Odessa Sloan Hunsucker, a longtime Davidsonian who cooked for Davidson College eating houses, died Sept. 6, 2011. She was 100 years old. Services are Friday. See OBITUARIES»

Bill Ringle spoke at a summer 2009 gathering to support DavidsonNews.net. Click to listen to his remarks about the news business and local news on the web. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

William M. Ringle Jr.  a longtime Washington and foreign affairs reporter who accompanied President Nixon on his groundbreaking trip to China in 1972, died Monday, Sept. 5, at The Pines at Davidson. He was 88.

A funeral mass is scheduled Friday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church, 217 Brawley School Road
Mooresville. A reception for friends is planned at The Pines at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Mr. Ringle was a reporter for nearly a half-century. He was a big fan of news and grasped the importance of both global and local affairs. An obituary in Tuesday’s Washington Post quotes columnist Jack Germond as saying Mr. Ringle was “one of the finest reporters I ever knew.” Read the full story

Addie James, a Statesville-based folk artist whose work is well known to collectors across the area and beyond, passed away Sunday, July 17. Memories from Kate Merrill of Merrill-Jennings Galleries in Davidson and Ms. James’s biographer. See OBITUARIES »

Jennifer Rose Cernuto, 18, of Mooresville, died July 1, 2011, as a result of an automobile accident. A daughter of Jeffery and Lisa Cernuto, she was a 2011 honors graduate of SouthLake Christian Academy and accepted to the honors program at High Point University. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, at SouthLake Presbyterian Church with Rev. Wade Malloy and Rev. Adam Mumpower officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Zion Community Cemetery.

Read more on the Obituaries page.

Davidson Police last week wrapped up their investigation into the suspicious death of a Davidson Landing woman in February, concluding that no charges are warranted. “There doesn’t appear to be any foul play,” Detective Steve Ingram said Friday. Read the full story

May Davidson, 92, of Davidson, the last surviving direct descendant of Revolutionary-era Major John Davidson, died June 22, 2011. She was born May 5, 1919 and grew up at the historic Davidson family homestead, Rural Hill, in Huntersville.  Ms. Davidson was was the daughter of the late Jo Graham and Annie May Alexander Davidson. She worked many years in Congress. Read her full obituary on our OBITUARIES PAGE »

Patricia Knox, a longtime Davidson businesswoman and community leader, died Monday, June 20, at home. She was 77. Mrs. Knox was the founder of Knox Realty and served on a variety of local boards and community organizations. A service is planned Saturday afternoon. Details on our Obituary Page.

Spirit rock at W.A. Hough High School in Cornelius, Friday, 5/27/11. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

For the past five years, May 20 has been the deadliest day behind the wheel for teen drivers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says an average of 21 U.S. teens die on that date, double the number on any other day of the year.

But for Parker Bragg, the day was May 22 at 2:30 a.m. The W.A. Hough High School sophomore reportedly drove his parents’ car into a tree on McCord Road.

It’s heartbreaking to watch his classmates mourn the loss — painting the school rock in his honor and realizing he won’t be at his usual spot on the stairs at lunchtime. Read the full story