Morning Minute: October 31, 2018

News About Town: News about the Butler shooting has been unfolding. As the Matthews community searches for answers, there are still few. What has become known is that the gun was stolen from a vehicle in Gaston County in August. According to Jatwan Cuffie, the 16 year old shooter, he hid the gun in the woods outside the high school and retrieved it before school Monday. Cuffie was involved in a fight this past weekend with several other boys outside a Matthews Harris Teeter. Bobby McKeithen, the vicitim, was not involved in the fight. According to Cuffie, McKeithen punched him in the face Monday morning.

News Around Town: Happy Halloween! Trick or treaters are sure to be out around dusk filling their bags with candy. Look for the growing-in-popularity Teal Pumpkin, where kids with allergies can find allergy-friendly treats. For adults, several of the establishments around town are offering spooky specials. However you celebrate (or don’t), exercise caution when driving around town tonight.

One Good Thing: The coast of North Carolina is still in need of support from the inland community after Hurricane Florence. Some schools have lost their entire library collections and many classroom collections have been destroyed by flooding, mold and contamination. Joanna Schimizzi, Matthews resident and teacher, has started a book drive with the goal of collecting one new and like-new book per child (600,000!) living in the 28 majorly affected counties.
If you would like to give or host a book drive click here. For questions or to volunteer, please email Joanna: hurricaneflorencebooks@gmail.com.

Matthews Morning Minute: September 21, 2018

News About Town: Responding to a request from N.C. State Emergency Management, Matthews Police Department sent four officers to assist Fair Bluff, NC with recovery efforts from Hurricane Florence.

Eventually a total of 18 of Matthews’ Finest will travel to Fair Bluff, a small town still reeling from Hurricane Matthew.

News Above Town: Don’t get too excited, but temps will reach a mild 86 degrees today. Is that fall calling from the distance?

News Around Town: Chris Sottile, the man about town whose personality is as robust as the cheese he mongers, will be doing the final chef demo of the season at the Farmer’s Market this Saturday, September 22.  Be there by 8:50 to get a good seat, the demo starts at 9.  A trio from WDAV's Classical Harvest Concert Series will serenade the main market while you peruse peppers, while Nick Tutwiler, a fourteen-year-old fiddler, will entertain the tailgate section.

One Good Thing: If you’re looking for a way to help, local fire departments are collecting food, bottled water, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies for areas hit hard by Hurricane Florence.

Loose items should be boxed and labeled for quick identification and processing. Deliver donations to the Matthews Fire Department, Idlewild VFD, or Mint Hill Fire & Rescue by September 30.

More than a Minute

We’ve all seen them, the helpful posts on Facebook with brilliant tips to prepare for a hurricane.  

Dishwasher Wash: This one comes with a helpful anecdote by some Hurricane survivor in Florida who supposedly used their dishwasher to keep important documents out of harm’s way. So, will the dishwasher keep your photos and valuables dry? Snope’s says nope.

Snopes might save your wedding album.

Open Up: Stop me if you’ve read this one before: Leaving a window open slightly during a hurricane will help equalize pressure and prevent damage. The truth? Leaving windows open can cause more damage than with closed windows. 

Fire Away: Blowing fans toward, scootering around town, and shooting guns at Hurricane Florence will keep the Hurricane away. Um. Really? Yeah, we don’t actually need to discuss this. Also, there are no sharks swirling in the clouds. I promise.

Phew, now that’s cleared up, let’s talk water. (And not bottled water. I think Brad Panovich covered that.

As we all wait to see what will actually happen with Florence, flash flooding, a rapid rise in water levels, seems imminent. Just remember: Turn Around Don't Drown. (Sing it with me...turn around...don’t drown.)

Another certainty? Many of our greenways are built through low-lying areas and cross over creeks and streams. Water can be deceptive, so even on foot turn around...don’t drown...

Do you know if you live on a floodplain? Check here.