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Tag: Union County

  • Cuthbertson boys, girls win NCHSAA 7A track state championships Wednesday

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    Kimberly Lightfoot

    Special to The Observer

    Sometimes the best victories are the ones you don’t expect.

    Cuthbertson track and field coach Dustin Allen thought his boys’ team had a pretty good shot of winning the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Class 7A indoor track and field championship Wednesday.

    The girls’ team? Well, not so much.

    “The girls’ team really had a tough season,” Allen said. “They took blow after blow.”

    But the Cavaliers’ girls delivered Wednesday, giving Cuthbertson a sweep of the boys’ and girls’ team championships at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.

    The Cavaliers swept state titles in 2022 and ’23. The girls’ program has won eight state titles, and the boys’ program has three — all under Allen.

    But this year’s victory by the girls was special, the Cavaliers’ head coach said.

    “They had to deal with injuries and other problems,” he said. “I challenged them a week ago. I told them they needed to challenge themselves.”

    Two standouts – Sophie Hoang and Ava Jones – did not compete much of the season due to ankle injuries.

    “They could have accounted for 40 points today,” Allen said.

    But with several Cavaliers turning in clutch performances, Cuthbertson had just enough to edge runner-up Marvin Ridge 83-77.

    Cuthbertson’s boys had a more dominant performance, scoring 81 points and easily outdistancing Weddington, Reagan and Marvin Ridge, the 2-3-4 finishers.

    In the boys’ competition, Cuthbertson’s Ryder Sgherza won the pole vault, and the Cavaliers took two relays.

    Isabella Kartsonis took the pole vault for Cuthbertson’s girls, and the Cavaliers also won a relay.

    But, Allen said, it was the other athletes — those who finished fourth, fifth or sixth — who made a big difference.

    For the girls, Colby McCollum won the 1,600-meter run. But she also added points by placing in the 1,000 and 3,200 meters. Kaleigh Arnold and Cecilia Taft got points by placing in distance events.

    For the boys, Bryce Gatlin (300 meters) and Teegan Smith (500 meters) earned points with sixth-place finishes.

    The team arrived home late Wednesday afternoon and was escorted to the school by Waxhaw police and fire personnel.

    “The kids were really excited about this,” Allen said. “They really had a big day. It was special.”

    CLASS 7A

    BOYS

    TEAM STANDINGS

    1. Cuthbertson 81; 2. Weddington 45; 3. Reagan 43; 4. Marvin Ridge 42; 5. Cary 31.

    6. Holly Springs; 7. Hopewell; 8. (tie) Heritage, West Cabarrus, Hickory Ridge; 12. (tie) South Garner, Cardinal Gibbons, Clayton; 15. Porter Ridge; 16. Garner; 20. Hillside.

    EVENT WINNERS

    (with top-five finishers from Charlotte and Raleigh areas)

    55-meter dash

    1. Alijah Monroe (West Cabarrus), 6.26 seconds; 2. Manny Martin (Clayton); 3. Ace Clements (Weddington); 4. Owen Green (Cary).

    300 meters

    1. Jordon McNeil (Southwest Guilford), 33.30; 2. Aiden Smith (Marvin Ridge); 3. Alijah Monroe (West Cabarrus); 4. Henry Luley (Weddington); 5. Tyler Adams (Hillside).

    500 meters

    1. Jayden Wilson (R.J. Reynolds), 1:04.31; 2. Jaden Kelly (Hopewell); 3. Dominic DeLuca (Cardinal Gibbons); 4. Justin Wilson (South Garner); 5. Caleb London (South Garner).

    1,000 meters

    1. Hunter Bates (Weddington), 2:28.13; 2. Cade Cresswell (Porter Ridge); 3. John Weber (Cuthbertson); 4. Nathan Suplee (Hopewell).

    1,600 meters

    1. Grady Anderson (Hickory Ridge), 4:21.58; 2. Cruz Leonard (Holly Springs); 3. Alex Gray (Riverside); 4. Michael Rivlin (Marvin Ridge); 5. Joshua Palmer (Cuthbertson).

    3,200 meters

    1. Owen Reece (Topsail), 9:20.46; 2. James Elliott (Cardinal Gibbons); 4. Cruz Leonard (Holly Springs); 5. Brandon Williams (Holly Springs).

    55-meter hurdles

    1. Justin White (Page), 7.38; 2. Keegan McClure (Lake Norman); 3. Mario Saunders (Weddington); 4. Chris Lewis (Clayton); 5. Jalen Munroe (Ballantyne Ridge).

    4X200 relay

    1. Cuthbertson, 1:28.81; 2. Marvin Ridge; 3. Weddington; 5. Butler.

    4X400 relay

    1. Porter Ridge, 3:23.61; 2. Cuthbertson; 3. Hopewell; 4. Heritage; 5. Marvin Ridge.

    4X800 relay

    1.Cuthbertson, 7:58.96; 3. Marvin Ridge; 4. Holly Springs; 5. Weddington.

    High jump

    1. Maddox Krotzer (South Garner), 7-0; 2. Tommy Pringle II (Cuthbertson); 3. Jaleel O’Neal (Cleveland).

    Long jump

    1. Jacori Covington (Garner), 23-9; 2. Amare Alsobrook (Weddington); 4. Tommy Pringle II (Cuthbertson).

    Triple jump

    1. Djobril Fair (Reagan), 44-8; 2. Jaylin Spivey (Cary); 4. Zuriel Akpan (Hillside); 5. Sean Williams (West Cabarrus)

    Pole vault

    1. Ryder Sgherza (Cuthbertson), 14-9; 3. Zach Hanson (Heritage); 4. Landon Folk (Cardinal Gibbons); 5. Owen Donovan (Marvin Ridge).

    Shot put

    1. Rico Mabberley (Topsail), 59-2.75; 2. Chase McDonough (Hickory Ridge); 3. John Beacher (Cary); 4. James Willis (Heritage).

    GIRLS

    TEAM STANDINGS

    1. Cuthbertson 83; 2. Marvin Ridge 77; 3. Cardinal Gibbons 55; 4. Clayton 50; 5. Chapel Hill 33.; 7. (tie) Independence, Hillside; 9. Holly Springs; 10. Porter Ridge; 11. Weddington; 12. Garner; 13. West Cabarrus; 15. (tie) Southeast Raleigh, Lake Norman; 17. Wake Forest; 19 (tie) Butler, Hickory Ridge.

    EVENT WINNERS

    (with top-five finishers from Charlotte and Raleigh areas)

    55-meter dash

    1. Londyn Atkinson (Clayton), 6.94; 3. Adriana Zega (Independence); 4. Jordyn Creecy (Garner); 5. Jalaisia Judd (Clayton).

    300 meters

    1. Londyn Atkinson (Clayton), 38.61; 2. Adriana Zega (Independence); 3. Jalaisia Judd (Clayton); 4. Callie Swanson (Cardinal Gibbons); 5. Grace Rogers (Independence).

    500 meters

    1. Jamie Pailu (Garner), 1:16.10; 2. Aria Alexander (Hillside); 3. Chloe Wiedbrauk (Porter Ridge); 4. Kennedy Williams (Porter Ridge); 5. Kaylen Marabe (Hillside).

    1,000 meters

    1. Kaitlyn Estep (Cardinal Gibbons), 2:58.81; 2. Tatum Tsumas (Marvin Ridge); 3. Jalyn Alexander (Cardinal Gibbons); 4. Colby McCollum (Cuthbertson); 5. Karleigh Arnold (Cuthbertson).

    1,600 meters

    1. Colby McCollum (Cuthbertson), 4:51.22; 2. Kaitlyn Estep (Cardinal Gibbons); 3. Caitlin Kastes (Marvin Ridge); 4. Isabell Cluff (Holly Springs); 5. Ella Harbaugh (Marvin Ridge).

    3,200 meters

    1 .Kasey Dingman (Lake Norman), 10:38.55; 2. Caitlin Kasten (Marvin Ridge); 3. Colby McCollum (Marvin Ridge); 4. Arabell Cluff (Holly Springs); 5. Anneka Hill (Cardinal Gibbons).

    55-meter hurdles

    1. Selah Edwards (Southeast Raleigh), 7.88; 2. Farfah Anderson (Marvin Ridge); 3. Samone Arrington (Southern Durham); 4. Aleah Wright (Chapel Hill); 5. Paige Ostrowski (Weddington).

    4X200 relay

    1. Clayton, 1:38.53; 2. Independence; 3. Weddington; 4. Porter Ridge; 5. Cuthbertson.

    4X400 relay

    1. Clayton, 3:58.43; 2. Marvin Ridge; 3. Cuthbertson; 4. Cardinal Gibbons.

    4X800 relay

    1.Cuthbertson, 9:36.81; 3. Marvin Ridge; 4. Riverside; 5. Cardinal Gibbons.

    High jump

    1. Ashley Casas (Reagan), 5-4; 2. Emerson Eisenberg (Wake Forest); 3. Helena Best (Marvin Ridge); 4. Dijah Diallo (Holly Springs); 5. Anneliese Lynn (Cuthbertson).

    Long jump

    1. Aleah Weight (Chapel Hill), 18-9,25; 2. Farrah Anderson (Marvin Ridge); 3. Mariah Joiner (Cuthbertson); 5. Dijah Diallo (Holly Springs).

    Triple jump

    1. Aleah Weight (Chapel Hill), 38-0.75; 2. Raeghen Melchor (Porter Ridge); 3. Addyson Hamer (Hillside); 4. Kylia Sylvester (Butler); 5. Cicely Boswell (Ballantyne Ridge).

    Pole vault

    1 .Isabella Kartsonis (Cuthbertson), 12-0; 2. Tessa Kranick (Cardinal Gibbons); 5. Mayah Runkle (Marvin Ridge).

    Shot put

    1. Sofia Whitaker (West Cabarrus), 38-9.5; 2. Cecilia Luzarraga (Weddington); 3. Amber Kropman (Cuthbertson); 4. Miriam Jones (Marvin Ridge); 5. Aleah Weight (Chapel Hill).

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  • Three men convicted in drive-by killing of 13-year-old girl in Union County

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    Three of the four men on trial in the drive-by shooting death of a 13-year-old Union County girl were found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

    Jamari McClain, Darius Roland, and Jamerik Garmon were sentenced, without the possibility of parole, for fatally shooting Bay’Asia “Loyalti” Allah near her family’s home in Monroe on July 24, 2021.

    A Union County District Attorney’s Office press release said Garmon was also sentenced to a consecutive 17 to 30 months in prison on a charge of possession of a firearm by convicted felon.

    The fourth man, Jamari Crowder, was found not guilty, according to court documents. Charlotte Observer news partner WSOC reported he was “just along for the ride,” sitting in the third row of an SUV when the shooting occurred. He was released after the trial.

    Another man, Javon Robinson, was charged with first-degree murder but has not yet been tried, WSOC reported. Robinson testified in this case, the outlet reported.

    “This was a shocking and senseless murder,” District Attorney Trey Robison said in the press release. “This child was minding her own business when she was shot by these callous men who had no regard whatsoever of who they might hit.”

    The girl was outside at a picnic table near her family’s apartment with friends when the men drove by and started shooting, the press release said. But Loyalti was not their intended target.

    They had an AR-15, two semiautomatic handguns with extended magazines, ski masks and a backpack with extra ammunition at the time of the shooting, the press release said. But they traveled to Charlotte afterward to hide, and “destroyed multiple pieces of evidence.”

    Tina Sykes-Mosley, founder of the group Mothers Advocating for Real Change and Unwavering Support, said she was happy with the verdict.

    The nonprofit, named after her son, Marcus, who was killed in Burlington in 2020, supports families who have lost loved ones to homicide. Sykes-Mosley and volunteers from the nonprofit supported Loyalti’s mother throughout the trial.

    The nonprofit also advocates for legislation to strengthen sentences and deny bail for people charged with murder. Sykes-Mosley, who previously raised concerns that courts do too much to protect defendants, credited Judge Robert Stuart Albright’s handling of the trial.

    “This judge here was all for justice, was all for the truth, and I greatly appreciated him not blocking truth,” she said.

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Jeff A. Chamer

    The Charlotte Observer

    Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.
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  • 2025 Union County elections: Live results for Indian Trail, Waxhaw, Weddington

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    The first results to populate the graphic below will be early and absentee results after polls close at 7:30 p.m. The graphic below only reflects Union County results in cases where cities or towns extend into other counties.

    Caitlin McGlade

    The Charlotte Observer

    Caitlin McGlade is an investigative data reporter with about 15 years of experience holding accountable powerful people in Arizona, Kentucky, Florida and Ohio. Her work prompted a variety of reforms, including Arizona’s first-ever standards for assisted living memory care, and won numerous national awards. 

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    Caitlin McGlade

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  • 17-year-old charged with murder after 2 teen girls on e-bikes killed in NJ hit-and-run

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    CRANFORD, N.J. (WPVI) — A teenager has been arrested in connection to the deaths of two teen girls who were struck by a vehicle while on their e-bikes in Cranford, New Jersey, on Monday night.

    The 17-year-old from Garwood was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, authorities announced Wednesday.

    The two best friends were hit around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both victims died later that night.

    It is believed the victims were riding their e-bikes home after attending a school function when they were struck by a black 2021 Jeep Compass. Both were just blocks from their home when they were struck.

    At a community vigil on Tuesday night, the victims’ mothers held each other up through their grief.

    Mary Campbell lives next-door to one the family of one of the victims.

    “Beautiful young girl, very good student, very friendly, always helping the parents out,” Campbell said. “She’s got a brother and a beautiful young boy. Beautiful. I hugged him last night and I said, ‘there’s no words I can say to make this any easier for you.’”

    The suspect left the scene after the crash but was later found and taken into custody.

    Anyone with any information on the crash is urged to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Detective Alex Lanza at (908) 370-4318 or Cranford Police Detective Jason D’Agostino at (908) 276-0171.

    Tips can also be submitted anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org; submission of tips made in this fashion that result in an arrest and indictment can be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000 via the Union County Crime Stoppers.

    Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    WPVI

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  • Creston Police: Cumberland man charged with domestic abuse

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    Aug. 22—Justin A. Roberston, 45, of Greenfield, was taken into custody 8:59 a.m. Aug. 20, in the 100 block of East Adams Street on a Union County warrant for the charge of failure to appear on the original charge of violation of probation.

    According to a Union County District Court document, Robertson was ordered to appear in court July 11 for a probation revocation hearing and did not appear.

    Robertson was transported to the Union County Jail and held on $2,000 cash only bond.

    — — — — —

    Tyler J. Hicks, 36, of Creston, was taken into custody 7:26 p.m. Aug. 20, at his residence on a Union County warrant for the charge of failure to appear on the original charge of criminal mischief, second degree.

    According to a Union County District Court document, Hicks was ordered to appear in court Aug. 15 for a hearing on the original charge and did not appear.

    Hicks was transported to the Union County Jail and held without bond until seen by the court issuing the warrant.

    — — — — —

    Ethan L. Sheley, 23, of Cumberland, was taken into custody 8:43 p.m. Aug. 20, on Pole Road on the charge of domestic abuse assault, first offense.

    According to a Creston Police report, at approximately 7:50 p.m. a domestic dispute was reported at a residence on Buckeye Street. When officers arrived, the suspect, identified as Sheley, had left the residence.

    The victim showed police a hole Sheley had punched in a door. The victim also stated Sheley had refused to let them leave the house during the argument and was bumping the victim in the chest with his. Family members of the victim said Seley appeared intoxicated and was throwing things outside and yelling at the victim.

    Sheley was stopped by the Union County Sheriff’s Office a short time later. He admitted to having a disagreement with the victim but said the hole in the door was accidental, caused by him putting his palm up to stop the door from slamming in his face.

    Sheley was transported the Union County Jail and held without bond until his initial court appearance.

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  • NC police search for man they handcuffed and arrested on an attempted-murder charge

    NC police search for man they handcuffed and arrested on an attempted-murder charge

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    Police on Saturday searched for a Union County man who ran from officers after he was arrested and handcuffed on a charge of attempted murder.

    Police on Saturday searched for a Union County man who ran from officers after he was arrested and handcuffed on a charge of attempted murder.


    aijohn784

    Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Police searched Saturday for a Union County man who ran from officers after he was arrested and handcuffed on a charge of attempted murder.

    People might recognize the man if only because “he may still be in handcuffs,” Monroe Police said on Facebook.

    “He is considered armed and dangerous,” police said about 42-year-old Waxhaw resident Cleveland Lamont Waters. “If you see him, do not approach him and immediately call 911.”

    Cleveland Lamont Waters
    Cleveland Lamont Waters MONROE POLICE DEPARTMENT

    Waters is accused of shooting a person multiple times just after 4:30 a.m. Friday on English Street, police said.

    The victim ran to nearby Winchester Avenue, where he collapsed, police said. Police didn’t release the name of the person who was shot, but said the person was hospitalized and is “expected to survive.”

    Monroe Police, Union County sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers were “actively searching” for Waters after his escape Friday night, according to a Monroe Police Department Facebook post Saturday morning.

    Waters was last seen wearing black pants and a red shirt, police said.

    Investigators obtained warrants on Waters and tracked him to a home on Locklyn Road in Waxhaw Friday night, police said.

    Monroe Police, Waxhaw Police and the Union County Sheriff’s Office special response team executed a search warrant on the home and detained him inside, investigators said.

    Officers seized multiple firearms and illegal narcotics found in the home, Monroe Police said.

    “Before Waters was able to be booked into jail, he escaped custody still wearing his handcuffs in the area surrounding Carroll Street, Rolling Hill Drive and King Arthur Drive,” police said in a Facebook post.

    Officers “conducted a widespread search of the area overnight using K9s and other advanced search techniques and technology,” but couldn’t find him, police said.

    “Detectives believe Waters has fled the area,” the police Facebook post said.

    The Monroe Police Department has requested additional resources from surrounding agencies, along with state and federal agencies.

    Waters is wanted on charges including attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

    Police urge the public to call 911 if they see Waters, or leave a message on the Union County Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line, 704-283-5600. A cash reward up to $5,000 is offered for anonymous information that helps lead to an arrest, police said.

    Related stories from Charlotte Observer

    Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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  • NC pastor says rape suspects aren’t guilty if victims wore shorts, prompting outrage

    NC pastor says rape suspects aren’t guilty if victims wore shorts, prompting outrage

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    Anger welled in Charlotte mom Crystal Nichole as she watched a North Carolina pastor’s sermon.

    He would find a rape suspect not guilty if the victim wore shorts or a short dress, the Rev. Bobby Leonard of Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Monroe said in the sermon.

    “If you dress like that and you get raped and I’m on the jury, he’s going to go free,” Leonard said in the sermon last summer that only recently circulated on social media.

    “I was pissed,” Nichole, 34, said. “This is 2024.”

    Beliefs ‘don’t fit in 2024’

    Nicole said she was sexually assaulted in 2010 at age 20.

    To highlight the falsity and absurdity of Leonard’s claim, Nichole said she was wearing blue jeans when she was attacked.

    Nichole said she attended the church’s Tabernacle Christian School for three years. Her grandfather was good friends with Leonard, she said. Her family couldn’t afford the school, and Leonard let her attend for free.

    “Pastor Leonard is a very good man,” she said. “He’s very strong in his convictions. But some of the things he believes in don’t fit into 2024.”

    She said she’ll join a planned protest outside the church on Sunday morning with her 12-year-old daughter, Aubree Sapp. She hopes her daughter will learn “the importance of speaking out” against injustice, she said.

    “A man’s a man”

    “I told my wife, this is the kind of preaching we need,” Leonard said in his sermon, according to a recording of the sermon reviewed by The Charlotte Observer. “I told my wife, ‘Momma, when we go to Pigeon Forge, to the outlet mall here and sit in the parking lot, you’ll find more women going to have shorts on than pants and dresses put together.’”

    “And you don’t like that, do you?” Leonard told his congregation after saying what he’d do as a juror in a rape case. “I’m right though, I can’t help you that I’m right, because a man’s a man.

    “When I was a boy, 85 years ago, 80 years ago, I was raised in an apartment in Mocksville, North Carolina, I don’t remember women wearing anything but dresses,” Leonard said.

    “I don’t want you to go home depressed tonight,” Leonard told his congregation, according to the recording. “I’d rather you go home encouraged, but I want you to go home wanting to serve God. But it seems like we pay no attention to God. Isn’t that right?”

    Leonard didn’t reply to a message from the Observer on Friday left through the church website. The church voice mailbox was full, and the phone number doesn’t accept text messages.

    Protest prompts apology

    Wadesboro resident Jason King led a protest outside the church during its service on Wednesday night, Feb. 21. King posted a video on Facebook of the protest and plans a second one at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

    “You can’t stand behind a pulpit … and teach the word of God and claim that you believe it OK for people to go around raping people for what they wear,” King said.

    “We got signs made up out here that say ‘Repent, Turn Back to God,’ and ’Matthew 7: 15-16,’” King said in the video. “A false prophet. How do you know a false prophet? You tell them by their fruits.

    “We are fruit inspectors, and I’m telling you what he said behind the pulpit was not good fruits,” King said. “It was very unsettling and as a man behind the pulpit, it brings a reproach on God. And we’re out here tonight hoping that Bobby Leonard will repent.”

    The protest prompted an apology from Leonard on a sign outside the church, Observer news partner WSOC reported.

    Pastor Bobby Leonard apologized on a sign outside his North Carolina church after video spread on Facebook of his comments during a sermon blaming sexual assault victims who wore shorts or short dresses.
    Pastor Bobby Leonard apologized on a sign outside his North Carolina church after video spread on Facebook of his comments during a sermon blaming sexual assault victims who wore shorts or short dresses. WSOC

    “I am sorry for any hurt, I was wrong,” Leonard said on the message sign.

    This story was originally published February 24, 2024, 9:55 AM.

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    Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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