Friday, June 29, 2007

Lining up for an iPhone - 6.29.07


My co-worker Mark Van Buren snapped these shots just before 6 p.m. Friday. People were lining up at the AT&T store on U.S. 74 to be the first in the county to get their hands on the new iPhone.

European reporters and editors visit - 6.29.07



Several European editors and reporters stopped at The Star Friday as part of the North America tour.

Bente Setervoll from Norway said the trip, which included stops in Toronto, Roanoke, Va. and Charlotte, was an opportunity to see the efforts newspapers are making to reach out to the readers.
"I’ve been focusing on paper-reader interaction and how we can engage our readers in conversations," said Ms. Setervoll.

She said the Cleveland County Kids publication developed by The Star caught her eye because the production is almost completely put together with user generated content.

"I’m impressed with the interaction," said Ms. Setervoll.

During the visit at the newspaper, the group toured the newsroom to explore the technology

The Star uses and had the opportunity to see the printing press. They also got to check out The Star Car, which will soon give reporters the opportunity to report live from events and crime scenes.

Horst Seidenfaden, a newspaper editor from Kassel, Germany, said he’s visited several larger papers during his trip but The Star used the most technology.

"It’s very modern, very interactive," he said. "It’s the smallest paper but the most progressive."

Friday, June 22, 2007

Marion St. sinkhole swallows SUV - 6.22.07

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Get Fit Shelby - 6.19.07


The City of Shelby was recently designated as a Get Fit community. With that designation comes a roughly $50,000 grant to promote fitness within the city.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Soliciting children by computer

For this weekend's Star, I'm working on an in-depth piece on soliciting children by computer. Here's what the story will focus on:
  • The county's efforts to catch people
  • The sentences predators receive when convicted
  • Legislation in the works to up the penalties
  • Safety tips parents can implement to help make sure their children don't become victims

I'd like to talk to some local parents to see what they are doing to monitor their children's online chatting. If you're interested in speaking with me for the story, please contact me at 704-484-7000 ext. 120.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Billy Graham Library

This past weekend, a friend and I went to the Billy Graham Library. It's an easy drive and only takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get to from Shelby. Take I-85 to the Billy Graham Parkway. Take the exit and go a few miles. The entrance is on the left but you might pass it the first time. If you get to where the parkway meets I-77, you went to far. Admission is free. Here are a few photos I took.







Wednesday, June 06, 2007

I.C.E. Team case heads to court - 6.6.07

Two Hispanic men, at the center of a Cleveland County I.C.E. Team controversy that head two local attorneys questioning the methods and motivation of traffic stops along I-85, headed to court Wednesday morning.

Jury selection began this morning. The trial is expected to continue to Friday.

About the stop
On June 14, 2006, Sgt. Rodney Fitch said he received a phone call at 4 a.m. from a U.S. Customs agent in Charlotte requesting the I.C.E. team pull over a vehicle that just left a warehouse under surveillance for drug distribution.

He said the agent told him the vehicle’s occupants, Jose Arrassaenz and Jose Rodriguez-Otero, just put several bags in the red Ford Ranger and were on I-85 headed toward South Carolina.
Fitch said he parked in the median and waited as the agent continued to update him about where the vehicle was on the interstate.

Fitch said he spotted the vehicle and then pulled behind it. He said he paced the vehicle going 70 mph in a 65-mph zone and said the driver crossed the white line twice. Fitch then pulled over the vehicle driven by Arrassaenz. Rodriguez-Otero was Arrassaenz’s passenger.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Court news - 6.5.07

I'm in court today covering a couple of items on the docket.

Here's what has happened so far:

State v. Jerry Adams III
Attorney David Schweppe withdrew as the court-appointed attorney representing Jerry Adams III, who remains in the Cleveland County Detention Center to face seven sex related charges including indecent liberties with a child and second-degree rape.

Schweppe said he withdrew because of a conflict with Adams.

Adams, a 51-year-old former Shelby tax attorney, also faces federal charges after being indicted for improperly filing tax returns costing the government $3.8 million.

Adams was arrested on the sex charges in February, a month after he pleaded guilty in Raleigh to failing to file his own state income tax. He was give a 45-day suspended sentence, placed under probation for two years and ordered to pay more than $3,000 in court costs and restitution to the state.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Child bit by dog on N. Morgan - 6.4.07




A Cleveland County Animal Control officer seized a dog from a fenced in yard at a home in the 800 block of North Morgan Street in Shelby around 6 p.m. after a child was bit by the dog. A child was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center. The child's condition is not known at this time.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Over the Mountain triathlon - 6.2.07


Four hundred athletes began the race at Moss Lake swimming 1500 meters from one side at the boat launch to the New Camp Creek Road park area. The contestants then grabbed their bikes for the 45K course that finished at Patriots Park in downtown Kings Mountain. The athletes finished the competition with a 10K running event.


Left to right: Lance Leo of Charlotte, Kevin Lisske of Fletcher and Marty Gaal of Cary.

Athletes checking out their times.