Home Sales in Union County
page 10
Union County
Cuthbertson baseball wins on and off the field
page 20
Serving Indian Trail, Marvin, Stallings, Waxhaw, Weddington and Wesley Chapel
Locally Owned & Operated www.unioncountyweekly.com
Volume 10, Number 15 • April 9 to 15, 2015
Residents denounce plea Marvin Ridge deal in Larson case wants to ‘talk Larson released after receiving credit for time served
it out’ about underage drinking by Courtney Schultz education@unioncountyweekly.com
by Ryan PItkin editor@unioncountyweekly.com
MONROE - A crowd of more than 75 Union County residents gathered in front of the Union County courthouse at noon on Saturday, April 4 to decry a recent plea deal made by former Union County Department of Social Services (DSS) supervisor Wanda Sue Larson in an infamous 2013 child abuse case. On March 31, Larson pleaded guilty to four child abuse-related charges and was sentenced to 17 months in prison. She was given credit for time served, however, and released from Union County Jail on Wednesday, April 8, according to the Union County Sherriff’s Office. Those who stood in the courthouse plaza in downtown Monroe on Saturday called the deal “ludicrous” and “infuriating.” Joanna Segee brought her family to stand while holding signs, encouraging her children to tell reporters that they, too, have a voice. (see Wanda Larson on page 5)
Eighty-seven percent of North Carolina middle and high school students believe underage drinking is a problem, according to a recent survey conducted by the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control (NC ABC) Commission. Eighty-four percent said underage drinking would stop if parents talked to their children. The NC ABC Commission’s newest campaign, “Talk It Out,” seeks to start the conversation between parents and students to help alleviate underage drinking. The initiative was developed beginning in 2013 through a task force created by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, with a goal to facilitate a conversation about important issues, such as underage drinking. The NC ABC Commission conducted interviews amongst teens and parents and found children wanted to talk to their parents about the reasoning behind drinking rules and parents wanted to talk to their children, but didn’t know how to start the conversation or where to find a central location of information, according to Hope Walker, director of program development and strategic partnerships for NC ABC – Talk It Out. (see Talk it Out on page 12)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Arts, 16; Calendar, 18; Sports, 20; Classifieds, 23
Pediatric Boulevard
Union County’s largest pediatric therapy clinic offering services for children ages birth through 20.
Speech/Feeding Therapy • Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy • Aquatic Therapy Services
S t ro ll in g D o w n th e rd “Is your 13 month old walking independently, feeding himself with a spoon and imitating simple words???” B o u le v a
www.pediatricboulevard.com
704-821-0568
Call us for a free screen to see if your child is meeting his or her developmental milestones appropriately.