A delivery truck delivered about 300 grass carp into Lake Norman last Tuesday, April 24. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Officials from Duke Energy, the the Lake Norman Marine Commission and the state of North Carolina gathered at the Davidson College Lake Campus in Mooresville one morning last week for a fish release. Not game fish, but “grass carp,” which the state has been using for more than a decade to control the growth of invasive hydrilla on Lake Norman.

Ron Shoultz is executive director of the marine commission, and a 15-year resident and boater. We asked him a few questions as we awaited the arrival of a tractor-trailer from Arkansas, carrying tanks of the large grey fish.

Listen to an audio version of this interview below. 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

Rabbi Michael Shields speaks, with co-presidents Slade Goldstein (left) and Len Sadek behind him. (Gayle Shomer/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The Charlotte area’s Jewish community celebrated a milestone Sunday when about 300 people gathered to dedicate the former Calvary Presbyterian Church on South Street in Davidson as the new Temple Kol Tikvah. It’s the first synagogue between Charlotte and Statesville and gives Lake Norman-area Jews a permanent home. Read the full story

Hough High School’s girls’ soccer team went into last May’s N.C. Division 4A championship game as underdogs, yet produced an impressive 2-1 victory over Green Hope to win the title. Their success didn’t end there, as ESPN ranked the Huskies No. 1 in the country. And they’re back in winning form this year, without a loss six games into the season.

Barry Pulver has a report today, along with an audio interview with Coach David Smith. IN SPORTS»

Tony and Susan Abbott

As is the custom for Around Davidson at this time of year, your correspondent is taking time off during the holidays to be with family. Each year, we ask someone who has lived in our community for many years to share Christmas memories. Today we hear from Susan and Tony Abbott in our annual holiday audio interview. (Listen below)

Abbott is a familiar name around town and on the college campus.  Susan and Tony came to Davidson in 1964 from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, when Tony joined the faculty of Davidson College.  For the next 37 years, Tony taught in the English Department until his retirement in 2001 (although he continued to teach part-time for two additional years).  Read the full story

An interactive map created by the Davidson College Archives is tracking submissions. See below for how to contribute.

By GREG COLLARD
WFAE

The top headline in the October 1st, 1959, Mecklenburg Gazette proclaims “Great Economic Progress is Seen.” A few days earlier, Gov. Luther Hodges visited the Catawba River to set off the first dynamite blast for construction of the Cowan’s Ford Dam – the site of a Revolutionary War battle.

The writer of the story called it the “beginning of a new era in the history of the Catawba River Valley.” Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

CORNELIUS – State officials have given Carolinas HealthCare System the go-ahead to build a $36 million behavioral health hospital at a site off N.C. 73 in Davidson, instead of a previously approved location on NC 115 in Huntersville. Meanwhile, a consultant for the Town of Davidson said Friday that although the non-profit hospital won’t create new property tax revenue, the project will bring millions of dollars in economic benefits through jobs and spending, and it could spark growth along the N.C. 73 corridor.

Community meeting on hospital rescheduled, again. See below. Read the full story

N.C. Senate hopefuls Jeff Tarte and John Aneralla had a chance to show voters where they differ on Thursday during a lunchtime forum at Cornelius Town Hall. About 50 people turned out for the event, which came in advance of a July 17 runoff election between the two Republicans. Story, photos and an audio replay on our ELECTION 2012 page»