By DAVID BORAKS and CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

Updated 5:18 p.m.
Norfolk Southern Corp. has taken another big swipe at the proposed Red Line Regional Rail Project, saying in a letter to the N.C. Department of Transportation Tuesday that while the company “stands ready to study” the project, it believes the current plan to bring commuter rail to the Lake Norman area is “fatally flawed” and based on outdated assumptions. Read the full story

Dark purple represents the proposed Davidson ETJ fire district, where a new tax would help pay for fire service. Click to download the full report. (SOURCE: Mecklenburg County)

Mecklenburg County's proposal would create new fire districts in unincorporated areas. Davidson's ETJ is in purple.

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The Mecklenburg County Commission is scheduled to vote Tuesday night whether to cap the tax rate on proposed new fire tax districts in the unincorporated areas of the county. A resolution on the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting also would schedule an April 3 public hearing on the plan. As the region continues to grow, the county has been discussing changing the way fire service is paid for in areas beyond the town limits in Davidson, Cornelius and other county municipalities. Read the full story

Speakers at a public hearing last Tuesday, Feb. 14, offered support for designating the former Davidson IB School on South Street as a historic landmark. Supporters included both the property owner, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, and its current tenant, Lake Norman Christian School. See the full story in REAL ESTATE & HOME»

Also on Real Estate & Home today, the latest Davidson and Cornelius home sales. And Teal Michel’s Interior Design column, with a focus on the color green.

Someone was up-and-atem early Monday. This snowman appeared on a car roof in the Hobbs Hill neighborhood, off Armour Street. (Jay Wilson/DavidsonNews.net)

Our photographer Jay Wilson actually managed to find us a snowman photo today, after that dusting of snow overnight. Someone was up early Monday to create a small snowman on a car in the Hobbs Hill neighborhood, off Watson Street. Do you have a weather photo? Send it to us ! Details on how below. Read the full story

Cars parked in the bicycle lanes around town. (Scott Denham photos)

To the Editor:

Davidson claims to be a bicycling and walking kind of town, but some of our residents forget that. We in Davidson, unfortunately, know all too well the consequences of cars disregarding the rights of pedestrians and cyclists. Read the full story

Davidson firefighters over the past week helped Mount Mourne Volunteer Fire Department with a major accident on I-77 and assisted Cornelius and Huntersville units at an early morning house fire on Brinkley Street. Other calls included a smoke alarm at the Homewood Suites triggered when a resident tried fry a whole fish in his suite’s kitchen. Details on these stories and more (along with a tally of the week’s medical calls) may be found below. Read the full story

An alient attack? Nope, just lights and fog at the Harris Teeter, of Jetton and Griffith streets, early Friday. See another photo below. (Jay Wilson/DavidsonNews.net)

HAVE PHOTOS?

We’re always looking for good photos of Davidson, people and events. Send us your photos for consideration at editor@davidsonnews.net. Read the full story

Heather Birch

Davidson has hired Heather Birch as town clerk and human resources coordinator. She starts Feb. 27, and comes to Davidson from Oak Ridge, N.C., where she has been the town clerk since December 2010.

She replaces Lillian Smith, who announced in January she was leaving.

Read the full story