The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Special Transportation Service (STS) and Bus Operations Division (BOD) received top honors from the North Carolina Public Transportation Association (NCPTA) as safest transit systems in the state.

STS received an award for the safest Urban Dial-A-Ride system in the state for the fifth consecutive year. BOD received its seventh award as the Safest Large Bus System in the State.

Last year CATS operators drove over 15 million miles and handled over 26 million rides, while maintaining a 0.44 preventable accident rate per 100,000 miles.

“We are very committed to safety and these awards are a great indicator that our staff is giving its best to ensure the safety of our customers,” said CATS CEO Carolyn Flowers.

HUNTERSVILLE, NC (WBTV)- For some businesses success is measured by how much money they earn. For others, the mission behind the business is the success.

"I decided to restart her jewelry business," says Sharla Miller. "I use the profits to get to Africa."

"We do special projects. We garden with them, we build with them," Miller continued. "This past year we put Tom shoes on over 500 children."

Miller is a  mother of four from Huntersville.  She's a humanitarian and also does missionary work in Swaziland, Africa.

Miller took her first trip to Swaziland about six years ago.

"It was just so different than anything I had ever experienced before," said Miller. "I had seen poverty here but nothing like I saw there."

Miller was inspired and created her own jewelry line.

The profits from her line "Designing for Hope" pay for her flights back to Africa. 

CORNELIUS, NC (WBTV)- Police in Cornelius have arrested a student at Hough High School they say is responsible for the bomb hoax that led to the school dismissing early Tuesday afternoon.

A 16-year-old student is charged with one felony count of making a false bomb report and is being transported to the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Investigators evacuated a Cornelius high school twice in one day after police say a bomb threat was called in to the school.

The incident was reported at William A. Hough High School around 8:18 a.m. on Bailey Road Tuesday morning, according to officials with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.

Students were evacuated to the football field as a precaution.

The school was searched but nothing was found and students were returned to class by 9:40 a.m.

Later in the afternoon a suspcious package was reported during a second sweep of the school and it was again evacuated.