John Baker owns Davidson Beverage Co., in South Main Square. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

John Baker didn’t seek out his career change, it came to him. After a 2010 downsizing at the media distributor where he worked, he decided to turn his taste for beer into a business: Davidson Beverage Co.

The specialty wine and craft beer store opens this week in South Main Square, 442 S. Main St. in Davidson. Mr. Baker has taken over the former MasterWorks School of the Arts space. (MasterWorks moved to a smaller space nearby.) Read the full story

A water line replacement project has begun near the South Main Street/Walnut Street intersection. This section of Walnut heading east from South Main will be affected through Saturday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

A water line replacement project could affect traffic this week at South Main and Walnut streets in Davidson. The work began Tuesday and is expected to continue through at least Saturday, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities and Davidson Public works officials. Read the full story

Police are investigating two cases of vandalism over the past week, including one incident in which three parked vehicles were damaged in front of a house on Watson Street. $1,200 in jewelry was stolen from a residence on South Main Street, and a 53-year-old male was cited for DWI and assaulting a female on Southwest Drive. Details on these stories (along with a tally of the week’s arrests, citations, and traffic enforcement) may be found below. Read the full story

An 18-year-old man was flown by medical helicopter to Carolinas Medical Center-Main on Monday night after receiving a head injury while skateboarding. The accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in a cul-de-sac near the Abersham park area, where the man was reportedly “longboarding” with friends.

Three Davidson fire engines carrying a total of eleven volunteers responded to the scene to assist the patient, along with a Medic ambulance and three Davidson police officers. Firefighters assisted with preparing a landing zone for the helicopter nearby. No further details were immediately available.  Meanwhile, read on for a report of other fire and medical calls over the past week. Read the full story

Ben Orroth tries his hand at a pottery wheel with the aid of Davidson potter Melissa Reddick (left) during Friday's April Is for Arts Gallery Crawl on Main Street Davidson. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Main Street was busier than usual Friday night and not because of an influx of youngsters swarming the Village Green. Hundreds of art aficionados strolled along Main Street and South Main Street for the annual April Is for Arts Gallery Crawl. The evening also brought folks downtown for music at Summit Coffee, ice cream, and other treats.

Downtown manager Kim Fleming (left) and Ben & Jerry's manager Karen Toney at Friday's Gallery Crawl. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

A crowd gathered outside Summit Coffee as the crawl began. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Teens who met up downtown Friday night included, from left, Sylvie Stanback, Madeleine Wright, Mary Iris Gray, and Emma Boraks (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

A new high school competition that aims to promote a better understanding of sustainability is scheduled in Davidson this weekend as part of the 2012 North Carolina Science Festival. Teams from area schools will square off in the first Green Idea Factory Competition on Saturday, at The Business Center, in South Main Square. Read the full story

The calendar may say Friday the 13th, but there’s nothing suspicious about the festivities in Davidson this Friday night. It’s time for the annual April Is for Arts Gallery Crawl in downtown Davidson, and for a Toast the Earth wine-and-art benefit for Davidson Lands Conservancy at Homewood Suites. Here are details about both events: Read the full story

Firefighters last week responded to a report of a gasoline leak at the marina on Portside Drive in Davidson Landing. Employees at Archer’s Towing called 911 when a vehicle began to smoke after its battery arced in a storage area, and the Mecklenburg County fire marshal’s office was called to investigate an illegal outdoor fire on Shearer Street. Davidson firefighters also helped out at a house fire in Cornelius’s Peninsula neighborhood. Details on these stories and more (along with a tally of the week’s medical calls) may be found below. Read the full story