News

Sundae Art Gallery to open in downtown Concord

Submitted by John Cominsky on Tuesday, May 21st, 5:28 pm

The Sundae Art Gallery is opening in Concord with the kickoff of their “Second Fridays” series from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 14.

The first group show, entitled “Eight way from Sundae,” will feature eight artist graduates and their instructors from the Artist in Rendition program of Braitman Studios in Charlotte.

The gallery plans to host a new art event on the second Friday of each month.

“We want to bring in high quality artists who have “found their voice” but are still selling art that is a great value,” gallery manager Pete Brown said. “We will have guest curators to help us in the selection process.”

Brown added, “Concord and area residents have always enjoyed the downtown Art Walks, sponsored by the Cabarrus Arts Council, which occur on Friday nights five times a year.

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Bruton Smith disputes that fall race move is a "done deal"

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, 5:02pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- NASCAR mogul Bruton Smith says there is a strong possibility that he will move the Bank of America 500 out of Charlotte, but a source told WBTV the move is "a done deal."

The Bank of America 500 is one of two annual races held at Smith's Charlotte Motor Speedway, along with May's Coca-Cola 600. The BoA 500 is held in October.

"I know you're not gonna cut this one out, but I've been having some strong conversations about one of these events being moved," Smith told WBTV's Paul Cameron in an exclusive interview on Monday. "And Las Vegas is a great place - it's the entertainment capital of the world - and they want another event."

In addition to owning the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the North Carolina native owns eight NASCAR tracks, including the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, hosting a total of eleven NASCAR Sprint Cup events.

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Robinson softball looking to make history

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, 10:14am

CONCORD, NC (WBTV)- What a season it has been in softball at Robinson High School.

The ladies are 25-2 and won both the South Piedmont Conference title in the regular season and the tournament title.

Tomorrow, they take on Marvin Ridge in the 4th round of the state tournament.

Hitting has be a huge plus for this team as they are averaging 9 runs per game. In the playoffs, the Lady Bulldogs have taken a huge bit out of the competition outscoring opponents 28-5.

They are seeking the school's first state championship in softball, but believe it or not, that's not this team's focus which has led to their postseason success.

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Senate budget proposal changes SBI

Submitted by Melissa Hankins

Monday, May 20th, 2013, 7:32pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- The North Carolina Senate released its state budget proposal late Sunday night.

It's a $20.6 billion dollar plan that includes adjustments to Medicaid, education reform, and a big change for the State Bureau of Investigation.

Senate leaders have been looking for ways to trim costs, and to prevent any tax increases, and they're proposing consolidation as a tool to do so.

But the SBI proposal is starting to look like a convoluted case.

Attorney General Roy Cooper stood with a dozen law enforcement officers today to oppose the move. Cooper says putting the SBI under McCrory's control could create a conflict of interest, and that it would cripple the organization's independence and investigative techniques.

The SBI currently handles public corruption cases, and in the past it's investigated more than 500 public officials, including the past two governors' administrations.

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Truckin' along in the quest for the checkered flag

Submitted by David Whisenant

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 4:37pm

CONCORD, NC (WBTV)- It's not the biggest circuit in racing, but it's one these drivers and teams love, even if it takes just about all they have.

"Yes, it's extremely busy, 12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. The business of racing is one side, but then you have to find the funding to do it which takes as much time as running the race team," said Mark Beaver.

Beaver and Tracy Lowe are partners who own MAKE Motorsports. It's based in Shelby, where Mark also runs a bail bond company. Danny Elfland is the driver, but he spends a lot of time working on the truck.

"The only way I was ever able to drive to be in the position I'm in right now is because I'm able to work on the trucks, most of the race cars I've driven I've worked on at the shop," Elfland told WBTV, while preparing the truck to make a qualifying run for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. "I think it makes a better race car driver to know what you have underneath you.

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Operation "Road Watch" ends on successful note

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 2:39pm

The Highway Patrol completed its Operation "Road Watch" campaign after a two-day intensive enforcement effort on I-85 in Cleveland and surrounding counties.

During the two-day event, which began on Tuesday, May 14, and ended on Wednesday, May 15, Troopers concentrated on commercial motor vehicle violations as well as focused their attention on motorists who were driving aggressively around big trucks, speeding, tailgating, and driving aggressively.

Established in 2007, Operation "Road Watch" was designed to improve commercial motor vehicle safety as well as the efficiency of commercial vehicle operations.

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Social media's impact on the track

Submitted by David Whisenant

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 7:36pm

It's one of the most significant things to change the way fans watch sports on television, particularly NASCAR racing.

Social media has taken race coverage to an unheard of level, and while some say it's a great companion to enjoy the sport, others are warning that just like in news reporting, social media is often one tweet away from trouble.

Walking through the garage area is one of the few times you won't see Sprint Cup Champ Brad Keselowski sending a tweet. With nearly a half million followers on Twitter, he's one of the best pioneers of the sport's newest frontier.

"It gives fans a place and forum and a place to voice their opinions, sometimes I wonder if social media, Facebook, Twitter, is the majority, or the minority which is voicing their opinion," former driver, now broadcaster Kyle Petty told WBTV. "Is one of the most active on social media, often taking on his critics.

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