VOLUME 146 ISSUE 6 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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Icing over
Mother nature turned trees into delicate ice sculptures alongside Lake Tillery Monday morning, as temperatures dropped down to 22 degrees.
WHAT’S HAPPENING 100 vehicles pile up in Michigan crash as snowstorm moves across country More than 100 vehicles smashed into each other or slid off the interstate in Michigan as snow fueled by the Great Lakes blanketed the state. The massive pileup Monday prompted the Michigan State Police to close both directions of Interstate 196 just southwest of Grand Rapids. The State Police say there were numerous injuries but no deaths reported. The crash is just the latest impact of the major winter storm moving across the country. The National Weather Service issued warnings about either extremely cold temperatures or the potential for storms across several states.
Netflix intensifies bid for Warner Bros., makes $72B offer in all cash Netflix is now offering to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business in an all-cash deal. This move aims to win over Warner’s shareholders for a $72 billion merger and counter a bid from Paramount. On Tuesday, Netflix and Warner announced a revised transaction to simplify the structure and speed up a shareholder vote.
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Locust Police Department releases 2025 report The department has a positive assessment of its annual crime review By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal LOCUST — Despite its continued population growth, the city of Locust maintained a low overall level of criminal activity in 2025, according to the Locust Police Department’s annual
crime report released Friday. The review includes annual statistics, analysis and incident clearance data for the past year. The department recorded 457 arrest charges in 2025, a decrease of 223 from 2024. In his written analysis, Locust Police Chief Jeff Shew attributed the decline in arrests to reduced criminal activity rather than less proactive policing. At the same time, officers responded to a department-re-
cord 8,070 calls for service and Jeff Shew, Locust police chief activities, reaching the highest total since the LPD began forapprehend many offenders at mally tracking call volume. “Activities in 2025 contin- the time of offense.” The report noted that ued to show Locust as a very safe city with a low overall lev- growth in the Locust area has el of criminal activity,” Shew resulted in increased activity said. “Because of the lower vol- and calls for service, but data ume of overall criminal activi- continued to reflect a low levty that I believe our outstand- el of serious crime. Officers ing officers play a valuable part conducted a department rein preventing, when criminal cord of 33,223 business and incidents do occur, our officers are able to respond quickly and See REPORT, page A4
Albemarle Police provides inside midyear fiscal update
Richfield’s Noah Forte, 8, took home a first-place trophy in his first Supercross appearance, winning the title in Anaheim, California. Read more on B1.
“Thank you for trusting us to protect and serve our community.” Ryan Manley, Albemarle police chief
The department’s fiscal year budget is $7.6 million By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Halfway through its fiscal year which began in July, the Albemarle Police Department has provided a midyear update outlining its budget and recent investments in equipment, training and personnel. Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley detailed the department’s spending priorities in a video statement released Jan. 14, highlighting purchases aimed at improving officer safety,
technology and overall service to the community. “The Albemarle Police Department’s total budget is $7.6 million,” Manley said. “The city invests heavily in public safety. In fact, the city spends more on police and fire than it collects in property taxes. That’s why sales tax and other revenue sources are critical to keeping our operations running smoothly.” A sizable portion of the department’s recent spending has gone toward technology and fleet improvements. APD has invested $484,000 to equip patrol vehicles with new camera systems, technology intended to See BUDGET, page A5
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“Activities in 2025 continued to show Locust as a very safe city with a low overall level of criminal activity.”
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