News About Town: For the past two years the Police Department has been researching computer simulated training devices, looking for just the right one for the Matthews department. Enter VirTra, which offers the versatility and consistency needed by the department. Training courses include de-escalation, mental illness encounters, and working with special populations such as autistic people. The training courses teach officers to look for both verbal and non-verbal cues in order to gain confidence in de-escalation and using human behavior recognition techniques. The Board of Commissioners will vote whether purchasing the simulator, which will cost the department just under $120,000 in Federal Forfeiture funds, should be approved.

News Around Town: Mecklenburg County’s HOMES grant program is accepting applications now through the end of October. This program is designed to assist qualified residential homeowners with low to moderate income within Mecklenburg County to retain their homes by reducing the financial burden resulting from the robust real estate market. Grant recipients will receive up to $340 toward their property tax bill. Families making 80% of the median income are eligible - that’s $43,120/year for a 2 person household or $53,880 for a 4 person household. Click here to apply, applications are due by 10/31. (Thanks, Kerry Fluty, for writing up this big bite of Beacon!)

One Good Thing: Join Matthews Police and Standing Ovation Barber Shop, 167 S. Trade St. H, for the second Clippers and Cops community chat. Head on over to discuss race relations and community concerns in Matthews, starting at 9am.