Davidson police officer David Houk is helping Davidson College student Caitlin Hickey in an independent study this semester about forensic anthropology. (Davidson College photo)

When unidentified human remains are discovered at some crime scene of the future, authorities may be turning to Caitlin Hickey ’14 to assist in their investigation.

Under the guidance of Associate Professor of Anthropology Helen Cho and Officer David Houk of the Town of Davidson Police Department, Hickey is currently enrolled in an independent study of forensic art and anthropology. As her final project for the course, she will be reconstructing the face of a human skull. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

In one of the biggest local crackdowns of its kind in recent memory, officers from Alcohol Law Enforcement, the state Department of Motor Vehicles and other agencies arrested 49 people in Davidson Friday night on charges ranging from DWI to underage drinking to possession of marijuana.

About 15 officers were involved in the joint enforcement between around 6 and 10 pm Friday. Officers targeted drivers on I-77 and Griffith Street, near Exit 30, and those buying alcohol at restaurants and convenience stores in the area. At least one Davidson Police Department officer was involved, along with Charlotte Mecklenburg Police and DMV inspectors. Read the full story

Firefighters responded to a number of smoke scares last week, including one in which smoke from an oven set to “clean” mode triggered a smoke detector but failed to start a fire. A malfunctioning HVAC unit caused an odor of an electrical fire inside of a residence on Poetry Lane, and an odor of natural gas from a stove that failed to ignite prompted an emergency response, as well. Medical calls and false alarms rounded out the remaining incidents, details of which may be found below. Read the full story

Police responded to several serious traffic accidents over the past week, including one at NC 73 and Ramah Church Road Saturday, in which an injured driver was hospitalized after a driver pulled out in front of another vehicle traveling about 55 mph. In another case, a seizure may be to blame for a wreck at Main Street and Concord Road Sunday, where a driver struck a sign then drove down the sidewalk into a brick retaining wall. The driver was cited for driving on the sidewalk and failing to heed a police officer’s emergency lights and siren.  A case of check fraud and a series of harassing text messages round out the remainder of the week’s calls. See below for details. Read the full story

Police investigated a case of trespassing at Archer’s Towing this week, as well as one report of a missing person. The missing gentleman was located soon after the report was filed. See below for details on these incidents and a tally of the week’s arrests, citations, and traffic enforcement. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Duke Energy inspectors headed out onto Lake Norman this week to inspect docks and other waterfront structures, and some could wind up being demolished if they’re in disrepair, a Duke official told the Lake Norman Marine Commission Monday. Meanwhile, the commission next month is expected to wrap up a yearlong study of rental boat safety with a report on what steps, if any, it might take. Read the full story

Updated 7:39pm
Davidson College campus police are investigating a break-in early Sunday at the Eco House on North Main Street where a laptop was reported missing. Read the full story

Common Laws is a general legal information column written by two local attorneys, Lyn and David Batty.

We have written five columns since starting this project last October. Topics have ranged from the regulation of Halloween costumes to lawsuits against cheating spouses. For our sixth column we decided to tackle some questions from our readers.

Question: Are you allowed to hunt or trap squirrels or raccoons if they are damaging your property? Read the full story