FLASHBACK NOV. 18-24, 2017: Look back at news and sports from a year ago

This is part of a series of columns highlighting the communities of faith in Cabarrus County.

As people of faith to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day for God’s many blessings, it is good to remember the ancient roots of Thanksgiving within our own community.

The Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report of sexual assault that took place at the Concord Branch of the Cabarrus County Public Library System (27 Union Street North) on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Warrants for arrest were issued Wednesday for Larry Herman Barrino (black male, DOB 11/16/1986), charging him with two counts of statutory sex offense with a child. The Sheriff’s Office is working to locate Barrino, with reports indicating he may be in Monroe.

CONCORD – Northwest Cabarrus lost fumbles on two consecutive offensive plays in the first quarter of Friday’s football game with Waynesville Tuscola. But luckily for the Trojans, the visiting Mountaineers were just as mistake-prone.

Northwest Cabarrus still built a two-touchdown lead with the help of a couple of first-quarter takeaways, as it dispatched Tuscola, 41-8, in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs at Trojan Stadium.

CORNELIUS – Some kids give their mothers flowers as a gift.

Some give Mom chocolates, or others might simply give her a heartfelt greeting card.

CONCORD – And then there was one.

Six football teams from Cabarrus County took the field in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs last week. But only one will be playing after Thanksgiving.

People typically think of boiling or roasting Brussels sprouts. Let’s think outside the sprout, and shred them adding some zesty lemon juice, a splash of extra virgin olive oil and some diced fresh tuna. That would surely turn your tedious Brussels sprouts recipe into a spectacular salad that everyone will enjoy.

Named after the city of Brussels in Belgium, the mighty Brussels sprouts were cultivated by the Romans all the way back in the 1200s. They were brought via migrating farmers to the Americans in the 1800s. Brussels sprouts are high in vitamins K and C, low in cholesterol and saturated fat and are a good source of riboflavin, magnesium and phosphorus.

Diverse groups come together for good

From staff reports

Relief may be on the way for one traffic headache in Concord; the messy intersection of Cabarrus Avenue/Union Cemetery Road/Concord Parkway (U.S. 29).

This week the N.C. Department of Transportation held a drop-in meeting to discuss its plans for Union Cemetery Road and changes that are proposed to fix traffic problems. Here are five take-aways from that session.

    Here at Thanksgiving, all Americans should pause and review some of the facts of the pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving. As you will see they had much to be thankful to God as we certainly should be too.

     One hundred and two persons who crossed the Atlantic in a ship called the Mayflower.  The voyage was a long one in the winter which made them miserable.  They had left England seeking religious freedom.  Probably not many of us today would have had enough courage to join that group led by a minister named John Robinson.

KANNAPOLIS- A GoFundMe has been set up to help the victims of the fire that killed one woman and left eight others displaced in Kannapolis.

Brandon Powell, owner of Foundation Doctor in Cabarrus County, created the fundraiser because one of the displaced family members is a long-time employee with the company.

KANNAPOLIS- Brantley Ratliff dreams of becoming a police officer one day. The 3-year-old has a police uniform that he wears constantly, and sometimes even sleeps in.

So when it came time for his 3rd birthday party during a recent weekend, of course the theme was “Police are heroes.” His mother, Brittany Ratliff, even made a sign that said “All heroes don’t wear capes” complete with a police badge.

The Concord City Council took steps to push economic development and bring new jobs to the area at their meeting this month.

Council members approved economic development incentives for a plan to annex roughly 48 acres of land on Goodman Road to be used for industrial warehouse space at the Thursday, Nov. 8, meeting. The council also approved incentives for construction of a 600,000-square-foot manufacturing building in the area.

Editor's Note: This is part of a series featuring local high school bands and their accomplishments during the fall competition season. We asked band directors to describe their show and season and for a listing of their awards and leaders.

Mount Pleasant High School Marching Band

Two Rowan County men have been with several crimes following an investigation into a break-in last week at a Salisbury golf cart company.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office issued this press release Tuesday, Nov. 20:

SALISBURY –W. Brian Hiatt, former Concord city manager, will lead Salisbury’s planning department on an interim, part-time basis until a new planning director is named.

Hiatt’s appointment comes on the heels of former Planning Director Janet Gapen’s retirement and Development Manager Preston Mitchell’s recent resignation. Hiatt’s first day was Monday, Nov. 19.

Though his time on NBC’s The Voice has come to an end, Kameron Marlowe said the opportunities are only beginning.

The 21-year-old Kannapolis native made it to the live round of 24 in the singing competition, when a combination of viewer votes and coach’s choice cut the field in half.

Atrium Health has settled one lawsuit only to be added to another.

Attorney General Josh Stein recently announced that he has reached a settlement with Atrium Health as a result of the antitrust lawsuit the North Carolina Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice filed in 2016.

CONCORD – Cabarrus County government offices, including the Cabarrus County Government Center, Department of Human Services, Animal Shelter, senior centers, Veterans Services, County Landfill and the Household Hazardous Waste Facility will close for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov.23.

Cabarrus County parks will close on Thanksgiving Day and will return to their normal hours on Friday, Nov. 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All branches of the Cabarrus County Library System will close early, Wednesday, Nov.21, at 5 p.m. and remain closed through Sunday, Nov. 25.

CONCORD - Historic Cabarrus Association, Inc. recently presented a grant check for $4,930 to the 1.2.7. Family Worship Center at 127 Cabarrus Avenue West for the replacement of the deteriorated steeple roof above the church’s sanctuary.

The sanctuary, built in 1880, was originally known as Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The Northwest Cabarrus High School theatre department brought home honors from the 2018 NCTC High School Play Festival.

The theatre program, led by Andy Rassler, made the school and community proud with their presentation of The Queen’s ServANTS at the Festival, and is thrilled to bring home the following awards: Excellence in Ensemble, Excellence in Acting (Nick Isley and Macy Skaggs), Excellence in Directing (Andy Rassler), Outstanding Technical Costume Design (Blanca Murillo), a Superior Rating and the Judges’ Choice Distinguished Play Award.

Just in time for Concord’s Christmas events, the Concord Police Department added two new four-legged officers to its team.

Pictured here with Chief Gary Gacek are Sgt. Cydney McGhee and Sgt. Lance Brooks with their horses, Sarge and Ace.

CONCORD – High school basketball takes off full-thrust this week in Cabarrus County, as most local teams begin their 2018-19 campaigns.

On Monday night, the Hickory Ridge boys and girls basketball teams travel to Mallard Creek for what should be a pair of intriguing matchups.

Health officials have determined it was the Brunswick stew that cause over 300 people to get sick after eating at the annual Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church BBQ.

In a statement released on Friday, Nov. 16, the Cabarrus Health Alliance said it received preliminary test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to food samples from the Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church BBQ held on November 1.

Even though a car drove through it on Friday, the owners of Joe’s Sports Bar and Grill say they are still open for business.

Emergency crews responded to the sports bar at around 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 when a a Chrysler 300 crashed into the front of the building, which is located on the 200 block of Exchange Street NW in Afton Village.

CONCORD – Fans of the Northwest Cabarrus football team can rest a little easier after their team’s 56-21 victory over the North Buncombe Black Hawks Friday night in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs.

Sam Walker, who had quarterbacked the Trojans to a 33-30 conference title-clinching overtime victory over the Cox Mil Chargers two weeks ago in relief of injured starter Nick Wild-Lawing, played very well as he got the start against the Black Hawks and connected on all three of his pass attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown. He looked in command and comfortable behind center throughout the night.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Just when Mike Johns thought he and his coaching staff had prepared their Mount Pleasant Tigers for everything they should expect from Belmont South Point’s deceptive flexbone rushing attack, the Red Raiders had another tactical wrinkle they could employ.

And just when Mount Pleasant’s defense proved it could withstand the methodical hammering that South Point’s offense uses to beat opponents into submission, the Raiders proved they could be sneaky enough to reel off a big play or sustain a crippling ball-controlling drive for which the Tigers had no answers.

CONCORD – The Jay M. Robinson football season season came to a crashing halt in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs on Friday night, when the Bulldogs lost to the Tuscola Mountaineers, 14-7, at home.

The Bulldogs had four goal-to-go chances to score the game-tying touchdown, but they were stuffed at the goal line each time. It was certainly a disappointing end on a roller-coaster season.

Forty-six students from five schools in Cabarrus County recently attended the 91st annual FFA National Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

FFA members from Mount Pleasant High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Central Cabarrus High School, Cox Mill High School and Mount Pleasant Middle School attended the convention. According to its website, the event drew a record of 69,944 attendees to Indianapolis.

If it’s got a good beat and easy to dance to, it might save a life.

According to an article in The Washington Post, the source I turn to for stories about cardiac arrest and popular music, a new playlist,  “which was developed by New York-Presbyterian Hospital, collects songs that have a tempo between 100 and 120 beats per minute — the perfect pace for lifesaving chest compressions in case you have to perform CPR.”