Officials are still working to determine the cause of a fire that engulfed a north Charlotte barn this morning and claimed the lives of several animals trapped inside. Neighbors of the Oakdale Road barn noticed the fire at around 6 a.m., when they heard the distressed animals from inside the barn. The fire was extinguished, sparing an attached chicken coop, but the animals inside the barn — two horses, and a mother dog with her litter of puppies — did not survive the blaze. (Fox46 Staff)
Police responded to reports of a shooting at a home on McDonald Street in northwest Charlotte early this morning. In a statement, police confirmed that a man at the scene did suffer minor injuries from three gunshot wounds to the leg and was transported to the hospital for treatment. Reports did not disclose what caused the incident, or identify the victim or suspects, and police state that witnesses are not cooperating with the ongoing investigation. (WBTV Web Staff)
South End restaurant Phat Burrito was the target of an armed robbery last night. Witnesses said a man entered the Camden Road restaurant and drew his gun on a manager, instructing him to empty out the contents of the cash register while an accomplice waited outside with a getaway car. Two diners were in the restaurant at the time, and no injuries were reported. (WSOC Staff)
At least two cases of mumps have been confirmed in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, and officials suspect that the list may grow as their investigation follows six additional suspected cases in the Piedmont region. Officials with the Mecklenburg County Health Department believe a patient was originally exposed to the virus that causes mumps while they were stranded at an unidentified airport during a winter storm. While officials have disclosed that the two confirmed patients are acquaintances, they have not elaborated on whether this link is responsible for the cross-county transmission of the virus, which is spread via mucous and saliva. (Sarah Hagen, WCNC)
The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted last night to approve $170,00 in tax incentives for internet sales and marketing firm Red Ventures to expand its presence in the University area. The company plans to create 500 new jobs and invest over $5 million in its University Research Park campus. The firm is currently headquartered just south of the state line, in Indian Land, South Carolina, but already employs about 500 people at an IT and customer service center in the research park. Charlotte City Council voted last week to give the company $100,00 over five years. (Jonathan McFadden, Charlotte Observer)