SOURCE: Mecklenburg County
Should recycling be mandatory? What’s the plan for the local landfill 5, 10, 15 years down the road? These are the questions that may be asked during an upcoming series of public forums hosted by the Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Department. Read the full story

A team of eighth graders from the J.M. Alexander Middle School IB program on Saturday won the North Carolina Future City Competition at N.C. State University in Raleigh. Their alternative-energy powered “future city” of Mahali Kuwa, South Africa, was judged tops among more than two dozen schools.

It was the fifth straight year a north Mecklenburg International Baccalaureate team won the competition, continuing a tradition that began when the IB program was housed at Davidson IB Middle School. Read the full story

Due to a scheduling conflict, N.C. Speaker of the House Thom Tillis(R – Cornelius) has rescheduled his January office hours at Cornelius Town Hall. Citizens who scheduled time with the speaker on Monday, Jan. 23 instead will meet with him Monday, Feb. 6. Read the full story

Prior to its regular board meeting Monday, the Cornelius Board of Commissioners will hear a presentation from Police Chief Bence Hoyle regarding the Huntersville Police Department’s decision to leave its partnership with the 911 call center housed in the Cornelius Police department.

“It has absolute implications on our budget,” Mayor Tarte said, “and it has absolute implications on our service level.”

In November, the Huntersville Police Department gave notice that it would be ending its partnership with Cornelius and switching to a dispatch services contract with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department starting this summer – a switch that would save Huntersville money. Huntersville’s decision means more than $400,000 in lost funds for Cornelius, and now the department must decide whether it can absorb the costs and continue running the dispatch center or if it too should switch to CMPD dispatch. Read the full story

Backers of the proposed Red Line Commuter Rail Project are seeking approval from area governments, saying all must be on board for the plan to work. But there’s another player in the background that determine whether the project goes forward: Norfolk Southern Corp., which owns the tracks north of Charlotte. And the Charlotte Business Journal reported Friday that Norfolk Southern officials have lots of questions about the project including whether commuter service is viable on the line.

LINK: Jan. 20, 2012, Charlotte Business Journal, “Norfolk Southern is not on board with Charlotte transit plan.” – Reporter Erik Spanberg reports on Norfolk Southern’s “broad range of concerns” and questions about the project.

This winter has brought a few new hot spots to Cornelius, and here’s my take on two that are definitely worth a visit: Drifters Bar and Grill and Paddy’s Pour House. Also, the latest on the old Midtown Sundries space. Read the full story

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte said Thursday he will run for a seat in the N.C. Senate. His announcement follows months of buzz that he might seek the District 41 seat, a new district that includes North Mecklenburg as well as Matthews and Mint Hill southeast of Charlotte.

His announcement creates at least a two-way battle for the Republican nomination in the district: John Aneralla, a self-described conservative Republican from Huntersville, also has announced his candidacy. In 2010, he ran unsuccessfully for the District 40 seat now held by state Sen. Malcolm Graham. In a press release last week, Mr. Aneralla announced he already has endorsements from 35 state and local leaders, including some Cornelius Commissioners and School Board members. Read the full story

The head of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce said this week the chamber supports the idea of a rail line north of Charlotte, though current plans to pay for the line require “proper analysis.” Chamber members will get a closer look at the $452 million Red Line Regional Rail Project during the next Focus Friday issues session on Jan 27.

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