alexa ashwell is live with more to explain. alexa? >> reporter: yes, stephanie. you can see there are zoning signs behind me here at the entrance to sharon united methodist church. and members here support this plan. in fact, just last month at couldn't find anyone against the plan. more than 100 church members held signs in support of it, which involves tearing down the 50-year-old church. now, a new church would be built, and would be the focal point of the new development. we're told a hotel, apartment, retail and fitness space would be built around the church. the pastor here says he wants the church tock known for pore than architecture. tonight's vote is three years in the making. we will be attending the meeting. we'll let you know what happens. reporting live in south park, alexa ashwell, channel 9 eyewitness news. >>> city council will also vote on rezoning land right next to sharon united methodist church. the same developer wants to build offices, homes and apartments on cold skate road. a new private street would connect the two developments and make

eyewitness news reporter alexa ashwell is at the proposed location. alexa, the congregation at the >> reporter: yes, stephanie. and tonight's decision is three years' in the making, in fact. leaders here at sharing united methodist church says it's all about moving forward with a united vision. channel 9 was there as more than 100 church members showed up at the meeting in support of plan, and many holding signs encouraging companies to vote yes to tear down the church. a new church would be built with a similar ski slope steeple that they're known for. it will be the focal point of the new development. around the church, a hotel, development, retail dining and a fitness space. council is expected to make a decision tonight. so far, no one has spoken out against the plan. we will be there and let you know what happens. reporting live in south park, alexa ashwell, channel 9 eyewitness news. >>> at tonight's meeting, the city council will also discuss residents. we told you about the proposal last month. officials say they've been considering it for near

eyewitness news reporter alexa ashwell has been out there on the scene for hours now, and just got an update from police. >> reporter: scott, erica, police determined the 42-year- old woman was crossing the west section of sugar creek in this direction, when she was hit by an oncoming vehicle traveling west. you can see, there are no crosswalks in this section. we can go ahead and show you some video that we shot when we first arrived here. police said the driver tried to swerve to not hit the woman, but they collided. it was a very emotional scene as we saw family and friends of the victim here, we heard shouts, we heard cries. they were simply devastated by this. this stretch of west sugar creek road has four lanes, it's a fairly busy road, lined with businesses. one man who has an auto shop here said he heard the impact. >> somebody's in the road. i'm checking out the area. >> reporter: and again, this is a look at the orange marking where this crash occurred. police haven't charged the driver. it doesn't appear he was at fault in this again. police identifying the year-old mariann

alexa ashwell is in shelby. you find out the two got out of the car and you find out why. >> reporter: well, right now investigators are still looking into that, but they believe the teen and her boyfriend may have gotten out of the vehicle because they got into an argument. the orange paint indicates where the car was stopped. frap% say they both walked out in the road and were hit by a car traveling in this direction. the 16-year-old girl was killed. i want to give you a better look of the intersection. this is where they youred. troopers were called around 1:00 in the morning on saturday. they found the car stopped at the stop sign, both doors were open. she was pro mentioned dead at the scene. the 24-year-old man we believe to be her boyfriend was rushed to a hospital in charlotte. troopers are on their way to talk with him and find out exactly what happened, why they were standing it road. this morning we saw a number of drivers either stop or slow to see what happened. one man lives nearby and he said he h

reporting live in concord, alexa ashwell, channel 9, eyewitness news. >> okay. thanks alexa. tomorrow, the democratic candidates for president will be charlotte as well. >> bernie sanders will hold a rally at the pnc music pavilion at 4:0 p.m.. hillary clinton will be at an event outside of uptown at the grady coal center. doors open at 4:30 tomorrow night. in a few hours, clinton town hall at ohio state university. this is the last one for the candidates before tuesday's primaries. we'll have a complete coverage of the main talking points tonight at 10 and 11. >>> channel 9 is your complete source for the 2015 presidential race. -- 2016 presidential race. you can find more on the candidates and their campaigns on website joobs a maryland a police officer has just been shot. there may ab an active shooter on the loose. residents should avoid rat and stay inside. authorities say the shooting happened at the landover police department. one person has been taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. police haven't talked about the condition of the officer. we're monitoring a sto

alexa ashwell is in west charlotte with more. alexa? >>> well, here at jcsu bill clinton labeled his wife hillary as the change maker, the only person who can reach across parties and get things done. the former president spoke before a large crowd of supporters for about 30 minutes here. key things he touched on, voter rights, gun laws, mentioning the shooting at the charleston church, college tuition, making it free for some, more affordable for others. the refinancing of college loans. he touched on prison reform, specifically for nonviolent offenders, immigration reform. and the need for more women in the work force. as you may know, johnson c smith university is an historically black college. political experts stress hillary clinton is relying heavily on the african american vote to win the democratic nomination for president. bill clinton said his wife has a track record for helping all people succeed. >> what i want you to believe is that we can all rise together for the first type. >> i want somebody who knows how to navigate th

tonight alexa ashwell spoke to a man who worked for nancy reagan in the white house. >> reporter: this man's name is ken baron and calls charlotte home, but in the 80s he was often side by side to nancy reagan, a woman he still kept in touch with sometimes by letter. >> the last one was something like you always surprise me when i least it suspect it with beautiful flowers. >> reporter: last week ken says be the last thank you letter from his dear friend nancy he's been sending the former first lady for the past decade. and today it was his son who informed him of her passing. >> he said, dad, you're not going to -- this is not going to make your day. >> reporter: baron, who is chief of staff for the billy graham association in charlotte, was in his 30s when he first met nancy. he showed us pictures of major campaigns they worked on together, including her drug awareness program, just say no. nurturing woman with high expectations. >> one of her great lines to me was, ken, that's why they put erasers on pencils. the other was, never assume. >> reporter: one of the many life lessons he

alexa ashwell, channel 9 eyewitness news. >>> you can leave prayers and messages for the young girl's family on our wsoc-tv facebook page. just like our page and look for the top story. >>> check out this view from our charlotte cam, temperatures in some spots are 30 degrees yesterday. meteorologist john ahrens says john. the next two nights we have to watch carefully for the threat of freezing temperatures, close to and in charlotte. especially by tuesday morning for center city. these are the numbers right now. it's unbelievavae. day one of spring. we've never been in the 40s in the afternoon time. all march long and now we get there and stay there. it's 45 in albemarle. cloudy skies. light north winds over rock hill. 47. 48 in lincolnton. 45 in hickory. in the mountains we've been flirting with freezing all day. a cloudy and dreary look through most of the day with snowfall in the high country. it's unbelievable. boone, still heavy snow flakes, i just tweeted out that picture from downtown king street and up in through jefferson and ash county. still some snow showers as you go bey

and new tonight, eyewitness news reporter, alexa ashwell fopped new numbers that could shed light on why crcres like this are happening. alexa. >> yes, allison, erica, tonight we spoke with city and community leaders as well as all said a mentor is key in helping reduce youth crime here in charlotte. they are becoming an all too common sight. vigils like this one tonight held in the aftermath of a violent crime. possibly more disturbing, those involved in these types of crimes seem to be getting younger. just last night, a 13 and 14- year-old shot at officers here in east charlotte. >> what is a 13 and 14-year-old doing out at 9:30 at night on the street and you know, in possession of a handgun. >> a question that weighed heavy on darryl gregory as he held tonight's juvenile crime prevention meeting. the con si distribute council handles the funds. when asked what is lacking, gregory said mentors, leaders of the local big brothers, big have 339 children on the waiting list. the vast majority, boys. >> we know that children who have a mentor are 52% more likely to enroll in college. >>

all new at 11:00, reporter alexa ashwell dug into the charges against him and spoke with that little girl's dad. >> right now, rickie townsend is here at the gaston county jail. this arrest warrant shows he's accused of crimes involving three different girls. the most serious, the attempted kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl. i spoke with her father. >> i was relieved. >> simple words from a very angry father. tonight we spoke outside his home just hours after police tried to kidnap his 12-year-old daughter last week. authorities identified him as 28-year-old, rickie townsend. >> he offered her $400 and told her to get in the car. >> we told you police received a report that a man tried to grab a girl by the arm here on global street. the girl's father told me he and members of a local volunteer organization, glc main, have been out looking for the suspect. >> i can sleep easier tonight. >> police are saying little about what led them to townsend, mening he was taken into custody in the nearby town while in his dark colored vehicle. a description originally given to police. following h

reporting live alexa ashwell, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> thank you, alexa. viewers have already left con doel -- condolences. look for this top story. >>> violence at donald trump rallies growing, even leading to a protester getting kicked and stomped. the reason donald trump is defending his supporters' actions. into the 40 ed >>> stocks are off to a slow start this midday to kick off the holiday shortened week on wall street. the dow is up 8 points, the nasdaq up 2 points. >>> any spring break road trips will cost you more than expected. the national average price of gas has jumped by 17 cents in just the past two weeks. aaa blames it on rebounding oil prices and refineries doing seasonal maintenance. they expect them to climb another 30 to $0.50 a gallon by memorial today. in the statewide average is a couple cents higher at $1.88. in south carolina you'll pay about $1.75. you can find the cheapest gas prices in your neighborhood on wsoctv.com. it's under the traffic tab. >>> today we are asking union county's school board what came out of this morning's

reporting in shelby, alexa ashwell, channel 9, eyewitness news. >> investigators plan to interview the boyfriend once he's well enough to speak. right now he's at a hospital in charlotte. >>> the sad story in south carolina tonight where a firefighter was killed on the job. conway fire chief said christopher ray was hit and killed by one of the department's fire engines while out on a call. the south carolina's highway patrol is investigating that accident. wills and event will be held for the greenville police officer. a gang member shot and killed him friday when jacobs and other officers attempted to question him. police say the suspect later shot and killed himself. last night the greenville community held a vigil for officer jacobs. they left behind flowers and other tributes. he was a decorated war veteran married with two children with a third on the way. his funeral is set for thursday. >>> an indiana sheriff deputy is recovering tonight after his partner was killed in a shoot out. a suspect started shooting this morning when 207-year-old deputy -- 27-year-old deputy tried to s

witnesses describe the chaotic scene to eyewitness news reporter, iowa alexa ashwell. >> % fact, one of the men involved in this shooting walked into a nearby bar 20 minutes before these shots were fired. >> right here. they were right in the middle. his eyes were focused down the street looking at this other guy walking up the street. >> this bartender knew something wasn't right this evening when he saw what appeared to be a group of men in a car waiting for a man who had just walked into his bar here on south boulevard. >> he walked in through and got on his phone real quick and walked out. >> minutes later, the bartender heard gun shots coming from the parking lot. >> after the fourth or fifth shot and the smoke was in the running across the parking lot. >> police arrived from chop 9, evidence markers indicating shell casings. at least two cars were also hit by bullets. >> that's kind of wild, especially for it to be happening in broad daylight. >> help of witnesses, police tracked down the suspects not far from the scene at this burger king. still, those who live, work, or come

alexa ashwell, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> you can read all of our coverage of this stretch of violence in charlotte by going to wsoctv.com. we have links inside the story on our home page. >> tonight, investigators are questioning a suspect story after a man said he killed his uncle in self-defense. chopper 9 sky zoom flew over head. they were trying to bury a body. the victim was hernz's uncle. we found out that the sheriff deputy was the one that called 911. was an old farm truck in there. because you just, i've never in years and years and years of passing that location never seen vehicles in there. >> claim the his uncle was trying to choke him, but they found no evidence of that. deputies are also still trying to figure out where the murder happened. >> a budget committee is set to discuss the impact of a plan to eliminate trash pick up and what that would have on renters and condo owners. the city has been considering this move for the past four years. it's an opportunity for the city to save some money. by turning over those services to contractors. but the residents say they fe

. >>> alexa ashwell was at this afternoon's hillary clinton's event and she'll break down bill clinton's message to voters at 6:00. >>> police reveal they arrested a man accused of killing another man at a northwest charlotte apartment complex. investigators say de michael adams turned himself in. he's charged with involuntary manslaughter. he shot dallas stow at the apartment on park fairfax drive. this is off freedom drive. it happened just before 3:00 this morning. somebody drove stow to carolina's medical center where he later died. we spoke to a neighbor about what happened before the shooting. >> i heard a little rumbling. and then i heard a gunshot. that's all i heard was one gunshot. i didn't see nothing. i looked out the window. it was clear. i just seen the police pull up >> investigators say the suspect and victim know each other. they haven't established a motive for the shooting. >>> several mcdonald's restaurants in the foothills plan to raise money for the family of two managers who were shot and killed last week. outside the mcdonald's on highway 321 where the shooting ha

reporter, alexa ashwell spoke about that terrifying attack. >> it's horrible to hear about anyone being attacked, but a woman, a pregnant woman. that takes this crime to another level for many people. tonight, the mother to be told me she wants others to keep an eye out while police continue to look for the suspect. >> i had to get six stitches right here. >> tonight, olivia, who is just days away from delivering her first child, showed us the outside a local hotel. she and her boyfriend are staying here after a brutal attack at this bus stop in west charlotte saturday night left her shaken. >> he could have had a knife. could have had a gun. >> the 25-year-old mother to be said she was standing at this bus stop when a man, possibly in his 30s, walked up and started somewhat of a conversation. one that didn't last long. >> he came up and was like, i'm waiting for the bus just like you. i'm like okay, he smacked me on grabbed my purse. fought back. the two ended up on the ground. when she managed to wrestle the purse back, he began kicking her. >> he started kicking me in the face tellin

right now eyewitness news reporter alexa ashwell is outside the ted cruz event with more on the message that he's expected to deliver to voters. >> ted cruz is relying heavily on the evangelical vote. it's no surprise he and his campaign chose to hold today's rally at a church. political experts think he'll emphasize his personal faith and strong belief in getting back to the principles that built america. cruz was in raleigh where he canceled a public campaign rally at the last minute. instead he held a town hall style question and answer session with a national news anchor. crews vowed if elected president he'll and pull back on federal regulators. have incredible economic growth. millions of high paying jobs. wages going up for everyone. >> reporter: some decided cruz has their vote and others want more information. >> the constitution is the document that allows us to have the freedom to live the life that we do and if we don't have a man who will fight for that, we have lost the very thing that everybody wants to live in america for. >> this is a great educational opportunity for o