Democrat Patrick Cannon will be sworn in at the Charlotte City Council meeting Monday night, along with other members of the new council. Cannon takes over from Mayor Patsy Kinsey, who will chair her final meeting Monday night.
Cannon has been the city’s mayor pro-tem. He defeated Republican Edwin Peacock in the November 5th election, collecting 53 percent of the vote. He’s a Charlotte native who runs a parking management company. He was the youngest person ever elected to the City Council when he was first elected to the District 3 seat at age 26 in 1993. Cannon and the Democrats will hold a 9 to 2 majority on the council for the coming term.
SUSPECT IN NOV. 23 KILLING SURRENDERS
Charlotte Mecklenburg police say a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 17-year-old man a week ago has turned himself in. 27-year-old Demontre Rice is being held in Mecklenburg County Jail, where he is facing charges including murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His arrest follows a shooting on LaSalle Street early November 23rd that killed Stanley Taylor. Taylor was found with fatal gunshot wounds on Statesville Avenue near I-85, where he had been driven.
Meanwhile, a 46-year-old Charlotte man died early Saturday after a shooting on Finchley Drive in east Charlotte. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police found the man, Estaban Leon, in a car around 2:30 a.m. after receiving a call about shots fired. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are seeking tips as they investigate the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
DEER CAUSES FATAL WRECK IN GASTON
The North Carolina Highway Patrol says a Gaston County man died after a deer crashed through his windshield, causing his vehicle to run off the road and burst into flames. 69-year-old Charles Ervin of Bessemer City died at the scene about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. He was on his way home from work. State police said a Honda Accord hit the 150-pound deer after it jumped off the bank onto Dallas-Cherryville Highway. The buck then went through Ervin's windshield and crashed into him before going out the back of his Hyundai hatchback. Ervin's vehicle ran off the road and hit a driveway culvert, possibly rupturing his gas tank, before stopping in the woods. The Accord’s driver was uninjured.
WORLD AIDS DAY REMINDER
Today is World AIDS Day, and officials with South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control are using the day to urge residents to get tested for HIV and AIDS. State health director Janet Tapp says more than 15,000 people in South Carolina are living with HIV or AIDS. The theme of this year's World AIDS Day is "shared responsibility." Tapp says DHEC is encouraging private sector groups to work together to help identify and care for people living with the disease.
SPORTS: DUKE BEATS UNC
In college football, Ross Martin kicked a 27-yard field goal with 2:22 left to give Duke a 27-25 victory over North Carolina Saturday. The win clinched Duke’s first 10-win season and put the Blue Devils in next week’s ACC championship game against undefeated Florida State.
The Carolina Panthers are at home again Sunday, hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 o’clock at Bank of America Stadium. The Panther are going for their eighth straight win.
