Sunday’s White Gift Pageant at DCPC featured a nativity and gifts of food. (Diana Merrifield/DavidsonNews.net)

A Christmas pageant at Davidson College Presbyterian Church on Sunday ended with gifts not of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but of food for Loaves & Fishes food pantry. Meanwhile, the church has listed its plans for Christmas Eve services. Also, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church offers a service Dec. 23 for those grieving at this time of year. Read on for those and other church news items.  Read the full story

Updated 3:13pm
Concord Road in Davidson was closed for hours Sunday morning after a driver knocked down a utility pole overnight, reportedly while chasing someone she said robbed her in Mooresville.

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Roy Alexander of Davidson Lands Conservancy examines growth on the 27-acre property north of Davidson during a visit in 2010. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

A lizard perches on a rock on the 27-acre property, which now will be conserved. We spotted this during a 2010 visit. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

The impending expiration of a tax credit for property owners who donate or protect land from development is bringing a flurry of activity this fall for North Carolina conservation groups, including the Davidson Lands Conservancy. The DLC last week announced it has obtained a conservation easement on 27 acres in southern Iredell County that includes a stream, a nearly mature pine-hardwood forest, red foxes and rare orchids and ferns.

The conservancy is not releasing specifics about the family or the property, to protect the site and its flora and fauna. But Roy Alexander, executive director of the DLC, said the family wants to protect the property from the kind of development that happened on a nearby parcel. Read the full story

Police are seeking help identifying this suspect. Click image to enlarge. (Mooresville Police Department)

MOORESVILLE – Mooresville police are seeking help finding a woman who robbed the Walgreen’s Pharmacy on NC 150 late Wednesday, Dec. 11. The thief got away with drugs. Read the full story

That’s principal Chad Thomas applauding ‘A’ Honor Roll students Thursday morning. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Bailey Middle School celebrated its honor roll students for the first quarter on Thursday, throwing a breakfast reception for 250 “A” honor roll students before school, and an ice cream party at day’s end for them and another 900 or so “AB” honor roll winners. We have the list. Read the full story

Kendall Kopchick

By BETSY FLAGLER
DavidsonNews.net

A 17-year-old high school student is not getting into any of the colleges he has applied to, and his appearance at school has changed. He used to go out on weekends, but is staying home.  That theoretical scenario was part of role-playing in health classes this week at Pine Lake Preparatory School, as part of training to prevent suicide.

Thanks in part to senior Kendall Kopchick of Davidson, four trainers from the Mental Health Association of the Central Carolinas came to Pine Lake for the first time with a message: Suicide is preventable. Read the full story

Arts are about to take a front seat at Community School of Davidson High School. The charter school will dedicate its new ArtSpace Thursday night, Dec. 12, 2013, with a celebration that includes a food truck rally, student presentations and a ribbon cutting with the mayor and school leaders.

The new  $1.2 million, 22,000-square-foot space includes classrooms, a dance studio, wood arts studio, music room, and a 250-seat black box theater. Read the full story

Residents looked at maps during last week’s workshop. Click to see the story on our Real Estate page.

Planners and consultants held a two-day workshop last week at Davidson Town Hall to help develop a vision for the Potts, Sloan and Beaty Street corridor in Davidson.  The study comes as the town builds a case for reallocating up to $2 million in Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) funds for the work. See the full story in REAL ESTATE & HOME»