INSIDE ▼ Register for Wild Turkey 5K Trail Run PAGE 2B Friday, June 3, 2022 • Vol. 15 • No. 22
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Upswing Indian Trail festival returns from COVID, 5A
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Baby, dad killed in shooting MONROE – The Monroe Police Department is looking for suspects in a shooting that killed 25-year-old Darion McClendon and 4-monthold Da’Mari McClendon. Officers found the two gunshot victims while responding to a shots fired call at 10:08 p.m. May 29 at 329-A Morrow Ave. “This is a very difficult time for our community and our officers in the face of this senseless act of violence,” Police Chief Bryan Gilliard said. “We are committed to bringing the perpetrator of this crime to justice. If anyone has any information, please come forward. We need
people in the community to help us in this process.” A cash reward of up to $10,000 is available for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with any information about this crime should contact the Monroe Police Department at 704-282-4700 or Union County Crime Stoppers at 704-283-5600. Tynika McClendon, who is the mother of Darion and grandmother of Da’Mari, has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral arrangements. The page raised $315 of the 5,000 goal in the first 13 hours of the campaign. News of the shooting prompted
one Union County Weekly reader to remark on Facebook: “Monroe is getting rough ... or maybe it’s just society.” “It’s everywhere,” another user replied. The crime occurred just five days after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old man shot 19 students and two teachers. That shooting sparked national debate over guns and mental health. On April 28, the Monroe Police Department announced that Billy Rashawn Barrino had been arrested on murder charges April 23 by
authorities in Gaston County. He was wanted for the shooting death of Jaleel Takeem Nivens that same day on Boyte Street. On Nov. 28, 2021, police arrested a juvenile for attempted first-degree murder following a shooting near Craig and Jackson streets. A 13-year-old girl was shot while sitting at a picnic table in July 2021 at Icemorlee Drive. Police said at the time that an SUV drove by the scene and started shooting in the direction of the child before driving away. Police arrested four people on first-degree murder charges in that shooting.
Memorial Day event honors the fallen by Justin Vick
justin@cmgweekly.com
Amy Smith and her daughter Brooke donated blood at one of the 19 locations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosting the Give as He Gave Blood drive. Sites included Matthews, Monroe, Weddington and south Charlotte. Photo courtesy of Melinda Nusbaum
Blood drive sets single-day record by Kristen Anderson Contributor
CHARLOTTE – OneBlood and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently joined together to host 19 simultaneous blood drives across Charlotte, western North Carolina, and northwestern South Carolina. The effort resulted in 378 successful donations of blood, making it the largest single-day
blood collection drive ever for OneBlood in the Carolinas. Since each donation can help up to three people, potentially more than 1,100 lives were blessed. The need for blood is constant because it cannot be manufactured or stockpiled. A donation today is transfused into a patient within 48 hours. Organizations like the American Red Cross and OneBlood work together through their own donation sites and com-
munity-sponsored drives to gather the needed blood supply. Hospitals and medical centers then use that blood to save the lives of not only trauma and transplant patients, but also individuals needing blood products as part of their treatment for cancer, sickle cell disease or other medical conditions. “Blood donation is an easy way to make a tremendous impact in the community,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of corporate communi-
cation and public relations at OneBlood. Unfortunately, the number of blood donations nationally has decreased the past two years. “The pandemic has upended many of the traditional locations for blood drives,” Forbes explained. With so many businesses having their employees working remotely, and the cancellation of many public gatherings, see BLOOD, Page 5A
Heavy helpings: Tyson Foods donates protein to pantries
Tyson Foods donates more than 38,000 lbs to support neighboring ministries, food banks, and pantries. Donation totals 152,000 meals and 3,000 cases of Tyson protein products. Photo courtesy of Tyson Foods
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Tyson Foods celebrated its newest Community Pantry Program partner, Feed My Lambs Ministries, with a ribbon-cutting and donation event May 23. More than 38,000 pounds of high-quality food, totaling 152,000 meals and 3,000 cases of different Tyson Foods protein products, were delivered to stock the Feed My Lambs food pantry.
The donation will help provide more than 150,000 meals to families in Union and Anson counties. The Tyson Foods Community Pantry Partner Program provides grants for improving and expanding storage capacity for food pantries and ongoing donations of protein products to support the community.
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S O U TH C H A R L O T T E / U N I O N C O U N T Y / M A T TH E W S - M I N T H I L L / TH E P I N E VI L L E P I L O T
INDIAN TRAIL – While some people associate Memorial Day with the soldiers who died in battle during World War II or Vietnam, Lt. Col. Sam Johnson shared the story of someone who made headlines last year with close ties to home. Johnson serves as executive vice president of The Independence Fund, an organization that helps wounded or ill veterans. He was the keynote speaker for Indian Trail’s Memorial Day observance May 30 at Veterans Memorial Garden. Johnson said 1.3 million brave men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms – 7,075 since the terrorist attracks of Sept. 11, 2001, and 39 since last Memorial Day. But he focused on the 13 service men and women that died during the Kabul airport bombing on Aug. 26, 2021. Marine Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum was just 20 years old when he died in that attack. Prior to his deployment, the Wyoming native had married his sweetheart. Three weeks after McCollum’s death, his widow gave birth to a daughter, Levi Rylee Rose. Both now live in Indian Trail. Johnson encouraged those at the ceremony to research a fallen military figure like McCollum and remember their sacrifice. He also told them to think about their families. “For some, every day is Memorial Day,” Johnson said. Town Manager Michael McLaurin encouraged the crowd to think about a personal connection they have to the military. “During times of conflict when our troops are called into foreign lands and while they are away, family and friends are left to worry while offering up prayers for their safe return,” McLaurin said. “In many cases, those requests are honored and answered. Unfortunately, in other cases, their loved ones are killed and seriously injured and lives are permanently changed.” Indian Trail Mayor David Cohn encouraged the crowd to think about the late Michael Alvarez, who as mayor supported patriotic groups like the American Legion and VFW. see FALLEN, Page 5A
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