Good morning Gaston County, it's David.Today is January 28th, 2025.Above photo is from the Town of Stanley's Facebook page. Like many southern small towns, Stanley was built along the railroad tracks, perhaps for access to textile mills. 

Tuesday's weather:Today  will be warmer with plenty of sunshine.. The high will be 59.Tonight will be clear and 32.

State to begin 1940's landfill remediation project at Sims Legion Park

City of Gastonia announced recently that property around Sims Legion Park is currently under construction in order to mitigate potential impacts of an old landfill on the property. Portions of the property contain a pre-regulatory landfill that reportedly began operations at the site around 1940 and continued through approximately 1948.

The North Carolina General Assembly created the Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program to assess and remedy public health and environmental hazards posed by pre-1983 landfills and dumps existing before there were regulations preventing hazardous materials dumping. Prior to the passage of this law that created the Program, owners and operators of the landfill property and other responsible parties were obligated to fund any required assessment and cleanup work to address the public health and environmental hazards posed by these sites. Under the authorizing legislation, cooperating owners do not have to conduct the work at their expense. A state-wide disposal tax is used to pay for these expenses.

The Program completed an investigation of the Sims Park landfill in 2023, and a remedial action plan was prepared and finalized in 2024 to address potential risks posed by the landfill, with a design to allow for specific uses of the site while insuring long-term effectiveness with appropriate maintenance.

The remedial action design primarily includes establishing erosion and sediment control measures to minimize the impact of land disturbance on the nearby creek, removal of the trees in the areas of buried waste due to the potential for toppled trees to expose buried waste in the future, and grading of the on-site drainage feature to minimize exposure of buried waste in the future due to erosion. Areas of the site that were previously found to have an insufficient thickness of cover material over the buried waste will be supplemented with additional cover soil. Vegetation will be established over the construction area at the end of the project to prevent erosion.

The overall cost of the investigation and remediation of the landfill is approximately $2,000,000 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.

Massive fire on Ozark in GastoniaThere was a fire last Wednesday on the 1300 block of East Ozark in Gastonia last week. Firefighters were hampered in their efforts due to frozen fire hydrants. The fire caused traffic to be rerouted on East Ozark.A witness said he saw a person carrying a propane tank into the building, and then running out when the fire started. The building was known to be used by the homeless.The building owner told television cameras that he hoped the property could be developed to house homeless veterans, or the homeless.

Downstairs Ice Cream coming to downtown GastoniaWe told you awhile back about a new ice cream shop in downtown Gastonia.Tripp and Megan Mazzucco will soon be opening Downstairs Ice Cream at 167 West Main Avenue in Gastonia.They plan to offer their own made in house ice creams, using  a local dairy for their milk and cream. They will  offer 8 regular flavors, and 8 on a rotating seasonal basis.They are waiting on a few final zoning approvals, and hope to open in the near future,More

Charlotte region to grow by 50% by 2050According  to a recent research by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the Charlotte Region is expected to grow by more that 50% from about 3 million people to 4.63 million in 2050.

About 79% of the region's population growth is expected to come from Mecklenburg, York, Union and Iredell, the report stated, although t

he Charlotte Metro area is expected to become a single urban mass by 2030.

Chase Bank to open at site of former Sake in BelmontA new Chase bank will be built at 675 Park Street in Belmont, formerly the location of Sake Express. The Chase location is expected to open later in the year.The new bank will have approximately 8 employees, including relationship bankers, a private client advisor, a small business banker, and a home lending specialist.  The building will be approximately 3000 square feet, and feature 2 ATM's. This will be Chase's first location in Belmont, and second in Gaston  County.

Two Gaston County legal firms make listTwo Gaston county legal firms made the list of the largest legal firms in the Charlotte Metro area, according to the Charlotte Business Journal.Mullen, Holland & Cooper landed at 41 on the list. They have 13 local attorneys.They practice corporate, workers' compensation, civil litigation in all courts; estate planning and administration, commercial real estate, insurance; health care/mental health;  and construction law.Gray Layton Kersh Solomon Furr & Smith came in at 45, with 8 local attorneys. They do civil litigation; construction law; real estate law; mergers and acquisitions; federal and state income tax; personal injury; estate planning and probate; and employment law

The City of Gastonia has released its annual ‘Top Five’ listThis year’s ‘Top Five for 2025’ focuses on some of the main projects residents and businesses have to look forward to for the remainder of the year.

New development breaks ground in CherryvilleMeritage Homes has recently broken ground on a new residential development in Cherryville. Robert Johnson, a Cherryville resident and owner of Carolina Home Company, is the developer.The Cherryville City Council agreed to annex 160 acres of off Requa Road in Cherryville for the project.. The development is expected to include 500 single family homes.

Walk to Caromont Health Park, $370,000

Built in 1900, blocks from Loray Mill Apartments and the baseball parkBeautifully remodeled home with an added studio/office space. This home boasts a modern open concept layout, seamlessly blending comfort and style, modern kitchen with new stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and custom cabinetry, ideal for cooking and entertaining. 4 generously sized bedrooms, ideal for those looking for a primary bedroom on the main level. All bathrooms have been tastefully designed with high end finishes. Every detail has been thoughtfully upgraded, making it the perfect move-in-ready space with new HVAC, flooring, carpets, kitchen appliances, electric, plumbing, beautifully updated bathrooms and much more. Outback, enjoy the fenced backyard offering privacy and a perfect outdoor escape. Located just 2 blocks from Gastonia’s vibrant Fuse District, you’ll enjoy easy access to new dining and entertainment spots nearby. Spacious driveway to fit 4 cars. Easy access to I85 and HWY 74 for a seamless commute.Info

Cardinal Gin opens new distillery and restaurant in Kings Mountain

Southern Artisan Spirits, makers of award winning Cardinal Gin, have opened a new distillery and restaurant in Kings Mountain.SAS is a family owned company , and the third craft distillery licensed in North Carolina.

Their small batch gin mixes tradition and modern technology., but their methods are unique to SAS. Their botanicals are all fresh and  organic.They are located at 1033 York Road in Kings Mountain.Hours:Sunday: 12-9 PMMon: ClosedTues: ClosedWed:4-10 PMThurs: 4-10 PMFri: 4-12 PMSat: 12-PM-12 AMMore

At Oak Ridge Dental Arts, we are dedicated to caring for your family as we care for our own families. With years of experience and state-of-the-art dental technology we help you achieve the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve. We ensure the best possible dental experience with friendly, personalized care in a comfortable environment. If you haven’t been to the dentist in the past six months or you are interested in enhancing your smile, give us a call. With one visit you’ll see why so many families in your neighborhood trust Oak Ridge Dental Arts with all their dental needs.

Junior Assembly celebrates 35th yearCongratulations to The Junior Assembly of Gastonia - they are celebrating their 35th year!

The Junior Assembly of Gastonia, N.C. is an organization established for the purpose of providing dancing instruction, social etiquette and supervised entertainment for the children of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The importance of consideration of others is stressed and much self-confidence is acquired.  Junior Assembly believes in helping the next generation learn manners for a lifetime and reminding them that kindness and respect for others is what good manners are all about.Participation is by invitation only, but you can propose a child.For more information: [email protected] 

Miami Fusion Cafe

by  Richard Walker

Gaston College completed an impressive opening weekend with a second doubleheader sweep over a ranked opponent on Sunday at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

The Rhinos won both by 8-0 scores in games that were shortened due to the mercy rule.

"We swung the bats well and, obviously, when you throw two shutouts it's a good day," Gaston College Mike Steuerwald said.

The No. 23-ranked Rhinos had 19 total hits, didn't commit an error and pitchers Savanna Mullins, Abigail Brewton and Courtney Grimmer combined for a four-hitter and one-hitter, respectively.

Kendall Bradshaw (4 hits, double, home run, 4 RBIs), Grace Kealy (4 hits, double, home run, 3 RBIs), McKenna Jones (3 hits, double, 1 RBI) and Katelyn Brandon (3 hits, home run, 2 RBIs) led the offense.

"We got a lot of contributions from a lot of people," Steuerwald said. "Brandon did a good job getting us going in the first game with that homer. And Kealy had another walkoff home run and it was an opposite field shot."

Kealy, who ended Friday's 11-2 nightcap win over Division III No. 1-ranked Patrick & Henry, ended Sunday's first game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the nightcap, Savanna Price's two-out steal of home ended the game in five innings.

On the mound, Mullins threw a four-hitter with three strikeouts on 88 pitches in the opener and Brewton yielded one hit and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings before Grimmer got the final out. Brewton's victory was the 24th of her career, which ties Brantleigh Parrott (24 wins in 2023) for the all-time lead in program history. 

For the second time this season, Gaston College's basketball team picked up a t Region 10 road victory.

And for the second time this season, Rhinos' sophomore Tyheim Love provided the winning points of a nailbiting outcome - this time only six miles away from his hometown of Petersburg, Va.

Love's two free throws with 4.0 seconds left was the difference in Gaston College's 85-84 win at Richard Bland College in South Prince George, Va.

The contest also was a homecoming for freshman E.J. Joyner, who hails from Hampton, Va., some 101 miles away.

"They both played well," Gaston College coach Benny Moss said of Love and Joyner. "Ty did a good job of scoring tough baskets for us. And I thought E.J. and Jordan Brown did a good job of running the team."

The victory moved the Rhinos (15-2, 2-1) into a share of first place in the Region 10 standings with Cape Fear Community College (10-6, 2-1).

Love, who hit a late-game jumper in Gaston College's 86-84 win at Denmark Tech in its Jan. 15 league opener, led a balanced attack with 21 points. Judah Ravenell (19 points, 8 rebounds), Ryan Evans (16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots), Brown (12 points, 3 assists), Joyner (6 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), Jozohn Price (6 points, 3 rebounds) and Kyhree McAlister (5 points) were other Rhinos' standouts.

If you haven't checked out Shelli's She Shed in Stanley- what are you waiting for!

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-4pm980-318-3816106 W Dallas Rd., Stanley, NC 28164Check us out!

Hosting an event?Let us help you get the word out- purchase an event listing!

 Gaston County JobsBCBA with ABC Kids $100k, Travel Ultrasound $2354-$2507 month, Receptionist Tindol Subaru, Admin Asst City of Gastonia $44,345-$68,884,  and more...Info...