Good morning Gaston County! David here.
I am tuning up the last bits of this newsletter in cool, misty Brevard, where it is currently 71 degrees.
Today is August 4th, 2026.
Today's weather: Times of clouds and sun, with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm. The high will be 82.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a couple of thunderstorms, especially early.. The low will be 70.
7 Eleven on the way
So there has been some mystery on Facebook about what’s coming to the corner of East Franklin Blvd. and Westover Street in Lowell. My secret sources tell me it will be a Slurpee King…otherwise know as 7 Eleven. By the way, the Slurpee is turning 60 this year.
Like so many great inventions, the Slurpee was created by accident. In the late-1950s, Omar Knedlik of Kansas City owned an old Dairy Queen, whose machinery was always breaking down. When his soda fountain went out, he improvised by putting some bottles in the freezer to stay cool. However, when he popped the top, they were a little frozen and slushy. Folks loved them and started requesting "those pops that were in a little bit longer."
Realizing he had a surprise hit on his hands, Knedlik built a machine in the back room using the air conditioning unit from a car that would create slushy soda by combining and freezing a flavor mix, water, and carbon dioxide to make it fizz.
He held a "Name the Product" contest and the winning entry was "ICEE." With help from an engineering and manufacturing company in Dallas, the ICEE machine was redesigned and sold to a few convenience stores throughout the early 1960s.
But things really took off when, in 1965, 7-Eleven licensed the machine, but called the drink by a different name to make it unique for their stores. The name Slurpee was coined by Bob Stanford, a 7-Eleven ad agency director, when he described the sound made while sipping it through a straw.
According to Slurpee market research, 41 percent of slurpers never mix their flavors, 37 percent always do, and 21 percent will mix every once in a while.
Southern Artisan Spirits - a review
Have you tried the (relatively) new Southern Artisian Spirits in Kings Mountain? They are about 15 minutes from Gastonia, and are the makers of Cardinal Gin and Turning Point Rye. They moved into their new facility in January 2025. They have a distillery and restaurant there.
We went last Friday night, and the place was hopping. They have a large outdoor patio which was crowded, and live music. There were no outdoor tables so we sat inside.
The food was really good; I had the filet and my wife had the Prix Fixe Queens Feast menu. My wife said the Prix Fixe menu was really good, but very small. Their award winning Cardinal Gin has a floral note, rather than juniper, and was in the drinks we ordered. They were swamped, so service was very slow.
So we would give the drinks an A+, the food an A (would have been an A+ except for the Prix Fixe portion size), the patio gets an A, the interior a B…no ambiance, and the service D…only because the kitchen was so backed up.
Conclusion: They have a few issues to work out, but the food and drinks were really good. They have a lot of potential; let’s hope they live up to it. We’ll probably try it again on a week night.
Dutchman’s Creek Bridge ribbon cutting
We told you about the new bridge weeks ago- and now it will finally be open to the public! What a great thing for Mount Holly and all of Gaston County!
When: August 15th (Saturday) at 9 AM
Where: River Street Park, 300 North River Street, Mount Holly , NC
This momentous day is open to the public, so we invite you to bring along your friends and family to this event.
The Dutchman's Creek Bridge is the longest pedestrian bridge suspended over water in Gaston County. This bridge extends over Dutchman’s Creek and extends the Dutchman’s Creek Greenway to the River Park Neighborhood.
We look forward to celebrating this historic occasion with you!
What’s up with Daimler Truck?
Daimler Truck North America will close operations in Swan Island in Portland by year end. That work will move to the Carolinas. The company says the move is expected to eliminate 375 jobs by 2027.
Although the company laid off about 573 workers in Gaston County since last summer, the company says the Oregon layoffs will not have a substantial impact on Charlotte area operations.
So…the work is moving to the Carolinas, but will not have an substantial impact? Maybe that’s because those jobs are expected to be eliminated? We’ll keep you apprised…
Have you been to Canal Coffee on Hoffman Road?
There is some buzz online about the size of this Canal Coffee on Hoffman Road, near Hickory Tavern. The lot does seem small, but the shop itself is about the size of a Cookout. 7Brew is about this size…it does seem an unusual choice based on the traffic patter. We hear that the service is excellent….
At Miami Fusion in Lowell we have the best Cuban food- and we cater! Publishers note: They have the best Tres Leches ever! Your mouth will be having a party! Below is their shrimp & grits-yum!
Arroz con Pollo-Rice with chicken: Cuban style!
Did you know we cater? Parties, corporate functions and much more!
Recent view from the patio at JR Cash Grill & Bar in Mount Holly. It’s a great place to be on a not so hot summer day!
Have you been to Shelli’s She Shed yet?
Shelli's She Shed is a home decor boutique full of floral stems & arrangements and unique, vintage, antique, retro, farmhouse styles and the perfect gift items.
New Hours: Fri & Sat 10am-3pm
980-318-3816
106 W. Dallas Rd.. Stanley , NC 28164
Please note: We will be closed 7/31, reopening 8/7
Gaston County Jobs
All jobs are in Gaston County, or within 15 minutes of Gaston County
Say hello to Taffy!
This cutie is ready to play the day away with you! Meet Taffy! Sweet as can be, Taffy loves toys and treats! She enjoys being held against you while being petted. If she had her way she would be in your lap whenever she could. Taffy loves squeaky toys and will hold them in her paws while she takes treats from you.
Taffy 61230710 4 year old Female Terrier mix 38 Pounds
