News About Town: Yesterday morning the Police Department held the annual Officer, Civilian, Volunteer of the Year Award Ceremony. Chief Clark Pennington presented plaques and $50 gift certificates to each recipient. Citizen Volunteer John Willis received the Volunteer of the Year award for his dedication to serving the town through responding to more than 800 volunteer-appropriate calls, directing traffic, and leading Stop the Bleed training. Crime Analyst Amanda Bruner was hired in 2019 and has worked with officers, investigators, and command staff on a number of cases. Officer of the Year was awarded to Officer Don Warren. Officer Warren received an Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate in 2020 and is the school resource officer at Crestdale Middle and serves as a training coordinator for the police department.
News Around Town: Because of COVID and other everyday hardships, many Mecklenburg County residents are faced with the choice between heating their home or buying necessities. Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services can help. The department oversees the county’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), which provides funds to eligible households to help with the payment of their immediate home energy needs. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2021 and payments are a one-time direct-to-the-vendor payment. For more info on criteria and how to apply, visit the county website or can call 704-336-3000.
One Fun Thing: Carolina Impact, a weekly regional news show, recently interviewed Commissioner Ken McCool about his experience running for and serving on the Board of Commissioners. Learn more about Commissioner McCool here.