South Fork River view, courtesy Scott ChisholmGood morning Gaston County... it's David. Today is March 19th, 2024Wow- a lot of you are interested in chickens, based on last weeks response. BUT, we evidently misread Cherryville's municipal code, as chickens are not allowed in the city limits. They are, however, allowed in the ETJ or Exrtra-Territorial Jurisdcition, That is an area outside the City's corporate limits in which the City can exercise land use and zoning regulations.

Today's weather:Today will be cool, with plenty of sunshine and gusty winds. The high will be 58.Tonight will be clear and chilly. The low will be 35.

New Italian restaurant coming to Belmont

A new restaurant is coming to Belmont. Marrelli's Family Owned Italian Restaurant will be located at 33 Glenway Street, formerly the location of Heirloom Restaurant. No word yet on whether there are new owners, or the former owners of Heirloom are opening a new concept.

Gastonia working to come up with fair housing solutionsFive years ago the City of Gastonia did a study on affordable housing. Yesterday the City got an update on that housing plan, and that study shows that after five years,  many of the same disparities still exist. Although not unique to Gastonia, rents have doubled since 2015, and there is still a limited supply of housing for low and moderate income families, as well as for people with disabilities.City Housing Chairman Robert Kellogg say the city is trying to change some zoning codes-evidently to encourage construction in those areas-  so that the cities most vulnerable will not be left behind.

Gaston County population increases by 1.4%The U.S. Census Bureau said that Gaston Counties' population has increased 1.4%, to 237,242. The Charlotte Metro's population increased by 1.8% during the same period.

Gaston County approves incentives for project "Miami"Gaston County Commissioners  have approved incentives for a large expansion project to upgrade several existing existing facilities The company is unnamed; the project is code names "Miami". The project calls for the company to invest $19.2 million, which would also create 190 new jobs with an annual salary of $54,942.

Gastonia East Rotary  supports local non-profits

Yesterday the Gastonia East Rotary club made donations to four local non-profits. They gave $1,000 to Gaston Dance, $1,000 to Strong Like AK, $1,000 to the Boy & Girls club of Gastonia, and $1,000 to Cancer Services. The Gastonia East Rotary also sponsors the Gastonia Summer Concert Series.During yesterday's meeting, the club also remembered Karl McKinnon, who passed away unexpectedly last week. He is a great loss to the club and to the community.

Gaston County's Equity and InclusionOfficer, Dr. Pearl Burris-Floyd  retired at the end of 2023. The County says she will not be replaced. Rather, her duties will be assumed by various by city departments. According to the city, they  will “continue Pearl’s work while not filling that position provides savings without compromising our mission of providing excellent public service every day.” 

Don't fall victim!

Beware of scammers!  Law enforcement will never call you and try to collect money over the phone.Scammers may spoof local sheriff or police number phone numbers, and appear to be legit- but they're not!

Charles Bynum Reid House purchased

The last remnant of Reid High School , the Charles Bynum Reid house, has been purchased, according to Preservation North Carolina.

According to Preserve NC,  Reid was born in 1879 in Lowell to Mag and John Reid. He was  one of eight children born to his formerly enslaved parents. In 1918, at the age of 38, he married another Gaston County schoolteacher, Maude Herndon, and the couple built their craftsman style bungalow in Belmont.   

Reid commissioned a school to be built adjacent to their home, initially named the Reid School, which included instruction through the sixth grade. Eventually, the school was expanded to include grades 1-12 and was renamed Reid High School in 1932.  

Save the Date: The City of Mount Holly will be hosting the Toddler Easter Egg Hunt on Wednesday, March 27th at 10:00 AM at Tuckaseege Park. In addition to the egg hunt, there will also be crafts, games and a visit from the Easter Bunny.This is a free event for toddlers and their families. We hope to see you there!

Coolio bungalow, $389,000

Welcome to this adorable modern and chic 2-bedroom, where contemporary design meets comfort and convenience. Situated in the heart of a Cramerton just 7 minutes from downtown Belmont, close to Goat Island Park as well as the popular and Whitewater Center. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by a warm and welcoming ambiance. The tastefully designed living room is the heart of the house. Kitchen is well equipped with space to move and cook. The bathroom is a tranquil oasis, featuring contemporary fixtures and a spacious shower. Sit on the front porch and unwind or entertain on the back patio, this home has it all. Beautiful features and open floor plan make it a turn-key home or investment property. No permits for the up-fit.Info...

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.

Miami Fusion Cafe

We serve breakfast too!

The Community Foundation Run is coming up!Race scheduled for April 13th

The Community Foundation Run is an annual fundraising event for local nonprofits facilitated by the Foundation. On the day of the Run, thousands of people come together for one of the biggest celebrations of community spirit and support in Gaston County.The Community Foundation  is one of the very best things about Gaston County. $27,082,711 has been raised since the Run began in 2003. Since that time, the Community Foundation has contributed over $3,848,000 to the Match Fund that supports all participating nonprofit organizations. The 2023 Run raised $1,203,163.91 and the match percentage was 34%.Click here to get info on how to sign up to run, walk, or be a sponsor.

Gaston College coach Michael Steuerwald tinkered with his lineup a bit going into Wednesday's doubleheader at Caromont Health Park against Gordon State (Ga.), a NJCAA World Series qualifier a year ago.

He changed up his normal pitching rotation, giving true freshman Emma Ghorley the first start of her college career and holding out another prize freshman, Abigail Brewton, for possible late-inning relief.

The idea was to give the Rhinos a spark, and the lineup juggling seemed to pay off in a doubleheader sweep of the Highlanders, 6-2 in comeback fashion in game one and 2-1 in a tense, pitching-dominant game two.

"We have not been playing our best ball, so we were trying to see what we could put together to spark us back to where we were a couple of weeks ago," Steuerwald said.

Ghorley, a Highland Tech product, went 6 1/3 innings to get the win in the opener, with Brewton retiring two batters in the top of the seventh to close out the game.

No. 1 Gaston College's baseball team completed its second straight sweep of a four-game Region 10 series on Sunday with 7-6 and 21-10 victories at USC Lancaster.

The Rhinos, ranked No. 1 for the first time in history in any sport at the school last week, held off a late rally by the host Lancers to win the opener then erupted for a season-high in runs in the nightcap.

"From an offensive standpoint, we were unbelieveably good," said Gaston College coach Shohn Doty, whose team increased its winning streak to 20 games while improving to 29-2 overall and 8-0 in Region 10 Division I play. "We were really dialed in."

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

The She Shed is a home decor boutique full of floral stems & arrangements and unique, vintage, antique, retro, farmhouse styles and the perfect gift items.Open on Thurs, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm980-318-3816106 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 JobsLPN $25-$30 hr, Cust Svc Rep $19-$24 hr, Construction Mgr, from $110k, Billing Specialist from $21 hr,Real Estate Legal Asst $35-$55k, QC Lab Tech $25-$26 hr, and more...Info...

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