Gaston County Community Talk

12/31/2025

Audit: NC lottery revenue up more than $3B while education funding remains down
DETAILS: bit.ly/4pgMEhw

12/31/2025

Important.

Read more here.

12/20/2025

Why a small-town corruption case in South Carolina should matter to Gaston County residents

A developing case out of Great Falls, a small rural town in Chester County, offers an important reminder about transparency and accountability in local government — especially for communities like ours.

According to reports, the town’s administrator and former police chief were arrested following an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. They are accused of official misconduct, conspiracy, and harassment related to the alleged placement of tracking devices on vehicles belonging to local officials and a private citizen.

What’s especially notable is the broader context. Before these arrests, there had already been internal conflict in Great Falls over town finances, missing records, and audits that reportedly raised red flags. A state investigation into possible financial misconduct had been requested, though no corruption charges related to finances have been announced so far. Authorities have not publicly stated a motive for the alleged tracking.

Great Falls is a small, rural community — not unlike parts of Gaston County in size, governance structure, or local politics. Cases like this highlight how quickly power struggles, lack of oversight, and internal disputes can escalate when transparency breaks down.

This isn’t about partisan politics. No party affiliations have been cited in reporting. It’s about **local accountability**, proper use of authority, and why residents in *any* county should pay attention to how their town governments operate.

Small towns don’t get a pass on ethics — in fact, the smaller the community, the more important sunlight becomes.

12/19/2025

When “Crime Wave” Talking Points Don’t Match the Data

Following a recent incident involving shots fired at a Gastonia mall, Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page suggested the event reflects an uptick in juvenile crime since the pandemic. He also used the moment to criticize North Carolina’s “Raise the Age” law, which moved 16- and 17-year-olds into juvenile court instead of automatically prosecuting them as adults.

That framing deserves scrutiny.

It is true that juvenile cases have increased in recent years. But that increase did not happen in a vacuum, nor does it automatically signal a surge in violent crime. Much of the rise is explained by policy changes. When Raise the Age took effect, thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds who were previously counted as adult defendants were suddenly counted as juveniles. That alone inflated juvenile statistics — even if youth behavior remained unchanged.

This matters, because describing that increase as a “post-pandemic crime wave” blurs the line between actual public safety trends and administrative changes in how cases are categorized.

When violent crime is measured per capita, Gaston County remains relatively moderate compared to other counties in North Carolina and many urban areas nationwide. Long-term data does not show a sustained spike in violent crime here that would justify “crime wave” rhetoric. High-profile incidents are serious and should be addressed, but isolated events do not establish a broader trend.

The political context is important. Prosecutors across the state have opposed Raise the Age because it limits how easily they can charge minors as adults. Framing complex crime data as evidence of societal breakdown helps build public support for rolling back juvenile protections — even when the data itself does not clearly support that conclusion.

Residents can care about public safety while also insisting on honest framing. Fear-based narratives may be useful in political debates, but they do not help communities understand what is actually happening or what solutions are most effective.

Gaston County deserves policies grounded in evidence, not talking points that collapse nuance into panic.

12/09/2025

12/01/2025

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11/26/2025

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The Gaston Warming Center will be open this week on the following dates due to temps forecasted 32 degrees and below.

Hours: 8:00pm to 7:00am
Thanksgiving November 27th
Friday November 28th
Saturday November 29th

For additional information contact
HealthNet Gaston
704-874-1958

11/24/2025

11/22/2025

LEGAL ANALYST ⚖ | Judge orders Trump administration to end National Guard deployment in DC

Details linked below | 📸: AP

11/21/2025

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Out of spite, GOP lawmakers freeze a NC fund that supports legal help for the poor | Opinion
READ MORE: bit.ly/43Kab2u