Margretha Pinkney is on a mission to make sure we all have proper smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms in our homes. It’s a mission motivated by tragedy: Last October, she lost her 9-year-old son Nikko’Las in a fire at their Huntersville home.

The old house on Holbrooks Road wasn’t properly protected: It lacked a carbon monoxide alarm, she said, and “if it had a smoke alarm, it was so badly damaged by the fire they couldn’t identify it.” Read the full story

Updated Wed., 4:30 p.m.
Davidson police are investigating the death of a 62-year-old Pfeiffer University professor, who apparently was overcome by carbon monoxide at his town home on Harbour Place Drive Monday. Ray Harrington’s death has shaken the Pfeiffer University campus, where a memorial service was planned Wednesday morning. Read the full story

Mark V. DeSarro, a Bailey Middle School teacher, coach, friend, father and grandfather, formerly of East Liverpool, Ohio, died suddenly Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at his home in Charlotte. He was 53. See more in OBITUARIES»

Bailey middle school students and staff are grieving the loss of seventh-grade science teacher Mark DeSarro, who died at his Charlotte home Saturday. Read the full story

CORNELIUS - Friends and co-workers are coming together to support the family of Lauren Weich, who died suddenly Dec . 1. Ms. Weich was a nurse at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville and lived on Mulberry Street in Cornelius with her fiance´, Grady Garris, and their four daughters. She died two weeks ago from an undiagnosed brain tumor. Christina Ritchie Rogers reports on CorneliusNews.net.

Family and friends of Davidson College math professor Robert Whitton are invited to a celebration of his life, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m. in Davidson College Presbyterian Church, 100 N. Main St. in downtown Davidson.
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Updated 1:30 p.m.
Robert Whitton, 67, a longtime Davidson mathematics professor, died Friday night, Nov. 11, 2011, of injuries suffered when he was hit by a car on Nov. 3.

His wife, Amy Diamond, said he passed away around 10:30 p.m. at Carolinas Medical Center, surrounded by his family. “The family asks that we just be kept in everybody’s prayers,” she said. The family will be making funeral plans in the coming days. Read the full story

Funeral services are planned Saturday for Nikko’las Pinkney, who was the victim of a Huntersville house fire Oct.10.

Police and firefighters responded to the fire, at at 13915 Holbrooks Road, early Monday morning. The firefighters on scene made every attempt to rescue nine-year-old Nikko’las Pinkney from the house, but were unsuccessful.

The service for Nikko’las will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Friendship Baptist Church, 3301 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte. A visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. before the service.

A.E. Grier & Sons Funeral Ceremony of Choice funeral home is handling the arrangements.

RELATED NEWS:

Oct. 10, 2011: “9-yr.-old dies in Huntersville house fire Mon.”

Oct. 14, 2011, DavidsonNews.net, “Fund set up for 2-year-old burned in Statesville fire.”