THE REGIONAL INSIDE ▼ Event explores state of foster care PAGE 2A
A SPECIAL EDITION COVERING MATTHEWS, MINT HILL, WAXHAW, INDIAN TRAIL AND SOUTH CHARLOTTE
Friday, August 1, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 31
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For-profit baseball venture doesn’t win over planning board by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
MINT HILL – Roger Hendrix not only coached on the old baseball fields at Hickory Grove Baptist Church but his son also played on them. Hendrix is not sure a for-profit business hosting baseball tournaments there is a good idea.
Hendrix, who serves on the Mint Hill
Planning Board, did not hold back on his concerns July 21 when discussing a rezoning proposal from Will Simmons III that would upgrade the fields for baseball tournaments. “I have real concerns about putting a profit business right in the middle of a community, right in the middle of residential,” Hendrix told representatives from Eagle Engineering. Hendrix made a motion to send an unfavorable recommendation to the Mint Hill Board of Commissioners, who will ultimately
decide on the rezoning. A majority of Hendrix’s colleagues approved the motion. Back in the fields’ heyday, Hendrix said they were never used on Wednesdays, Sundays and portions of the summer. Developers of The Mint Sports Park want to allow baseball teams to practice on the fields during the week and play in baseball tournaments up to 35 weekends out of the year. “The main purpose of the ballpark is to establish a good environment for these kids
to continue to do what they love, which is playing ball,” said Abby Stegall, of Eagle Engineering. “That's our main goal here, to encourage a strong youth sports program in the Mint Hill community.” Plans call for removing two fields, expanding another field and constructing a building with indoor sports programming. There will be 300 parking spaces as well as a right turn Story continues, see BASEBALL page 3A
Memoir describes moment an emergency physician sought change
CHARLOTTE
NATIVE WINS STATE CROWN
Keith Pochick traded wounds and sutures for tests and papers. Outside of work, the Charlotte resident enjoys live music, philosophical debates and cooking for his family. Photo courtesy of Warren Publishing
CHARLOTTE – After working for 20 years on the front lines of healthcare as an emergency physician, Keith Pochick traded his clinical career to teach and mentor young people.
Tori Noelle Jarrett, newly crowned 2025 National American Miss North Carolina, is not only a student-leader at Spelman College but she’s also a published author. Photo courtesy of Tori Noelle Jarrett
CHARLOTTE – Tori Noelle Jarrett, a Charlotte native and rising junior at Spelman College, has been named 2025 National American Miss North Carolina.
She claimed the state crown during the July competition at the Crowne Plaza Perimeter in Atlanta, Georgia. The win wasn’t her only moment in the spotlight. Tori, 20, swept several optional competitions, earning first place in spokemodel and casual wear modeling, best resume, best thank you note and first runner-up in Miss Personality. She will go on to represent North Carolina this Thanksgiving at the National American Miss national competition in
Orlando, Florida. “Winning this title feels like a full-circle moment,” Tori said. “I’ve always believed in using your gifts to serve others, and I’m so excited to take this platform and pour back into the community that made me. I want to use this moment to uplift youth voices, advocate for sustainability and show young girls what’s possible when you lead with heart, hustle and purpose.” Currently pursuing a degree in chemistry at Spelman, she serves as president of Spelman Sisters of STEM and co-president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action. She is also the founder of Beauty & Brains, a nonprofit that introduces girls to science through hands-on beauty
workshops. In December 2024, Tori debuted her children’s book, “The Recycling Rhythm of Rosie & Ron,” which teaches environmental literacy through storytelling. AK Classics published the book. Tori was most recently invited to speak at the UNCF Mayors’ Masked Ball, where she shared her story of perseverance, purpose and passion for empowering the next generation through education and service. National American Miss emphasizes inner beauty, personal achievement and self-expression. The program celebrates the All-American Spirit of fun, family and friendship.
Monroe leaders tour historic area as part of revitalization project MONROE – The Winchester Revitalization Committee held a meeting July 18 in the Winchester community as part of the city’s ongoing revitalization and planning efforts.
The meeting provided an opportunity for committee members, city officials and stakeholders to explore the area’s redevelopment potential and reconnect with the neighborhood’s cultural and economic history. The Winchester revitalization initiative focuses on transforming public-owned land into a vibrant space that supports business growth, open public areas and Story continues, see MONROE page 3A
Monroe City Manager Mark Watson leads a tour of the Winchester neighborhood’s historic railroad area. Photo courtesy of City of Monroe
Pochick details this decision in his memoir, “Tickled Soul: The Philosophical Journey of a Doctor Turned Middle School Teacher.” Pochick describes a “soul tickle” sensation that led to a subtle feeling that he was meant to be somewhere else. After years of consideration, Pochick finally felt he had cleared the obstacles to take the leap into a new phase of his life. To many, switching from performing emergency medicine to teaching middle school science might seem unrelated and financially incongruent, but Pochick said the two careers have more in common than what meets the eye. “The raucous middle school environment was no shock at all to my system,” said Pochick, a Providence Day School teacher. “At times, controlled chaos can create a fantastic learning environment, and after those years in the ER that often felt like a circus, I’m pretty comfortable being the ringleader.” This “chaos tolerance” allows Pochick to calmly keep control of a classroom while feeling right at home. He also comes to the classroom each day with a cup of coffee and medical experience with firsthand stories and demonstrations to boot. And it all began with a “soul tickle” that led him toward helping dozens of students each year find their formula for lifelong learning. Beyond sharing Pochick’s story, “Tickled Soul” acts as a self-help guide for anyone battling their own “what ifs.” Pochick introduces ideas for self-reflection and the belief that we are constantly learning to become better versions of ourselves. “Pretty much all of us have at least one thing we want to change about ourselves – this feeling that we could do better, be better,” Pochick said. “Lifelong learning is achieved through frequent self-reflection and insatiable curiosity.” Sometimes this curiosity means revisiting parts of our formula, but to do so with more wisdom can lead to something else entirely, much like it did for Pochick. “Tickled Soul” demonstrates philosophical ideas within Pochick’s quest for self-discovery and self-examination. It’s our consistent growth, learning and development at all stages of life that fuels our desire for a greater purpose. All you have to do is ask yourself, what tickles your soul? Published by Warren Publishing, “Tickled Soul: The Philosophical Journey of a Doctor Turned Middle School Teacher” can be ordered on bookshop.org, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and warrenpublishing.net.