A fire in an air conditioning motor sent smoke into the sanctuary of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson early Saturday. Davidson and Cornelius firefighters diagnosed the problem and ventilated the building. The call was among seven firefighters handled during a busy 24 hours, which included a minor truck fire on I-77 Friday afternoon. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

CORNELIUS – Wednesday brought more confusion and concern at W.A. Hough High School, where police were on patrol, and fresh rumors circulated among students about supposed threats. As with bomb hoaxes and other incidents over the past week, no real threats were found Wednesday. But the latest rumors continued to feed what principal Terri Cockerham is calling “turmoil” at the school. She is blaming students’ use of social media for the uneasy atmosphere and has called a meeting Wednesday night to address the situation with parents. Read the full story

A worker drives over the completed Piedmont Natural Gas pipeline Friday evening. We talked to the driver, who said workers were blowing off gas from the new pipeline. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Updated 9:03pm
A loud roaring noise, which some residents described as sounding like a jet engine, was heard in the Lake Norman area Friday afternoon and evening, followed by the smell of gas from Cornelius to Davidson to Mount Mourne. The odor of gas prompted more than two dozen 911 calls in Davidson and Cornelius between 5 and 8:30pm, as well as calls in the south Iredell area. 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

Firefighters investigated a number of smoke scares this week, including one on a boat that was determined to be coming from the vessel’s battery compartment. The battery had melted, burning electrical wires and parts of the compartment surrounding it. Also this week, a passing vehicle with a tall profile pulled down telephone and cable lines from a utility pole on Jetton Street. Police officers and town maintenance personnel closed the street until technicians could respond to repair the damage. Details on these and more, along with a tally of the week’s medical calls, may be found below. Read the full story

Davidson firefighters assisted local departments with emergencies over the past week, including a structure fire in Mount Mourne and an odor of smoke inside a Cornelius home. A vehicle overturned on N.C. 73 during a rainstorm last Thursday, damaging a utility pole. No injuries were reported. Meanwhile, Kannapolis firefighters battled a fire in a duplex on Thursday evening. Details on these stories and a tally of the week’s medical calls may be found below. Read the full story

Updated Monday, 7pm

STANLEY – Emergency workers overnight recovered the bodies of two children who became trapped when earth collapsed late Sunday afternoon in a pit near a home in eastern Lincoln County. Meanwhile, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department is now investigating the tragedy. Read the full story

A utility worker checks on a downed power pole after the wreck on Shearers Road. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

A man driving a black SUV struck a power pole on Shearers Road in Davidson around 6:15pm Saturday night, knocking down power lines and cutting power for homes in the area, including parts of River Run. Energy United was telling customers it could be the middle of the night before power is restored. Read the full story