The 2013-15 Town Board, from left: Brian Jenest, Stacey Anderson, Rodney Graham, Mayor John Woods, Jim Fuller, Beth Cashion. See a slideshow below. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Surrounded by family members and friends, Mayor John Woods and town commissioners took oaths of office and the board picked top vote-getter Beth Cashion as mayor pro-tem at the Davidson Town Board meeting Tuesday night. The board also honored outgoing Commissioner Connie Wessner, who left after two terms in the seat.

Also at the meeting, town officials swore-in three new police officers, recognized newly promoted corporals and sergeants and met the department’s newest officer, a police K-9 named Maky. (See related story, “Davidson welcomes new officers, and K-9 Maky.”) Read the full story

Davidson’s next Town Board will be, clockwise from upper left: Beth Cashion, Rodney Graham, Stacey Anderson, Jim Fuller and Brian Jenest.

Mayor John Woods and town commissioners will be sworn in for a new term at the regular meeting of the Davidson Town Board Tuesday at 6pm at Town Hall. The board also will elect a mayor pro-tem, recognize new public safety officers and meet the new police K-9, Maky. The meeting begins at 6pm at Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. Read the full story

By DUNCAN MCFADYEN
WFAE

CHARLOTTE – The Mecklenburg County Commission has a new chair: Charlotte attorney Trevor Fuller. Commissioners voted Tuesday night to oust Pat Cotham, who had served in that role for the past year. Both Fuller and Cotham are Democrats in their first term as at-large representatives. But, Cotham’s leadership style ended up alienating her from some members of her own party. Read the full story

Jim Puckett

Jim Puckett of Huntersville, a former Mecklenburg County commissioner who narrowly lost the election for Huntersville mayor two weeks ago, is wasting no time shifting his focus to another political opening. He said Tuesday night that he’ll seek his old District 1 seat on the county commission now that current commissioner Karen Bentley has decided to step down when her term ends next fall. See the full story on our ELECTION page»

Natasha Marcus addressed a crowd at the Davidson Farmers Market site behind Summit Coffee Monday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Natasha Marcus began her campaign for the N.C. House of Representatives 98th District seat Monday with a whirlwind tour of the district that wound up in downtown Davidson. In a rally on the Davidson Farmer’s Market grounds, she told supporters she would work for schools and teachers, to improve the business climate and to promote inclusive social policies. Read the full story

Leonard Richardson, a Charlotte Mecklenburg schoolteacher who lives in Charlotte’s Highland Creek neighborhood, said Monday he will run for the Mecklenburg County Commission District 1 seat currently held by four-term Commissioner Karen Bentley. Richardson is a Democrat, and the first to unveil his plans since Bentley announced last week she won’t seek re-election. See the full story on our ELECTION page»

Natasha Marcus

Democrat Natasha Marcus plans to formally announce Monday that she’s a candidate for the N.C. House 98th District seat currently held by state House Speaker Thom Tillis. She said Thursday she’ll make the announcement in Cornelius Monday morning, followed by stops in Huntersville, Davidson and Charlotte.
Read the full story

Lynette Rinker

Cornelius Mayor Lynette Rinker didn’t run for re-election this fall, saying last summer that she was weighing her options to run for higher office. On Tuesday, she announced what many have been speculating, that she will seek the 2014 Republican nomination for the 98th House District seat currently held by House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Conrelius).

Tillis announced in May that he would seek his party’s nod to challenge first-term U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina) in November 2014, leaving his statehouse seat up for grabs. Read the full story