WCNC Charlotte

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HICKORY, N.C. -- Dan Lasky believes he will die soon. "I can't lift my arms above my shoulders, my fingers will be next.  I'm going.  I know I'm going.  I can feel it.  I can feel it,"  he said. Lasky has ALS, or Lou Gehrigs Disease.  He can't move his legs.  He can't walk.  But Dan has a dream. "I want to shake their  hands, talk a little bit, then say goodbye," said the 47-year-old. Dan is ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After the heavy rain  that moved across the region this morning, wind is our main concern through the evening.  There's a high wind warning in effect until 7 p.m.  Winds this afternoon will be sustained 20-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph.  In the mountains, wind gusts can be over 60 mph.  A major concern is fallen trees that could cause property damage and power outages.  It will ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Officials investigating the murder of a pregnant 15-year-old gunned down while waiting for the school bus have named a suspect in the case. And the attorney of the victim's adoptive brother – Royce Mitchell – says the new developments mean he deserves a new hearing to get out of prison. Police have called Mitchell “a person of interest” in Tiffany Wright's killing. In a Dec. 1 ... Full Story »

Charlotte, N.C. -- City leaders next week will be asked to consider expanding a program that extends government-backed loans to small businesses. Mayor Anthony Foxx said he will request additional funding for the financial aid, which he views as a catalyst for job creation. "I think that it is an effort that could lead to new jobs being created in sectors that promise long-term growth in ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When crime spiked in the Dilworth neighbhorhood in early 2008, the community pulled together to raise money to pay for extra patrols. "We're talking about people who are being assaulted, people getting pistol whipped, people getting assaulted on their way back from dinner Friday night--people who are frightened," a man told Newschannel 36 at a meeting in April 2008. The ... Full Story »

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has said his affair ended his political future, but lawmakers this week will decide whether it ends with impeachment. Only one of the seven House members who will weigh Sanford's fate Wednesday will say publicly whether the governor should be impeached, rebuked through a censure resolution or face no sanction after he skipped the state for ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At 11 years old, Ransome Martin seems to understand exactly why he's helping out at the Salvation Army Christmas Bureau. "I don't think it would be very fun waking up on Christmas and not having any toys," Martin said. But that might have happened to hundreds of Mecklenburg County children because, according to County Commissioner George Dunlap, a Department of Social Services ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Restaurants and bars usually try to come up with creative names when it comes to alcoholic beverages, but one restaurant may have gone too far. "I was immediately sick to my stomach," said Erin Lederer, a senior at UNC-Charlotte. What made her sick to her stomach wasn't the food at the Wild Wing Cafe in the University area. It was the name of a drink listed on their menu. "The ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Danica Patrick joins the NASCAR realm after inking a deal to drive in a handful of Nationwide Series races and one ARCA race. The agreement is with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, JR Motorsports. Patrick will drive the No. 7 Go Daddy Chevrolet. Go Daddy is one of Patrick's sponsors in the IRL. "It's a big deal," Patrick said at Tuesday's announcement in Arizona. "There's going to ... Full Story »

GASTONIA, N.C. -- Family members say the sister of one of the murdered women from Gastonia is now missing. Nicole Catterman, 23, is the sister of Heather Catterton, whose body was found in Clover, S.C., in October. "She's on the run," said her uncle, Ronnie Funderburk. "She's the type that will run until they catch her." Nicole Catterman was dating Danny Hembree, who is charged with killing her ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are searching for a couple who are accused of stealing a large amount of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. at SouthPark Mall on Monday. Surveillance photos show a man reaching over the counter and taking several items of jewelry after the store clerk walked away. The man is described as being about 6-feet-3, 200 pounds. The woman is described as being 5 ... Full Story »

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Rowan County deputies are searching for the men responsible for several thefts at Faith Farm and Equipment in Salisbury. Deputies say the men have stolen lawn equipment and trailers from the business. The men may be driving a 2003 or 2004 model Ford extended cab pickup truck with running boards. Witnesses have reported seeing a dark blue or tan pickup and a white pickup ... Full Story »

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina regulators have signed off on a plan in which Duke Energy Corp.'s 1.8 million electric customers in the state will see their bills go up next month and rise 7 percent on average over the next two years -- nearly half the increase originally sought by the utility. The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved a two-step agreement to let Duke Energy raise ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A controversial student reassignment move by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board will be revisited Tuesday.   A plan to scale back the International Baccalaureate program at Myers Park High School is back on the agenda for the new school board to discuss. But it does not appear that the new board will rescind the previous board's decision. Returning member Kaye McGarry ... Full Story »

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Even if her straying husband had asked her to, South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford says she would not have stood beside him when Gov. Mark Sanford told the world about his affair with an Argentine woman. Jenny Sanford tells ABC's Barbara Walters for a special airing Wednesday her husband's actions have caused consequences but not robbed her of her self esteem. Sanford ... Full Story »

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. -- Motorists looking to take Highway 321 to Blowing Rock will need to take an alternate route. U.S. 321 in Caldwell County near Lenoir between Kirby Mountain Road and Waterfalls Road is closed as construction crews remove boulders that were loosened during blasting last Thursday. The North Carolina DOT says more rocks than expected came down on the highway after blasting on ... Full Story »

INDIAN LAND, S.C. – Police are looking for two men who robbed a Jersey Mike’s Subs on Charlotte Highway and held two employees at gunpoint. The robbery happened around 9 p.m. Monday at 8431 Charlotte Highway. One suspect went behind the counter, held two store employees at gunpoint, and demanded money. After receiving and undisclosed amount of cash, the suspects fled from the store and ran ... Full Story »

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- A woman walking to her car at Birkdale Village this weekend was robbed and attacked by a man with a knife. It happened at about 7'15 p.m. Saturday. The woman had parked in the parking deck behind Claire's. She took a handicapped spot that was close to the front of the deck, which was full. A man dressed completely in black surprised her, holding a knife to her face while he ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After enduring a brutal recession at his day job at Wachovia and sharp cuts at his volunteer job as chair of the Charlotte-based United Way, Carlos Evans says, "I've had about as much fun as I can stand." This morning Evans presided over his last United Way board meeting, installing 22 board members, nine of them returning from the previous board. That's almost one-third the ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A large and very powerful winter storm is moving through the middle of the country, bringing blizzard conditions to the northern plains and upper Midwest. This storm system will bring the Charlotte area rain and very strong winds through Wednesday. Tonight we'll see periods of rain -- some could be heavy with very gusty winds, especially in the mountains where a high wind ... Full Story »

RALEIGH, N.C.-- Federal investigators are profiling bank robbers by giving them an online identity. The FBI and the North Carolina Bankers Association plan to unveil Tuesday morning a Web site that will include photographs and information about bank robbers. It's designed to generate information about the cases, and officials hope it will help reduce bank robberies in the state. The bankers ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Minutes after being sworn in as the city's first new mayor in 14 years, Anthony Foxx pledged to tackle homelessness, job creation, and government spending. Foxx will have the backing of a Democratic majority on city council with the party holding 8 of 11 seats. No political party has held such a strong majority since Charlotte began holding partisan elections in the 1970's ... Full Story »

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A grand jury is investigating the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, which has faced scrutiny over accounting practices and spending since early this year, two county commissioners said Monday. Commissioner George Dunlap said the grand jury has been looking into whether crimes were committed by employees. Commissioner Bill James said board members were told last ... Full Story »

PHOENIX (AP) -- Danica Patrick signed with JR Motorsports on Tuesday to give NASCAR a try, but her schedule in the second-tier Nationwide Series has yet to be determined. Patrick will make her stock car racing debut in the Feb. 6 ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway, a day before she'll be featured in a pair of Super Bowl ads for sponsor GoDaddy.com. The IndyCar sensation unveiled her ... Full Story »