A woman suffered a severe head injury Sunday when she fell off a motorcycle near Mac's Speed Shop in the 2500 block of South Boulevard.
The woman, whose name was not released, was riding on the back of the motorcycle when she fell backward as the driver accelerated, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.
Police were unable to say whether the woman was wearing a helmet.
The driver faces criminal charges, Capt. Talma Williams said.
Further information not immediately available. -- Victoria Cherrie
Gaston County
Infant's skull fracture, bruises spur child abuse charges
GASTONIA
A Gastonia couple has been charged with child abuse after a 10-month-old child ended up at Gaston Memorial Hospital, suffering from a skull fracture and bruises to her face. Gastonia police suspect Dustin Waddell, 25, became angry while taking care of the child on April 25. He is accused of hitting the child and throwing her against a wall. He has been charged with felony child abuse and assault on a child under the age of 12.Police also charged the child's mother, Jennifer Cherry, 24, with misdemeanor child abuse. She is accused of allowing the abuse take place. The baby, released from the hospital Saturday night, is expected to be OK and is staying with family, according to WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner. -- clay barbour
Mecklenburg County
Man who died in motorcycle crash identified as 36-year-old
A 36-year-old man who died Friday after a car collided with his motorcycle in central Charlotte has been was identified as Neal Darrell Price .Price had been driving his Suzuki north on Matheson Avenue when a Dodge driven by Tyrone Felder turned into his path, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.
Felder, 36, never noticed Price, police said.
Price was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene. No further information was released. -- Victoria Cherrie
York County, S.C.
Water-boiling advisory lifted; issue arose after main break
FORT MILL
An advisory to boil water before drinking has been lifted in Fort Mill. Town public works director David Broom repealed the water-boiling advisory after laboratory tests on the water were returned late Sunday afternoon. The boil-first announcement had been made Friday after a water main in the town broke.The main break occurred at the intersection of Grier and Skipper streets where a 2-inch and a 6-inch water line joined. Town officials had to flush hydrants to lower the water pressure so the break could be repaired.
When water pressure dips to a certain point, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control requires that the water system be flushed and tested for bacteria, Broom explained.
"We never really thought water pressure got low enough to require boiling the water, but we wanted to take any suggestions that DHEC suggested," town manager David Hudspeth said. -- (Rock Hill) Herald
Elsewhere in the Region
Rivals for Congressional seat in dispute over endorsement tape
10TH DISTRICT
Lance Sigmon of Newton, who is challenging Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville in the 10th District GOP primary, on Sunday said he had a taped endorsement from retired Rep. Cass Ballenger. Ballenger, a well-regarded Republican political figure, still carries weight in the 10th Congressional District in North Carolina, which includes Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln and Mitchell counties along with parts of Gaston, Iredell and Rutherford counties.Sigmon said he would use the endorsement in an automated campaign call to voters in the district today.
Ballenger also signed an endorsement letter for Sigmon. When McHenry of Cherryville, running for his third term, questioned the validity of that, Sigmon's campaign obtained a tape recording from Ballenger, too.
McHenry's campaign said late Sunday that it had obtained a letter from Ballenger asking that the recording not be used.
McHenry and Sigmon face off in Tuesday's primary for the Republican nomination.
The winner will take on the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary -- retired businessman and engineer Steve Ivester or attorney Daniel Johnson, both of Hickory. -- lisa zagaroli
