Top Charlotte Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
A social media group spent Sunday putting up fliers to ask people for help finding a missing toddler in South Carolina.
The Facebook group Find Amir Jennings met and put up fliers around Columbia.
The 18-month-old boy has been missing since November.
Police searched Charlotte for the boy along with several other locations but have not found him.
His mother, Zinah, is in jail after she gave inconsistent reports on his whereabouts.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:20:57 -0500
The search has been suspended for a missing Mount Pleasant woman whose burned vehicle was found on a secluded dirt road last week.
About 75 people search in the Awendaw area for 30-year-old Dara Watson.
Charleston County Sheriff's Maj. Jim Brady says the search was suspended about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Watson's burned sports utility vehicle was found in the Francis Marion Forest on Wednesday. Her mother in Boone, N.C., reported her missing Thursday, saying she was last seen Feb. 6.
Officers who searched Watson's home in Mount Pleasant on Friday found the body of her fiance, 34-year-old David Hedrick. Authorities have not said how Hedrick died.
Brady says investigators don't have any leads on other places where Watson might be.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:14:48 -0500
A local father who captured worldwide attention after posting a YouTube rant about his daughter is now making local city leaders mad.
Jimmy Jordan, from Stanly County, got mad after his daughter complained about doing chores on her Facebook page.
In the video, Jordan pulls out a gun and shoots his daughter’s laptop.
The video received more than 21 million views in four days.
“Pay you for chores?” Jordan said in the video. “Are you out of your mind?”
The Daily reported in a Facebook post on Saturday, the former Marine, wrote that Child Protective Services officials came to his home in Stanly Co., and interviewed him and his daughter — separately — after viewers of the video called with concerns about his actions.
He said the police also stopped by.
Neither authority decided to pursue anything against Jordan.
“The police by the way said ‘Kudos, sir,’ ” Jordan wrote. “How’s about those apples? Didn’t expect THAT when you called the cops did you?”
Jordan also made reference to the Albemarle Police Department approving his acts, but the police chief said Jordan does not live in the city limits.
The chief said it is unfortunate that the media is identifying Jordan as a resident.
The city manager told the Stanly News and Press Jordan’s comments about the department do not reflect the opinion of the police department.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:40:44 -0500
An overnight crash blocked both directions of Independence Boulevard on Monday.
Police said a car hit a gas tanker truck near Sharon Amity Road around 2:45 a.m.
Crews had to block all outbound lanes of traffic and all but one of the inbound lanes.
The driver of the car is expected to be OK. The tanker driver was not hurt.
Independence Boulevard reopened around 5:20 a.m.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:12:18 -0500
Tuckaseegee Rd. is closed near Mulberry Church Rd. after a car crashed into a house. As of 6 a.m. a tow truck was removing the wrecked car, but there is no indication of when the police investigation will be completed. Use Mulberry Church Rd. (right) to I-85 North to Tuckaseegee Rd./Exit 34 as an alternate route.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:05:55 -0500
Two women escaped injury after a car slammed into their home in west Charlotte Monday morning.
Maxine Herron and her daughter Nikki were inside the home on Tuckaseegee Road near Mulberry Church Road when the car slammed into Nikki’s bedroom around 2 a.m.
Nikki said the impact was so severe that it knocked her bed across the room.
SLIDESHOW: Car slams into west Charlotte house after fleeing police
Police said the driver of the car fled a Queen City Drive motel parking lot after an officer approached the car.
The driver hit the officer’s cruiser while fleeing the scene, police said.
Police said the driver lost control of the car, flipping it and crashing into the house.
The car smashed into the front room, which was Nikki’s bedroom, knocking the foundation loose.
The driver was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A tow truck was called in to remove the car. Firefighters had to be called after the car caught fire while the tow truck was removing it.
Officials said the house is not safe to live in.
Tuckaseegee Road reopened around 6:40 a.m.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:57:17 -0500
Monroe Road was shut down for several hours after a deadly accident occurred overnight.
Both lanes of Monroe Road between Commonwealth Avenue and Richland Drive were closed after a car struck a utility pole, killing the driver.
Police identified the driver as Robert Lynch, 24.
Accident reconstruction investigators were at the scene trying to piece together what caused the accident.
SLIDESHOW: Driver dies after hitting power pole on Monroe Road
The road reopened around 5:45 a.m.
Police said the driver was traveling outbound on Monroe Road before losing control and hitting the light pole.
Duke Energy was at the scene earlier Monday.
Officials said the pole that was struck will not have to be replaced.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:41:17 -0500
Monroe Rd. is shut down at Richland Dr. (between Sharon Amity Rd. and Wendover Rd.) due to a deadly crash. There is no official estimate of when Monroe Rd. will reopen, but Traffic Team 9 expects delays at least through 7 a.m. Use Independence Blvd. or Randolph Rd. as alternate routes.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:36:39 -0500
Theresa McClung is nine years older than she was the day her life changed forever. But with each passing day, her search for answers has gained strength.
"It's just something that doesn't go away," said McClung, speaking about the murder of her father, Charles Hanley.
Hanley, 75-years-old, was found stabbed to death inside his home near Mineral Springs in 2003. He was a World War II veteran and a longtime volunteer firefighter.
"He was very, very giving and caring," said McClung. She recounted to Eyewitness News the horror of finding her father's body the day he was murdered.
Police arrested Thomas Kennedy, a co-worker of Hanley's at a nearby paving company. He was convicted and received an 18-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal.
Kennedy's sentence was frustrating to McClung. But even tougher to swallow is the reality that Jose Miranda, the man who allegedly helped Kennedy kill her father, has never been caught.
"You can't put this in your past when you know he's out living his life and your father has lost his life," McClung said. "You just want justice to be served."
McClung has fought for that justice in the nine years since her father's death. She has put up nearly half of the $11,000 being offered as reward money in the case. This past weekend, her father's case was profiled by the TV show, "America's Most Wanted," after years of McClung writing to the show.
McClung told us that she's hoping someone knows the whereabouts of Jose Miranda and reports it to authorities.
"I really wish they’d come forward. Any information leading to an arrest, I'd be grateful for," said McClung.
If you have any information on this case, call police or Crime Stoppers.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:00:40 -0500
An increase in oil prices in Europe has driven gas prices up 12-cents in the last two weeks.
A new Lundberg survey found the average price of regular gasoline rose to $3.51 a gallon.
In Charlotte, however, we found stations selling gas from $3.58 to $3.64 a gallon on the same block of West Sugar Creek road.
Lundberg blames reduced production of crude oil in the North Sea and tensions in Iran.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:20:45 -0500
The U.S. government is currently considering the use of social media to aid them in predicting crime.
Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are looking for new software that will scan posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.
They hope the data will help them anticipate everything from terrorist attacks to foreign uprisings.
The idea of the government scanning social media pages is already raising concerns about privacy.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:06:03 -0500
Tyler Lowe was arrested Sunday after police say he caused a deadly wreck in Ballantyne on Friday.
Lowe faces involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving charges.
A witness said Lowe floored it when the light turned red, swerved around two stopped cars and ran the light at Johnston road and Providence road west.
Investigators say Lowe t-boned the victim’s car driven by Alan Shuart.
Shuart died at the scene.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:32:32 -0500
A plane leaving Charlotte and heading to Atlanta had to turn around and make an emergency landing at Charlotte-Douglas International airport.
The crew heard a loud and unsettling noise. As a precaution, they decided to turn the plane around and return to the airport.
U.S. Airways confirmed that there were 44 passengers and three crew members on board.
The plane departed at 2:28 p.m. and landed back in Charlotte at 3:32 p.m. Passengers on the plane were placed on different flights.
There were no injuries reported.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:49:31 -0500
Lindora Richardson, the bus driver who saved six children from a burning bus, will be honored Monday morning by the Chief of Charlotte's fire department.
The students who escaped the fire will also be recognized at the ceremony.
Richardson was able to evacuate the bus and lead the children 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 burning smell 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," said Richardson. She proceeded to help the kids off the back of the bus, holding their hands and catching them as they jumped out.
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.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:26:07 -0500
As the world mourns the loss of legendary pop-singer Whitney Houston, so are her family members in the Charlotte area.
Some of Houston's family members live in Cleveland County and even run a boutique selling some of the late singer's memorabilia.
"To me she was like a sister, more than just an in-law, she was a sister, a friend," said Billy Watson.
He is Houston's brother-in-law. His sister, Patricia Houston, grew up in Cleveland County and married the pop singer's brother, Gary Houston.
Watson said his sister and much of the family was in California for the Grammy Awards, when they learned of Houston's sudden death in a Beverly Hills hotel Saturday.
"It's a shocker to me," he said.
Houston had many friends and family in Cleveland County and even contributed to a program called "Teen Summit." The organization, founded by Patricia Houston, helps troubled teens and young adults.
Houston donated clothing and personal items to a celebrity consignment shop in downtown Shelby to help the organization. In October, the singer performed in a benefit concert in Shelby to aid "Teen
"Having known her and them having a chance to meet here obviously it's a devastating impact," said Pastor James Smith, who also works with the program.
Family members said the best was yet to come for the singer, who died well before her time at 48. "Everybody loved her, she was family. Sweet as she could be," said Watson.
Flowers and what appeared to be the beginning of a memorial outside of the Celebrity Consignment Boutique in Shelby had started Sunday.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:17:51 -0500
Cornelius firefighters said strong winds increased the intensity of a house fire that left a family of three out of a home Sunday night.
Neighbors said police officers evacuated several houses on Brinkley Street on Sunday morning because of the windy conditions.
Eyewitness News saw thick smoking pouring out of the house as firefighters battled to control the fire.
"The heat was intense, the heat was intense," said next door neighbor John Hoffmann.
Hoffmann said the house belongs to Denise Powers and her two daughters. His 7-year-old granddaughter is the same age as one of Powers' kids, and the two are close friends.
"She spent the night there, the night before this fire. That could have been my granddaughter in there," said Hoffmann, choking back tears.
When Hoffmann woke up early Sunday morning and saw the flames, he said he ran over and kicked in the back door, looking for Powers' children.
"The flames were just pouring out, that's why I had to go through the back," he said.
Hoffman later learned the kids were spending the weekend with their father.
He said he tried to comfort Powers, who was standing in the front yard shivering and crying.
"She was just weeping and crying saying, ‘I’m going to lose everything, I’m going to lose everything,'" he said.
Firefighters said at least one large candle fell over and ignited a blanket as Powers slept on a sofa.
Investigators said smoke detectors alerted Powers to the fire before she was injured.
The Red Cross put up Powers and her two daughters in a motel through Tuesday night.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:46:54 -0500
A sex offender is back in jail Sunday after being accused of raping a child.
Officers in Morganton arrested Anthony Robinson Friday night at his home on Center Street.
Robinson is charged with statutory rape.
According to the sex offender registry, he was convicted in 2002 of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:30:52 -0500
Snow ended in the mountains overnight, but drivers are still dealing with slick roads and very low wind chills. Meteorologist Katie Virtue said winds will continue to gust over 30 mph in Ashe, Watauga and Avery counties.
Temperatures will slowly rise through the teens under sunny skies, but the wind will make it feel like the single digits. Snow and ice will stick around on untreated roads, sidewalks and parking lots through the rest of the day.
A gusty breeze will also continue in Charlotte and the surrounding area this afternoon. Temperatures will rise to near 40 degrees with wind chills near 30 degrees.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:28:46 -0500
There is a winter storm is blasting North Carolina Saturday night, bringing snow and ice to the mountains and blustery winds to Charlotte. Also, there are sub-zero wind chills in Ashe and Watuga counties, placing them under a winter weather advisory.
“It’s a little bit numbing if you’re not used to it,” said Lorry Mulhern, manager at the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock.
Snow combined with 30 mph winds are creating brutal conditions in the mountains and in some neighborhoods, making it difficult to walk around.
Eyewitness News saw people at hotels and restaurants in Blowing Rock struggling against the wind to get to their cars.
“When you get those gusts and you’re enveloped in snow and your body starts to rock, it’s kind of a different sensation,” Mulhern said.
The Green Park Inn works with nearby ski lodges to offer package deals but said this ski season business has been down about 50 percent.
“The ski season hasn’t been so great up here and we’ve all been wondering where winter has been and here it is all at once, all in one weekend," Mulhern said.
Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:21:00 -0500
A tree fell and trapped a woman in her car in northeast Charlotte Saturday night on the 1300 block of W. Rocky River Road.
A large limb came through the front windshield and knocked out her driver's side door.
Firefighters had to cur the roof off to get her out of her vehicle.
Medic paramedics determined her injuries as potentially life threatening. She was transported to CMC Main Saturday night.
Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:02:00 -0500
PinevilleNorthCarolina.com
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