News About Town: Time to check back in with Matthews Police for “Operation Santa Knows” week 4. In partnership with local stores, the Police are working closely with retail loss prevention to increase reporting, investigating, and solving retail theft cases. Perpetrators will be identified, charged, and prosecuted as a result. For this week, the operation netted four arrests, four misdemeanors, and three trespasses. Also, 14 retail products were reclaimed. In total, the operation netted 23 arrests, 17 felonies, 38 misdemeanors, 24 trespasses, seven outstanding warrants served, 186 retail products were reclaimed, and $4,120.52 in product loss was prevented since the beginning of the operation.

News Around Town: The Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group is planning its fourth Citizens’ Water Academy starting this week. The virtual event is a hefty 16 sessions of 90 minutes each; classes include a history of the Catawba, lecturers from Duke Energy and local utilities, impacts of land use on water quality, and plants, animals, and their interactions with the Catawba River. Eager to learn? Register online. 

One Fun Thing: Speaking of animals along the Catawba, there are more than 45 whitetail deer per mile in Mecklenburg County. With so many, it's important to let the deer forage for their food. Feeding deer corn can do more harm than good. According to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, "For better or for worse, products like 'deer corn' are much like junk food for deer, and can cause painful ailments such as acidosis, enterotoxaemia, aflatoxin poisoning, and deformities like foundering hooves, which makes it difficult for deer to walk normally." Having a junk food buffet can also attract larger groups of deer to one area, making it easier to spread disease.