The Mint Hill Times

Update on stabbing in Matthews

Apr 152011

From Matthews Police:

At approximately 6:45 AM on Thursday April 14, 2011, a person was stabbed in hishome on Campus Ridge Rd. The victim and suspect are friends and had been consuming alcohol priorto the assault. The two got into a verbal argument that escalated to a physical altercation. At some pointduring the fight the victim was stabbed twice. The victim was considered in serious condition with non-life threatening injuries at the scene by responding officers. He was transported by MEDIC to Carolina’sMedical Center in Charlotte. The suspect was still at the home when officers arrived, and was taken intocustody without incident.
The suspect has been identified as Justin Scott Thompson (w/m d.o.b. 2/14/1985). He has beentransported to the Mecklenburg County Jail and charged with: Assault With a Deadly Weapon InflictingSerious Injury with Intent to Kill.
The victim is Dwight Gordon Green (w/m d.o.b. 9/6/1983) of Matthews NC. An update on his conditionwas not available from the police department at the time of this release.

April 15, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:59 am Matthews, Police No Responses »

Stabbing in Matthews leaves one person in ‘serious’ condition

Apr 142011

[wpgmappity id="3"]

One person was stabbed this morning in Matthews after a fight at a home on Campus Ridge Road near CPCC, police reported. The two people, who police said were partying all night, began arguing this morning when one person was stabbed by the other. The victim was transported to CMC-Main with “serious” injuries. The other person was arrested. These people are in their late 20s and police believe they are not CPCC students.

April 14, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 11:47 am Matthews, Police No Responses »

Dennis Green named Matthews Fire and EMS Chief

Apr 122011

Dennis Green

The Town of Matthews has a new fire and EMS chief. Dennis Green, a resident of Mint Hill, was named to the post on Monday. Green has worked for the Town of Matthews since 1991 when he was named Chief of the EMS Department. He has served as Deputy Chief of the Town’s Fire and EMS Department since 2008 and Interim Fire Chief for the last three months.

“Dennis’ experience in emergency management and his leadership skills will serve him well as he leads staff and volunteers at the Matthews Fire and EMS Department,” said Matthews Town Manager Hazen Blodgett. Continue reading »

April 12, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:27 am Around Town, Matthews 1 Response »

Weekend accident kills Butler student

Apr 112011

[wpgmappity id="2"]

A Butler student was killed in a car accident Friday night. Police say that a black Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck driven by Michael Dimaggio had overturned several times on Pleasant Plains Road near Chesswood Drive in Matthews. The crash was reported around 8:15 pm. The driver, who was the only occupant of the truck, had been ejected from the vehicle on impact with a tree. He suffered massive fatal injuries upon impact.

Dimaggio lived on Bumble Bee Drive in Matthews.

According to witnesses that saw the crash occur, along with evidence investigators found at the scene, it appears the truck was traveling north on Pleasant Plains Road at a high rate of speed when it drove off the side of the road for no known reason. Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found at the scene.
Investigators will be checking to see if there were drugs and alcohol in the driver’s system at the time of the crash. The investigation is still in the early stages.

Moments before the crash was reported, Matthews Police Dispatch received information that there was a black pick-up truck driving reckless and speeding in the same area.

Visitation is today from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm Monday and Tuesday at Heritage Funeral Home in Matthews. Dimaggio’s funeral is set for Wednesday morning at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Ballantyne.

April 11, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 11:56 am Matthews No Responses »

Town of Matthews wins first place in communications competition

Apr 052011

The town's website

The Town of Matthews won first place in two categories at the third annual Excellence in Communications Awards presented March 31 at the Historic Cumberland County Courthouse by NC3C, the North Carolina City & County Communicators. The town won for Marketing Tools – a Direct Mail Campaign (Advertising the Town’s Redesigned Website and Social Media) and first place for Communication Technology – the Town’s Website.
Government communications professionals from 14 North Carolina cities and towns won awards.

The awards program was part of the fourth annual NC3C Spring Conference, held March 30-April 1 in Fayetteville. Awards were presented in the categories of TV & Videos, Communication Technology, Special Events, Printed Publications, Most Creative Project
for the Least Amount of Funds, Service Delivery, Marketing Tools, and Communications Plans.

Over the two years the Town of Matthews has worked extensively on a branding plan that included a communications plan, a logo and website redevelopment. This plan is part of the economic development initiative that is underway in Matthews.

“I am very excited that award winning judges from around the U.S. recognize the hard work and thoroughness we have put into our website redesign. We are working hard to ensure that our citizens have current and relevant information on a daily basis,” said
Annette Privette Keller, Matthews Communications Director.

Judges for the NC3C Excellence in Communications Awards were government communication professionals from around the United States, all of whom had previously won first or second-place in the national Savvy Awards, presented annually by the City-
County Communications and Marketing Association. States represented by the judges were Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Texas and Virginia.

The purpose of North Carolina City & County Communicators is to encourage professional development and networking among local governmental communications professionals. The organization was formed in March, 2007 by 27 professional communicators from around the state. Since then, the organization has grown to more than 50 members.

April 5, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 5:54 pm Matthews No Responses »

Matthews names employee of the year

Mar 292011

Debbie Hartman has been named the Town of Matthews Employee of the Year. Debbie has worked for the Matthews Police Department since 1998. Her fellow coworkers nominated her for this honor because of her compassion and care for women who are victims of domestic violence as well as going the extra mile for her fellow employees.

Debbie Hartman

Debbie worked as a dispatcher with the department from 1998 to 2010 when she became the administrative assistant in the Criminal Investigations Division.

She constantly volunteers to accept additional responsibilities beyond her normal daily duties such as filling in other positions when employees are absent.

Her true calling has been to accept the role of Domestic Violence Advocate at the department. Debbie monitors incidents of domestic violence in the community and when she learns of a person who may be in this situation she contacts them in a confidential manner.

“I just let them know that we are aware there may be a problem and that we are here for them. I give them resource information and help them as much as they want to be helped,” Debbie said. “Due to a knee injury I was not able to fulfill my dream of being a police officer but this job gives me the opportunity to make a difference – to help people who really need assistance.”

“While we are fortunate to be staffed with employees who are dedicated to serving their community, it is rewarding to have employees, like Debbie Hartman, who are passionate about that commitment. Debbie has single-handedly developed our department’s Victim’s Advocacy program and leads our department’s commitment to serving victims of domestic violence,” said Matthews Police Chief Rob Hunter.

Debbie and her husband, David, have three children: Danielle, Deirdre and David II and three grandchildren, Scott, Cody and Addison.

March 29, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:19 pm Matthews 1 Response »

600 trees will line greenway in Matthews

Mar 292011

Work is underway to plant more than 600 trees on the Four Mile Creek Greenway in Matthews. The trees will be planted along Four Mile Creek and will deter erosion of the stream bank. The trees will be of various sizes and species and will be planted over the next couple of weeks. They should be in place for the official opening ceremony of the greenway on Saturday, April 9 from 10 am to 1 pm. Continue reading »

March 29, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:12 am Development, Matthews No Responses »

Matthews offering grants to downtown businesses

Mar 152011

The Town of Matthews is launching a Façade Enhancement Grant program for businesses in the Downtown Overlay District. Businesses in this district may apply for funds to improve the facades of their buildings.

Projects that may be eligible include: canvas style awnings, paint removal from brick surfaces, cornice repairs, mortar repair, masonry repair and/or cleaning, repair/replacement of windows and doors, removal of false facades and other inappropriate additions and pedestrian friendly enhancements. Continue reading »

March 15, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:57 pm Development, Matthews No Responses »

Matthews Police update last month’s fatal motorcycle accident

Mar 152011

Matthews police have updated the information on the accident between an SUV and a motorcyle in February that killed two people. Craig Anderson (37) of Monroe and passenger Tiffany Johnson (24) of Matthews were pronounced dead shortly after the accident.

Police thought that the person driving the SUV at the time was Gloria Escobar of Charlotte. However, they learned that she was actually the passenger and the driver was 37 year old Alfredo Luna Morales of Charlotte.

See a picture of the SUV after the accident here.

Morales has been charged with resisting a public officer by obstructing or delaying an investigation and driving without an operator’s
license. Warrants were issued for Mr. Morales and he was arrested for those two misdemeanor charges. Morales is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on an immigration detainer for not being a legal resident of the United States. Continue reading »

March 15, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:49 pm Matthews, Police 2 Responses »

Matthews will host workshop on caring for trees

Mar 082011

The town of Matthews will host a two-part workshop called, “A Homeowner’s Guide to Successful Tree Care” at 7 pm on March 29 and 10 am on April 2.

The workshop is sponsored by the Town of Matthews Appearance and Tree Advisory Committee. The classes will be held at the Matthews Community

Photo by SpecialKolin via Flickr

Center with the second class moving to Four Mile Greenway.

David Grant, an Urban Forester with Union County, will teach the class. David is a native of South Carolina and a graduate of Clemson University. He is a

certified arborist and a registered forester. He has an extensive background in professional tree care and urban forestry. He is chair of the N.C. Urban

Forest Council Executive Committee. He is a recipient of the N.C. Urban Forest Council’s Young Professional Award.

He will discuss the common mistakes and problems that may harm your tree as well as tree care, maintenance and what trees will work in your lawn.

Both classes will be held rain or shine and are free to the public. Dress comfortably and for outside weather.

March 8, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:36 am Environment, Matthews No Responses »

Matthews’ bond rating upgraded

Mar 012011

Standard and Poor has upgraded the Town of Matthews’ Bond Rating from AA to AA+ which is one step below the highest rating available. The highest rating is AAA.

“The rating is reaffirmation that the Town’s financial health is stable and the general creditworthiness of the Town is great,” said Matthews Town Manager Hazen Blodgett. “We are extremely excited to receive this news.”

The Standard and Poor rating is based on their examination of the Town’s financial records, budget, low debt percentage, proposed future projects, healthy fund balance level and credit stability. Standard and Poor also looks at an organization’s ability to withstand extreme or severe stress such as the current economic situation.

“The Bond Rating of AA+ we have received is the result of careful planning and management of our budget. In the future, when we need to borrow money or obtain credit to complete projects such as roadways or parks or to buy
equipment, banks will look at us favorable. This will result in better interest rates and loan terms – which results in savings to our budget,” Matthews Finance Director Christine Surratt commented.

March 1, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 11:37 am Matthews No Responses »

Matthews Fire and EMS Department project almost complete

Feb 252011

Parking and landscaping improvements at the Matthews Fire & EMS Department are nearing completion. This is the first major improvement to the site since the parking lot was constructed in the late 1980s. The wear and tear on a 30 year parking lot with 88,000 pound trucks entering and exiting the site had caused the lot to be in disrepair.

The parking lot has been redesigned to allow better turning radius of the fire trucks, 21 new parking spaces gained, curb and gutter and landscaping has been added, an underground stormwater detention area installed, and new concrete poured. Flagpoles are also being added. The underground stormwater detention area is composed of pervious concrete which allows rainwater from storm drains and roof drains to seep into the detention area to better the groundwater. This system is environmentally friendly and will help sustain the life of the parking areas.

The project was budgeted at $440,000 but costs have been lower than expected and $363,000 has spent on the improvements.

February 25, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 2:17 pm Matthews No Responses »

Matthews wins Centralina Council of Governments award

Feb 142011

From left: Hazen Blodgett, Matthews Town Manager; Annette Privette Keller, Matthews Communications Director; Jim Taylor, Mayor of Matthews; Jeff Miller, Matthews Town Board Member

The Town of Matthews won the Excellence in Service to Citizens for their Library volunteers Program. Centralina Council of Governments (CCOG) presented their Annual Awards at the Meeting of the CCOG Board of Delegates on February 9, 2011. The awards celebrate the work of member governments and honor the outstanding achievements which work collectively to achieve regional goals.

CCOG member governments were encouraged to nominate innovative projects from their jurisdictions which have contributed to significant and positive advancements in the area.

In the spring of 2010, the Town of Matthews received word from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library System that they would not be able to meet budget needs and the closing of the Matthews branch library was imminent.

The Matthews branch, along with others in the county, were slated to close and the library system was asking the Town as well as other municipalities in the county to make significant funding contributions in order to save the closing of the branches.

Each year the library pays rent to the Town for occupying the space. During a Special Meeting of the Town Board on June 21, the Town offered to forgo the rent for the library for 2010-11. This amounted to $204,000. The Town also agreed to recruit and help train volunteers, which would allow the branch to stay open a minimum of five days a week.

Centralina Council of Governments is the state-designated lead regional organization of central Carolina’s nine-
county region.

February 14, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 5:57 pm Government, Matthews No Responses »

Older Entries Newer Entries

Search