CORNELIUS, DAVIDSON, and HUNTERSVILLE – The Parks and Recreation Departments of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville are proud to announce their 4th season of NFL Youth Flag Football. This nationally affiliated program provides a non-contact, co-ed football opportunity for boys and girls, ages 4-14.

Registration for the 2006 season opens Tuesday, August 1st and will close on Friday, August 18th. On-line registration is available at www.corneliuspr.org. Registration forms will also be accepted at the Cornelius Town Hall, Davidson Parks & Recreation office, or Huntersville Parks & Recreation office. The cost is $25 for the 4 & 5 year old instructional division and $45 for all other divisions which are broken out by ages 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14. Financial assistance is available on a limited basis. Practices and games will begin in September, with practices being held on weeknights and games played on Saturdays. All participants will receive a reversible NFL replica jersey and a trophy at the end of the season.

CORNELIUS - Join the Cornelius Parks and Recreation Department, and the Cornelius Police Department as we invite surrounding communities to attend the 2006 National Night Out, hosted by the Olde Mill Village Community. The event is FREE and open to all who would like to learn how to make their neighborhood safer, while having a lot of fun at the same time!

National Night Out is a night for your community to stand together with other communities to promote crime and drug prevention awareness, to produce support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs and to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership.

National Night Out will be held Tuesday, August 2nd in Olde Mill Village Community at the Cornelius Village Apartment complex located at 19315 Meridan St, Cornelius from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. Come out and enjoy a night of music, food and other entertainment. Be sure to turn on your porch light to celebrate this occasion!

CORNELIUS - Lake Norman Chrysler Jeep Dodge and the Cornelius Parks & Recreation Department present the 4th Annual Lake Norman Fireworks Extravaganza Tuesday, July 4th, 5:00 - 10:30 p.m. at Kenton Place in Cornelius.

This annual event has activities for the entire family, including: children's amusement area sponsored by Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, face painting, Flexflying, arts & crafts by Children's Art Project, vendors and a variety of food and beverage concessions. Two stages will accommodate live bands all night long, including local favorite Smokin'.

Fireworks will light up the night sky at 9:30 p.m.

Charlotte, NC -- On Monday, June 19, City Council approved the budget for FY2007 by a margin of 7-3. Additional police officers, neighborhood improvements and road resurfacing are key components of the budget. It pairs down City Manager Pam Syfert's recommended tax increase of 4.5¢ to 3.86¢, which is an additional $77.20 a year on a $200,000 home.

The additional revenue will provide the following expansions and services:

WASHINGTON – A roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers southeast of Baghdad today, officials announced the deaths of five other servicemembers in Iraq in recent days, and the Defense Department has identified six servicemembers who died recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two soldiers killed today were assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad. Officials also announced that two Marines assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, were killed in action in Iraq's Anbar province -- one yesterday and the other on June 21. Also, a Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died yesterday in what officials called a "non-combat incident."

Stanley, NC - The East Lincoln Fire Department was featured on Fox News Charlotte’s local newscast on Wednesday evening on Fox News at 10. ELFD is observing a national “Stand Down” this month in observance of firefighter safety.

The East Lincoln Fire Department is joining thousands of fire departments across the United States and Canada for the 2006 International Fire Fighter Safety Stand Down. Starting June 21, and continuing until all members of the department have participated, our fire fighters will suspend all non-emergency activity to focus on fire fighter safety.

The department will respond to all emergency calls as normal, but between calls, fire fighters, officers and chiefs will take the time to conduct safety training and drills; review our safety-related standard operating procedures; discuss accident reports and have an open conversation about fire fighter safety in the department. The regularly scheduled training meeting on June 26th will focus on firefighter safety while running routine calls.

The focus of the Stand Down is on emergency vehicle safety—in particular, on seatbelt use and safe driving through intersections.

Fox News Charlotte caught up with Chief Tim Tench and a number of firefighters while they were conducting a review of safety features on the department’s new ladder truck, “Ladder 31”.

See the video clip by clicking here.

Charlotte, N.C. - Beginning Wednesday, commuters in Huntersville will have a new place to catch CATS' express bus service with the opening of the Huntersville-Northcross Park and Ride, located on Northcross Drive off Exit 25 near I-77. "The 77X North Mecklenburg Express is one of CATS' most popular routes and ridership continues to grow at a rapid pace," said David Feltman, CATS' Project Development Manager. "We're opening this park and ride to accommodate that growth and to make riding CATS more convenient for our customers." The 77X North Mecklenburg Express has the highest ridership of any CATS express route, with ridership increasing 367.8 percent from FY2001 to FY2005.

The opening of the Huntersville-Northcross Park and Ride will replace the current park and ride lot location at Target off of Exit 25, giving customers more passenger accommodations. "This 326-space park and ride has passenger shelters and secure bicycle parking, which the Target location did not have," said Feltman. "It will give 77X riders a comfortable place to catch their bus, vanpool or carpool." This facility will also include schedule information, on-site video surveillance during operating hours and integrated public art.

Cornelius - Meet the author of the 119 page hardcover book, "A Town by Any Other Name," the grand finale to Cornelius' Centennial Celebration! Author Leslie Rindoks will be on-hand signing books and answering questions Saturday, February 11th, 11:00a.m. – 1:00p.m. at Starbucks Coffee in Cornelius, 19722 One Norman Blvd. The book sells for $29.95 (+tax) and can be purchased at the store.

Commissioned by the Cornelius Parks & Recreation Department, "A Town by Any Other Name" is based on extensive historical research and draws from in-depth interviews with many Cornelius residents. It charts the growth of the Town, which began as a Native American trading ground and grew to be a significant and vibrant part of the North Carolina Piedmont. The book draws upon the stories of descendants of area plantation owners, former mill workers, elected officials and business owners. Beautifully illustrated maps by Davidson artist David Wilgus show the lay of the land before (and after) Duke Power created Lake Norman, and include Main Street, Smithville, The Peninsula and everywhere in between, while a spectacular collection of more than 100 images bring the Town's story to life.

Technorati Profile

Charlotte, N.C. - September through December saw a surge in ridership on all Charlotte Area Transit System(CATS) bus services and vanpools due to high gas prices. Ridership was up15.3 percent in September with commuters packing buses trying to escape record high gas prices and gas shortages caused by Hurricane Katrina. October continued to see an increase of commuters turning to public transportation with 8.1 percent more riders. November and December continued the trend with 9.5 and 8 percent more riders each month aboard CATS.

Year-to-date ridership on CATS' services overall is up 8.9 percent. Many commuters who jumped aboard public transportation when gas prices skyrocketed are staying with CATS after realizing the benefits of mass transit. "New transit riders have found that CATS' services not only give them relief from the pumps and more cash in the wallet, but also alternatives over congestion and relief from stop and go traffic," said Jim Zingale, CATS' Chief Operating Officer. "They have learned that riding CATS is an effective way to get around the region and they're continuing to ride."

Charlotte - Mecklenburg Sheriff Jim Pendergraph is inviting citizens to sign up for the MCSO Citizens' Academy that begins on Tuesday, February 21, 2006. The Citizens' Academy is an eleven-week program designed to provide residents of Mecklenburg and surrounding counties an opportunity to receive first-hand information about how the Sheriff's Office works.

Participation in the Academy requires a commitment of one night a week for an eleven-week period. Classes are held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:45 pm. During the academy, participants will tour Arrest Processing, Jail Central, Jail North, and the Work Release and Restitution Center. Activities include firearms instruction and training, civilian self-defense, and a ride-along with deputy sheriffs. Staff from civil process, courts, K-9, sex offender/video poker registration, and domestic violence will discuss their role in achieving the Sheriff's Office's vision of protecting the citizens of Mecklenburg County.

Cornelius – The Cornelius Lake Norman Youth Athletic Association (CLNYAA), in conjunction with the Cornelius Parks and Recreation Department, is proud to announce registration opportunities for the Spring 2006 baseball and softball season. On-site registration will be held Saturday, February 4th and Saturday, February 11th at Cornelius Town Hall from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Registration is also available on-line at www.clnyaa.org beginning Monday, January 16th through Sunday, February 19th. The program is open to boys and girls ages 5 – 16. Financial assistance is available.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A new magazine premieres in Charlotte, NC this month adding a new twist to the city's media landscape. The magazine, known as The MECK, makes its mission to honor Charlotte's history, celebrate its present, while embracing the unknown of tomorrow. The MECK is born from publisher Sara Abrams' view as a newcomer to Charlotte, a city she has fallen in love with.


"The MECK is a fun, upbeat magazine with informative articles and also humorous ones. We aim for an eclectic mix of topics ranging from profiles of local businesses to uplifting stories," explains Sara Abrams, founder of Abrams Media Group, Inc. and publisher of The MECK. "We wish to promote Charlotte and its residents in a positive light while entertaining the readers. The magazine has a very unique look, taking on a retro style that is not seen elsewhere. This uniqueness will make it stand out from all other publications and should be a boon for its advertisers. The magazine will also be produced electronically and can be viewed through its website, www.TheMECK.net. This will also give advertisers extra exposure."

American Forces Press Service

RAMADI, Iraq – Iraqi soldiers and U.S. Marines with 2nd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, discovered 11 weapons caches Jan. 14 near Barwanah, Iraq, military officials at Camp Blue Diamond here reported today.

A translator on patrol with the troops spotted the initial cache, and 10 adjacent caches were discovered thereafter. The site was so large it took two days to completely uncover, officials said.

Charlotte – Judy Thompson, Partner of Poyner & Spruill LLP has been elected Network Chair of the Carolinas Chapter of IWIRC, effective January 1, 2006. As Network Chair, Judy will lead a group of more than 60 professional women in law, accounting, lending, turnaround management and other disciplines which work with troubled companies and their creditors throughout the Carolinas. Thompson and Tracy Gopal of Giuliani Capital Advisors, LLC founded the Carolina’s Chapter in 2004. (Photo attached)

Huntersville, NC – The Huntersville Town Board of Commissioners approved an agreement last Thursday January 5, 2006 with Norcom Properties to begin work on assembling land for a recently announced Discovery Place Kids! to be located in downtown Huntersville.

The project will be the first location of the new Discovery Place Kids! Aimed primarily at children seven years and younger, this facility will offer a variety of learning activities and interactive experiences to meet early childhood needs. This is the first of a new concept by Discovery Place to offer creative learning opportunities to children throughout the Charlotte Metro Region.