Top Charlotte Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
Radon poisoning is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States with more than 20,000 new cases each year, and it could be poisoning the air in your home.
Eyewitness News anchor Scott Wickersham uncovered new information, not yet released by the EPA, that a sharp increase of positive radon tests in four local counties has catapulted them into the EPA’s “High Risk” category. One of those counties, Watauga, has reported 44% of tests coming in over the limit.
WATCH Behind the Story with Scott Wickersham.
Radon is emitted from rock in the ground and can seep through the foundation of your home and poison the air you breathe; but, as our 9 Investigation discovered, radon can also be found in building materials which completely changes the outlook for radon cases in our area. With an increased risk of radon poisoning in condos, high-rise apartments, homes and office buildings the threat is raising safety questions for new construction in Charlotte. Thursday starting at 5pm on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
Radon is invisible and odorless. High levels of exposure can be extremely dangerous. MORE ABOUT RADON. (link this information on our website as a secondary page: )
Am I at risk: How do I test for radon in my home? MORE INFORMATION
Published: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:45:00 -0500
Two men are staying with family after a fire damaged their home.
The home at 3522 Baptist Camp Road is a total loss after the fire, said Burke County Deputy Fire Marshal Mike Long. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Donald Smith and his 17-year-old son lived at the home, Long said. Both were at home and neither man was injured.
The two men are staying with family and were also referred to American Red Cross, Long said.
The 911 call came in at 3:29 a.m. Sunday and firefighters were on the scene until 8:46 a.m.
South Mountains, Enola and George Hildebrand fire departments responded to the scene.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:05:08 -0500
Former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield turned himself in Tuesday after being indicted for allegedly having stolen property.
Mayfield was indicted on Monday on charges of possession of stolen goods and obtaining property by false pretenses.
He was with his wife and his attorney when he turned himself in Tuesday. Mayfield denied the accusations against him.
In November, deputies went to Mayfield's home in the town of Catawba with a search warrant after getting a tip that there were stolen goods on the property, officials said.
During the search, deputies said they found a small amount of methamphetamine. Mayfield was arrested and charged with possessing methamphetamine.
Some furniture was seized by investigators in Hudson after trailers filled with 70 items were stolen from a company last February. According to search warrants that Channel 9 obtained, Mayfield and another man were spotted in the business’s parking lot the night of the theft.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:04:07 -0500
Neither of the two proposed 2012-13 school calendars presented to the Burke County Board of Education have school starting before Aug. 25 as previously discussed.
Interim Superintendent Larry Putnam said he and the school calendar committee decided against shortening the summer for Burke County schools this year because the notice to parents and staff was too short.
Putnam said he has fielded calls from parents and churches voicing concerns that they already have vacations and missions trips planned and starting school early would disrupt those plans.
But looking ahead to the 2013-14 school year, if approved, Burke County students would be back in the classroom by Aug. 8, 2013.
All three of the proposals are online at the schools systems website, www.burke.k12.nc.us .
The N.C. General Assembly has added five school days to the calendar and one proposed option for next school year Putnam presented at Monday’s school board work session has the five days being used for staff development. The other has them being used for student instruction.
Both proposals include starting Aug. 27 (as Aug. 25 is on a Saturday) and ending June 10. Both proposals have a teacher workday scheduled for Nov. 6, which was requested by the Burke County Board of Elections to accommodate three schools that are used as polling places.
One calendar has 10 days off for students over the Christmas holiday and the other has only seven days for the winter break.
The proposed calendar for the 2013-14 school year includes an eight-day winter break, adds Presidents Day as a holiday and has students getting out of school for the summer by May 28.
“We want to make sure we give people plenty of notice,” Putnam said referring to rolling out the 2013-14 calendar, which includes drastic changes, so early.
Putnam’s office and school board members want feedback on the calendars from the public and there is a place on the website for comments.
Several of the school board members said they have received negative reaction to an early start this year, and that Catawba County is considering starting in early August this year, which has created an uproar.
“In Catawba County they are real upset,” said school board member R.L. Icard.
Putnam said he hopes state legislators give individual school systems the option of setting their own calendars without requirements to not start before Aug. 25 and end by June 10.
The 2013-14 calendar is similar to the school calendars previous to 2005 before the state requirements were in place.
The school board will not take up the calendar issue again until its next work session in about a month.
At Monday’s work session the board also:
» Heard a report from Blair Propst, human resource director, about a paperless program that would help with pre-employment, employee files and transcripts.
» Heard from Kim Rudisill, director of elementary education, on a grant for the Family Connections Program and a waiver to allow 25 instead of the required maximum 24 students in a kindergarten class at Glen Alpine Elementary School.
» Discussed adopting a resolution in support of the Teaching Fellows program that allows students interested in careers in teaching scholarships and internships. The resolution would include a caveat that school board members don’t want another program to lose funding in lieu of the Teaching Fellows program continuing.
Upcoming meetings
6 p.m. Tuesday at Heritage Middle School — final superintendent search public input session.
10 a.m. Monday at Central Office on East Parker Road — work force development subcommittee meeting with business leaders and county commissioners to discuss the direction of a partnership between the school system and the community on educational needs of business and industry.
6 p.m. Monday at the Olive Hill Resource Development Center on West Concord Street – five-year facilities subcommittee meeting to brainstorm more ideas on a visioning plan for the school system.
6 p.m. March 12 at the Olive Hill Resource Development Center on West Concord — superintendent search committee meeting to discuss input gathered from the community.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:03:58 -0500
The state is seeking comments on its 2012 list of North Carolina’s rivers, streams, lakes and estuaries with impaired water quality and will use those comments to develop strategies for decreasing pollution in the affected waters.
Similar to the results of previous assessments, the 2012 list shows that about one-third of the waters assessed in the Tar Heel State have at least one impairment due to factors such as stormwater runoff.
The 2012 list contains two creeks in McDowell County.
Mackey Creek, running from U.S. 70 to the Catawba River, is on the list because the data for it is “inconclusive.”
Young’s Fork (Corpening Creek) is on the list as well. This creek runs from the source to the Marion sewer treatment plant and ends at North Muddy Creek. It is on the list because some parts of it have “poor bioclassification” while another part has “fair bioclassification.”
While limited resources don’t permit monitoring of all waters in North Carolina, the state agency assesses primarily those waters where problems have existed in the past or where problems may exist based on proximity to human activities from towns, farms and development. A waterway is considered impaired when it doesn’t meet water quality standards or doesn’t support designated uses such as swimming, shellfish harvesting or drinking water supply, according to a news release from the N.C. Division of Water Quality.
People have until midnight Monday, March 12 to provide comments about the waters on the list, other waters they believe need to be included or those waterways they believe should be removed from the list. The list was published can be found on the division’s website at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/ps/mtu.
Every two years, the N.C. Division of Water Quality is required by the federal Clean Water Act to produce the 303(d) list of impaired waters for which a plan is to be developed. The plan identifies the sources of the pollution and the Total Maximum Daily Load, which is the amount of pollution a waterway can tolerate before it becomes impaired. The plan also includes an analysis to determine how much pollution should be reduced to protect the stream’s water quality and ensure that its designated uses are supported.
A number of factors contribute to impaired waterways, including bacteria, chemicals, sediment and stormwater that carries oil, grease and other pollutants from roads and other impervious surfaces.
For the 2012 draft water quality assessment, data were collected from 2006-2010 by several local, state and federal government agencies as well as university and discharger coalition monitoring programs. More than 5,000 assessments were completed in named North Carolina streams, reservoirs and estuaries. The 2012 assessment shows that 1,100 of the 3,300 reservoirs, streams and rivers assessed do not meet water quality standards or support designated uses.
The state agency uses the list to produce a plan for reducing pollution, but the list is also used by local governments and environmental groups to target watersheds for water quality improvements. In some cases, the N.C. Division of Water Quality can allocate federal grant money to aid local groups in the implementation of improved pollutant control practices.
Send written comments about the 2012 list to Jennifer Everett, N.C. Division of Water Quality Planning Section, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617 or email Everett at jennifer.everett@ncdenr.gov.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:18:35 -0500
Authorities arrested a man they say was growing marijuana inside his residence.
Detective Lt. Chris Taylor of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office charged Zachary Allen Mills, 21, of Signal View Drive in Marion with felony manufacturing a Schedule VI controlled substance. Mills’ mother took out charges for communicating threats and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was taken into custody in lieu of a $21,000 bond.
Taylor said sheriff’s deputies were called to Mills’ residence Wednesday afternoon, where they spotted three pot plants outside his home. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was growing plants inside, according to Taylor.
The lieutenant added that each of the three confiscated plants was about a foot tall.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:14:00 -0500
North Carolina has reported its first child death from influenza for the 2011-2012 flu season. And local health officials are reminding folks who have not been vaccinated that it is still not too late for them to get their flu shots.
A 6-year-old child died on Feb. 4 of complications from an influenza infection. The child was at risk for complications from the flu because of underlying medical conditions. To protect the family’s privacy, the youth’s hometown, county and sex are not being released, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family on the loss of their child,” said Dr. Laura Gerald, state health director. “Unfortunately, this reminds us that flu is a serious illness and can be potentially devastating to people at any age.”
Helen White with the Rutherford-Polk-McDowell District Health Department said it is not too late to get a flu vaccine.
“Your local health department has flu vaccines available,” she said. “If you or your child has Medicaid, Medicare Part B or Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance, please bring your card. With or without insurance, there is no charge to individuals for the flu vaccine at the Health Department.”
The flu shots are available at the McDowell Health Department Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Each year, influenza kills an estimated 25,000 people in the US and causes more than 220,000 hospitalizations. Most influenza infections can be prevented by the simple act of getting the flu vaccine. It is readily available and affordable and is the single most effective way to protect yourself and your family.
Flu vaccine is recommended for anyone over 6 months old. It is particularly important for people at high risk of complications, including pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, very young children and the elderly. However, almost half of the children who died from flu last season had no known high risk conditions, so public health officials encourage flu vaccine even for those in good health. This year’s vaccine protects against three strains of influenza, including H1N1.
State public health officials monitor the flu activity across the state. Until now, flu activity has been mild, but more infections have been detected in recent weeks.
“It is not too late to get your flu shot because flu season can last well into the spring,” Gerald said. “If you do get sick, remember to stay home from work or school while you are sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and — most important — wash your hands.”
For more information about flu and to find a flu vaccine clinic near you, visit flu.nc.gov. You can also call the McDowell Health Department at 652-6811.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:13:05 -0500
A Clover man who borrowed his mother's truck to attend an anger management class is accused of using the truck to drive his ex-girlfriend off the road Saturday in Clover, according to police reports.
Brian Underwood, 28, has been charged with reckless driving, damage to property, leaving the scene of an accident and criminal domestic violence, according to police documents. He also was charged with damage to property.
The man's 28-year-old ex-girlfriend called police around noon Saturday and said Underwood was chasing her and a friend while they were driving down S.C. 55 in Clover, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report. The call was then disconnected.
Deputies responded to the area and found the woman and her friend near Cobby Creek Court, hiding at the end of the road, the report states. Deputies noted damage to the driver's side of her Volvo.
She said she and her friend were leaving for Rock Hill to make a payment on the car when they saw Underwood pull out from a grocery store parking lot and follow them, the report states. They eventually turned around on the highway, but he followed them again and pulled into the opposite lane of traffic, driving them into a field off of the road. They managed to drive out of the field and onto the road where deputies met with them.
That same day, Underwood's mother called and said she and her son were arguing over damage he had caused to her truck, the same truck he had been driving when he allegedly hit his ex-girlfriend, reports state.
She requested he be charged with property damage, the report states. She said she let Underwood use the truck to drive to anger management class. When he returned the truck, he hid it in the back so she wouldn't see the damage.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:02:43 -0500
Thieves stole two clothing bins from a York charity Monday.
A man with Missions of Hope NC, Inc. in York said the bins were outside of the High Cotton Convenience Store on Saluda Street in Rock Hill, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report. An employee at the store reported seeing a truck leave with the bins about 3 p.m. Monday.
The bins were blue and had white-and-black decals, the report states. They are worth about $1,500 each.
The man said other bins have been stolen in the past from their locations in York, Chester and Lancaster counties, the report states.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:58:54 -0500
Two Statesville attorneys filed for the Judicial District 22A Superior Court seat made vacant by the death of Chris Collier earlier this month.
Dustin McCrary and John Brantley Ostwalt, both elective office newcomers, filed for a chance to don the black robe and wield the gavel.
McCrary is employed by the Statesville law firm Holmesly Gaines & Dudley LLP. Among his main areas of practice are family law and divorce, personal injury and criminal defense.
Ostwalt is a partner with the Statesville firm Ralson Ostwalt & Griffin LLP who is involved in a assortment of legal areas including traffic and DUI cases, family law and workers’ compensation.
If any other candidates file for the seat a primary will be held to reduce the number back down to two. If only McCrary and Ostwalt file, they will face each other in the general election in November.
In the meantime, Gov. Bev Perdue reserves the right to appoint a person to fill the seat until the election, which she so far has not done.
The winner of the general election will serve a full, eight-year term despite Collier having only six years remaining on his term.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:57:47 -0500
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr placed his 1936 Dodge pickup in the hands of students at the Career Academy and Technical School for restoration, and said he has no concerns at all about the job they will do.
“When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on the opportunity,” said Burr.
The senator called CATS a “jewel in the middle of nowhere” while touring the automotive technology school Monday and checking on the progress on his truck.
Auto-tech students disassembled Burr’s vintage pickup and are working on restoring the body, engine, brakes and suspension. Students at Surry Community College originally received Burr’s truck more than six years ago, but they couldn’t perform the work necessary so it was passed to CATS.
“It’s a really neat project for us,” said CATS instructor Martin Page. “We’re just glad to be a part of it.”
Once the auto-tech students finish their job, the vehicle will be sent to the NASCAR Technical Institute for metalwork. John Dodson, team relations director for the institute, joined Burr on the tour. The institute has donated cars in the past to the school for students to use for practice.
“Anything we can do to support a great program like this that turns out great graduates, we want to do that,” said Dodson. “(The auto-tech program) is unparalleled in the state of North Carolina, if not in the whole Southeast. This is a premier program that needs to be recognized as that.”
Auto-tech student Blake Clinard said working with such an old truck was a new experience for him.
“You’ve got to be more careful,” said Clinard, senior at South Iredell High. “It’s more interesting because you get to see what they used to use.”
The students separated the cabin from the body of the truck and are delving into the inner workings of the pickup. Page said the project will take longer than most of the ones the auto-tech students work on, but that the extra time will be valuable for really understanding how the vehicle works.
Burr applauded Iredell-Statesville Schools during the tour for coming up with innovative programs that offer alternative routes through high school. The senator said many school systems in the state had given up on teaching vocational skills, instead relying on community colleges to fill the need.
“It’s an indication of a school system that’s determined to make sure every child leaves K through 12 with the marketable skills to be hired,” Burr said. “This is exactly what I’ve been going around the state promoting. We have to figure out how to get kids into the trades they want.”
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:05:46 -0500
Spring won’t just bring warmer weather to North Carolina. Residents should expect the increase in gas prices to continue.
How much? Around $4 per gallon, according to AAA Carolinas. Some experts say the cost could reach $4.25 a gallon by late April, according to the Associated Press.
Gas prices typically increase around May or June, said Cathy Hein, public relations manager at AAA Carolinas.
Hein said previous springs have brought a 45 to 50 cent increase per gallon.
The current price average across the state is $3.69, around 20 cents more than in January.
Prices in other states like Hawaii and California have already surpassed $4. Last year, the statewide average gasoline price was $3.14 a gallon.
International conflict, low demand
Experts cite unrest in the Middle East as a factor in increasing prices.
World leaders expressed fear Israel might plan to strike Iran, according to the Associated Press. In response, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway along its coastline.
One-fifth of global oil moves through the waterway. A block could send oil prices into whirlwind.
Also, demand for oil in the US is low when combined with economic hardships and fewer drivers. But some experts predict the world oil demand to increase another 1.5 percent to 89.25 million barrels a day in 2012.
“Refineries are cutting back supply, driving prices up,” Hein said.
In February 2007, the national cost for gas was $2.25 a gallon before the recession hit.
‘Be a smart consumer’
High gas prices aren’t new to Geoff Robles.
How much does it take to fill his work truck? Nearly $100.
About $30 of gas went into his truck Monday at a station in Shelby Monday.
“Even at $4, you start thinking about the cost,” he said.
He said he would consolidate trips and cut back on vacations if gas prices rose higher than his budget.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:03:09 -0500
A Rock Hill Food Lion employee told police a woman tried to use a fraudulent credit card to buy $622 worth of Visa gift cards Monday night.
“The items were rung up and processed and when asked to see the credit card, the suspect refused and became suspicious,” a Rock Hill police report says.
When the clerk at the Heckle Boulevard store told the woman that police had been called, the woman left in a white SUV in “a reckless manner.”
She left the gift cards and the fraudulent card behind, according to the report. Police took the card and surveillance video as evidence and are investigating.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:01:47 -0500
Novant Health is looking to hire 150 people with a variety of health care and technology experience to implement its new electronic medical records project.
The project, Dimensions, is being based at Novant's Fort Mill data center. Eventually, as many as 300 people could be employed, said project manager Sheila Moore. Novant is looking for people with clinical, information technology and billing experience.
Novant Health is investing about $500 million to create a seamless system for medical records that can be accessed by its 13 hospitals as well as its physician practices. Novant has facilities in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Presbyterian-Charlotte is scheduled to be the first Novant hospital to use the new system with a projected operating date in the fourth quarter of 2013. Novant Health hopes to have the Dimensions project operating system wide by the fourth quarter of 2015.
When the medical record system is up and running, doctors at physicians offices, those at hospitals, and personnel in the billing office will have access to the same patient information. Patients will also have secure access to the system.
The software vendor for the project is Epic and Mission Critical Technologies is handling the staffing.
Novant is holding job fare Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. at Providence Plaza in Charlotte.
Job information is also available at http://www.novanthealthcareers.org.
Click on the green box for the Dimensions project.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:48:00 -0500
The flu has claimed its first child this season.
Public health officials aren’t saying where the child is from or the gender, but the 6-year-old died Feb. 4 from complications from the flu, according to state officials. The child had underlying medical problems, a release from the state said.
The flu kills around 25,000 people in the US and more than 220,000 are hospitalized due to the illness, information from the state says.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family on the loss of their child,” said Dr. Laura Gerald, state health director. “Unfortunately, this reminds us that flu is a serious illness and can be potentially devastating to people at any age.”
It’s not too late to get a flu shot, Gerald said, because the flu season can extend into spring.
And there’s plenty of flu vaccine, said Kelly Schermerhorn . The vaccine cost is free for children 6 months to 18 years old, and for college students attending a 4-year school. The vaccine is $21 for adults, Schermerhorn said.
You can get the flu vaccine by contacting your doctor or Catawba County Public Health’s Immunizations Clinic at 695-5800, she said.
Lynne Laws, a nurse and Community Health Services manager for Catawba County Public Health, said public health has not seen “significant flu-related activity in the community.”
“If you do get sick, remember to stay home from work or school while you are sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and — most important — wash your hands,” Gerald said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:06 -0500
The number of child fatalities in Catawba County held steady from 2010 to 2011, with just a slight increase.
And the same is true for the number of child protective services reports, said John Eller, director of Catawba County Social Services.
Eller and Jennifer McCracken, Catawba County Public Health Services manager, presented an annual report for 2011 from the Community Child Protection & Fatality Prevention Team to the Catawba County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night.
Twenty-eight children died in the county in 2011. Of the 28, 17 were under the age of 1. Prenatal/perinatal conditions were the most common reason, claiming 13 lives.
Eight children died of illness; two died in vehicle accidents; two died from physical injuries or homicide; one from drowning; and two died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, according to the report.
The report says substance abuse and domestic violence appears to be a recurring issue instances.
Social services in the county investigated 2,046 cases involving 4,037 children, with neglect being the most reported, Eller said. He said neglect is not only the most commonly reported cases in Catawba County but that also holds true in the state and the nation.
In other business, commissioners:
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:45:55 -0500
One person was killed in an accident in south Charlotte on Tuesday, Medic said.
The crash happened on Lindstrom Drive, near Quail Hollow Country Club. An SUV crashed into a tree in someone's yard shortly after 11 a.m.
CHOPPER: Emergency crews at fatal crash scene
SLIDESHOW: Scene of fatal crash
The victim was a 21-year-old man. His name has not been released, and officials haven’t said how the accident happened.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:39:05 -0500
A York County woman made her first appearance in court Tuesday morning on charges she killed her boyfriend last year.
Christina Adams is accused of killing Michael Howe, who was a York attorney.
Adams was in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, during which attorneys said it was a crime of passion. Prosecutors tried to shoot that down, saying Adams had plenty of time not to shoot, because she called a friend and told him what she was going to do before she did it.
In October, Howe was shot several times in the bathroom of his house on Smith Street in York. Police said they found Adams outside the house and the gun nearby.
Investigators said Adams confessed to the crime to friends and to police, but said that Howe had hit her that night. She told one close friend that she wasn't going to let him hit her anymore.
On Tuesday morning, Adams’lawyer said the murder charge should be lowered to manslaughter because there was a fight between the two that night.
“There was an altercation earlier, there was some back and forth (and) there was some fighting,” defense attorney Casey Cornwell said. “There was some indication she had some bruises on her.”
The judge found there was probable cause to go forward with a murder charge. Adams has a bond hearing set for next Monday.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:35:28 -0500
A Charlotte man died after a crash in Texas involving a driver who said she had just been in the hospital.
Austin police charged the woman with intoxicated manslaughter in the Monday night accident that killed 61-year-old Dik Van Meerten as he waited for a bus.
Witnesses say the driver hit several cars, slammed into the bus stop and kept going, eventually wedging her car between two poles.
The driver told police she'd been treated for fainting at the hospital, where she was given morphine and Percocet.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:57:32 -0500
Five fire departments responded to a fire near Lenoir, in the Harpertown community, on Tuesday morning.
When they got there around 8:15 a.m., the home was fully engulfed in flames. The two people who were inside the house got out safely.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been identified.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:43:28 -0500
MatthewsNorthCarolina.com
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