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Tre’ McKinney wants to be a professional musician. The Hough High School senior from Huntersville recently took a big step toward that goal. The jazz drummer recently earned the top honors at the music scholarship competition sponsored by the North Carolina Jazz Project. Watch a video of his winning performance here, and read more about his accomplishment in our latest MUSIC NEWS column, in THE GUIDE»

Can’t see the video? Watch it at YouTube.com

Updated 10:02pm
The Lake Norman Chamber says the N.C. Department of Transportation must consider all options, including a public-private partnership and toll lanes, as it plans for the widening of I-77 widening north of Charlotte. The chamber board met Monday to discuss the issue, and sent a letter to town officials in Cornelius, Huntersville and Davidson outlining their position. Read the full story

Cornelius Police Chief Bence Hoyle speaks during a press conference at Hough High Tuesday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

CORNELIUS - Cornelius police say they’re treating Tuesday’s bomb scare at W.A. Hough High School as a hoax, and they’re focused on finding – and making an example – of the person who did it. In a press conference outside the school around 5:30pm, Police Chief Bence Hoyle said searches turned up no bomb and nobody was hurt in the incident, which led officials to evacuate the school twice, and to dismiss students early.

“At this point in time, we’re investigating this as a hoax,” Hoyle told reporters. “As you know, it was a very disruptive hoax, and our focus right now is to find who did this.” Read the full story

Firefighters investigated a number of smoke scares this week, including one on a boat that was determined to be coming from the vessel’s battery compartment. The battery had melted, burning electrical wires and parts of the compartment surrounding it. Also this week, a passing vehicle with a tall profile pulled down telephone and cable lines from a utility pole on Jetton Street. Police officers and town maintenance personnel closed the street until technicians could respond to repair the damage. Details on these and more, along with a tally of the week’s medical calls, may be found below. Read the full story

Downtown Davidson’s 2013 Concerts on the Green season will begin April 21 with a performance by the Davidson College Symphony and Jazz Ensemble. The concert runs 6-8pm, right after the conclusion of the Art on the Green festival. This season’s lineup will include a little something for everyone, from reggae and big band to beach music and a Beatles tribute. See the schedule in THE GUIDE»

Students celebrated a great catch during one of Saturday’s kickball games.

John Frankel

It was a beautiful day for some kickball Saturday, April 13, as the brothers of Davidson College’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity and women of Connor Eating House staged their the third annual Frankelfest Kickball Tournament.  Since 2011, the tournament has honored the life and memory of John Frankel, a Davidson College senior and then-vice president of Kappa Sigma, who passed away in a car accident during the 2010 winter break. Read the full story

Two tractor-trailers wrecked around 5am Wednesday on I-77 northbound south of Exit 28 in Cornelius, injuring one driver and backing up northbound traffic to Charlotte. The accident briefly closed the highway, but the left lane was reopened at around 5:30, according to Huntersville Fire Department. STORY & PHOTOS on CorneliusNews.net.

What will it take to elevate the game of soccer in the U.S.? Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and the youth sports nonprofit North Meck Soccer Club think the answer lies in a youth-to-adult training network. On Tuesday, they announced an alliance that will bring that model to the Charlotte area, and transform North Meck into the Carolina Rapids Soccer Club. See more in SPORTS»