2015 Girls’ Softball Super Team
South Charlotte author releases memoir
page 13
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Volume 8, Number 30 • July 23 to 29, 2015
National magazine puts spotlight on town Family Circle recognizes Matthews as “Best Town� by Justin Vick justin@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Photo courtesy of the town of Matthews
MATTHEWS – Growing up in the SouthPark area of Charlotte, Pam Lang once thought of Matthews as a town you drove through to get to Myrtle Beach. Now she can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. So when Family Circle needed someone to interview about Matthews for its annual “10 Best Towns for Families� feature, the town put the magazine in contact with the Langs. “They sort of embody who we think of when we design programs,� said Corey
King, parks and recreation director, noting families, such as the Langs take full advantage of town activities. Family Circle recognized 10 towns with “great schools, housing and community spirit.� The magazine touted Matthews for its growth, schools and festivals. “Although Matthews embraces all the conveniences of modern living, it has remained the quintessential small-town experience for its residents,� according to Seema Nayyar’s story in Family Circle. (see Best Town on page 5)
Health & Wellness
County declares Stage 1 conservation measures
Summer is here, and so is the latest Health and Wellness issue. This issue of Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly includes a special Health and Wellness section beginning on page 9.
could then carry into their adult lives. “There are a variety of ways and reasons for teens to use drugs,� he said, which include a genetic predisposition, the messages presented to young people about drugs from parents, guardian use and, in severe cases, a reaction to adverse childhood events. He said it’s important to curb drug use early on, especially for 12 and 13 year olds, (see Youth Drug Use on page 11)
(see Drought on page 4)
Youth marijuana, pharmaceutical drug use stays stagnant, other drug use decreases With adolescents on summer break having more free time, medical professionals are concerned some students use that lack of structure to experiment with drugs. A recent report from the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy infers American teens are more likely to try marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol
during the summer months. Dr. Steve Wyatt, an addiction psychiatrist in Charlotte, said he’s not surprised by an increase in first-time users during the summer months, as teens have more free time and fewer supervised hours to access drugs, as well as more money from summer jobs to purchase them. Wyatt said people are more susceptible to long-term drug use when they start the behaviors as teenagers, which
by Hannah Chronis hannah@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Nancy Humphries, owner of Mouton Blanc Farms, walks onto an empty field that once was home to luscious tomatoes, ripe squash and other homegrown produce featured each Saturday at the Waxhaw Farmers Market. But now, the dry field looks as though it recently caught fire. The pain isn’t unique to Humphries; farmers across Mecklenburg and Union counties are feeling the effects of this summer’s drought. “It looks like I took a blowtorch to everything,� Humphries said, who’s been farming off of Howie Mine
Pipeline to future drug use by Courtney Schultz education@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Drought, heat cripples farmers
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Calendar, 14; Sports, 16; Classifieds, 19
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