Cary, NC – Recent vehicle break-ins have been solved thanks to the investigative efforts of the Town of Cary Police Department. (more…)

Cary, NC – Lochmere Swim & Tennis (LSTC) announced this week that they had received a loan from Wachovia to allow them to open for the summer season.

This is great news for club members, residents of Lochmere and the kids who swim on the club team. (more…)

Cary, NC – From the Police Newsfeed:  Citizens in the Cary Parkway and Waldo Rood Boulevard area of Cary are encouraged to be on alert for home burglaries.

On February 7, a citizen reported seeing an unidentifiable man in the crawlspace of his parents’ home.  On February 28, a resident reported (more…)

L-->R Don Frantz, Harold Weinbrecht, Paul Wasylkevych and Jack Smith

Cary, NC – The Town of Cary’s outstanding volunteer for 2010 and recipient of the Herb C. Young Award is Paul Wasylkevych.

Wasylkevych and hundreds of other volunteers who give their time to town events, activities, boards and commissions, were honored Tuesday night at a banquet and celebration at the Herb C. Young Community Center. (more…)

Morrisville, NC –  Since tips coming from the local press have been successful in helping the police, we will continue to post these feeds from the Town law enforcement.

In the early morning hours of February 15, unknown suspects broke the glass front door of Winston Joseph, LLC, 7000 Hospitality Court off of Airport Boulevard. Winston Joseph provides strategic consulting services in IT infrastructure, digital signage, wireless LAN and WAN, architectural and engineering solutions and break/fix maintenance. The company has offices in India, Belgium, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The thieves broke through the glass door, then passed five boxes out the smashed door. The boxes were reported to be unopened shipments of computers. As seen in this surveillance footage, suspects quickly fled the scene after committing the crime.

“We appreciate any assistance in identifying these people or any suspicious activity around the area during the time in question.” said Captain Mike Williams, Criminal Investigations with the Town of Cary.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers pays up to $2,000 for the arrest or indictment of those responsible for committing certain types of crimes. All calls will be kept CONFIDENTIAL at caller’s request. Simply contact Crime Stoppers at 226-CRIM(E) or call Sgt. Randy Byrd at (919) 380-2133; you can also visit http://www.crimestoppers.net/.

To help prevent these types of crimes, the Town of Cary Police Department reminds businesses to:

• Keep doors locked at all times
• Place panic alarms near the register and store room where they can be discreetly and safely activated
• Install alarm systems and surveillance equipment and be sure to keep it in good working condition
• Keep valuables in secure areas and out of plain view of shoppers
• Light the inside and outside of your business, especially around doors and windows
• Be watchful of any suspicious or idling vehicles
• Call the police with any suspicions

Cary, NC – In case you missed this on the Town of Cary website last week:

Just 10 days after releasing video surveillance to the public, the Town of Cary Police Department has arrested Bradley Lane Tucker, 28, of Stem, North Carolina in the case of a recent construction site larceny. Tucker has been charged with Felony Larceny and is being held at the Wake County Public Safety Center.  Additional charges are pending.

Tucker’s identification and arrest were prompted by a citizen who saw video surveillance and a photograph released by the Town. The video captured a gray pick-up truck leaving a construction site located near O’Kelly Chapel Road with a multi-purpose bucket loader.

“This case perfectly illustrates how essential it is to foster open communication between our citizens, our officers, and the media,” said Pat Bazemore, police chief with the Town of Cary. “With our Cary Crime Stoppers, we hope to continue this partnership as we keep Cary one of the safest communities in the nation.”

Citizen tip – it says so in the news release. We don’t know if they mean CaryCitizen, but thanks to all our readers anyway.

Morrisville, NC – Saltare lit up TVs across the nation on Thursday night with their latest performance on “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

The jump-robing team includes Tyler Perez and Brittany Fortier of Tri Force gym in Morrisville. Saltare is the first jump-rope team to compete on the dance show, demonstrating a unique combination of athleticism and hip hop.

The judges seem to like what they see. But, in this round, it’s the audience who will determine which teams move on in the competition.

Watch the entire episode online (Saltare’s performance comes at about minute 38:15 if you want to skip ahead).

VOTE FOR SALTARE

According to info on the Saltare Facebook page, you can vote for Saltare two ways:

Call 1-877-96-CREW-2 (1-877-962-7396)

Text 6 to 22444

Cary, NC – The U.S. Veteran’s Corp honored Colonel Hal Shook (Retired) as its Veteran of the Year at a luncheon at RallyPoint on Friday.

Col. Shook, 90, was a fighter pilot in WW II, Korea and Vietnam. He recalled providing close air support for ground forces during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. “Those are the guys who deserve the honor,” he said.

The USVC also chose Shook for his life outside the military. He is a well-known motivational speaker and the author of 3 books.

The Colonel seemed pleased to receive the award and there was some light-hearted inter-service banter. “I’m glad to be here with you characters,” said the Colonel.

MORE VET NEWS

USVC brings together veterans from from all the services with a mission to get “hands on.” The idea was born after “Operation Coming Home,” a special edition of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition that built a house for a vet in New Orleans. Local vets Andrew Ladner and Chris Lawson participated in the effort and decided to founded USVC.

John Byrnes of the Veteran Leadership Council of NC-Cares spoke about the plight of homeless vets in the Triangle. He estimated that there are over 1,000 homeless military veterans in the Triangle.

Particularly acute is the plight of homeless female vets with children. VLCNC-Cares has plans for a Veterans Life Center to provide emergency and transitional housing. It will also offer a mall of services, “one stop shopping,” for Veterans in need.

Congratulations to Colonel Shook, a legendary fighter* and a true gentleman. Send your veteran’s news to the Editor.

Hal and Marilyn Shook. CaryCitizen photos by Hal Goodtree.

* Col. Shook has also received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 19 Oak Leaf Clusters, a Presidential Unit Citation, the Belgian Croix de Guerre, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Legion of Merit.

He began flying in a Stearman PT-13B, an open-cockpit, two-seater biplane.

Meat

Cary, NC - Apparently our readers were interested in the opening of the Meat House in Saltbox Village.  It was one of the most viewed stories of the past 30 days.

So we feel compelled to let you know about the  Cary Chamber of Commerce’s hosting  of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new local gourmet butcher shop.

Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, the Cary Town Council, and the Chamber Ambassadors and Board of Directors are slated to attend the event that will run from 5-7  pm on Thursday, February 18.

Learn more about this new addition to Cary, and sample some complimentary hors d’oeuvres from the store including The Meat House’s marinated steak tips.

Pothole on Mac Arthur Drive

Cary, NC – The NCDOT warns 2010 is a bad year for potholes and asks that drivers be observant while driving on roads throughout the state.

REPORT A POTHOLE – STATE ROADS

Officials with the State Department of Transportation want your help keeping our roads in reasonable shape during this frosty winter.

How do you report a pothole? Call (877) DOT-4-YOU. Please be specific about where the pothole is located.

REPORT A POTHOLE – CARY

If you are in Cary you can report Potholes and other damage to Public Works & Utilities at (919) 469-4090 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or e-mail townofcary@townofcary.org. They may tell you that the road in question (particularly in outlying areas) is not a Cary Road, but in fact a County or State road. Potholes on State-maintained roads in Cary will be reported to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

EVEN MORE ABOUT POTHOLES

Potholes are common during the winter months when moisture seeps into cracks in pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. This causes cracks to widen or asphalt to rise. Traffic then loosens the pavement, which eventually crumbles, creating a pothole. The department says the state has seen several of these freeze-thaw cycles this winter.

Extra crews have been assigned to respond to the large number of potholes occurring across the state. Since most asphalt plants are not operating during winter months crews will use “cold patch,” as well as spray patchers, to patch the holes as an interim treatment. “Cold patch” is a premix that NCDOT stockpiles for winter pothole response. Crews will perform permanent patches with hot mix when it is available.

With the mix of snow, ice, thawing and freezing that we have had this winter, the NCDOT will be especially busy this year. But if you do encounter rough roads, do not slam on your brakes. Instead, roll through at a slower speed. Always keep your tires properly inflated.