Gastonia

Interstate 85 South in Gastonia was shut down after a box truck rollover spilled its load onto both sides of the highway. No injuries were reported, and traffic is being diverted onto Highway 321.

Kahla Jeffries, a Gastonia resident, won $100,000 from her first-ever lottery ticket purchase at Will’s Food Store on Hickory Grove Road. After taxes, she received $72,018 and plans to use the funds for a car and education. The $100,000 Cash Payday game remains available with 58 top prizes still unclaimed.

A Gastonia woman named Jeffries won $100,000 with her first-ever lottery ticket. She plans to use the winnings to buy a car and save for school.

Gastonia Police used gunshot detection receivers to address a falsely reported shooting. The city employs 158 such devices as part of the Flock Camera initiative.

All southbound lanes of Interstate 85 and one northbound lane are closed in Gastonia due to crashes, as reported by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

DarMikka Poage and Evelyn Roberts broke their apartment leases after experiencing shootings near their Charlotte and Gastonia residences. Both faced financial and legal challenges from their landlords, with Poage receiving a legal threat notice. The apartment complexes claimed they prioritized resident safety and worked with the women to resolve their situations.

Gastonia baseball fans are taking longer walks due to closed parking lots. The adjacent parking lot is owned by NC Gas House Gang, and a legal dispute over the lot remains unresolved in court.

The family of John Luke Moore, a slain Gastonia barber, is using billboards to seek justice in his five-year-old cold case. He was shot and killed during a home invasion in July 2021, and his murder remains unsolved.

Biggerstaff Furniture, a family-run store in Gastonia, is closing after 80 years of operation. The business, which passed through four generations, faced declining sales and market changes, leading to its liquidation. Owner Bobby Biggerstaff expressed hope for future opportunities despite the closure.

Belmont implemented an 8% water rate increase to address its designation on the state’s distressed utilities list, which was linked to growth outpacing infrastructure. The city has established interconnects with Gastonia and Mt. Holly for emergency water supply stability and secured a $10 million loan to improve its water intake system in the Catawba River.

A suspect is in custody after a shooting at Greenview Meadows apartments in Gastonia, North Carolina. Police responded to reports of the incident on Tuesday afternoon, but have not identified the involved individual.

A Gastonia man faces a second-degree murder charge after allegedly rear-ending an ambulance that was treating a patient, causing it to flip and killing paramedic Ashley Moore. The defendant, Jared Logan, also faces charges of driving while impaired, reckless driving, and failure to wear a seatbelt.

A Gastonia man was accused of crashing into an ambulance while impaired, killing paramedic Ashely Moore. The driver, Jared Logan, was charged with second-degree murder and other offenses. The incident occurred on Highway 74 near Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

A Dollar Tree store on South York Road in Gastonia, N.C., was intentionally set on fire on July 5 around 2 p.m., causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. No injuries were reported, and authorities are seeking information through Gaston County Crime Stoppers.

Police and firefighters in Gastonia responded to a fire at a Dollar Tree store near East Hudson Boulevard on Sunday afternoon. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

A fire at a Dollar Tree in Gaston County, Gastonia, N.C., caused a road closure on Sunday afternoon, July 5. The blaze, reported at 3 p.m. near South York Road and Bush Street, led to traffic disruptions for several hours. No injuries were reported, and the cause remains under investigation.

Two Romanian nationals, Marian and Catalin Dumitru, stole $760,000 from SNAP benefits by installing skimming devices on ATMs and EBT cards in the Charlotte area. They used stolen funds to purchase goods in Gastonia and Pineville before being arrested and pleading guilty to wire fraud.

Gastonia is engaged in an ongoing legal dispute with the ownership group behind the defunct Gastonia Honey Hunters, who have proposed a $6.5 million settlement to resolve the case. The litigation persists two-and-a-half years after the team was evicted from a city-owned ballpark in December 2023.

Shakiya Pridgen, a Charlotte native living in Atlanta, was shot and killed in her apartment along with her unborn son. Her ex-boyfriend, Devin Anthony, was arrested and charged with murder. Pridgen had strong ties to Charlotte and was a member of the ARP Church in Gastonia.

A three-month-old baby, Sadie Johnson, received a lifesaving liver transplant after being matched with a donor within days, a process faster than typical. Her mother, Mariah Johnson, expressed gratitude for the donor and noted Sadie's rapid recovery. A GoFundMe has been established to support the family during their recovery period.

A man wanted for assault with a deadly weapon has been arrested in Richmond County by the sheriff's office. The suspect was located by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

A non-verbal toddler was found wandering alone in the road in Gastonia and nearly struck by a vehicle. Police are seeking public assistance to identify the child and locate their family.

Whataburger announced the opening of its first York County location in Rock Hill, S.C., set for July 9. The event includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony and giveaways such as free honey butter chicken biscuits and exclusive swag for the first 100 customers. Other locations are opening across the Charlotte area, including sites in Charlotte, Gastonia, Hickory, Indian Land, and Mooresville.

A black bear was spotted in a Gastonia, N.C. neighborhood on June 16, stealing food from a birdfeeder. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission attributed the sighting to juvenile bears seeking territory and urban expansion, advising residents to follow BearWise guidelines to avoid conflicts.

A moped rider was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Gastonia. The Gastonia Police are asking the public for help in locating additional witnesses to the crash.

Gastonia and Gaston County provide cooling centers at community facilities when temperatures reach 95°F, while Mecklenburg County offers heat relief at Roof Above’s Day Services Center. Free transit to cooling sites and extended library hours are also available to combat summer heat.