Updated 2:01pm

MOORESVILLE - A 53-year-old Mocksville man drowned while fishing with two others Monday night off the Stumpy Creek Access Area on Lake Norman, north of Mooresville. A preliminary investigation found that the men’s boat sank because its drain was not plugged, state wildlife officials said.

Divers recovered the body of Herbert James, of Mocksville, early Tuesday. They also later recovered the boat.

Iredell County officials said an emergency call came in around 10:30pm. The three men were fishing not far from the boat launch when their small boat with a trolling motor began taking on water.

“They were about 150 feet from the boat ramp and they noticed they were taking on water,” said Officer Hannah Shively of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, which oversees the lake. “The vessel just started to sink, and eventually submerged.”

Two of the men were able swim to a cooler floating in the water, she said. They were rescued by another boater who came to the rescue after hearing cries for help. But the third man went under and could not be rescued.

Shively said the boat was recovered Tuesday morning, and had no drain plug.

The case remains under investigation.

MOORESVILLE – United Way of Central Carolinas’ has announced 2013-14 funding allocations for 16 nonprofit agency partners in the Lake Norman area. The Ada Jenkins Center, a regional community services center in Davidson, got just over $232,000, up slightly from this year. Mooresville Area Christian Mission received nearly $99,000 and other funding went to a wide range of agencies, from the Red Cross to Safe Alliance. Read the full story

Karen Bentley

Karen Bentley, Mecklenburg County Commissioner for District 1, will be the guest speaker at the next Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Focus Friday issues session this Friday, June 21. Bentley will give an update on Mecklenburg County issues, including the status of a possible re-do of the 2011 property revaluation, the search for a new County Manager, Public Access Swimming, and the County Budget.

The monthly Focus Friday meetings are open to all chamber members and guests and include a question-and-answer session. The program is sponsored by DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net. Read the full story

Kevin Green

Updated 7:40pm
A former local charter school administrator was arrested this week and charged with indecent liberties with a child, though police and school officials say the charge is unrelated to his work at the local charter school.

Kevin Green, 45, of Cornelius, was arrested by Cornelius Police on Tuesday, June 11 on a warrant charging him with a single count of indecent liberties with a child, a felony. He was released on $25,000 bond, according to Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department records.

Green’s attorney said later Friday that he denies the charge. He says he is innocent.

Read the full story

Ethan Schneider, 12, (left) and Quinn Schneider, 14, won nationwide first place in Thursday’s National History Day finals at the University of Maryland. (Patrick Schneider photo)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The moment was tense on Thursday as judges announced winners at National History Day at the University of Maryland. Quinn and Ethan Schneider were waiting nervously to find out if they had won a medal in the Junior Group Documentary category for their 10-minute film “Hydroelectric Carolinas: How a visionary idea and a chance partnership transformed the Carolinas forever.”

Watch the winning video on our video channel.

The brothers, the sons of Lore Postman Schneider and Patrick Schneider of Huntersville, were among 2,800 middle and high school students from around the country who advanced to the national finals by winning state competitions this spring. Competition was fierce in the contest, which had 9 categories at junior and senior levels – all focused on the theme “Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events.”

Read the full story

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Quinn, 14, and Ethan Schneider, 12, of Huntersville won first place in the 2013 National History Day U.S. finals at the University of Maryland Thursday. They won in the Junior Group Documentary category for their 10-minute film “Hydroelectric Carolinas: How a visionary idea and a chance partnership transformed the Carolinas forever.” Click to watch.

Can’t see the video? Go directly to the video on YouTube.

Robert Lee cleans up a broken limb Friday, which fell on Goodrum Street in Davidson during Thursday’s storm. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Updated 11:30pm
Thunderstorms that blew through the Lake Norman area on Thursday afternoon knocked down limbs and power lines, produced hail in parts of Charlotte and lighting strikes, including one reported at a car dealership in Huntersville. A car fell on a tree on Hambright Road, and a house burned in Huntresville’

But areas to our northeast, especially Winston-Salem and Greensboro, were even harder hit. Read the full story

Davidson Elementary Principal Dana Jarrett presented the 2013 Vincent Campagna Award to a beaming Ben Anderson (center), while Tony Campagna (blue shirt) and Ben’s parents looked on. Read on for more about the award and this year’s winner.

Father’s Day is Sunday and we wish all dads in town the very best.  This special day for fathers always brings to mind the quotation from Mark Twain:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man learned in seven years.”

Bet lots of our readers are smiling. … Today Around Davidson visits with Ashley Thomas, a short timer at DUMC.  We also congratulate new Eagle Scouts, Patrick and Daniel Griffeth.  In addition, we introduce you to Benjamin Thomas Anderson who received the Vincent Campagna Award at Davidson Elementary School last week. What is the award, anyway? We recount the history behind this annual recognition. Read the full story