By Dedrick Russell - bio l email

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Back in September a philanthropic group said it would find the money to help CMS close the achievement gap and decrease the dropout rate.

Monday the group made the announcement.  It was made at West Charlotte High school. That school has a 50 percent drop out rate. Brett Loftis... who speaks up for at risk students in CMS...says with a drop out rate like that - something had to be done right away.

"That can cripple a community cause we don't have an educated work force to go forward," Loftis said.

DAVIDSON - The town of Davidson is matching its zoning policies with its economic development goals by proposing changes to the planning ordinance.  A public hearing will be held at the February 8 Board of Commissioners’ meeting to hear citizen comment on the rezoning of properties formerly known as “Davidson East” on NC 73 that was approved in 2007. 

The map amendments will delete the NC 73 Planning Area and amend the boundaries and associated text of the Employment Campus Planning Area, the Neighborhood Center Planning Area, the Neighborhood General Planning Area, and the Neighborhood Edge Planning Area.

Planning Manager Lauren Blackburn said Friday that the proposed changes to the ordinance will strategically align the town’s zoning policies with its economic development goals as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. But, she added, they will also expand options for developers struggling to survive in a difficult economy.

Story by Al Conklin - bio l email

LAKE NORMAN - Duke Energy’s Cowan’s Ford dam holds back the Catawba River to create Lake Norman today, but 230 years ago Tuesday, the area around the dam was the site of a Revolutionary War battle between a couple of hundred brave American patriots and 3,000 elite British troops.

A ceremony Saturday at historic Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Huntersville marked the anniversary.

The battle ended with the death of the local commander, General William Lee Davidson, for whom Davidson College is named.