Good morning Gaston County! It's David, and today is October 1st, 2024What an eventful few days...Hurricane Helene sure made her presence felt. We hope you and all of your loved ones are safe and accounted for.On a sad note, we lost Pete Rose, Kris Kristofferson and Dikembe Mutumbo in the last few days.On a happy note-Happy 100th birthday to Jimmy Carter!

Tuesday's weather:Today will be partly sunny and humid with a shower in the area . The high will be 81.Tonight will be mainly clear and humid . The low will be 64.

Muddy River Distillery in Mount Holly fights a muddy creek

Muddy River Distillery in Mount Holly is surrounded by water on three sides. On Friday, because of Hurricane Helene, water was about 18 inches from flooding the facility. Fortunately, the buildings first floor was designed with the flood plain in mind. The building can sustain water of up to 4 feet, once any supplies or equipment are moved, allowing the water to drain.

JP Morgan Chase to open new bank in BelmontJP Morgan Chase has filed plans to open a new bank at Wilkinson  Boulevard and Park Street in Belmont, although looking at the map, not sure where they would place it.The bank has not set an opening date for that location. Chase is the nations largest bank, with the most locations at 4800.Chase has another branch is at 2516 E. Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia.

Big Lots Belmont, Gastonia, safe for nowBig Lots is in the middle of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and could possibly be acquired. They posted another 58 store closing list, but the Belmont and Gastonia locations were not listed. It appears that they are closing about 450 of their 1400 locations.

Fryeday Coffee Roasters Celebrates 5 years on Oct 5th! Join us as we celebrate 5 years this Friday Night 10/4 from 6:30 – 9pm  Live Music with The Rusty Gray Band Enjoy dinner from D’Licious Foods 313 – Urban Eats. Things to know: There’s a $5 cover charge. We do not allow dogs during events. We Do have our beer & wine license!We are located at 106 E First Street, LowellInfo here!

What's up with the Silver Line coming to BelmontThe Metropolis Transit Commission is working on a $25 billion dollar mass transit plan for the Charlotte Metro area. But more planning, meetings, citizen input, and government approval and many years will be required before any real movement will be seen.The Red Line, a 25 mile commuter rail project, would go from Charlotte to Huntersville, Cornelius, all the way to Mount Morne near Mooresville.  It is the only project mandated to be built.The proposed Silver Line, which would stop on the airport property, but not near the terminal, could be extended into Belmont. The other half of what was supposed to be the Silver Line that would go to Matthews, is being changed to Bus Rapid Transit service.Route planning  and transit type mix ( light rail, buses and roads) and funding planing have begun, but will take years.

Gastonia Baseball Club to announce new name in OctoberThe voting ended August 30th, and soon the Gastonia Baseball Club will announce their new name. The team tried out eight potential names during the season: the Gastonia Gastronauts, the Gastonia Bolognia, the Gastonia Galactic Dinos, the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, the Gastonia Zombees, the Gastonia Garden Gnomes, the Gastonia Yarniaks and simply the Gastonia Baseball Club.We vote for the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, or the  Gastonia Baseball Club.

New outdoor mural contributes artwork to Pinewood Elementary and the communityPinewood Elementary in Mount Holly knows how to celebrate the arts, and the school is doing just that with a new mural that has been painted on a brick wall near the entranceway.  As a North Carolina A+ School (one of three in Gaston County Schools), Pinewood is known for adding the arts into everyday learning for students, something that is exemplified by the bright outdoor mural that now decorates the school. 

The large-scale mural, painted by Charlotte artist Jake Summerour, is named “Into the Backyard,” and it was inspired by student artwork. The mural, which is a collaboration between Gaston County Schools and the City of Mount Holly, depicts children playing among a nature scene with flowers, animals, a waterway, and other features.

CorrectionGastonia to install 7 foot "peace pole" at the Rotary International PavillionThe Gastonia City Council has approved the intallation of a 7 foot "peace pole" at the Pavilion in downtown Gastonia.The phrase "May peace Prevail on the Earth" will be written on the pole  in eight languages: English, Spanish, German (for Gastonia’s sister city), Haitian-Creole, Slovak, Catawba Indian, Arabic and Hebrew. The Gastonia Rotary is hoping to have the pole dedicated by Rotary International  President Stephanie Urchick when she visits on November 8th.

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.

$2 ticket turns into $217,000As they say, you have to be in it to win it.  And Tammy Wade from Gastonia was in it. Tammy bought a $2 "Break the Bank"  ticket from Tom's Family Mart on Stony Point Road in Kings Mountain.Wade bought a $2 ticket, so she got 20% of a progressive jackpot, more than $217,000.

Donny Hicks celebrates 40 years with Gaston CountyOn September 1st, Donny Hicks, Executive Director of the Economic Development Commission, celebrated his 40 year milestone as a Gaston County employee. Under Donny's leadership, Gaston County has recruited millions of dollars in foreign direct investment, created thousands of new jobs, assisted in the development of multiple business parks and more.

Born and raised in Gaston County, Donny’s personal commitment to the community runs deep and is reflected in his professional achievements.  He has been recognized with numerous awards during his tenure such as NCEDA’s President’s Award and two-time winner of Developer of the Year.

Please join the staff at the EDC in honoring Donny and thanking him for his service to Gaston County. Thank you and congratulations Donny!

Passions Cafe & Pastry coming to Mount HollyPassions Cafe & Pastry is coming to Mount Holly. They are located right beside El Valle near the drivers license office at 791 West Charlotte Avenue.

Miami Fusion Cafe

The Panthers lost, so why are the fans are so happy?Sure, the Panthers lost on Sunday against the Bengals on Sunday, 34-24. So why are the fans happy? Because the Panthers showed some fight, and they were competitive. We are tired of the inept moves of management and uninspired play on the field

Even though the Panthers lost, the switch to Andy Dalton makes us look like a real team, with a genuine chance to win.From offensive lineman Austin Corbett: "Just the continuity of the team coming together. Everybody fighting for one another, no matter what happens on the other side of the ball. We're answering, and nobody's hanging their heads; just let it down. There's a fight, there's a determination that we've had recently that we haven't had in years past. So this is a new team, but we've just got to change the results for the wins."

Former local athletic standout and current Gaston County teacher Annelle Grealis has been hired as the school's beach volleyball head coach by Rhinos athletic director Shohn Doty.

Grealis, in her second year at Gaston College's Early College high school, becomes the second head coach in program history. She replaces Rachel Noreika, who guided the Rhinos for three seasons including the final two ending in the National Junior College Athletic Association championships.

"I know this first year will be about building a good base and a foundation," Grealis said. "We need a team first but I want to create a super competitive atmosphere here."

So far, Grealis has only one player returning from last year's roster and will be holding open tryouts on September 28 at the school's on-campus facility.

"Ideally, I'd like to have 10 players and get it going," Grealis said. "I look forward to building the program."

Grealis has international athletic experience and has played indoor and beach volleyball in addition to running track and field in high school and in college.

"I've been around the sport my whole life," Grealis said, who competed in club beach volleyball through college and is currently an indoor volleyball referee for the Western Piedmont Region.

Gaston College's baseball program has been successful since it was restarted in the fall of 2021.

The Rhinos added more chapters when 2022 standout pitcher Gus Hughes was selected in the 18th round (No. 541 overall) by the New York Yankees on the third day of the major league draft on July 17 and 2023 standout pitcher Derek Vartanian signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves the day after the draft concluded.

Hughes transferred to Gaston College from UNC Charlotte in January 2022 and made an immediate impact on the Rhinos' first-year program.

"For us, having Gus get drafted and having Derek sign is something that continues to add to our resume," said  Gaston College athletic director and baseball coach Shohn Doty, who has guided the Rhinos to a 142-30 record in three seasons. "So this is another success that our program has had."The credit goes to the kids and our coaching staff. We talk about bringing in the right kind of guys and the development process all the time so I'm just really proud of him and look forward to following their careers."

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 JobsOutpatient mental health therapist, from $54 hr, Medical Asst. $18-$20hr, Key Account Mgr w/ Mann & Hummel $85k-$115k, Dental & Orthodontic Asst. $16-$25 hr, and more...Info...