MOTHER
NATURE BRINGS MUCH NEEDED RAIN TO LINCOLN
By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLN COUNTY -- As clouds thickened
around Lincoln County Wednesday afternoon, Sgt.
Willie Vaughn with Lincolnton Police kept his eye
on the skies.
"It's going to rain and thunder soon,"
said Vaughn. Within minutes, rain started falling
in sheets and thunder could be heard. "I
told you," smiled Vaughn.
Lincoln County experienced a torrential rain
Wednesday afternoon. Exclusive video
DENVER -- An illegal alien is charged
with child sex offenses against a seven year old
girl.
Lincoln County Sheriff's detective Sally
Dellinger arrested Javier Alfonzo Mendoza, 42,
300 block of Mooregate Lane, Lincolnton, and
charged him with one felony count each of first
degree statutory sexual offense and taking
indecent liberties with a minor.
The young girl told her mother the suspect was
the baby-sitter's boyfriend, with the incidents
occuring Monday on Graham
CALDWELL
WOMAN'S HEROIC SURVIVAL STORY GOES NATIONAL
By Jon Mayhew
GRANITE FALLS -- Amber Pennell's story
is one of survival. And she got to tell her story
Wednesday to a national audience.
The young mother made national newspaper
headlines recently when she was discovered alive
after being reported missing for five days. She
was found by rescue workers in a ravine off
Highway 321 in Lenoir.
LINCOLN COUNTY SCHOOL
WINS A "BLUE RIBBON"
By Jon Mayhew
IRON STATION -- One Lincoln County
School is set to receive a national award. Iron
Station Elementary School has received the No
Child Left Behind "Blue Ribbon Award."
According to Lincoln County Schools' special
projects coordinator Balinda Branson, the award
program is a national recognition by the U.S.
Department of Education.
DENVER MAN ESCAPES
SERIOUS INJURY IN ACCIDENT
By Jon Mayhew
BURKE COUNTY -- An
eastern Lincoln County man escaped serious injury
Tuesday morning in a Burke County accident where
weather and speed were factors in the crash.
According to North Carolina Highway Patrol
trooper J.D. Allen, Robert Clark was driving his
International tractor-trailer on Highway 181
south of Morganton when he lost control. Clark is
a driver for Finish Line Transport.
The accident happened after Clark sideswiped a
guardrail on the highway near the Brown Mountain
overpass.
CHERRYVILLE -- An 11-year-old
Shelby girl has accused an 80-year-old
Cherryville man of inappropriately touching her
after spilling a drink over the weekend.
Police arrested John Edward Johnson of Oliver
Street on Saturday night at an Eastridge Drive
location where they say the alleged acts took
place.
Cleveland County Sheriff's officials say the girl
claimed Johnson touched her while cleaning up the
spill.
2008-06515
Simple Assault, Assault on School Bus,
Communicating Threats
Assigned: Officer Rex
Location: Lincolnton High School
Victim: Juvenile
Assault
Date Reported: August 29, 2008
District B
KIND OF
A DRAG..... Lincoln
Economic Development hoping to cash in on drag
racing By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON -- Lincoln Economic
Development Association officials are hoping to
cash in on the success of the recently opened
Z-Max dragway at Lowe's Motor Speedway in
Charlotte. In fact, they hope to see this week's
inaugeral NHRA Carolinas Nationals as the
starting "line" for their efforts in
attracting more business for the county.
And when the National Hot Rod Assocation event
starts this week, LEDA's hoping that the dozens
of drag racing teams eye Lincoln County as a
place to locate.
According to LEDA business development manager
Kim Phillips, there's a good story to tell about
economic development in Lincolnton and Lincoln
County. She hopes the teams will listen.
HICKORY
--Police didn't have
to go very far Sunday in Hickory to catch a man
suspected in the shooting of two other people.
They simply had to visit the hospital.
While police investigated the shooting that
happened on Second Street Southeast in Hickory
around 3 a.m. Sunday, they learned suspect
Brandon Jamar Carson arrived at Catawba Valley
Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the foot.
Carson is accused of shooting Narissa Huff, 24,
Hickory, and Milton Lineberger, 40, of Maiden.
Both were shot in the torso and taken to Frye
Regional Medical Center. Huff was treated and
released; Lineberger, meantime, was still
hospitalized as
AUTHORITIES
INVESTIGATING THEFT OF GROUND CABLE FROM CITY
UTILITY POLES
By
Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON
-- Utility workers with the City of
Lincolnton noticed something disturbing to them
Monday afternoon. While driving down South Poplar
Street, a city crew noticed the ground cable
missing from a utility pole around 2 p.m.
By the close of
business Monday, a city crew had identified at
least 50 utility poles
FATHER,
SON ARRESTED IN MATTRESS CAPER By Jon
Mayhew
LINCOLNTON
-- It's not everyday that people see a
pickup truck load of mattresses heading down the
street. And that's exactly what piqued the
curiousity of Lincolnton Police Sgt. Jeremy
Wilson.
Over the
weekend, Wilson noticed a pickup occupied by
three people on Country Club Road, with several
2008-06677
Larceny
Assigned: Detective Dellinger
Location: 175 Forrest Rd.
Victim: Raymond Freeman
Suspect took safe box from residence
Date Reported: September 4, 2008
District B
GETTING
CARRIAGE-D AWAY Hundreds of people attended
the annual Grape Stomp at Woodmill Winery
Saturday. Besides people stomping grapes and
enjoying the Lincoln County-based winery,
carriage rides were also provided.
Photo
by Trey Childs/The Carolina Scoop
BUSINESSES CITED FOR
SELLING ALCOHOL TO MINORS
By Jon Mayhew
DENVER
– A recent undercover operation by
the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office resulted
in eight businesses being cited for selling
alcohol to someone underage. Investigators used a
20-year-old male to go
TRIO ARRESTED FOR
BREAKING INTO VEHICLES
By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON – Three Lincolnton
residents have been arrested and charged with
multiple counts of breaking and entering into
motor vehicles, taking property.
According to Lincolnton Police detective Dennis
Harris, Wilbert Lester Fair and Kelly Christine
Prather, both of 1452 Cleveland Lane, Lincolnton,
broke into several vehicles overnight last
Wednesday and took CD players and money. Several
LINCOLNTON
– A Lincolnton man continues
recovering from a Thursday morning stabbing that
left another Lincolnton man in jail. A
Crimestoppers tip is credited with leading to an
arrest in the case.
Lincolnton
Police said that on Sept. 4 around 12:30 a.m.,
friends took Anthony Gene Robinson to Carolinas
Medical Center – Lincoln with a single stab
wound to the chest. He was then taken to
Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte by
ambulance
Photo
by Jon Mayhew/The Carolina Scoop INCIDENT REPORT September 8, 2008
2008-06168
Animal Bite
Assigned: Animal Control
Location: 1771 George Brown Rd.
Victim: Laura Shull
Animal Bite
Date Reported: August 16, 2008
District A Click here for the
whole story
WOMAN STRUCK BY
VEHICLE EXPECTED TO BE OK No charges to be
filed against driver
By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON – A 33-year-old
Lincolnton woman, struck by a car just before 9
p.m. Saturday, is expected to be OK.
Witnesses told Lincolnton Police officer D. Renn
that Monica Littlejohn was running across the
street from the Southern Convenience Store on
Riverside Drive when she was struck by a vehicle.
If something is on your mind
that you would like to share, e-mail it to us atmail@thecaroinascoop.com. Please
include your name on all submissions.
Dear Rescuers, Volunteers
and Residents ~
We would like to thank you for the tremendous
outpouring of assistance the past 10 days for
"Operation Noah's Ark". This is the
name of operation in which over 400 animals
were seized at the private residence of Vicki
Rauch in Denver, NC by the Lincoln County
Animal Control/Sheriff's Department.
Last week, the SPCA Alliance was asked by the
Lincoln County Sheriff's Department to help
find volunteers and rescues to care for the
animals who were seized. As far as the status
of the situation at this point, as of
We are now fully submerged in
two seasons, hurricane and election. And I wonder
which one is more aggravating and frustrating
than the other.
My 81
year old mother lives in Surfside Beach, SC. When
one of her four children cannot be there with her
however, she stays in an assisted living facility
in Georgetown, SC. Currently she is in
Georgetown. Jon has been driving me insane with
worry over my mother's safety with Tropical Storm
Hannah on her way. I keep trying to comvince him,
and maybe myself a little as well, that she is
being taken good care of where she is.
Jon's
response is "That's what all those people in
New Orleans said until all of the caretakers
evacuated and left them stranded."
I have
been on the phone for days trying to convince my
mother and my brother and sisters that I will go
get her and leave all questions and fears behind.
DENVER -- A
Denver animal "rescuer" at the center
of a controversy involving more than 400 animals
and a lawsuit by Lincoln County government is
arrested on charges of cruelty to animals.
Around
9 a.m. Friday, authorities arrested Vicki Rauch
at her Petite Lane residence.
Two RSI Employees
Arrested on Separate Charges of Identity Theft
..........
LINCOLNTON
-- Lincoln County Sheriff’s
detectives arrested two people Thursday on
Identity Theft cases in California and Texas.
Detective
Andrew Alvarado arrested Antonio Tornez Nava, 25,
of Gastonia and Maria Remedios Rosaldo Carrasco,
42, of Catawba Street in Lincolnton on one count
each of felony Identity Theft.
WHITE MALE,
AGE 43
HEIGHT 5'4:, 140 LBS,
BROWN HAIR, BROWN EYES
4743 DICK WILSON RD., DENVER, NC.
EMBEZZLEMENT
If you have any information
on Weddle or any of the 10 most wanted, contact
Crime Stoppers
WRECK
HAMPERING TRAFFIC ON BUFFALO SHOALS ROAD By Jon Mayhew LINCOLNTON –Authorities
have responded to a vehicle accident in the 700
block of Buffalo Shoals Road.
Around 12:15 p.m., Saturday, firefighters on the
scene reported a collision involving two vehicles
where there was a fuel spill. There is at least
one person entrapped in one of the vehicles.
Authorities urge caution while traveling down
Buffalo Shoals Road.
Photo
by Jon Mayhew/The Carolina Scoop
INCIDENT REPORT September 5, 2008
2008-06573
Larceny by Employee
Assigned: File Only (B.Posey)
Location: 1298 N Hwy 16
Victim: Triangle Food Mart
Suspect took food from business
Date Reported: August 31, 2008
District C
The Lincoln County Apple
Festival is on Saturday, September 20 from 9:00
a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in downtown Lincolnton. A
lot of people have worked hard to make this
festival one of the safest and most enjoyable
ever. The vendors are well aware of important
changes in the festival guidelines. In this
column, I’ll try to highlight those that
pertain to the general public.
First, no animals are allowed on festival
grounds. This is a city ordinance. Exceptions are
service animals such as guide dogs and animals
which are an approved part of the event itself.
Secondly, don’t move barricades in order to
enter downtown with a vehicle. This warning
extends late into the evening hours until the
city is through cleaning the streets. They do a
great job cleaning up the downtown area but must
be able to do it safely. Law enforcement will be
issuing tickets for those who ignore the
barricades.
Now let’s talk about some other bits of
information that might be useful to you. The two
largest parking areas available to the public are
at Lincolnton High School on North Aspen Street
and Gaston College on South Aspen Street. The
Kiwanis Club will again be running their shuttle
from Lincolnton High School to the court square.
Round-trips are only a $1.00 but I’m sure an
extra donation to support their worthy causes
would be appreciated. Thanks go to Buddy Stasney
for again providing the vehicles for the shuttle.
The
Lincoln County Board of Commissioners will meed
on September 8, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
in the Board of Commissioners' Room on the third
floor of the James W. Warren Citizens Center
at 115 W. Main Street.
The citizens of Lincoln County are always
encouraged to attend. The following is the agenda for this meeting
Four People Facing
Charges Following A Break-In On Salem Church Road
. . .
.
LINCOLNTON –Officers responded to the
break-in at 2579 Salem Church Road around 9:00
a.m. Tuesday after a neighbor reported the
suspects cut a hole in a fence to gain access to
the property. Deputy K. Paris reported the rear
door of the unoccupied residence and rear door to
a garage had been kicked open. Doors to a utility
trailer and a semi-truck trailer had also been
pried open and tools stolen.
Three People Have
Been Arrested in Connection With a Rash of
Vehicle Break-ins
AR-15 Assault Rifle Recovered
Staff Reports
...............
LINCOLNTON
– Lincoln County Sheriff’s
deputies have arrested three people following a
number of vehicle break-ins.
Sheriff’s detective Sally Dellinger said
deputy Phillip McNeill recovered the stolen goods
after responding to reports of vehicle break-ins
on Falcon Ridge Road. After interviewing victims,
the stolen goods were located in a vehicle
belonging to Samuel Brandon Sipes that was parked
on Falcon Ridge Road.
A
checkbook belonging to Karrington Rendelman was
also recovered from Sipe’s vehicle. The
checkbook was stolen from Rendleman’s car
while it was parked at Cataler Corp in the
Lincoln County Industrial Park off Finger Mill
Road. The investigation also led to the recovery
of an AR-15 Assault Rifle and softball equipment
taken from Chad Bridges car which was also parked
at Cataler.
All the stolen items were recovered and returned
to the owners.
We hiked South
Mountain this weekend and paused at what they
call Hugo – the rockslide that Hurricane
Hugo’s massive rains sent tumbling down the
mountain several years ago. It got me to
wondering, is my home ready for lots of rain and
loss of electricity – or would we crash down
much like those boulders? Here are some tips for
staying at home during a disaster. For more
information check www.ces.ncsu.edu/disater/factsheets .
Water is a priority. You should have at least 1
gallon of water per person per day and be
prepared for 3 days. So, a family of four would
want 12 gallons of water stored at a minimum.
This should be enough for drinking, food
preparation, washing dishes and bathing. More
water will be needed if it is very hot or if you
have children, nursing mothers, or sick people in
your household. If you are on well water,
you’ll need additional water to flush
toilets. Clean soft drink bottles are excellent
for storing water. If you need to purify water,
use ¼ teaspoon of bleach for each gallon of
water.
SPONTANEOUS
COMBUSTION CAUSED BARN FIRE By Jon Mayhew
Publisher
BOGER CITY
-- Three fire
departments responded to reports of a barn fire
Tuesday night.
Just before 10:30 p.m., Boger City fire responded
to the residence of Millie Cronland, to find her
barn fully engulfed in flames.
According to assistant Lincoln County Fire
Marshal Lou Paduano,
Two
People Charged With Video Poker Machine
Violations
LINCOLNTON -
Lincolnton/Lincoln County Interagency
Narcotics Unit confiscated two poker machines at
a western Lincoln County business Wednesday
night.
A narcotics officer entered the Kountry Korner at
9413 Highway 10 in Vale and played $20.00 in a
machine called Sweepstakes which is similar to
the now banned video poker machines. The officer
built credits of $137.00 and asked the clerk if
he could cash in the winnings. She advised the
officer that he could take is winnings in
merchandise or gasoline and that’s when the
officer identified himself to the
Birds Seized in Denver Raid,
Land at Waterfowl Rescue
Staff
Reports DENVER --
Volunteers from the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue
drove to Denver to the site of the large animal
seizure on Friday to bring home birds. Seventeen
ducks and 3 chickens are now safely at the rescue
receiving medical care, food and most likely the
first bath in a long time.
Since
these animals must be held until released by a
judge, CWR is asking for some help in order to
accommodate the birds
FIRE ANTS CONTINUE TO
SPREAD Fire ants have been established in
Lincoln County for a good while now. Most of the
reports of sightings have come from east of
Lincolnton. But as I was mowing the grass
yesterday, I spotted some small mounds in my own
yard about four miles west of town. There’s
nothing to stop fire ants from spreading
throughout our area so I thought it might be a
good time to remind folks about these troublesome
insects again.
2008-06518
Disorderly Conduct, Resisting, Delaying/Obstruct
Assigned: File Only (Milton)
Location: 6471 Hwy 73
Victim: Robert Milton
Suspects fighting with the SRO at School
Date Reported: August 29, 2008
District C Click here for the
whole story
Sheriff’s
Detective Awarded Advanced Professional Law
Enforcement Certificate
Staff Reports
LINCOLNTON -– Lincoln County
Sheriff’s detective Darrell Hutchens was
awarded the certificate from the North Carolina
Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards
Commission.
Sheriff Tim Daugherty presented the certificate
to Detective Hutchens at a recent staff meeting.
Hutchens was awarded the certificate for a
combination of 20 years of service and 1,752.6
law enforcement training points.
Detective Hutchens began his career in 1984 as a
telecommunicator for the Yadkin County
Sheriff’s Office. He completed Basic Law
Enforcement Training in 1985. He moved to the
patrol and worked his way up to a detective with
the Yadkin County Sheriff’s
Sheriff’s
Detectives Offering Fraud Awareness Training
Staff Reports LINCOLNTON
-- Detective Lt. Hal Kluttz and Fraud
Investigator Andrew Alvarado are offering a fraud
awareness-training program for any group or
organization in Lincoln County.
The program will address fraud, identity theft
and many of the ways you can be scammed by the
thieves. The instructors using a well-designed
power point program will inform the public about
the many different scams that have been found in
Lincoln County.
National 4-H Week
Open House
Would
you like to learn more about all the things you
can do and learn with 4-H? Come check out Lincoln
County 4-H Programs at our National 4-H Week Open
House Event on Friday, October 3, from 6:00 pm
until 8:00 pm.
Youth ages 5 to 12 are invited to participate in
their choice of two activities including sewing,
bugs, rocketry, electric circuits or foods. There
is a registration fee of $10.00 per child and
registration is required by Friday, September 26.
For registraton forms and information, please
contact the 4-H office, NC Cooperative Extension,
Lincoln County at 704-736-8458.
Kalee Amber Treece
GASTON MOTORCYCLE
FATALITY HAD TIES TO LINCOLN
By Jon Mayhew
Publisher
GASTONIA – The Carolina Scoop has
learned a Gastonia woman who died in a motorcycle
wreck over the weekend worked at The Brian Center
in Lincolnton.
According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol,
20-year-old Kalee Amber Treece of W. Fifth
Avenue, was riding with a small group of friends
Saturday south of Newton. She was a passenger on
a motorcycle operated by Andrew Marvin Norman,
20, of Cherryville.
ON
THE ROAD TO ONSLAUGHT Millennium
Wrestling Federation super show September 13
By
Jon Mayhew
Publisher
HOWARDS
CREEK -- With the most recent Millennium
Wrestling Federation show at the Howards Creek
Veterans Center, the stage is now set for the
next supershow, Onslaught, which has been
scheduled for Sept. 13.
Once again, the
packed house cheered, booed, laughed and cried
when it came to the wrestlers the fans love --
and love to hate.
The MWF's
breakout rookie, "The Sensation" Markus
Hayes, suffered a knee injury during the show,
after
KNOWING YOUR
NEIGHBOR: DOUG MAYES
Legendary News Anchor Not Slowing Down
By Jon Mayhew
Publisher
Photo Contributed
(Publisher’s
Note: While many of the “Knowing Your
Neighbor” stories are written as stories, I
wrote the following in the first person. To have
an hour of Doug Mayes’ time –
especially with Milton Baker on WLON Radio –
is something I’ll always cherish.)
LINCOLNTON
-- Like many journalists, I keep a
"wish list" of stories that I want to
do. I've always wanted to interview Doug Mayes,
for example, because of the contributions he made
to journalism, media and Charlotte television.
I finally got my
chance to sit down with my friend in the studios
of WLON radio on Startown Road. Milton Baker
invited me to sit-in with Doug during the Friday
"Community Spotlight" broadcast, and
when Milton asked me, I jumped at the chance.
It's
always good to see Doug. When I first went down
to the studios of Channel 9 to talk about a news
partnership, who did I run into in the lobby but
Doug! There he was, coming out of the studios.
..........
. 
. 
. 
...............
We hiked South
Mountain this weekend and paused at what they
call Hugo – the rockslide that Hurricane
Hugo’s massive rains sent tumbling down the
mountain several years ago. It got me to
wondering, is my home ready for lots of rain and
loss of electricity – or would we crash down
much like those boulders? Here are some tips for
staying at home during a disaster. For more
information check 
I finally got my
chance to sit down with my friend in the studios
of WLON radio on Startown Road. Milton Baker
invited me to sit-in with Doug during the Friday
"Community Spotlight" broadcast, and
when Milton asked me, I jumped at the chance.