With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews News) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This story was originally published October 18, 2007 and was written by Janet Denk.

72-year-old hauled to jail for cutting up campaign signs

Matthews police arrested an elderly man Tuesday morning for the theft and destruction of two campaign signs on vacant property off Sam Newell Road in Matthews. Jimmy Hood, who formerly owned the property which is scheduled for development, was charged with two counts of Larceny of Campaign Signs, and two counts of Damage to Property. The 72-year-old was arrested and transported to the Mecklenburg County Jail. Apparently he cut up signs belonging to Kress Query and Lee Myers on the property across from the quarry off Sam Newell. Many will recall seeing Mr. Hood mowing the grass on the property between Crestdale Middle School and Independence Boulevard. Colonial Properties will be developing multi-family housing on that land.

“We have either taken reports or been made aware of the theft of at least 50 campaign signs over the past month,’ Matthews Police Chief Rob Hunter expressed in a letter sent to all the candidates running for office in Matthews this year. ‘I want to assure each of you that we are taking these offenses seriously, and that any offenders caught damaging or taking campaign signs will be arrested and transported to jail.”

Speaking of campaign protection…

A notice to Matthews Police patrols has been sent out regarding safety concerns for candidates for office, according to a memo sent to them and the Matthews Town Manager. Hoping not to be considered an infringement of privacy or an alarm with regards to candidate safety, Matthews Police Chief felt it necessary to familiarize town patrol officers with candidates’ homes, in case they should observe any suspicious activities on their property while they are not present or during overnight periods. His decision was based on the “rash of campaign sign thefts,” and what he described as, “the contentious issues surrounding the campaign season.”

The Chief added in his letter to the candidates, “I urge you to contact us should you have any concerns or observe anything suspicious.”

News About Town: Getting a jump start on campaign season, three incumbent candidates held their first meet and greet at Seaboard last night. The mayor and five commissioners were in attendance, as was the town manager. Candidates for Matthews Board of Commissioners don’t officially file to run until next month, so the full roster is yet to be known. Early voting begins Wednesday, October 16 and ends Friday, November 1. The general election is on Tuesday, November 5 from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm at your regular polling location.

News Around Town: NCDOT is hosting an open house/preconstruction meeting for the I-485 Express Lane project. This project will include the on/off ramps at Weddington Rd. and improvements to the John St. interchange. The express lanes will be tolled with cost depending on demand, existing lanes will not be toll lanes. Stop by anytime Thursday, June 27, from noon to 7 pm at the Endhaven Elementary School (6815 Endhaven Ln., Charlotte) to chat with NCDOT and Turnpike Authority representatives.

One Fun Thing: There’s one more chance to hear from Barbara Taylor, Director for the Matthews Heritage Museum, about the Tank Town exhibit. Barbara will be at Matthews Library presenting the history of the schools and churches in the community as well as some stories highlighting life in Tank Town. Saturday, June 22, 2 to 3 pm, Matthews Library.