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INSIDE ▼ Audit reveals top sellers in ABC stores
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PAGE 3A Friday, April 17, 2026 • Vol. 26 • No. 15
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Mayor breaks tie in Stevens Village vote by Justin Vick justin@charlottemediagroup.org
STALLINGS – Mayor David Scholl cast the deciding vote April 13 to break a 3-3 tie and approve a mixed-use development that will bring up to 118 townhomes and two commercial buildings off Stevens Mill Road. The project, known as Stevens Village, will be divided into two areas. The commercial portion,
which could include a drive-thru and gas station, will be along Idlewild Road and Stevens Mill Road. The townhomes will sit between the commercial buildings and the Shannamara neighborhood. Residents raised concerns during the March 9 public hearing about traffic, site design, intensity of use and compatibility with the surrounding area, according to the staff report. Mayor Pro Tem Brad
Richardson said he was puzzled by the opposition. He joined council members Steven Ayers and Mike Couzens in supporting the rezoning. “What’s been puzzling is that many in the community have been in favor of an existing property development plan that allows grocery store retail within a smaller setback right against your homes,” Richardson said. He noted that Stevens Village includes a 50-foot buffer and
fence between the townhomes and Shannamara, creating a better transition between the neighborhood and the proposed commercial uses. He also said the townhomes would generate less traffic than a fully built-out commercial development. “Being a Shannamara resident, I echo Brad’s concerns that longterm having the buffer being the commercial project is not ideal, to put it bluntly,” Scholl said before casting the tie-breaking vote.
Council members Graham Hall, Jon Van de Riet and Laurie Wojtowicz voted against the rezoning. Hall said the project did not align with the town’s land-use plan. Van de Riet said it conflicted with the town’s economic development plan. Wojtowicz cited vagueness and inconsistencies regarding landscaping elements such as trees and berms. see STALLINGS, Page 3A
Marvin Village Council mulls over tax rate by Justin Vick justin@charlottemediagroup.org
County leaders expect the Union County Food Innovation Center to enhance food distribution networks and serve as a catalyst for innovation and job creation. Renderings courtesy of Union County
County breaks ground on innovation center WINGATE – Union County is moving forward with constructing a new facility aimed at boosting the agricultural economy and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs. The Union County Food Innovation Center, formerly known as the Building Agricultural Resources and Nutrition, or “BARN” project, will serve as a hub for food production, distribution and business development. County leaders celebrated the groundbreaking on March 31. The 25,000-square-foot center on Julia May Baker Road is expected to take about 18 months to complete. It will be used for commercial development of new food products and commercial catering only.
The official opening is expected in the summer of 2027. Once completed, it will provide a commercial kitchen and professional workspace for licensed businesses and entrepreneurs who are not yet positioned to invest in a brickand-mortar location. Officials describe the project as a one-of-a-kind initiative that sets Union County apart. “By combining agricultural resources with economic development strategies, we are confident this center will create long-term benefits for our small businesses and consumers,” Union County Commissioner Brian Helms said. The center is a result of partnerships with Wingate University, Town of Wingate and N.C. Cooperative Extension Union County
Center. “These collaborative partnerships have been essential in bringing the vision to life and ensuring that the project will be sustainable,” Deputy County Manager Patrick Niland said. N.C. Cooperative Extension will regularly use the center to support farmers and food producers. “The food innovation center
represents the continued growth, development and evolution of agriculture in Union County,” said Andrew Baucom, director of N.C. Cooperative Extension Union County Center. “This new facility will be the first of its kind in North Carolina, a space that provides access and opportunity for both the agricultural producer and the business entrepreneur.”
Authorities trace school threat to teen MONROE – A 16-year-old girl accused of making online threats about violence at her school told investigators that “she was just bored,” according to the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office received multiple calls regarding an online threat of mass violence at Forest Hills High School. Detectives began investigating a post made on April 3 from the Instagram username “school.shooter17” and traced the IP address to a 16-year-old student at the high school. Detectives gathered sufficient information to charge the student on a juvenile petition with communicating threats of mass violence on educational property, according to the sheriff’s office. She was taken into custody April
8 and placed in the Cabarrus Youth Development Center. “The Union County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats of violence, especially those targeting our schools extremely seriously,” the office posted on Facebook. “Let this serve as a clear warning: Any individual who chooses to make threats or attempt to create fear and chaos in our community will be held accountable.” Stallings Police Department investigating fatal collision STALLINGS – The Stallings Police Department is investigating a traffic collision that killed a motorcyclist. Officers responded to a collision at about 6:22 p.m. April 8 at the intersection of Stallings Road and Guion Lane
involving a Toyota Tacoma and a HarleyDavidson motorcycle. Officers found the motorcycle driver, Nelson Lee Graves, had serious injuries. Bystanders began life-saving measures before EMS took over. Graves was later pronounced deceased. The Stallings Police Department said preliminary information shows the Toyota Tacoma entered the intersection against a red light. The driver cooperated with investigators, according to authorities. Police continue reviewing witness statements and evidence from the scene. No charges have been filed. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 704821-0300.
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MARVIN – Village leaders are considering a slightly lower property tax rate for the 2026-27 fiscal year but not necessarily at the expense of ignoring future road maintenance. The Marvin Village Council held its first budget work session of 2026 on April 6. Village Manager Christina Amos presented a nearly $3.7 million general fund budget with a 5.3-cent tax rate. Residents currently pay a 5.63-cent tax rate. Amos explained that the village can’t go below a 5-cent tax rate if leaders want to continue receiving Powell Bill funding from the state for local road maintenance. “This is our first initial stab at the budget,” Amos told the council. “I’m sure you all will have some questions, some recommendations and what we’ll do from here is go back to the drawing board and make those changes. And at the next budget work session, we’ll go over those changes.” Council Member Bob Nunnenkamp proposed the idea of reducing the tax rate by 3% instead of 6.3%. “I think I know what we all want to accomplish,” Nunnenkamp said. “If possible, we want a lower budget, and people are concerned about taxes. I get that. The one thing that concerns me is if we reduce our tax base too much, then the opportunity or the need to take budget increases in the future might be greater than if we didn’t take as much of the tax reduction.” Council Member John Baresich said shifting the tax rate from 5.6 cents to 5.3 cents would allow a million-dollar home to save about $30 per year on their tax bill. While Amos was going through her presentation, Mayor Pro Tempore Angel Martin identified a couple of line items she would like to see increased. One of those was $200,000 for fog sealing, a technique used to fix cracks in pavement. The other item was $150,000 for a new savings account to help pay for restorative road maintenance about 10 years from now. The amount is a placeholder until an ad hoc committee recommends a final number. Amos reminded the council that adding to these amounts would require cuts elsewhere in the budget or a tax increase. Finance Director Jill Carilli said she would need a dollar amount from the council. “If you as a consensus can tell me how much you all feel comfortable putting in that maintenance and how much you all want to try to save in restorative, I will try to make it happen,” Carilli said. “But I need numbers to be able to move forward.” Baresich said he’d like to see how road maintenance would be affected if they see MARVIN, Page 3A