involving children with disabilities. An overwhelming majority of parents in districts that allow corporal punishment support the policy and often prefer their child receive corporal punishment over traditional in-school suspension. Would you allow a principal or teacher to discipline your child with a wooden paddle? Tomorrow starting at 5pm on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:40:00 -0500
A Spartanburg woman has been arrested after authorities say she put a small dog in a trash can twice.
Fifty-eight-year-old Nancy Smythe was charged with ill treatment of animals after she was arrested Thursday.
County environmental enforcement director Jamie Nelson says an employee of a private trash collection company found the small, black and white Shih Tzu in a trash can and took it to the house, where the woman said it was hers.
The employee called animal control officers, who found the dog back in the same trash can when they arrived.
The dog was taken to Greenville County Animal Control, where it's been named Oreo.
Officials say the dog will be available for adoption.
It was not clear if Smythe has a lawyer.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:13:54 -0500
Johnston Rd. has been shut down at Providence Rd. West due to a deadly accident. There is currently no official estimate of when Johnston Rd. will reopen, but Traffic Team 9 expects delays through the morning commute. Use Lancaster Highway (left) to Ballantyne Commons Parkway (right), or use Ardrey Kell Rd. (right) to Community House Rd. (left) to Ballantyne Commons Parkway (left), or Ardrey Kell Rd. (right) to Rea Rd. (left) to I-485, as alternate routes traveling north through the Ballantyne area.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:43:43 -0500
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
Police are at the scene of a deadly accident in Ballantyne.
Police have confirmed that one person has died in the accident.
The wreck occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Johnston Road at Providence Road West.
Police have shut down the road near the accident.
Police are urging drivers to avoid the area Friday morning.
For alternate routes around the accident, click here.
Channel 9 has a crew headed to the scene.
Stay with wsoctv.com for more information on this breaking news story.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:43:10 -0500
A man died following a wreck on Thursday afternoon on Highway 226 near Shelby.
Police said Dana Blake, from Grover, died from his injuries in the crash.
Troopers told the Gaston Gazette Blake was driving 80 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Police said he struck a mailbox, overcorrected and then hit a drainage ditch.
Blake was a father of two children.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:27:46 -0500
There are still a number of states and endorsements up for grabs for the candidates.
However, on Thursday, Rock Hill U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney revealed he won’t endorse another presidential candidate since Rick Perry dropped out.
“It’s really not appropriate for me to get involved with another race. I’m happy to sit back and let the folks decide what they want to do,” Mulvaney said. I like all the candidates. I just liked this one the best.”
Just before South Carolina's primary, Perry endorsed Newt Gingrich.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has turned his attacks toward Rick Santorum.
The move comes after Santorum’s three-state sweet on Tuesday.
Romney has been attacking Santorum’s support for a number of earmark projects.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:18:01 -0500
On Friday, companies will start bidding for multi-million dollar contracts to shuttle visitors around during the Democratic National Convention.
The goal is to successfully move thousands of people to and from uptown and keep the roads clear for you.
The challenge will be doing so without creating traffic problems for everyone else simply trying to get around town.
Organizers expect they will need more than 250 buses to shuttle about 30,000 people around each day.
That is the same number of buses CATS uses on an average day.
DNC Committee members held a meeting in Concord in January for companies interested in the multi-million dollar contract. About 45 showed up.
On Friday, those companies will be able to submit its bids.
There are other logistical issues that will need to be considered, including where to keep the buses.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:47:48 -0500
The FBI has turned to social media in its search for the gunman who robbed and shot an armored car guard in South Charlotte last month.
It's created a podcast with surveillance video and details about the armed robbery. Agents call the video a "talking wanted poster," and they're posting it on Facebook and Twitter.
Ladena Duncan was shot in the arm while loading cash into an ATM on Fairview Road.
A spokesman for Loomis told Eyewitness News Duncan is still recovering.
People who live in the neighborhood are nervous that the gunman still is on the loose.
"It makes you nervous to go out and do anything at night or in the morning," said Stacey Epstein.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the identification and successful prosecution of the robber.
You can watch the FBI podcast by clicking here.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:48:52 -0500
A spoonful of cinnamon is the culprit behind a dangerous new trend among teenagers.
Thousands of videos can be found on You Tube that show people, most of them students and teens, taking part in the Cinnamon Challenge.
The students take a spoon filled with cinnamon, a spice that can be found in most kitchens, and try to swallow it.
In most videos, the students start coughing and gasping for air immediately.
“You have to inhale the cinnamon,” student Aynjah Bradley said. He tried the challenge once and didn’t suffer any serious trouble. “When I did it, I coughed a little bit.”
Doctors warn that this can cause major medical problems. Cinnamon can end up in the lungs, causing respiratory distress, or even lead to blisters in the throat.
Bradley’s mother, Natasha, was not amused by her son’s antics.
“I'm glad that he did it when I was not around, because I would've really gotten him,” she said. “It's nothing to play around with, so I don't think it's funny and I don't why kids would think it's something fun to do."
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:36:44 -0500
Shelby Police told Eyewitness News a 15-year-old boy conspired with a classmate to kill his mother.
Neighbors told Eyewitness News they aren't surprised to hear the teen has been arrested.
Lindsey Wood is still in the hospital, more than a week after her throat was slashed and she called 911 for help.
Police said 16-year-old Miguel Lopez carried out the attack and stabbed Wood in the neck. Officers said they believe Woods' son plotted the attack with Lopez.
Neighbors said they were curious why the son didn't call 911, scream for help or knock on somebody's door after the throat-slashing.
"That's almost an admission of guilt, if you're not trying to help your own mom. I certainly would try to help anybody's mom in that position," said neighbor Arnette Dailey.
Even though she was bleeding badly, Wood read Bible passages to her attacker. Police said after he listened to Bible verses, Lopez apologized to Wood and ran off.
Wood then called 911, with her son standing nearby.
"I have blood all over me," Wood told dispatchers.
Caller's son: "Are you okay?"
Caller: "Yeah."
Dispatcher: "Who's that with you, ma'am?"
Caller: "That's my son."
It's unclear if Woods suspected what police do: that her own son worked with Lopez to plan the attack.
Woods' son and Lopez are classmates at Cleveland County Early College High School.
Dailey said she didn't believe it was a random attack.
"My first thought had been that it was probably somebody that she knew, because we've never had any problems in this neighborhood or on this street," she said.
Wood's mother released a statement Thursday, saying, "It is really hard to understand the situation."
She added, "Although Lindsay did not know (Lopez), we are praying for him."
Police have not said why they believe the teenager wanted to kill his own mother.
Lopez is in the Cleveland County Jail being held under a $1 million bond. He's been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.
Eyewitness News is not naming Wood's son because he's 15 and his criminal case will be handled by a juvenile court judge.
He was supposed to have a juvenile court hearing Thursday afternoon, but his attorney didn't arrive on time.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:41:43 -0500
A Hickory Ridge High School student was arrested and charged with assault by pointing a gun after aiming a toy Airsoft gun on school property at approximately 2:20 p.m. Thursday.
The Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office charged Kyle Anthony Thornton, 17, after they received a call from Hickory Ridge High School stating that there was a possible gunman on campus.
According to Sheriff Brad Riley, Thornton left campus around noon when his classes finished and brought the plastic gun back with him when he came back to the school to pick up a sibling.
The Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office police report states "the subject displayed an air rifle resembling an M-16 assault rifle out of the driver side window while on school property."
After identifying Thornton as the suspect, deputies said they searched his vehicle and located Airsoft rifle along with several hunting knives.
"Though it was a real, serious issue, we feel very comfortable that the student did not appear to have ill intentions to harm anyone and just didn't think about the danger he presented to the motoring public and the school," said Riley.
Police said the Cabarrus County School system was attempting to notify parents and students of the incident Thursday evening.
Riley said Thornton's plastic gun looked real and created fear for passing motorists.
“People have to take responsibility for their actions, especially when they choose to prank with simulated weapons," he said.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:05:52 -0500
Belmont Police arrested three men Thursday in conncection with the decapitation of The Spirit of the Fighting Yank World War II Memorial statue.
Two Mt. Holly men, Justin Russell, 19, and Henry Diegert, 18, were arrested, along with Steven Morgan, 18, of Stanley. All three face theft, conspiracy and vandalism charges.
On July 24, 2011, Belmont officers saw that the Fighting Yank statue was lying on the ground next to its pedestal in front of Belmont Middle School. When they inspected it, the realized it had been decapitated and the head was missing.
During the investigation, the suspects confessed to officers and explained that after they destroyed the statue, they stole the head and threw it into Dutchman Creek near North Main Street in Mt. Holly.
Scuba divers from the Gastonia Police Department searched the river and found several pieces of the statue's head.
Belmont Police Chief Charlie Franklin said officers put long hours into the investigation.
“We are glad we were able to solve this case,” Franklin said. “For anyone to show this level of disrespect to veterans is unacceptable.”
The statue was first built in 1946 and there are only five in the world.
Franklin said that Gaston County Schools is working to either repair or replace the statue.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:11:07 -0500
A battle is brewing in the North Carolina mountains over the Ten Commandments.
The town of Newland has them displayed inside the town hall, but a group from Wisconsin is asking town leaders to take them down.
It started when the town received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, asking them to immediately take down the Ten Commandments.
The Commandments have been posted next to the clerk’s office since the town hall was built. Many people believe that’s where they should stay.
“I think it is pretty sorry when people want to take down the things of the Lord,” said Marian Sellen, a resident of Newland. “Avery County has more churches and more Christians probably than any other place in the U.S. It would go against our rights if we had to take them down.
But the Freedom from Religion Foundation said it received a complaint about the Commandments after one of its members visited town hall.
The organization said the town is violating the First Amendment and the Supreme Court has ruled in similar cases that posting them in public buildings violates the Constitution.
"I think this is a blatant violation of the constitution. Putting the Ten Commandments up permanently in a town hall like this is unconstitutional and I think the court is going to agree with that,” said Patrick Elliott, the group’s staff attorney.
Town leaders said they feel strongly that the Ten Commandments should stay.
So far they have not responded to the letter. They are gauging public support.
The town clerk has received more than a dozen calls urging leaders to keep the commandments up.
"Can we see this being a potential long term issue? Yes. Is it going to be a fight and is there going to be cost? Certainly. We'll see how the public responds to that," said Town Alderman Dave Calvert.
Town leaders said they are considering holding a town hall meeting on the issue.
Freedom From Religion Foundation officials said they have not decided if they will file a lawsuit over the issue.
A Constitutional Issue
Newland’s dealings with the FFRF follows a nationwide trend that shows few people understand the Supreme Court's ruling on the display of religious items on government property.
The misunderstanding and the debate over decoration and religious displays on government property starts with the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from endorsing a religion exclusively -- and that is what placing the Ten Commandments on government property does.
In Allegheny County v. Greater Pittsburgh ACLU, the Supreme Court ruled that the placement of a large nativity scene at the Allegheny Courthouse was invalid as was the plaque stating a nearby Catholic Church had placed the manger scene there.
The Supreme Court ordered the display removed. The specific religious view supported by the church was also being supported by the courthouse and the county through the display, the majority opinion stated.
Similarly in 2003, a massive display of the Ten Commandments positioned at an Alabama judiciary building was scrutinized and a federal judge ruled the display was in violation of the Constitution and ordered it taken down.
The case was appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, but was ultimately knocked down because the display implicitly aligned the government with a particular religious view.
However, outside on the Courthouse grounds, a Christmas tree stood side-by-side with a menorah, which did not send the same message, said the Court. Citing a previous case, Lynch v. Donnelly, the inclusion of multiple religious symbols -- religious and secular -- is permissible.
In Lynch, the Court ruled that a scene created in Pawtucket, RI, consisting of a nativity, a Santa Claus house, a Christmas tree and a banner reading "Season Greetings" did not violate the Establishment Clause because of the mix of secular and religious imagery.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:05:32 -0500
Two brothers will go to prison in connection with the shooting death of a mother of six children.
Juquina Harris was shot and killed outside the Silver Fox nightclub in November 2010.
In court on Thursday, prosecutors explained Aaron and Elijah Ashford were involved in a parking lot fight.
Someone shot Elijah in the leg, so Aaron pulled his brother's gun and shot back.
The bullet hit and killed Harris, an innocent bystander in the parking lot.
In a plea deal, both prosecutors and the judge agreed self-defense played a role in the shooting.
Aaron Ashford pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and will spend three-and-a-half to five years in prison.
His brother received less than two years for being a felon with a gun.
"They didn't get enough time for taking her life like that," said Tamika Benjamin, a friend of Harris. "They took her away from six beautiful kids. (Those kids) will never have their mother."
Through their lawyers, both brothers expressed sorrow for what happened.
Each will get nearly 450 days of credit for time already served in the county jail.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:03:50 -0500
Lindora Richardson doesn't consider herself a hero.
"I was just doing my job," said the 37-year-old bus driver, a day after her bus caught fire.
Richardson was able to evacuate the bus and lead six children from Chantilly Montessori School to safety.
"I feel like the kids were heroes," Richardson said. "They stayed safe and calm under the whole situation, so I would call them the heroes."
Richardson said she first smelled trouble when she caught a whiff of a something burning coming from the bus near Bearmore Drive.
That burning smell led to smoke rising from under the steering column.
"I basically stopped the bus. As I saw the smoke, I knew it was time to get the kids and myself off of the bus," Richardson said.
She led the kids out the back of the bus, holding their hands and catching them as they jumped to safety.
Richardson credited her training and experience as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus driver for the past five years.
She was driving a bus Wednesday that has been in the CMS fleet since 1999, making it one of the district's oldest buses.
Fire investigators said an electrical wiring malfunction led to the fire.
CMS says it does routine maintenance on its buses every 5,000 miles, and all buses undergo monthly inspections. School officials would not release a maintenance history report on the us that caught fire, pending an investigation into the fire.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:45:01 -0500
A state-run sex offender tracking program is intended to make the public feel safe by taking the most serious and dangerous sex offenders and making them wear electronic monitors.
For many of the offenders, it means wearing the monitor for life.
While there are more than 150 sex offenders in North Carolina wearing the monitors, it turns out that no one is tracking them most of the time.
The Eyewitness News investigation started in November after a woman was dragged into a wooded area in north Charlotte and raped by a man, she said, who was wearing an electronic monitor.
The monitor the suspect was wearing is worn by registered sex offenders and it helped police track down and arrest 38-year-old Jason Miller, a sex offender from Rutherford County.
He is one of hundreds of sex offenders who have worn monitors since a 2006 state law mandated them for offenders who “require the highest possible level of supervision and monitoring.”
But Miller’s case raises questions about what those words really mean -- he was one of about 150 sex offenders wearing those monitors who are not supervised, and not tracked at all until they get into trouble.
That meant no one noticed that Miller had moved to Charlotte, and was not living at the address in Rutherford County he lists on the sex offender registry.
Visits to the house in Rutherford County reveal that Miller had moved out long ago.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of monitoring sex offenders in the county, but the detective who runs that program said he would not have known where Miller was because he does not have access to the state’s monitoring system.
In turn, that meant Sean Richardson did not have any warning when he hired Miller to work at his barbershop on Mallard Creek Road.
“I’m very surprised. That lets me know the state wasn’t doing their job,” he said.
David Guice was in the state legislature when the monitoring law was passed. He is now in charge of the Division of Community Corrections that oversees the program.
“The intent is to notify and protect the citizens of North Carolina,” he said.
And he said he believes the program is succeeding.
When asked how it was possible that Miller was able to move and live unchecked until after a woman was raped, he said, “Satellite-based monitoring is a great tool for solving crime, but it clearly doesn’t prevent crime.”
“Your question as it related to this case is, could more have been done? The answer I think is yes,” he said.
Guice said that the questions about Miller’s case may have the legislature going back to re-examine the law.
To check for sex offenders where you live, click here.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:40:34 -0500
New ideas for Charlotte's closed-down Eastland Mall could transform the east section of the city.
Resident McDonald Parker said he remembers shopping at the mall. Now, he catches a bus to spend his money elsewhere.
Residents and city leaders like Councilman John Autry call the empty buildings a “black eye.”
"I think that's a lot of blight for an already challenged community," Autry said.
A grassroots effort by a development group, Civic By Design, has big ideas for the 90 acres.
"Our idea is to create more of a traditional town square, which is the trend of what people are really looking for today," said Tom Low of Civic By Design.
Low said development trends are shifting, from places geared towards drivers, to shopping centers that appeal to more pedestrians.
Low wants to see the parking lot transformed from concrete to a green space like the area in Midtown Charlotte, which has a walking trail near a creek.
According to Low, there is a creek that runs around the mall property.
Autry believes getting the ideas off the ground would bring benefits beyond East Charlotte.
He said he has spoken to people interested in developing the area, but they cannot get funding.
Autry wants the property owner, Boxer Property, of Texas, to either work on development or sell it.
Boxer Property put the mall on the market in February 2011.
Calls and emails for an update on the company's plans were not returned on Thursday.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:30:52 -0500
County officials are threatening to post safety warning signs at an uptown Charlotte hotel because of serious code violations.
There have been continual violations at the Blake Hotel since June 2011.
In a new letter sent to the hotel's owner, George Dfouni, last week, county code officials warned him they are concerned that work and information sharing is not happening in an acceptable manner.
"Should the absence of attention to the ... concerns persist, the Department will consider other legal action, to include posting as ‘unsafe,’ the involved or affected interior areas of both buildings," county officials warned.
The letter outlines delays in inspections and documentation necessary to bring the hotel back up to code. Officials said they were particularly concerned about "structural failure" on one of the hotel buildings that may represent a safety concern.
Code officials also cite continued renovations on two buildings that continue without the proper permits.
Similar violations caused officials to levy a $21,000 fine against the Blake last year.
"The county would like to know what the owner's timetable is so the county can respond appropriately," said Charlotte Fire Chief Rob Kinniburgh.
He has been sitting in the monthly meetings with code enforcement officials and the hotel's owner.
George Dfouni did not return calls seeking comment.
To read the letter sent to Dfouni, click here.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:24:53 -0500
Inside the century-old train depot in Landis are bits and pieces of the town’s history.
“The railroad played a very important part in the development of the town,” said Town Manager Reed Linn.
He said the depot still plays a part, too, but the town is looking toward the future and progress. That means the past -- in the form of the old post office, jail and train depot -- has to move to make way for a high-speed rail line.
The buildings will be moved across the tracks. Markers already mark the places where the buildings will be placed.
The area the buildings are moving into will be developed into a park. The buildings will also be restored.
The railroad is giving the town $20,000 for the relocations. Another $15,000 has to come from the parks department.
The new rail line bothers some people in town. Blair Phillips owns a photography shop next to the tracks.
He said he is glad to see the town has plans to preserve some of the buildings he uses for his photo shoots, but is concerned about the construction and increased number of high speed trains that will rumble through town.
“I don’t see how it would benefit my business any whatsoever. Matter of fact, I don’t see how it’s going to benefit any of the business in town,” he said.
Construction is expected to be completed around 2017.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:09:42 -0500
BelmontNorthCarolina.com
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