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
Meteorologist Katie Virtue says the Charlotte area is heading into the coolest stretch of weather since mid-January.
The first shot of cool air will kick off snow showers in the mountains along with light rain showers near Charlotte this evening.
Then a cold front pushes in on Saturday, followed by the second push of arctic air that will send temperatures plunging to 20 degrees by Sunday morning.
High temperatures will struggle to reach the low 40s by the end of the weekend.
With chilly air in place, the next storm will bring a small threat of wintry weather on Tuesday.
Meteorologists say snow is not likely near Charlotte, but they are watching the storm closely.
Meteorologist Keith Monday invites you into the studio for a closer look at what’s to come.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:22:07 -0500
An early morning fire destroyed a 100-year old home in Watauga County Friday.
The family who lived in the home told Channel 9 that their daughter saved their lives.
The family of four said they were saved after their 12-year-old daughter woke up her father who alerted the rest of the family.
SLIDESHOW: 100-year old house destroyed by fire
The father said they only got out of the house with the clothes on their back.
Neighbors stopped by throughout the morning bringing them clothing and a Bible, which the family also lost in the fire.
“God woke my little girl up. There is no doubt in my mind. I was able to get everybody else awake and we tried what we could but it went so fast, so quick. There was nothing anybody could do,” said the father, Scott Proctor.
The Red Cross of Watauga County is helping the family and putting them up in a local motel for a few days and also trying to collect some clothing.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:18:26 -0500
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will get the chance to hit and field at Knights Stadium in the Fort Mill area - and the proceeds will benefit children's hospitals in Charlotte and Chicago.
It's the fifth straight time delegates, especially those who love baseball, get the chance to test their athletic abilities. It is the first time, however, they will do it at a minor-league ballpark.
"This is the first time at a AAA ballpark. We're impressed with the venue. It's a great place to entertain," said LeeAnn Petersen, founder of Convention Sports and Entertainment Group.
Previous sites were Wrigley Field in Chicago, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Fenway Park in Boston and Coors Field in Denver. Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte will get the chance to hit and field at Knights Stadium in the Fort Mill area in September. The event is one of a number that likely will take place in York County, said Bennish Brown, executive director of the York County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
"The good news is other events are coming here, the things we expected," Brown said.
But, because of confidentially agreements with venues, "we don't have a lot of details."
The event at Knights Stadium is private and not open the public. The event is not affiliated with either the Democratic National Committee or the host Charlotte committee.
Petersen expects between 800 to 1,000 people to attend what she describes as a "open house style event." In addition to the baseball there will food and entertainment.
Because the Knights are the AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, the Illinois congressional delegation has been invited to host the event, she said.
Dan Rajkowski, general manager of the Knights, said the team was approached about the event the week after Charlotte was officially selected for the 2012 convention.
He said the club will charge a "small rental" for the facility, but benefits of hosting the event are the prestige and helping children.
Levine Children's Hospital of Charlotte and Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago will share in the proceeds. Levine was selected, Petersen said, because it one of the organizations the Knights support.The Knights' regular season ends with a two-game homestand against the Durham Bulls on Sept. 2 and 3, Labor Day. Rajkowski said he hopes the team can work with the convention to attract early arriving delegates and guests to those games.Should the Knights have a stellar season, the AAA playoffs would begin on that Wednesday, Sept. 5.
If the Knights don't make the playoffs, Rajkowski said it is possible some of the team's players could pitch batting practice.
Petersen said retired major-league players have attended the event.
In 2008, Steve Garvey, the former Los Angeles Dodger star, was the master of ceremonies at Coors Field in Denver.U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., a former University of Tennessee quarterback, knocked one out of the park at Coors Field. Petersen hopes Shuler, who announced he will not seek re-election, tries his luck at Knights Stadium.
The Fort Mill-area ballpark would present Shuler with a different set of challenges from the rarified air of Coors Field, which has a reputation as a home-run park.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:01:17 -0500
Channel 9 Eyewitness News investigates state workers caught stealing money and selling your personal information for their own profit. Our investigation has uncovered 39 cases involving more than 77,000 of your tax dollars being stolen by North Carolina workers.
WATCH: Linzi Sheldon takes you inside the story
Channel 9 Eyewitness News is going through hundreds of records and holding the state accountable. We’re asking what’s being done to protect your personal information and stop workers from stealing. See the full investigation Monday on Channel 9 Eyewitness News, starting at 5pm.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:39:16 -0500
UNION COUNTY, N.C.
Yahoo recently released its Top 20 rankings for the best places to live in North Carolina and one local county is getting a lot of praise.
Union County has four locations in the Top 20 including the No. 1 and the No. 2 spots.
The rankings list Marvin, N.C. as the best place to live in the state followed by Weddington, N.C.
The rankings are based a grading system comprised from three areas: median household income, educational attainment and property crime rates per 1,000 residents.
The other two Union County areas are Waxhaw, which comes in at No. 16 and Wesley Chapel, which ranks at No. 19.
Two Mecklenburg County areas made the list: Davidson at No. 3 and Huntersville, which ranks No. 12 on the list.
Five of the other locations are suburbs of Raleigh, four are suburbs of Greensboro, two are suburbs of Asheville, two are suburbs of Wilmington and one is a suburb of Greenville.
Check out the entire list, right here.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:21:44 -0500
An Albemarle man is making a name for himself on YouTube after posting a video of himself reading his daughter’s Facebook rant and then shooting her laptop nine times with a .45-caliber handgun.
The video was posted Wednesday and has gone viral with nearly 1.5 million views.
In the video, the man, identified as Tommy Jordan, said he posted the video in response to his daughter’s Facebook letter to her parents in which she details all the things she does for them while they “sit on (their) asses.”
According to the letter, laden with expletives, she is forced to make the beds, clean the kitchen, do the laundry, take out the trash and work in her father’s clinic.
In the video, Jordan said he spent several hours fixing his daughter’s laptop before coming across the Facebook post. He said in the video his daughter had been grounded for several months for a similar incident.
In the letter, Jordan’s daughter told her parents she should be paid for her chores.
“Pay you for chores? Seriously?” Jordan responded. “You come home from school and you have a list of chores that are on the wall because you can't remember them if you don't.”
“If you have any laundry, of your own, do it," Jordan’s video rant continued. "And if your bed is unmade, do it. You don't have to do my laundry. You don't have to make my bed. You don't have to make the guest bed. You have to make your own bed."
After reading the letter, Jordan crumpled it up and went on to talk about the accomplishments he had made by the time he was 15, his daughter’s age.
According to Jordan, when he was 15, he moved out of his parents’ house, attended college and high school at the same time, worked two jobs and served as a volunteer fireman.
“Your responsibilities include waking up on time and getting on the bus,” he said.
He then said he would post the video on her Facebook wall so she and her friends could see what sort of response she garnered from the letter.
“That right there is your laptop,” he said as he picked up the camera. “This right here is my .45.”
Jordan then emptied the gun’s nine-round clip into the laptop. Jordan said the bullets used in the gun were exploding hollow-point rounds.
Click here to read Jordan’s post on Facebook with the unedited video.
Jordan’s response to his daughter has garnered a lot of attention from media. On Friday, he posted an open letter to media outlets seeking a response:
“Attention Media Outlets:
While we appreciate the interest you're all putting forth to get in touch with us regarding the video, we're not going to go on your talk show, not going to call in to your radio show, and not going to be in your TV mini-series.
Some of you think I made an acceptable parenting decision and others think I didn't. However, I can't think of any way myself or my daughter can ...respond to a media outlet that won't be twisted out of context. The Dallas news TV news already showed that in their brief 5 minute interview with the psychologist.
Additionally, there's absolutely NO way I'm going to send my child the message that it's OK to gain from something like this. It would send her a message that it's OK to profit at the expense of someone else's embarrassment or misfortune and that's now how I was raised, nor how she has been raised.
So I say thank you from all of us. If we have anything to say, we'll say it here on Facebook, and we'll say it publicly, but we won't say it to a microphone or a camera. There are too many other REAL issues out there that could use this attention you're giving us. My daughter isn't hurt, emotionally scarred, or otherwise damaged, but that kind of publicity has never seemed to be to have a positive effect on any child or family.
If you're a news outlet that wants to ask us a question, feel free to so via email. I'm sure by now my email address is easy enough to find. It might take me awhile to get to a response because I'd have to sort through the ‘Die you bastard’ emails to find it, but we will respond if it’s something that we feel merits it. Otherwise, sorry... no interviews, no talk shows, no call-ins.
If we respond to anything, it will be on here, and it will be in a way that our words can't be misconstrued or edited for appeal to specific audience or shock value.
Now, I'm going to try to get to work for the day.
Best of luck to all of you out there... and PLEASE give my phone a break.”
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:15:43 -0500
Animal Control officers said an abandoned dog was eating bars of soap to stay alive after its owner moved out of the house.
Officers found the dog last month inside an empty house in Gastonia without food.
The dog was 20 pounds below his ideal weight, officers said.
Chanelle McDowell now faces animal cruelty and abandonment charges.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:27:13 -0500
A Hickory man is back in jail facing his 11th DWI.
Troopers said Frazier Goins ran his scooter off the road and flipped it Thursday morning.
Goins has already been convicted as a habitual impaired driver three times and had his license revoked for life.
State records show he has spent more than a decade in prison for several different crimes.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:35:16 -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 reopened a busy Ballantye road after a deadly two-car accident on Friday morning.
SLIDESHOW: 1 dead in Ballantyne wreck
Two cars collided at Providence Road West and Johnston Road after police said after a Scion ran a red light and hit a Chevy Cavalier.
The person in the Cavalier, Alan Shuart, died at the scene, police said.
RAW VIDEO: Emergency responders on scene of deadly wreck
The driver of the Scion, Tyler Lowe, was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police said Lowe has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.
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
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