Rappelling

Don't look over the edge...

I went rappelling today as part of Cop Camp. I figured if kids aged 7 to 10 can walk down the side of a building then I could too.

It should be known I don't appreciate heights. ...But I did it anyway.

Here's Shanada Bonner, 9, being talked down by Shelby Fire's Assistant Chief Jake Whisnant.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be coming down the five story fire tower at the Kings Road firehouse.


Thankfully I captured the entire experience on video.

Yeah, it's worth a look.

My New Music Gig

Lifestyles Editor Emily Killian has offered me a side gig providing content for her section each week.

The specific role? Creating a weekly "playlist" of 10 songs worth checking out. They might have a theme, they might not - all that is up to me. The lists start next Thursday, I believe.

If I were to do a theme each week, what are some that you would like to see covered? Best songs by a particular artist? Year? Decade?

The Chris Benoit Story

"Wrestler Kills Wife, Son, Self" has been a constant headline in the media this week. Every media outlet has latched onto the story of Chris, Nancy, and Daniel Benoit and what could have driven what so many described as a devoted family man to kill his wife and child before hanging himself in the basement gym. (The latest from the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

If you've seen any news coverage of the story this week, you've probably seen the images of Chris embracing his wife and son in the ring as confetti fell from the ceiling. ...Kinda like here.

The date was March 14, 2004. The site was Madison Square Garden in New York City. And I was there, on my spring break, to see the 18-year veteran achieve his highest professional accolade inside the world's most famous arena.

And who was in the ring with him after the show came to a close? His family.

This wasn't part of a wrestling angle - the show was already off the air when his father, wife, and children filled the ring and embraced Chris as the crowd stood and applauded. It was genuine.

(Here you can see little Daniel in the arms of Benoit's father)

I was also there last Tuesday in Charlotte to see Chris have his last match during the television taping at Bobcats Arena.

Yes, I realized long, long ago that wrestling is scripted. But Benoit the man - not the 'character' - had long been someone I looked up to.

Hard working, didn't gripe or complain, always gave 100%, happily spent time helping his younger co-workers reach his level, was a leader in his field, and a positive role model.

That's why it's so hard to fathom why the events of last weekend happened as they did.

Was it the result of 'roid rage? Much of the media has answered the question before the results are even known.

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Regardless, the Chris Benoit who killed his wife and son last weekend before taking his own life was not the same man that spent 21 years on the road interacting with peers and fans every inch of the way and, to so many, never even showed signs of anger.

We may never know the exact reason behind the killings but it boils down to a tragedy. No other word applies as strongly. It's a tragedy that all three are gone and it's a tragedy Chris felt he was trapped and had to do what he did.

Car Flips in Grover

Here are a few photos from a single-vehicle wreck Wednesday afternoon on Caveny Road, Grover.
N.C. Highway Patrol troopers at the scene weren't sure of the condition of the driver - noting he had been placed on a stretcher and taken to Cleveland Regional just as they arrived - but I'll be getting that info shortly.
One resident I spoke to at the scene said speeding on the road has led to numerous wrecks in the past 10 years.
Read more in Thursday's Star and watch a video interview with the resident here

Weekend Trip to Savannah

I'm going down to Savannah Saturday for a long weekend. This will be my first time visiting - any suggestions on what to see and do?

I was hoping to get a photo of me sitting on the Forrest Gump bench reading Curious George but I hear the bench was removed ...?

Group Photo

Here's a shot of all the kids that attended the trip to Charlotte and Gastonia.

I think they got a lot out of it. I could tell that several of them had never had the chance to see the neat stuff at the museum - whether it be the bison or being in a planetarium. I'm sure the same could be said for being inside a C-130 or playing inside a real fire truck.

I'll get to see these same kids again on Friday when they graduate the week-long Cop Camp program.

The week concludes with a repelling exercise down the fire tower near Cleveland Community College. So check out Saturday's Star for more on how they did and for video of me coming down the tower myself (I'm not nervous ... much).

The Planetarium

Here's Kosta Hambidge, 8, while waiting to get inside the planetarium.

The planetarium show wasn't what you would expect. Sure, we got the stars and the constellations and all that but this was a "countrified" audio slideshow presentation which explained the origins of the constellation names but in a native Carolina tone.

The kids seemed to like it.

Blanton and Anna Rose

Here's Blanton Leigh, 8, and Anna Rose Fortenburg, 7.

See the giant globe behind them? It was pretty neat - it had different colored arrows showing migration patterns of certain birds.

Patrick Hobbs

Here's Patrick Hobbs, 8, standing beside a dall sheep.

Photo Opps

The kids didn't really talk to me until they realized I worked for The Star. And then I became a celebrity and everyone wanted their photo taken.

Here's Shanada Bonner, 9, Mallory Price, 8, and Taylor Short, 9, when we got back on the bus after lunch.

Bison & Buried Treasure

One of the first stops (after getting away from the gift shop) was the Native American display. The kids raced through the several rooms quickly and found two live bison at the end of the walkway. Needless to say, that was a pretty cool surprise for them. Unfortunately, I couldn't use my camera in that area of the building.

Here we are outside digging for treasure. What kind of treasure? Teeth, bones ... and lots of rocks and concrete thrown in for good measure.

One of the kids asked volunteer John Hurdt (far right below) what a certain material was.

Hurdt joked, "A piece of I-85."

"I want a piece of I-85!" yelled Nate Kennedy, 9, who then ran over to take a look.

Coin Racing

It took my group a good half hour to make it out of the lobby area and this, along with the gift shop, is why.

The kids kept taking turns dropping coins into this circular device to see which would drop in the center hole first. It was pretty popular.

Schiele Museum

Here are some photos from our visit to the Schiele Museum. If you've never been there before, it's a science museum similar to Discovery Place in Charlotte. Lots of history displays, dinosaur displays, live fish and crabs, etc.

One of the most popular destinations, at least for my small group, was the gift shop.

The Fire Truck

One of the highlights of the firehouse visit was the fire truck.

All the kids got the chance to climb into the truck and see how everything inside works.


Here's firefighter Alan Austin answering questions about the exterior of the truck.

Here's a shot of the truck spraying water into the air, just for the kids.

This last photo displays how firefighters can help put out a fire on a plane. See the pointy instrument at the end of the arm? It's used to cut through the plane, as shown by this demonstration where it pierced that curved metal sheet. I had never heard of anything like that before.

Airport Firehouse

After the Air National Guard tour we visited the Charlotte Douglas International Airport firehouse, walking distance away.
Here's an example of the individual "rooms" the firefighters use when not working. Imagine a row of about 12-18 of these individual cubicles, each with their own television.
The firehouse is pretty nice. Spacious living room and kitchen. And the moment the kids heard "kitchen" they couldn't wait to see what was cooking. We were all ready for lunch at that point.

Inside the C-130

Here's Lt. Barney again, speaking with the kids about the various uses of the inside of the C-130.

Lt. Patrick Cannon, of Shelby, showed us a brief video slideshow before walking us out to the plane which detailed his recent tour of Bagram, Afghanistan and how the plane can be used in combat.

The plane isn't armed but it can be a big asset to forces on the ground and, if missiles are fired at the plane, it can shoot out flares to hopefully divert the missiles' direction.

Hanger

More photos from the Air National Guard are on their way.

Next Stop

Lunch is just about over - I'll have to upload the remaining photos later.

Our next stop is the Schiele Museum in Gastonia.

The Cockpit

Here we are in the cockpit as Capt. Steve Morris goes over what all the controls do.

The kids are now singing 'Happy Birthday' to Landon as lunch is winding down.

Outside the C-130

Here we are outside the C-130 as Lt. Barney gives an introduction to the group.

I just learned that one of the kids with today's group is celebrating his 10th birthday today. Happy Birthday to Landon Crocker.



Landon came over and said hi as I was uploading photos to Blogger. Hopefully I can get a few more photos posted before we leave at 12:15 (and maybe I can get a bite of lunch too!).

C-130 Tour

Here we are on our way out to tour one of the C-130s, which are used to transport cargo and people. The plane holds about 9,000 gallons of fuel, according to Lt. Joe Barney.

Lunchtime

11:30 a.m.

Lunchtime at the Air National Guard. This is my first time getting a chance to be online since we got here.

Here's our group walking into one of the buildings after getting off the bus earlier.

More photos are on their way.

Latrell Suratt

Here's Latrell Suratt, 7, just one of the roughly 20 kids that are onboard for the trip.

Honking Trucks

8:47 a.m.

Passing exit 17 on I-85. Not too far from our destination.

The kids are clapping and screaming everytime a truck honks at our bus.

Not sure if I'll be able to bring the laptop inside the Air National Guard when I get there. It might be something where I'll have to wait until lunch to get back online.

Cop Camp Leaves for Charlotte

I'll be spending today following the kids from Cop Camp as they visit the Air National Guard in Charlotte. So look for plenty of updates into the afternoon as well as photos.

8:27 a.m.

We just left Shelby City Park. A bit of a bumpy ride so far. Currently on US-74 passing Rogers Kia.

"Where did you learn to drive?" asked one of the kids to Officer Wray Hamrick

Halfway House

Gardner Street was packed Monday evening as Project Safe Neighborhood held its monthly meeting outside a run-down home hoping for a face-lift at 512 Gardner St.

Those wishing to help renovate the home, which will be used as a halfway house, can contact Joydonna Phillips at (704) 974-6154 or e-mail at joydonnap@yahoo.com

A workday is scheduled for Saturday, July 21 at 9 a.m.

Visiting the Hood

7 p.m. Friday. Just a few hours away from ending another long week at work.

I've been busy all day finalizing Sunday's front page story about Larry Hill and Maurice Littlejohn, two men with troubled pasts that are trying to turn Shelby around for the better.

They took myself and photographer Jeff Melton around Shelby's various low-income areas Monday and we met some very interesting folks. These are people that, had Hill and Littlejohn not been there with us, would not have said one word to Jeff or I.

... Or, if they did say a word, it wouldn't be something we could print.

Northern Street. Highland Street. Logan Street. Ramblewood.

These are people that don't have that much to live for. People that are stuck in bad situations and can't pull themselves out. People that are no stranger to drugs and violence.

They're not angels but they're not bad people either. Most aren't given much of chance to better their situation without turning to a life of crime.

And while there are many efforts being made by various city groups to give these people more opportunities to succeed, the general consensus is it's not enough.

Keep an eye out for the story Sunday (or go ahead and read it online here) and let me know what you think. I always welcome feedback, good or bad.

Be sure to check out the 9 videos that accompany the story.

Letter to Gun Owners

Shelby Police have sent out a friendly notice to those who purchase firearms from the city's gun shops. Here is the letter which will be handed out each time a gun is (legally) purchased in the city:

http://community.shelbystar.com/projects/gun/gunhandout.pdf

Key reminders included in the letter:

- Keep the gun secured at all times and out of the hands of children or those not allowed to have a gun (gun thefts are a frequent problem)

-You can pick up a free gun lock from the police department if you don't already own one

- Write down the serial number and store it in a safe place. This will help get the gun back to you in the event it is stolen


It's good that the police are doing this and these are reminders that should be put out there. However, it should be noted the people on the streets who steal guns or buy them illegally (i.e. the "trouble makers") won't be getting these letters and definitely won't be adhering to the rules.

A North Carolina Pasttime

Over my almost 2 years living here, I've come to realize North Carolina is known for quite a few things.

Barbeque, NASCAR, golf, and the Panthers (and now the Hurricanes) are just a few of the local attractions. But would you believe pro wrestling is also on that list?

Some refer to it as a sport and some don't but that form of entertainment has been a North Carolina mainstay for well over 60 years. Jim Crockett Promotions, which operated out of Charlotte and ran weekly shows throughout the Carolinas for many decades, helped put names like Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, the Rock & Roll Express, and Wahoo McDaniel on the map back in the 1970s and 80s.

The Shelby Rec Center even held national television tapings in the early 80s featuring those names. Yes, the same rec center located a few blocks away from The Star.

Wrestling returned to Charlotte last night as the WWE taped Friday Night Smackdown at Bobcats Arena. And of course, I was there.

A bit of a traffic jam outside the arena

Sorry about the lack of zoom but I'm sure most will recognize Charlotte's own Ric Flair

The inflatable custom entrance used by United States Champion MVP

The only bad part about sitting up front (aside from people holding their signs up blocking your view) is the pyrotechnics. My ears were in pain after the more than a dozen explosions going off mere feet away.

Is this Charlotte or Fallujah?, I thought to myself.

For those wishing to see last night's show, it will air Friday at 8 p.m. on the CW Network.

Walking Tour of Low Income Shelby

Don't you hate it when you have big plans and forget to do them?

Me too!

I went into the various low income neighborhoods of Shelby earlier today with Larry Hill, a convicted armed robber who I profiled in The Star a week ago Sunday. We visited West Shelby, North Shelby, Ramblewood, etc. as Larry learned about the problems of the people that live there and discussed what he would live to see done to give those people, especially the kids, a better chance to succeed.

Good story and we got a lot of feedback from residents. Yes help is needed from outside these communities but you might be surprised by the initiative already shown by these residents.

I had hoped to take a bunch of photographs to post here and, while I did have my camera with me, I forgot to use it until the tail end of our tour, when we were coming into contact with folks that didn't want their photo taken for various reasons.

Ah well. At least Jeff Melton was with me to get his award-winning shots in. Look for those when the story hits the paper, hopefully later this week.

Also be on the look out for a multi-part video series where you will hear first-hand from the people in these neighborhoods.

Scruggs' Hit-and-Run

Three weeks have passed since Jonathan Scruggs, 18, was killed in a hit-and-run.

N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. Workman was nice enough Friday to give me access to the car involved. You'll notice the plastic covering and Biohazard notice. Workman said those are the result of blood and body tissue left on the car as a result of the wreck.

I spoke with District Attorney Rick Shaffer today about when charges, if any, will be filed against the driver. Right now he's looking to take the case to the grand jury July 9.

That last photo is about the best shot I could get of the shattered windsheild. The right side mirror was torn from the car as a result of the wreck, state troopers previously told me.

Look for more on the story in Saturday's Star

I Know You Are But What Am I?

I was watching Spike TV's Guy Choice Awards the other night (being a guy, it seemed the thing to do).

... Just think of all aspects of guy-dom celebrated under one roof with awards handed out by and to celebrities, from Adam Sandler to Chuck Liddell. And plenty of attractive young ladies thrown in there as well.

So imagine my surprise when one of the presenters was none other than Pee Wee Herman, who just happened to get the biggest applause of the night and a standing ovation before he even said a word.

Younger readers might not 'get' Pee Wee but when I was in elementary school Pee Wee's Playhouse was a Saturday morning show I couldn't miss. Right up there with Camp Candy and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

(For the record, I'm 25. So we're talking late 80s / early 90s)

Chairry, Clockey, Floory, Globey (Notice a trend here? Throw a 'y' on an object and it's a character), Jambi, the King of Cartoons

And of course the long line of recurring gags, from "the secret word" - and then screaming whenever it's said - to "Connect the dots, la la la la" to the title of this blog.

The show won 22 Emmys over its 5-year run, which ain't too shabby. Hey, where's your 22 Emmys, Barney? Blue's Clues? Tellytubbies?

You know, now that I think about it, maybe I should go fishing for Pee Wee's Playhouse on Netflix. I love reliving my childhood via DVD.

Double Convenience Store Robbery

Ever notice how the world starts to crumble around you just as you're trying to go home?

Me too!

We had two convenience store armed robberies Wednesday night. Twenty minutes apart and four miles down Fallston Road.

A coincidence? I don't think so. But I'm not sure the same two people robbed both stores.

Here are a few shots from the second robbery, where the female clerk was reportedly held at gunpoint.

I'll hit the story hard tomorrow. Hopefully we can figure out whether this was two people or four.

Shelby Police Top 10 Most Wanted

Updated June 8, 2007

Compiled by Graham Cawthon

The following individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If you have any information about the whereabouts of these individuals, contact Shelby Police at (704) 484-6845 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (704) 481-TIPS (8477).

Monetary donations to CrimeStoppers can be sent to Fidelity Bank; 331 S. Lafayette St.; Shelby; NC; 28150 Attn: Verna McCluney

Name: Richard Lee Hillman Jr.
Age: 24
Charges: Possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine

Name: Carrie Packer Hopper
Age: 29
Charges: Possession of a Controlled Substance

Name: Antwan M. Banks
Age: 32
Charges: Assault, Habitual Felon

Name: Justin Michael Wilson
Age: 20
Charges: Felony Breaking and Entering

Name: Dudley Levon Skipper
Age: 47
Charges: Kidnapping

Name: Phillip Carter
Age: 19
Charges: Robbery

Name: Phillip Chailert Skidmore
Age: 34
Charges: Statutory Rape/Sex Offense, 1 count

Name: Jerry McCluney
Age: 21
Charges: Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury

Name: Ida Woods
Age: 24
Charges: False Pretense, Felony Conspiracy
NO PHOTO AVAILABLE

Name: Erica Latham
Age: 25
Charges: Felony Conspiracy
NO PHOTO AVAILABLE