Top Charlotte Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
A teenage girl told police 31-year-old Lavatae Evans raped her at his north Charlotte home Wednesday.
The allegations come just three weeks after charges were dropped against Evans for three other sexual assaults.
According to police, the girl said she met Evans at the Transit Center Wednesday and showed her that he had a gun. He then forced her to go back to his house where he sexually assaulted her, police said.
Police said he was still in his home when officers arrived to arrest him.
He was also arrested in the same home in December after a SWAT standoff.
Evans was charged then with sexually assaulting three women. Two of the women were assaulted at a motel in north Charlotte, police said. Just hours later, a third woman was raped at his home, police said.
However, prosecutors dismissed all of those charges in January because of what they called “inconsistencies in the victims' stories” and the fact that they had admitted using drugs with Evans.
Sources said the victim in this case is a teenager who Evans had a relationship with at one point.
That relationship had ended before Wednesday’s alleged assault, the source said.
Evans is scheduled to make has his first court appearance on these charges Friday.
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Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:54:32 -0500
Channel 9 Eyewitness News exposes how some banks are sticking you with hidden fees. Banks are looking for ways to make up for lost earnings and you may not know about the charges until it’s too late. We found 49 different fees in just one checking account.
Eyewitness News explains how reading the fine print may not be enough to keep customers from getting hit with unexpected charges. Many customers say they are fed up with these new charges they didn’t know existed. 9 investigates the efforts to put an end to hidden bank fees, asking why more hasn’t already been done. The full report, Monday starting at 5 on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:38:44 -0500
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said two arrests have been made in connection with an armed robbery in east Charlotte Thursday morning.
Police locked down J.H. Gunn Elementary School around 8:45 a.m. Thursday after they said the robbery occurred in an area near the school.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials said the lockdown was lifted around 9:30 a.m.
Police said the robbery occurred at 9221 Albemarle Road.
The school is on Harrisburg Road near Albemarle Road in east Charlotte.
Police have not yet released the identity of the two people who were arrested.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:56:26 -0500
A generator has exploded inside a Gastonia business on Thursday morning injuring two people.
Officials said two construction workers were injured when a flash explosion occurred from a machine that was inside a trailer.
Emergency officials said one of those injured is being air lifted to Carolinas Medical Center.
The explosion happened at a construction site at Williams Gas Pipeline on Industrial Pike Drive near Bessemer City Road around 6:30 a.m.
Channel 9 has a crew headed to the scene.
Stay with wsoctv.com for more information on this developing story.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:17:12 -0500
Relatives of a South Carolina boy missing since Thanksgiving have scheduled a candlelight prayer service.
Jocelyn Jennings Nelson says a vigil and candlelight service are planned Thursday for her grandson, Amir Jennings. The service starts at 6 p.m. at Frances Burns United Methodist Church in Columbia.
SLIDESHOW: Photos of Amir Jennings
Amir was 18 months old when Nelson reported him missing around Thanksgiving.
The boy's mother has been in jail since late December on a cruelty to children charge. Police say Zinah Jennings has lied to them about where her son is, and authorities are analyzing stains on blankets and clothes removed from Jennings' car after a Christmas Eve wreck to see if they are blood.
Her attorney says Jennings is pregnant and is on psychiatric medication.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:01:55 -0500
Investigators are testing a shovel for DNA evidence to see if it's related to a woman missing from Boone who was last seen on Feb. 6.
They said Dara Watson’s fiancé was seen carrying the shovel near Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.
SLIDESHOW: New photos of Dara Watson released
Deputies searched the forest from the air and on the ground Wednesday.
Friends say Watson and David Hedrick argued about their upcoming marriage and had recently broken up.
http://bcove.me/rwnc7cwt
Channel 9 received a 911 recording of a friend who found Hedrick after he committed suicide in his home.
“Is he still breathing?” the 911 operator said.
“I don’t think so man. Wow, this is awful. Why did he shoot himself?” the friend said.
SLIDESHOW: SC forest searched for missing woman from Boone
Hedrick did not leave a suicide note or any type of information about where Watson might have gone.
Police think Hedrick sent text messages from Watson’s phone to her sister two days after her disappearance.
They are asking for anyone with information about Watson’s disappearance to come forward so they can find her.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:27:06 -0500
A state employee is accused of taking away a West Hoke Elementary School student’s lunch for being unhealthy on Wednesday.
District officials are now calling the incident a misunderstanding.
Officials said the child was asked to get some milk to compliment her lunch but was not told to replace it entirely.
The North Carolina State Health and Human Services also looked into the incident and found no misconduct.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:11:51 -0500
A state agriculture official is charged with obstructing an investigation at a North Carolina Butterball farm.
Dr. Sarah Mason is charged with tipping the farm off about the December raid.
On Wednesday, Hoke County deputies arrested several farm employees on animal cruelty charges.
An undercover video released to YouTube shows turkeys being kicked and carried by the neck. At one point, workers are throwing the turkeys into the side of a truck.
Another video clearly shows injured and bleeding turkeys.
Back in December, Butterball released a statement on the allegations.
“Butterball takes these allegations very seriously and fully supports the efforts being made on the part of officials,” the statement read.
The investigation started after the group Mercy for Animals released the following video on YouTube.
(WARNING: Graphic images)
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:45:19 -0500
A Concord man is accused of sending child pornography from a home computer.
Police arrested Darrel Donahue, 47, at his home on Rocky River Road on Tuesday.
Donahue is charged with second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
He’s was jailed with bail set at $500,000.
Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:37:55 -0500
Police are urging neighbors in the Lansdowne neighborhood to keep an eye out for their elderly neighbors.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said there have been at least three cases within the past 10 days of young men stealing from elderly women like 95-year-old Sarah Gardner.
"I felt as though I could die," said Gardner.
She isn't big and strong, but Gardner was sharp enough to get the sense that something was wrong when a young man pulled up to her driveway last week.
"He was screaming. 'Help me, help me,'" said Gardner. "Of course, he was just tearing me up."
Police said at least two other women havebeen approached by young men who claimed to be sick. The men also demanded medication, and once inside the victims' homes, police believe they stole items to pawn later.
"It's a priority to us because (these victims) are vulnerable," said CMPD Officer Wes Correll.
Police said they believe they know who the culprits are but they have not yet made any arrests.
Authorities have also increased patrols in the Lansdowne area and are encouraging people here to keep an eye out for their elderly neighbors.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:45:40 -0500
A mistake in the IT department at University North Carolina Charlotte may have put students' personal information at risk.
Students got an email alert Wednesday afternoon about a possible data breach on campus. School leaders told Eyewitness News a "human error" in the IT department made data available to the Internet. According to the email, the data may include students' personal information. An IT staff member noticed the problem.
A UNCC representative said the data in now secure and the breach is under investigation to determine whether any information was actually compromised.
UNCC Civil Engineering Major "It's a little concerning with identity theft going around around, and I certainly don't want my personal information out there for people to take advantage of."of," UNCC civil engineering major Matthew Estby said.
School leaders have set up a toll-free number and website for students to get the latest information on the incident.
According to the website, the university first found out about the possible data breach on Jan. 31, although students were not notified until two weeks later.
Eyewitness News reporter Tenikka Smith asked school officials why it took so long to alert students. A spokesperson representative said they wanted to determine the extent of the problem.
The school said they also immediately hired a computer forensics firm to help investigate whether any personal information was compromised, and if so, to what extent.
"I think if there's a security breach, they should notify us immediately and then tell us the steps that they're going to take to proceed," Etsby said.
UNCC leaders said the investigation into the possible data breach will take several weeks. If the school determines that any students were put at risk, the students will be notified and receive assistance from UNCC to address the situation.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:08:26 -0500
Officials at Central Piedmont Community College said all six campuses will be closed during the Democratic National Convention, affecting about 32,000 students and faculty. The school will also serve as a staging ground for police.
"Given there will be increased traffic, particularly in downtown, we thought it would be good to take students and faculty out of the mix," CPCC spokesman Jeff Lowrance said.
School officials decided to move up the fall break by several weeks to also give students a chance to witness history.
"I'm happy that they respect the fact some people might want to attend that, and as students I think it is important for us to go to things like that," student Ahmaric Bowens said.
The college's central campus will also be pivotal in keeping the convention safe.
"We have been contacted by local law enforcement about their interest to use our central campus near downtown as a security hub or staging area," Lowrance said.
Additionally, the school plans on closing several surrounding streets during the convention, which will be used by high-ranking officials.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:15:48 -0500
The last time the state line between North and South Carolina was officially surveyed was also the first time -- 240 years ago, in 1772.
The original surveyors used trees, which have long since died or been cut down, and stones to mark the border. Recently, when developers began building along the state line in York, Mecklenburg and Gaston counties, they had questions about the true location of the state line, and state officials often didn't have answers.
That led to a new survey that's been ongoing since 1995.
The new state line survey has raised serious issues for home and business owners, such as property taxes, school districts, police and fire protection and others. However, the folks on Willow Pond Road have a different problem.
"The road is just terrible. I've spent probably four or five thousand dollars on gravel to put down," said Melinda Roberts, who lives on the road.
One stretch of Willow Pond Road is badly damaged with deep ruts, pot holes and crumbling asphalt. The problem is, whose responsibility is it to fix the road? Part of the road is in York County, but the damaged area is now in Gaston County.
"North Carolina won't touch it because South Carolina paved it way back years ago. It's not up to North Carolina code," Roberts said.
Here's what Eyewitness News learned from NC-DOT Wednesday afternoon. Engineer Reuben Chandler said the entire road was paved by South Carolina several years ago, and it has never been part of the North Carolina road maintenance system.
"We legally can't touch that road. Our hands are tied," Chandler said.
In fact, the state of North Carolina cannot accept that stretch of Willow Pond Road into the state system because it's too damaged to meet state standards, even though it's now partly in Gaston County.
Chandler said after 1975, all roads that come into the state system must meet a certain code, and the worst section of Willow Pond Road falls short.
So, South Carolina no longer claims the road because of the change in the state line, and North Carolina can't pave it because it fails to meet state standards. Where does that leave the people who live out there?
"It's just left us isolated here with this 3,000-foot stretch of road that's just wasting away," said Jim Withers, who's lived there for three years.
"I don't think anyone has any common sense anymore," he said.
The Concord-based surveyors who are re-mapping the entire North-South Carolina border expected issues like this one to crop up. Another issue is the results of their survey are not official yet. They have not been approved by the governments of either North or South Carolina, and cannot be found in county courthouse documents yet. In fact, that may be years away.
However, Alex Rankin, with Concord Engineering and Surveying, said local surveyors can still get online and find the preliminary results of the state line survey. That would allow them to know the approximate location of the border whenever they survey a parcel of land for a business or homeowner.
"This is still not finalized, but it would show them what we've done, and allow them to see any changes," Rankin said.
The survey team held a meeting in Rock Hill on Tuesday to hear from people affected by changes in the new survey. They sent out letters to almost 100 families who suddenly found their homes in a different state than where they thought they lived. Most of those affected live in Lancaster, York and Cherokee counties in South Carolina.
Just what the impact will be on homeowners is still unclear. State lawmakers are likely to weigh in, but just when is also unknown.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:00:11 -0500
Some people living in uptown Charlotte are having major problems with their neighbor, a sushi bar.
During the day, the loudest noise at the corner of E. 6th and Caldwell streets is the traffic going by, not Kalu sushi bar underneath the Courtside Condos.
But some residents say the loud music and crowds make it more like a club on the weekends.
Kalu is the first business identified by police as a "chronic noise producer" under the new city noise ordinance.
"We understand there have been some noise complaints from time to time," said attorney Ken Harris, who represents the owner of Kalu.
"The city is going to come out and evaluate the sound here and that's a good first step," he said.
Some people who live in the condos told Eyewitness News that they're fed up with the noise. One woman said she lives on the top floor and called police this weekend because the noise woke up her baby.
According to the City of Charlotte's Neighborhood & Business Services, Kalu has been officially cited by CMPD twice for being "unreasonably loud and disturbing," including once this past weekend.
Those citations came out of 33 noise complaints called in between Jan. 1, 2011, and present.
"What we're on right now is a fact-finding mission," Code Enforcement Manager Ben Krise said.
Krise met with Harris and Kalu's owner this week.
He said they've agreed to test sound equipment and measure decibel levels during business hours to make sure they're within city laws.
"We'd like to go up to the residential floors of the condominiums and actually sit in someone's living room or in the hallway or the stairwell," Krise said.
In the next few weeks, he said they hope to figure out if there are violations and if any kind of soundproofing is needed.
Harris said they want to work with residents, police and the city.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:47:40 -0500
Eyewitness News anchor Natalie Pasquarella uncovered exact locations that the DEA considers “hotspots” where heroin and other drugs are being sold, and some locations are in the least expected areas of Charlotte.
WATCH: Behind the Story with Natalie Pasquarella
According to the DEA, violent and dangerous Mexican drug cartels are operating at specific intersections and parking lots in areas of Southpark, Ballantyne, and South Charlotte; and it might be happening right under your nose. Is your neighborhood on the list? Thursday starting at 5pm on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:45:35 -0500
Young men are trying to trick their way into elderly women's homes in south Charlotte, police said.
Police have seen three cases in 10 days.
The women live in the Landsdowne neighborhood, near Sardis and Rama roads.
The victims, including a couple of women in their mid-90s, said they were approached by men in their late teens and early 20s. The suspects have all had the same story -- that they weren't feeling good and were in desperate need of medication and something to drink.
Channel 9 spoke to Sarah Gardner, 95, who said she has been targeted twice.
Both times, a car full of men in their late teens to early 20s approached her asking for medication.
Gardner said last week a young man stopped in front of her driveway saying he was very sick and asking for medicine.
Gardner said she felt bad but was also suspicious and refused to give him anything.
“He said, ‘Oh you don’t know how sick I am,’ and I thought, ‘Well, I’m sick too but I’m not out riding in a car,’” Gardner said.
Police think their intention is to get into homes and then take what they can
Police have already increased patrols in the area, and they've identified a few potential suspects.
They are asking people to look out for their elderly neighbors and to report anything suspicious.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:21:49 -0500
Residents in a Stallings neighborhood are upset after a family of six beavers was trapped and killed, and a picture of the carcasses was posted online.
People who live in Fairfield Plantation said the beavers had been a part of the neighborhood for years.
"The beaver dam was huge. It was about five feet tall. It was really a good, interesting nature lesson for my grandchildren," said resident Jeff Hatch.
But the Fairfield Plantation homeowners’ association was concerned about the beavers' dams in the neighborhood creek. HOA members said the beavers were threatening the hardwood forest, and that flooding from the backup of water was creating a deep water hazard for children in the local park.
Last week, the neighborhood HOA president sent out a newsletter, informing residents, "We hired a trapper who apprehended six, four of whose mug shots can be seen at fairfieldnc.com."
The president, Larry Evans, then posted a graphic picture of four of the beaver carcasses on the website, but quickly took it down a day later after a resident complained.
Evans told Eyewitness News the trapper was a professional recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In a statement, Evans said, "There currently is a beaver infestation in Union County as they no longer have a natural predator....[The trapper] removed the beavers by their normal means. I mentioned the removal in our newsletter and put the picture of some of the beavers on our website as I felt it was an issue that affected our community."
Under state law, if beavers disrupt the natural flow of a waterway, property owners are allowed to hire a licensed professional to trap and kill beavers year-round, according to wildlife officials.
But residents told Eyewitness News they were devastated to learn the beaver family had been killed.
"I just think it was handled wrong. Instead of killing them, the board could have trapped them and released them," said Copeland Willis.
Another resident, who hadn't seen the picture until Eyewitness News showed it to her, said she didn't understand why the picture was posted on the neighborhood website.
"It's just sad that stuff like this happens to our little neighborhood furry friends," Robin Raney said.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:51:20 -0500
An Asheville toddler has been found safe after an Amber Alert was issued Wednesday.
Officers were looking for 2-year-old Amayei Collington and his father.
The toddler was dropped off at a family member's home, officials said.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:44:07 -0500
A Catawba County police officer won $250,000 on a $1 Mega Millions ticket he purchased from a Stanley store.
"Something just felt right that day when I bought it," Mike Bollinger said. "I let the computer pick the numbers."
Bollinger, a police officer and EMT from Maiden, bought the ticket at Beach's General Store on N.C. 73 in Stanley.
Before his big win, Bollinger said $15 was the most he had ever won playing Mega Millions. After state and federal taxes were withheld, he received a check for $170,000.
Bollinger, who has worked in law enforcement and emergency management for 26 years, said he planned to use some of his winnings to pay bills and take a vacation.
"Really to have those bills off of you," he said, "is more of a relief than anything."
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:34:11 -0500
Many state lawmakers from the Charlotte area are announcing this week that they will run for re-election. But a 9 investigation found some of them have missed votes on issues -- in some cases, hundreds of votes.
Eyewitness News looked through a year of voting records for 50 lawmakers who represent the Charlotte region in the state legislature in Raleigh and found some of them repeatedly missing votes that affect the people they represent.
State records show Mecklenburg County state Sen. Malcolm Graham was absent for 240 votes. That's 25 percent of all the votes in the Senate in the past year.
House member Ric Killian was absent for 210 votes.
And one of the longest-serving state lawmakers from Mecklenburg County, Charlie Smith Dannelly, missed 152 votes.
Dr. Susan Roberts is a political science professor at Davidson College. Eyewitness News showed her what we found.
She was surprised at so many missed votes, especially in a year that saw contentious debate over the budget and voter ID laws.
PDF: Numbers of votes missed by state lawmakers
“In my position as an average voter, I would be astounded and I think the average voter would say, ‘Why weren't you there?’” Roberts said.
She added: “I think it would decrease their effectiveness because if you're not there, how can I count on you?”
Eyewitness News sent letters to all of the local lawmakers who missed more than 60 votes last year, asking why.
Some cited medical reasons. Others blamed the absences on their full-time jobs or child care.
A staff member for Ric Killian responded, "Any absences of Rep. Killian have been due to military service or hip replacement surgery."
Eyewitness News repeatedly asked Sen. Malcolm Graham to explain his 240 absences. He refused to be interviewed but Wednesday morning sent a statement, saying, "I participated in over 700 other votes, while doing my best to be a good husband and father, and make a living to support my family."
Eyewitness News caught up with Sen. Dannelly outside his home in northwest Charlotte to ask about the 152 votes he missed.
“This is a total surprise as far as I'm concerned,” Dannelly said.
“How well are you representing your constituents if you're not there?” Eyewitness News anchor Blair Miller asked.
“Well, in my mind, I'm representing them quite well,” Dannelly said. “What I can't understand is, how can I miss that many votes when I'm in the chamber?”
Dannelly believes he missed maybe 20 to 30 votes and now plans to question official state records himself.
But on the flip side, Eyewitness News found Rep. Bill Brawley was the only Mecklenburg County lawmaker with zero absences.
“I take it seriously,” Brawley said. “In my profession of commercial real estate, I have control over my schedule and while I'll concede that it's probably cost me some money, if we need to be there, I'm there.”
Most of these absences are considered excused but even some lawmakers told Eyewitness News that they don't have to give a detailed reason for an absence.
Sen. Malcolm Graham issued this statement on his absences:
"In the North Carolina Senate, we are often required to make difficult choices to resolve scheduling conflicts and to best serve our constituents. I made sure to be available to address some of the most critical matters facing our state. I voted on the statewide budget, redistricting, the 'Woman’s Right to Know Act,' election laws, and was one of the primary sponsors of Senate Bill 8 'Lift the Cap on Charter Schools.' I participated in over 700 other votes, while doing my best to be a good husband and father, and make a living to support my family. I’m committed to serving my state and will continue to do my best in that effort."
Rep. Rick Killian’s office issued this statement:
"Thank you for your inquiry. Representative Killian is currently serving in Afghanistan and is unable to communicate at this time. Any absences of Representative Killian have been due to military service or hip replacement surgery and have been excused."
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:01:51 -0500
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