The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) is currently searching for the whereabouts of Martin Russell Diamond, DOB: 04/03/1988. CMPD arrested Diamond on May 18, 2011. He was charged with kidnapping and the brutal rape of a known acquaintance. Diamond was transported to the Mecklenburg County Jail and was being held on $105,500 secure bond. On Thursday May, 19, 2011, a criminal court magistrate mistakenly changed the conditions of the bond to an unsecured status. The suspect subsequently signed himself out of jail that day. On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, CMPD received information that the suspect had been

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Toyota is pleased to announce that Cindy’s Hope Chest, an organization in the Charlotte area that provides emotional and financial support to women battling breast cancer, has been selected as a winner of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. 100 Cars for Good is a major new philanthropic initiative from the automaker that is awarding 100 cars to 100 U.S. nonprofits over the course of 100 days. Cindy’s Hope Chest (located in Indian Trail, NC) will receive a new Toyota Highlander, which will be used to transport women to doctor’s appointments and treatments and help them with their errands. The

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Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, May 30, for the Memorial Day holiday. This includes all units of the Department of Social Services, the Tax Office, Elections Office, the Register of Deeds Office, and the Land Use and Environmental Services Office. Mecklenburg County Substance Abuse Center (Detox) is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Department of Social Services Care Line (704-336-CARE or 704-336-2773) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive reports of suspected abuse or neglect of children, the elderly or disabled adults. The Health Department will

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The Davidson College Board of Trustees today elected Carol Quillen, vice president for international and interdisciplinary initiatives at Rice University, the 18th president of Davidson College. Her appointment is effective August 1, 2011. Quillen’s appointment was announced at an all-campus meeting this afternoon. In making the announcement, Davidson’s Board chair, Mackey McDonald ’68, said, “The Davidson search committee was a microcosm of the Davidson family—trustees, students, faculty and staff with a broad range of interests, experiences and backgrounds. Even with the great diversity on the committee, there was a deep, shared commitment to Davidson—and an absolute agreement about our new

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Dr. Karen Horne of Randolph Obstetrics & Gynecology (Randolph OB/GYN) has become one of the first OB/GYNs in Charlotte to become proficient in robotic surgery for laparoscopic hysterectomies. Robotic surgery utilizes the da Vinci Si™ surgical system that has revolutionized surgery for many specialties. For gynecology procedures, the da Vinci Si™ surgical system can be utilized to perform laparoscopic hysterectomies. “Some people are taken aback at first when they hear the word ‘robotic,” Dr. Horne explained. “Every movement is fully under the physician’s control. ‘Robotic’ simply refers to the way the system replicates the physician’s hand movements with very precise

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Charlotte’s Small Business Week 2011 Kickoff Event will commence a week-long schedule of events. A highlight of this event will be the public unveiling of the new small business web portal – CharlotteBusinessResources.com. Attendees will be invited to provide feedback on the site. The event will also feature breakfast and networking with information provided by the City’s Small Business Resource Partners. The winner of the Extreme Makeover: Small Business Edition, a contest providing essential business services to one lucky business, will also be announced. WHEN: Monday, May 16, 2011 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Program begins at 8:15 a.m.

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Auto Theft Unit continues to utilize multiple methods in order to continue reducing auto thefts in Charlotte. One of the ongoing operations involves the use of bait vehicles designed to safely apprehend subjects involved in the theft of motor vehicles. The bait vehicle fleet is a broad representation of the cars most often stolen and are placed in locations and by methods determined to have increased risks of theft. Due to the overwhelming evidence in bait vehicle thefts and arrests, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney aggressively prosecutes these individuals. On May 11, 2011, one of the deployed

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The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is celebrating the announcement of its second consecutive AAA Five Diamond award, this time for 2012. The AAA announcement signals that the hotel has retained its prestigious ranking based upon meeting rigorous standards of service, facilities and amenities which the revered travel organization associates with the finest luxury hotels. More than 60,000 properties are evaluated each year by AAA’s professional evaluators, and less than one third of one percent of them typically earn a AAA Five Diamond designation. “We are truly honored to receive the AAA Five Diamond award for 2012,” said David Rothwell, General Manager for

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Dr. Karen Horne of Randolph Obstetrics & Gynecology (Randolph OB/GYN) has become one of the first OB/GYNs in Charlotte to become proficient in robotic surgery for laparoscopic hysterectomies. Robotic surgery utilizes the da Vinci Si™ surgical system that has revolutionized surgery for many specialties. For gynecology procedures, the da Vinci Si™ surgical system can be utilized to perform laparoscopic hysterectomies. “Some people are taken aback at first when they hear the word ‘robotic,” Dr. Horne explained. “Every movement is fully under the physician’s control. ‘Robotic’ simply refers to the way the system replicates the physician’s hand movements with very precise

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As Charlotte prepares for the upcoming Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 on May 21 and May 29, respectively, Walmart is giving racing fans more reason to get excited with its new Race Time program. Walmart customers and NASCAR fans can purchase the Walmart Family Track Pack available exclusively through Walmart.com/NASCAR for both races. The discount ticket package includes four race tickets, four hot dogs, four beverages and one race program for just $99, a savings of nearly $100 for a family of four. “We’ve found that nearly nine out of 10 NASCAR fans chose to shop at Walmart[ii],” said

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