Cabarrus election roundup

Kissell appears to have defeated incumbent Hayes in U.S. 8th District

Carruth, Poole win in Cabarrus commission seats

By Hugh Fisher
hfisher@kannapoliscitizen.com

In a night of victories nationwide for the Democratic party, U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes appeared to have lost the battle for a sixth term in Congress to Democratic challenger Larry Kissell.

With eight of 10 counties in the district reporting, Kissell had a strong lead: 150,880 votes, or 55.4 percent, versus Hayes: 121,334 votes, 44.6 percent.

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Real Estate Investors group meets Thursday

The Concord Area Subgroup of the Metrolina Real Estate Investors Association will meet Nov. 6, the first Thursday of the month, at McCabe’s Steakhouse, 316 Brookdale St., Kannapolis.

Sophia Matthews will speak about “How to Create Your Own Lenders.”

With today’s economic confusion and restraints on financial institutions, real estate investing requires creativity, according to Matthews, who has been doing that for years in the Charlotte area.

Professional housing provider (PHP) credits can be earned by attending.

The gathering starts at 6 p.m. with networking, dinner and announcements. The program, including a question session, lasts from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Charrathee Hager, subgroup coordinator, at  704-490-2001, or e-mail her at chager6@carolina.rr.com.

Teen author Burris speaking at train station Nov. 15

The Kannapolis Parks and Recreation Department will host a free presentation by teenage author Amanda Burris on Nov. 15, a Saturday.

Burris will talk about her novel “Remember the Dance: The Story of Nora Shanahanat” at 2 p.m. that Saturday at the Kannapolis Train Station, 201 S. Main St.

“Remember the Dance” is a story of love, history and courage shown through the eyes of a young Irish girl during the Potato Famine of the 1840s. Burris will also demonstrate some of the Irish dances she taught herself and sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase.

Amanda Burris, a 17-year-old native of Kannapolis, is an award-winning writer and pianist. She taught herself the dances while writing the novel and was recently awarded the first annual Self Taught Dancer of the Year award by the American Association of Irish Dancers and Teachers.

For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 704-920-4346.

Memorial Baptist feeding needy at Thanksgiving — for 16th year

For the 16th year, Memorial Baptist Church will be offering a very-low-cost Thanksgiving meal to thousands of needy in the Kannapolis community.

Last year, more than 250 volunteers served more than 2,000 meals, some eating at the church and others taking the food to go.

This year, with the help of Franklin Heights and Parkwood Baptist churches, both in Kannapolis, Memorial organizers expect to serve 2,200.

And they’re taking reservations now.

Each meal includes turkey, ham, dressing, gravy, green beans, yams, rolls, desserts and the traditional cranberry sauce — “all in hearty portions.” The meal costs just $3.50.

Volunteers making deliveries are encouraged to share a blessing and a prayer of thanksgiving with the recipient and bring any prayer needs in the community back to the church, where those needs are shared and prayed over.

“If you know of someone who is planning to spend the day alone or a family that is in need, we are taking orders now,” said Memorial’s Tiffany Long.

Call Memorial Baptist Church at 704-932-4206 and let us deliver that meal.

The tradition began in 1992 when then-pastor the Rev. Don Davis suggested the church offer a free meal on Thanksgiving Day for the less fortunate. The church’s  Baptist Mens’ group began planning to provide 500 meals in our dining room, delivered by volunteers and picked up by the needy.

Church leaders turned to a member who owned a family restaurant to provide the expertise in ordering the food and cooking at his restaurant. Members shuttled the cooked food from his restaurant to Memorial’s fellowship hall to prepare the meals.

After two years, the restaurant closed, and the family moved.

The church found a Concord caterer who wanted to help, and for the next three years, members shuttled cooked food from the caterer to the church, where they prepared the meals.

In 1995, Memorial Baptist began construction of a new Family Life Center with a full size kitchen. That Thanksgiving, the church still served 750 meals.

In 1997, the church began preparing all of the food in-house, with “a system that the best of cafeterias would be proud of.”

Planning for the meal begins every September.

At 9:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, the volunteers begin “a full-blown food frenzy,” putting together the delivery meals.

Using mass production lines, the volunteers have about 650 meals prepared in an hour.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the ministry can send donations, earmarked Thanksgiving meal, to Memorial Baptist Church, 1785 Dale Earnhardt Blvd.

Woman charged with murder of 5-year-old son, abuse of second son

Staff report

A woman whose 13-year-old son called 911 in September to report his brother’s death is being charged in the child’s death.

The child died at Robin Dale Lee’s home at 4121 Lower Stone Church Road, which has a Rockwell address but is located in Cabarrus County.

Lee, 45, was extradited Sunday from Kansas City, Kan., to Concord to face multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with the death of son Phillip Alexander Lee, 5, the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Lee’s older son, Alexander Michael-Edward Martinez, 13,  called authorities Sept. 1 saying his brother was dead and his mother was unresponsive, the Sheriff’s Office said in early September.

When medical personnel arrived at the Lower Stone Church Road home, they found Robin Lee having trouble breathing.

Phillip Lee’s body was found in his bed, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Lee and her older son, Alexander, were taken to Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast, and until Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office had not made any more announcements about the case.

In their press release, sheriff’s officials did not explain how Lee got to Kansas or why she went. The release also does not address the status of Alexander Martinez, Lee’s 13-year-old son.

The release says the criminal investigation continues, and Sheriff Brad Riley “will be available for further comment at a later time during the upcoming week.”

Lee is charged with second-degree murder, one count each of felony child abuse inflicting severe bodily injury and felony child abuse inflicting serious injury and two counts of sale or delivery of a controlled substance to a minor less than 13 years of age.

Sunday’s press release said the crimes occurred on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Robin Lee is the biological mother to both children, the statement says.

Cabarrus County sheriff’s deputies returned Lee to Concord, and she appeared before Cabarrus County Magistrate V.J. Coble, who set her bond at $750,000.

Lee remains in the Cabarrus County Detention Center and has an initial court appearance today in District Court in Concord.

Kannapolis man arrested in gambling house raid

Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested two men on gambling charges Thursday after raiding a business on Webb Road and another location on N.C. 152 near Rockwell.

In the first case, deputies seized $3,394 in cash, including $3,075 “hidden in the ceiling of the business” at 958 Webb Road, according to a press release. Officials did not identify the business.

In addition to the money, investigators “located and seized numerous items of gambling paraphernalia, including tip boards and numbers tickets,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators cited Troy Lee Harwell,  59, of 9201 Oakridge Drive, Kannapolis, on charges of operating a game of chance and possession of numbers tickets.

Harwell is scheduled to appear in District Court in Salisbury on Nov. 19.

Rowan deputies executed a second search warrant at 7430 N.C. 152 E., Rockwell, where they seized “numerous items of gambling paraphernalia, including tip boards and numbers tickets.”

Investigators also seized $2,912 and issued a citation to Hoyle Stephen Wood, 59, of 1119 Circle Drive, China Grove. They charged Wood with operating a game of chance and possession of numbers tickets.

Wood is scheduled to appear on the charges in District Court on Dec. 5.

The Kannapolis Police Department reported the following arrests and incidents:

 

Arrests

• Lori Tate, 29, 410 V8 St.; failure to appear on worthless check charge; Oct. 28.

• Charles Joseph Willis, 16, 2110 Cool Springs Court; possession with intent to sell cocaine, sale and delivery of cocaine, failure to appear on injury to real property charge; $10,500 bond; Oct. 27.

• Stephen Patrick Dahl, 42, 8300 Poplar Tent Road; driving while impaired and with revoked license, rear lamps violation; Oct. 27.

• Candice Johnson, 37, 3205 Elliott Jacob Ave.; worthless check; Oct. 28.

• Christopher William Kelley, 36, 945 N. College St., Charlotte; forgery of instrument (allegedly attempting to pass forged check at Wachovia); $5,000 bond; Oct. 28.

• Steven Rodgers, 28, 2515 S. Main St.; failure to appear on driving with revoked license charge; $500 bond; Oct. 28.

• Alex Kelemecz, 21, 5703 Landale Court; driving while impaired, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance (allegedly possessing alprazolam); Oct. 28.

• Cason Bennett, 28, 5102 Athens St.; communicating threats, resisting an officer (allegedly refusing to leave the scene of a traffic stop and threatenting C. Morgan); $5,000 bond; Oct. 28.

• Jamil Rasheem Weaks, 22, 121 Kennedy St.; driving with revoked license; $1,000 bond; Oct. 29.

• Robert E. Melton, 28, 200 Lumber St.; misdemeanor larceny, failure to appear on earlier misdemeanor larceny charge; $1,500 bond; Oct. 29.

• Nikita Hall, 22, 633 Caribbean Court; assault and battery; Oct. 29.

• Daniel Cline, 33, 535 Neely Town Road; larceny, burglary-forcible entry (allegedly for breaking into the home of Alisha Campbell, 34); Oct. 29.

• Brent Engelhardt, 28, 825 Corriher St.; simple assault (allegedly for throwing Beth Roark, 44, around a room); Oct. 29.

• Kelvin Dwayne Clifton, 25, streets of Kannapolis; burglary by nonforcible entry (allegedly for entering unlocked residence belonging to Atlantic American Properties), consumption of alcohol at off-premises establishment; $1,000 bond; Oct. 29.

• Darron Hugh Hamby, 47, 908 Sloop Ave.; failure to appear on charges of assault, driving with revoked license, driving left of center line and no inspection; $5,000 bond; Oct. 31.

• Kushim Jermaur Smith, 34, 509 Short Ave.; statutory rape, taking indecent liberties with a child; $5,000 bond; Oct. 31.

• Jasmine Eboni Green, 19, 1106 Holland Ave., Charlotte; uttering forged instrument, attempting to obtain property by false pretense; $3,000 bond; Oct 31.

• Teasia Lamar Glover, 27, 902 Virginia St.; worthless check ($37.58); Oct. 31.

• Guillermo Lopez, 40, 313 Salem St.; driving while impaired (.08 blood-alcohol test), no operator’s license, speeding (61 mph in a 45-mph zone); Nov. 1.

• Tracy Bost, 17, 340 Willow Oaks Drive; driving while impaired, resisting arrest; Nov. 3.

• Anita James, 44, 142 Westover Ave.; driving while impaired; Oct. 31.

• Twila Smith, 19, 1921 Windsor Hill Drive; underage driving while impaired (.09 blood-alcohol test), speeding; Nov. 1.

• Gequetta Yvonne Dick, 46, 4188 Deerfield Drive; careless and reckless driving, driving while impaired (.17 blood-alcohol test), driving with open container of alcohol; $1,000 bond; Nov. 1.

• Beauford Robinson, 53, 209 Boger Court; driving while impaired (.09 blood-alcohol test); Nov. 2.

• Yeshua Aron Sanchez, 22, 7004 Long Run Lane; driving while impaired (.1 blood-alcohol test); $500 bond; Nov. 2.

• Julio Cesor Torres Martinez, 21, 526 Harris St., Concord; driving while impaired (.1 blood-alcohol test); Nov. 1.

• Stacy Jean Malatesta, 33, 410 Boone Ave.; simple assault; Nov. 2.

• Charles Wayne Childers III, 22, 4365 Greenridge Lane; driving while impaired (blood test); $10,000 bond; Nov. 2.

 

Incidents

• On Oct. 27, Mazell Strickland, 82, reported coper wire stolen from his air conditioning units.

• On Oct. 27, a Kannapolis City Schools official reported a glass bottle thrown at a school bus at an unspecified location.

• On Oct. 27, officers investigated the death of a 49-year-old man from unknown causes.

• On Oct. 27, Steven Satchell, 44, reported an 18-year-old took unspecified items belonging to Satchell.

• On Oct. 27, Brittney Sorrow, 23, reported a break-in to her vehicle.

• On Oct. 27, Delisa Grigsley, 26, reported a 28-year-old man pushed her to the ground and dragged her.

• On Oct. 28, Kannapolis Church of God reported the theft of 88 squares of Atlas shingles.

• On Oct. 27, Terry Parham, 37, reported two suspects cut copper wire and pipe from under a house. 

• On Oct. 28, Ellen Killian, 73, reported her wallet taken from a counter at an unspecified location.

• On Oct. 28, officers questioned a 21-year-old at an unspecified location about having marijuana.

• On Oct. 28, Tool World reported two men, ages 49 and 48, took items without permission.

• On Oct. 28, officers investigated a report of someone passing a $20 counterfeit bill.

• On Oct. 28, Melvin Moore, 38, reported someone kicked in his back door and stole items from his home.

• On Oct. 29, Pauline Ellison, 48, reported a 24-year-old woman took her vehicle without permission.

• On Oct. 29, FloorTech Inc. reported a 40-year-old man used the company’s credit card, which had been stolen, on three occasions.

• On Oct. 29, Gene Howard, 62, reported break-ins and thefts at two structures. In one case, the back door was kicked in; in the second, a south side window was removed.

• On Oct. 29, Angela Robinson, 35, reported two teenagers, ages 17 and 18, took property from her vehicle.

• On Oct. 29, officers questioned two teens, ages 16 and 17, at an unspecified location about carrying a schedule II controlled substance.

• On Oct. 29, Navonia Dixon, 75, reported someone threw a brick through one of her windows and stole a TV.

• On Oct. 29, Tracy Bennett, 39, reported a 19-year-old male kicked in her back door.

• On Oct. 29, Ryan Homes reported paint thrown outside walls and bushes at an unspecified location.

• On Oct. 30, Sherylle Smith, 56, reported the door to an office suite pried open and her purse stolen.

• On Oct. 29, Target store no. 2169 reported an 18-year-old man and a second person concealing goods and attempting to leave.

• On Oct. 31, Jennifer Smith reported vandals slashed the two left tires of her vehicle. 

• On Oct. 31, Kevin Moosmann reported vandals spray painted his driveway.

• On Oct. 31, Helen Goforth reported the theft of a firearm.

• On Oct. 31, Jesse Wilhelm reported someone broke a window in a door, entered and stole a television.

• On Nov. 1, officers questioned a 19-year-old about  drinking alcohol.

• On Nov. 1, Lashonda Johnson reported a 21-year-old man broke in and assaulted her.

• On Nov. 1, Rugged Warehouse reported a 25-year-old woman put pants on under her clothing.

• On Nov. 1, officers investigated a 21-year-old man for cocaine possession.

• On Nov. 1, officers investigated the death of an 82-year-old man by what appeared to be natural causes. 

• On Oct. 31, Muffler Masters reported a 35-year-old male pried open a door and took a catalytic converter.

• On Nov. 1, Deborah Smith reported someone broke a door glass, entered and took property.

• On Nov. 2, officers investigated a report of a 58-year-old having sexual contact with a 3-year-old girl.

• On Nov. 2, David Morgan reported a 33-year-old female struck him in the face and scratched him.

 

Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office

Arrests

• Billijo Catherine Durant, 24, 203 Copper Ridge Drive, Kannapolis; reckless driving; $500 bond; Oct. 27; Deputy Adcock.

• Reginald Demond Earl, 911 Skyland St., Kannapolis; failure to pay child support; $392 bond; Oct. 27; Deputy Logan.

• John Daniel Farmer, 23, 5839 Miller Road, Kannapolis; breaking and entering (three counts), felony larceny, larceny after B&E; $13,000 bond; Oct. 27; Deputy Fisher.

• Keith Dahlin Wetherbee, 28, 1300 Venus St., Kannapolis; habitual felon; $5,000 bond; Oct. 27; Fisher.

• Dustin Garren Lee, 17, 605 E. 12th St., Kannapolis; no operator’s license, failure to appear on charges of driving while impaired, driving after consuming underage, resisting an officer and improper vehicle registration; $15,000 bond; Oct. 28; Deputy Grimes.

• Aaron Scott Schmidt, 20, 912 Brushwood Ave., Kannapolis; first-degree arson; $20,000 bond; Oct. 28; Deputy Fisher.

• Jamal Wright, 18, 621 Bell St., Kannapolis; failure to appear on earlier charge of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; $20,000 bond; Oct. 29; Deputy Hale.

• Casey Tanner Christy, 18, 1003 Coopers Ridge Drive, Kannapolis; failure to appear on shoplifting charge; $500 bond; Oct. 29; Deputy Burchett.

• Randy Wigginton, 36, Owensboro, Ky.; forgery, uttering a forged instrument; written promise to appear; Oct. 23; McGraw.

• Parish Whitney Jackson, 21, 706 Sloop Ave., Kannapolis; harassing phone calls, second-degree trespassing; written promise to appear; Oct. 29; Burchett.

• Michael Ray Robinson, 17, 5323 Tanbark Lane, Kannapolis; injury to personal property; written promise to appear; Oct. 29; Deputy J.S. Thomas.

• Bernard Richardson  Miller III, 38, 5640 Charlie Walker Road, Kannapolis; failure to appear on no insurance charge; $150 bond; Nov. 1; Lt. James.

• Matthew David Cash, 26, 1856 Mulberry Road, Concord; domestic assault on a female; written promise to appear; Oct. 23; Deputy C. Wilson.

• Kenny Wayne Tucker, 37, 4962 Weddington Road, Concord; failure to pay child support, failure to appear on charges of larceny by employee (Union County), obtaining property by false pretense (Union) and misdemeanor probation violation for assault and battery; no bond; Oct. 23; Dement.

• Mia Denise Partee, 42, 342 Camden Court, Concord; failure to pay child support; $11,011 bond; Oct. 23; Dement.

• Sandy Devonne Caldwell, 48, 145 Brookwood Ave., Concord; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; written promise to appear; Oct. 27; Deputy G.L. Christie.

• Latricha Nicole Jones, 28, 7411 Meadow Dale Lane, Charlotte; felony larceny; written promise to appear; Oct. 27; Logan.

• Charles D. Myrick, 30, 120 Sloop Arthur Road, Concord; misdemeanor worthless check; written promise to appear; Oct. 28; Sgt. Tierney.

• Brock Adam Walker, 28, 233 Candle Court S.W., Concord; driving while impaired, speeding (61 mph in a 45-mph zone), reckless driving, no operator’s license, speeding to elude arrest; $1,000 bond; Oct. 28; Deputy Moreau.

First Presbyterian invites community to hot dog roast

By Hugh Fisher

hfisher@kannapolis         citizen.com

First Presbyterian Church celebrated the coming of fall with its annual Fall Festival Sunday afternoon.

About 200 gathered on the back lawn of the church for games, rides and a hot dog roast, all celebrated with fellowship, Christian music and a message of community unity.

The free festival was open to all, and church members made a special effort to invite their friends and neighbors.

Emily Martens, 13, brought school friends Autumn Carter, 13, and Destiny Carter, 11, to First Presbyterian to roast hot dogs and enjoy the games.

“It’s good to be here, hanging out with God’s people,” Martens said.

Destiny Carter said her favorite part of the day so far had been decorating a cookie with icing and sprinkles – one of the “artistic” attractions, along with face painting and pumpkin decorating.

“We very much want to be open to anybody who comes by. Anyone is more than welcome,” said the Rev. Joe Crawford, First Presbyterian’s pastor.

The dinner was a truly churchwide effort, he said.

“We wanted this to be for everyone, inviting them and offering something that’s fun,” Crawford said.

“It’s been wonderful. God’s given us a gorgeous day,” said Kris Edscorn, director of ministries at First Presbyterian, gesturing to the cloudless blue sky.

Crawford said the event was designed to have something for everyone.

Adult visitors from the community were given coffee mugs filled with slips of information on First Presbyterian. They also had the chance to enter a free drawing for a gas card.

Inside a ring of colored pennants, Hannah Fowler of Rockin’ “D” Stables led riders around in a cart pulled by Silver, a Shetland pony.

Across the field, 13-month-old Aiden Harrison grinned as he sat inside Engine 21 from the Kannapolis Fire Department’s Station  2, holding a red plastic “Fire Chief” helmet.

“You want to get up there and play, don’t you?” his grandmother, Sarah Harrison of Kannapolis, asked.

Kids held metal rods to roast hot dogs as music by Christian band Jars of Clay played over a speaker system.

A hayride took 20 people at a time through the streets of Cannon Village.

The inflatable “Moonwalk” gave younger children a chance to work off some of the energy they got drinking tea and lemonade.

Finally, at sundown, Crawford led the group in a short service. “This is really exciting for me,” Crawford said to the assembled families. “We are crossing all sorts of boundaries. Look around us … look at all the diversity.”

While most of the crowd was made up of younger people and their families, many longtime church members also attended.

Frances and Ray Milem sat on the edge of the lawn and enjoyed their hot dogs and fixin’s.

“I love to see the young people come out,” Frances Milem said. “The Lord’s been good to us.”

She has been a member of the church since she was 9 years old. “I love my church,” she said. “They are a church family that’s always been with me.”

Many at First Presbyterian hope the visitors who came out Sunday will keep coming back.

“We’re tried to use this as a means of getting out into the community,” said Frank Gibson, a member of the church’s outreach team.

Bill Stricker, the team’s chairman, called the event a success. “It’s an opportunity for all these folks in the community to get to know us, for us to make them feel at home,” Stricker said.