CMPD Chief Monroe Explains UC Drug Buy Gone To Dirt

Monday Odds and Ends - Murder and Mayhem Edition

East Charlotte Shooting All Too Normal - According to the Charlotte Observer "A 19-year-old Charlotte man was killed in an eastside shooting Sunday afternoon, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police shut down an apartment complex for four hours as the SWAT team tried unsuccessfully to make contact with a suspect in an apartment.

Police eventually determined that no one was in the apartment.

Police said a man they identified as Danny Barrino was involved in an altercation with another man before the shooting that left him dead. Investigators had not released the name or a description of the suspect by late Sunday.

After the shooting, investigators believed at least one suspect was holed up inside a home in The Preserve at Lake Forest, a large apartment complex near where East W.T. Harris Boulevard meets Albemarle Road.

Trudy Allen said her son, whom she identified as Danny Barrino Allen, was killed. She said she was in church when police called her to tell her about the shooting.

“No matter what he did or what he’s done, now my baby’s gone,” she said, sobbing while being consoled by another woman. “I don’t know the reason, but he’s gone for something stupid.”

She also said, “Whoever did this, they need to come to justice.”

Chauncey Sterling was sentenced to "life w/o parole" in the murder of hospital executive Robert Barber, who was killed by Sterling two years ago while walking home from Caribou Coffee on Fairview Road, in South Charlotte.

 

The morning he was killed, Barber had driven to Caribou with his wife, Debbie.

When she left to go to work, he decided to walk the 3 miles home.

But just a few blocks from the coffee shop, he was confronted by a Sterling holding a gun.

Police said Barber struggled with Sterling and in the process Sterling fired the gun twice. Barber died at the scene.

Sterling's legal defense did a good job, albeit over the top. When Sterling appeared in court he was dressed in a plaid shirt and tie complete with glasses reminiscent of television's Steve Urkel from the sitcom "Family Matters".

The defense centered on the fine line between murder and murder in the process of committing armed robbery.

The fine line being intent, claiming that at the last second Sterling changed his mind about robbing Barber. The jury didn't buy the argument and convicted Urkle of First Degree Murder allowing for the Life without possibility of Parole.

Kindergarten Graduation Fight - Further evidence Charlotte has gone total WalMart - Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were called to a southwest Charlotte elementary school after a fight broke out during a kindergarten graduation Thursday morning.

Police were called to River Gate Elementary off of Smith Road after a fight broke out between two adults around 10 a.m.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools official said the altercation occurred during a reception for kindergartens in the media center of the school.

Both men involved were arrested. Yani Arnautovic, 34, and Darrell Dotson, 38, are charged with misdemeanors for disorderly conduct.

In Case You Missed It - High Line Repair Trucks In Charlotte

Duke Energy would rather you not know the extent that they had to go to restore power after Thursday's storms. 

But this is just a very small portion of the hundred or so trucks brought into help overwhelmed Duke Energy Crews restore power.

Crews from Florida were brought in early Friday to help repair damaged power lines throughout the Charlotte area. 

The 48 hour effort wrapped up just after 8 p.m. Saturday with crews staging at South Charlotte's Calvary Church before they convoyed down I-485 en route to I-77 and eventually I-95 to head back to Florida.

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In 1992 then Duke Power decided to contract with a single "High Line" contractor Floyd S. Pike. The result was the bankruptcy of a dozen other High Line operations throughout the Carolinas.

Pike went on the control the majority of high line work in the Southeast. The company went public in 2005 and is now traded on the NYSE.

But the good ole boy relationship with Duke Energy is still strong, which might explain why Duke Energy is firmly opposed to the relocation of power lines in Charlotte from overhead to underground. 

The massive costs of Thursday's storm will be passed along to Duke Customers in the form of overtime and natural disaster pricing by outside contractors simply because Pike doesn't have the manpower to deal with even the smallest storms. 

Imagine if Hurricane Hugo happened today, could Duke Energy handle the job of rebuilding our electrical grid? Doubtful, shockingly doubtful.  

Wednesday Change Up - Sound Garden Black Hole Sun

 

Hat tip to NPR for using The Section Quartet's version of the now two decade old hit as interlude for their story on a comet's encounter with the sun. Yes it is true Sound Garden's hit was released in 1994!

Kerr Putney Runner Up for Winston Salem PD Chief Job

Winston-Salem, NC - Assistant Police Chief Barry D. Rountree will be Winston-Salem's next police chief, according to a Friday morning announcement from City Manager Lee Garrity.

 

Rountree has served on the Winston-Salem Police Department for the last 25 years, and is currently the assistant chief in the Investigative Services Bureau. 

 

Chief Scott Cunningham announced in December 2012 that he would retire at the end of June 2013. Rountree will start his new position June 30. 

 

"I am very pleased with the level of feedback that I have received from citizens and police employees regarding our candidates," Garrity said in a statement. "After careful deliberation of all aspects of the chief's job, I have determined that Assistant Chief Rountree is the best candidate to assume this major responsibility for our community.        

 

"He will provide the leadership to aggressively combat crime while working to enhance the relationships between the department and the community." 

Friday Wrap Up - Would You Please Hold My Umbrella? Edition

Barry Can't Catch a Break - You've seen the photos, and heard all the spin right and left. Here's the real deal, US Presidents every once and a while end up standing in the rain talking to the gathered masses. and when they do someone in uniform normally holds the umbrella.

The reason is simple the uniform represents the nation and not one smuck singled out for some sub subservient duty.

While right wing crazies are aghast it is totally acceptable.

Airport Cash Cow - Jerry Orr has run CDIA like his own personal fiefdom but has done so on the backs of Charlotte area taxpayers. True or False?

Jerry will argue that the airport hasn't cost residents a dime and that we have a "world class airport" thanks to him.

But why? And what is the true cost? Beyond the local jobs what are the benefits?

It is clearly not a win/win for Charlotte. Property values far beyond the airport have suffered. Plans to build a 5th runway are in the works and the airport keeps getting larger.

US Airways is demanding a seat on the board of any airport authority. Why?

Isn't it time we take a serious look at the airport? As tax payers shouldn't Charlotte residents get to "cash out" if the airport is handed to a regional authority?

The idea that is was all free is horse play and Charlotte Area Taxayers have paid for this monitor and we should all get a piece of the action.

Charlotte Traffic - The long awaited Expansion of 485 from Johnston Road to I-77 in South Charlotte has begun. The current mess has been made worse by the recently added concrete walls that have driver brake taping like a bunch of nervous women at a church niño game.

When is a Tree Not a Tree - CP can't find the words to explain this, except it is just all kinds of wrong. Seriously this thing is worse than a flashing bill board and is visible for about four miles both east and west of its location at the Jay Robinson Middle School in South Charlotte along 485.

Elevation Church - Got to love these Elavation Church Cheerleaders especially those who like to hog two parking spaces in a busy shopping center.

Another reason to vote down the Elevation Church compound rezoning request for Ballentyne, they obviously need a supersized parking lt. 

CP Hiatius - I'm on a Boat! It's that time of year when tourists flock to Charleston and CP along with the "General" and our crews are running boats and hosting events for the Spolato Festival over the next few weeks. Back to a normal routine soon.

Chase Sapphire Commercial

If you have seen the Chase commercial and thought the song felt familiar you were right. As in 50 years of music familiar yep that is indeed, Sir Paul McCarthy.