Inside: Butler among top teams in football rankings • Page 3A Matthews Veterans Memorial Park
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Downtown area may get affordable townhomes Key Partners. Those 11 units would target households with up to 60% AMI, or 60% of the area median income. "These townhomes will be permanently affordable as rentals for the life of the building," Cook said at a March 8 public hearing, "which is estimated to be between 80 and 100 years." Commissioner Ken McCool said he thinks affordable housing is a good idea, but that it actually needs to be affordable. While True Homes aims to value the 3-story units in the high $200,000s, Dream Key Partners would lease the two-stories for $1,100 a month. These prices do not include the monthly HOA fee, which Cook says residents would also pay. “[Affordable housing] is something Matthews
by Yustin Riopko Contributor
MATTHEWS – If town commissioners approve Zoning Application 2021-727, developers could build 75 townhomes just south of downtown, between East John and East Charles streets. True Homes LLC has 7.3 acres to expand Greylock Ridge Road across East John Street near Morris Road. That's the spot project manager Keith Fenn is eyeing for 16 buildings consisting of 64 three-story and 11 two-story units. According to Donna Cook, also from True Homes, those 11 two-story units would actually be set aside as affordable housing, to be owned and managed by private nonprofit group Dream
desperately needs," Mayor Pro Tem Renee Garner said. “But at the same time, I've heard concerns from residents who live along John Street's corridor about the density.” Mayor John Higdon agreed and asked developers to “consider removing a few units and open up some more green space.” “I'd be more than happy to remove 11 units,” Fenn said, “but then I'm removing the affordable home component. I'm trying to find that happy medium. No one's obligating us to do that. It's something that we want to do for the town of Matthews. I think it's a win-win-win all around." The planning board will hear the application March 23 before it returns to commissioners for a decision April 12.
'County remains strong'
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Meck. commissioner gives State of the County address
Agreement State leaders shake on school return plan, 2A
Munch Madness Vote for your favorite restaurants, 5A
by Karie Simmons karie@cmgweekly.com
Woof woof Hall of fame gets new inductees, 2B
see VACCINE, Page 5A
see COUNTY, Page 5A
Vaccines help loosen COVID's grip on region Contributor
Check out 100 most powerful women, 1B
vaccine surpasses demand for tests, which could have something to do with Gov. Roy Cooper's Feb. 24 executive order. Order 195 relaxed some of the state's heaviest restrictions, lifting modified stay-at-home orders and nighttime business closures between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The order also brought good news for bars, which can re-open subject to reduced capacity restrictions of 30%, or 250 maximum, and sell alcohol until 11 p.m. Even though COVID-19 vaccinations in North Carolina were previously rationed into
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 over the last year, Mecklenburg County remains strong. That’s the message George Dunlap Dunlap, chairman of the board of county commissioners, drove home March 4 during his state of the county address. The virtual address included an update on the county’s economy and board accomplishments for fiscal year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021). Dunlap said since this time last year, more than 97,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 875 have lost their lives due to the virus. So far, more than 100,000 people have received their first dose. This number does not include shots provided in long-term care facilities or through the Federal Pharmacy Program. “But we cannot claim victory yet,” Dunlap said. “Health officials estimate that 65% to 85% of the community must be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity. So, while we are making progress – there is still a long way to go.” Mecklenburg County received $39.2 million in federal CARES Act funds to help ease the effects of the pandemic. Of that amount, $24 million was used to transition county
The first 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine arrived at Atrium Health on March 8, adding to the enterprise’s supply of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine options. Photo courtesy of Atrium Health
by Yustin Riopko
Influential
@mmhweekly
Total recorded COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg County surpassed 98,000 this month, with over 880 related deaths. Nevertheless, Matthews Fire Chief Rob Kinniburgh believes things are starting to look up. "Everything is going in the right direction," Kinniburgh told Matthews commissioners at their March 8 meeting. Those numbers represent a 3.2% increase in cases and a 4.6% increase in deaths. These metrics are down from two weeks ago. At this point, demand for the
Author’s book unravels story of racism, corporate meddling in hometown "The more research I did, the more powerful and compelling the story became."
by Karie Simmons karie@cmgweekly.com
MATTHEWS – In late 2019, Carl McCullough came across a picture on Facebook of four starters from his McCullough former Oklahoma high school basketball team visiting their 87-year-old coach, Sid Burton. Burton had been inducted into the Bartlesville Sports Hall of Fame but was unable to travel to accept
the award, so the players met at his home to deliver it. Intrigued, 76-year-old McCullough began a quest to learn more about the unique relationship among the people in the picture. It didn’t take long for him to uncover an unsettling side of life in his hometown he never imagined could have been happening. “The more research I did, the
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• Carl McCullough more powerful and compelling the story became,” said McCullough, who now lives in Matthews. “I felt an obligation to tell it.” “Sid and the Boys: Playing Ball in the Face of Race and Big Business,” released March 4 on Amazon, tells the true story of the 1966-67 College High School see BOOK, Page 5A
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