Electrician in Mint Hill, SC

MINT HILL, NC – On Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22, the fifth annual Rodeo returned to Mint Hill! The two-day event featured two nights of prime-time high school competition, a main event that included events like Bareback/Saddle Bronc, Tie Down, Breakaway, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Team Roping, Goat Tying and Bull Riding.

The high school competition was punctuated by fun events like a clown act, a “Kids Calf Scramble,” where kids ages six to ten scrambled to remove the ribbon from the tail of a calf, and a “Kids Candy Scramble,” where kids five and under scrambled for sweet treats! Additionally, Saturday featured several hours of junior high and youth competition during the day where younger cowboys and cowgirls showcased their skills in the arena.

Standout performances in the high school competition included Ross Price from Chester, SC, and Kristen Lee from Richburg, SC. Price took the top spot in Saddle Bronc on Friday and followed it up with first in Saddle Bronc and Tie Down Roping on Saturday as well as third in Team Roping with Partner Bean Bishop to accumulate the most points overall in the boys’ events for the weekend.

Lee was a strong competitor in many events, earning second in Girls Breakaway, fourth in Cowgirls Pole Bending, and 7th in Girls Goat Tying Friday night. Lee followed it up with second in Breakaway, second in Team Roping with partner Dylan White, and second in Goat Tying on Saturday to take home the win.

In addition to competition in the arena, patrons enjoyed food, drinks and snacks from local favorites like The Sunflower Club Cafe, Chick-fil-A, and Mama K’s Kettle Corn as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, and sweet treats like Italian Ice, funnel cakes, and fried oreos. There was plenty of western paraphernalia to peruse between competitions as well as animal visits and photos with Red Barn Farm.

The Rodeo is made possible annually by the generosity of sponsors Griffin Masonry, Liberty Buick GMC Trucks, Mount Airy Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram, Chick-fil-A Albemarle Road and Mint Hill, Novant Health and Griffin Oil, but a look through the souvenir program printed by Kelly Office Solutions proves that those Gold, Silver and Bronze Star Sponsors are only part of the story.

In the lead-up to the event, Mint Hill Historical Society Executive Director Becky Griffin remarked that you’d be hard-pressed to find a business or organization in Mint Hill that didn’t contribute in some way. Funds raised from the Rodeo are an important part of supporting the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village and the many events offered by the Historical Society.

“I love to come to Mint Hill because the community and the committee work so well together,” remarked South Carolina Rodeo Association JR/HS National Director Lori Peyton. “It’s more of an urban setting than what we usually have rodeos in,” she continued, “so it’s really neat to communicate with folks that may not be from a rural area. Lots of people have lots of questions, and it’s such a great opportunity to just talk to them about what we do in the rodeo.”

In just five years, the Rodeo has come to be a beloved tradition of many Mint Hill residents who make a point of attending every year. “My friend Leah and I got there at 6:00 pm and set up our area for the kids we had with us,” said Sonya Dobbins, who arrived two hours before the main event to get up close and personal with the cowboys and cowgirls as they were exiting the chute. “She goes every year and this was my first time. All the kids loved it! From the opening ceremonies to all of the events, all the kids were very engaged!”

“I think the fifth year was a success!” concludes Peyton. “We had large crowds each night, and the community was just wonderful to deal with. We had two wonderful nights of rodeo, and we had a lot of kids do very well.”

MINT HILL, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Oh, to be young and free-falling in love.

A husband-to-be was fueled by love and pure adrenaline when he recently proposed to his girlfriend after skydiving.

The Mint Hill couple plummeted thousands of feet before he got down on one knee.

“We’re about to go skydiving!” the couple said in Piedmont Skydiving video capturing Parker Burns and Lauren Decker in Salisbury.

It was all the set-up for a romantic gesture orchestrated by Burns.

“I’m ready to be engaged,” he said on camera while Lauren wasn’t watching. “What’s up Lauren, I love you! At this point, we’re going to be engaged. I’m super hyped, and I hope you’re surprised.”

So, he wasn’t nervous at all about jumping from a plane at ten thousand feet.

“It was perfect because I wasn’t scared to jump anymore; I was scared to propose!” Burns said. “What’s up Lauren, I love you! At this point, we’re going to be engaged. I’m super hyped, and I hope you’re surprised.”

“Never in a million years would’ve thought it would happen then,” Decker said.

Burns enlisted his parents and a friend to lay out some candles below.

“Why are there so many people in the landing zone?” Decker wondered.

The proposal was literally a blur at first.

“He had this big sign on the ground that I was supposed to read as I was coming in for my landing, but I didn’t have my glasses on, so I didn’t see it,” she recalled.

“So (the sign) said, ‘Lou, will you marry me?'” Burns said.

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Once he asked, he got an immediate “yes.”

“I’ve wanted this day for so long,” said Decker. “He was crying; I was crying; his mom was crying; my parents on Facetime were crying.”

Burns has an eye for such moments. He says his side hustle is photography, and taking engagement photos of clients is always fun.

“It’s a special moment in someone’s life,” he says. “It feels so surreal. It’s actually us this time in the pictures.”

He’s never been afraid to shoot for the moon. While they were students at UNC Charlotte, he confidently slid into the DM’s of the dream girl he didn’t even know.

“I said she was beautiful and it went on from there,” Burns said.

It worked.

“Yeah, welcome to the new times,” he said.

“Surprising to me too, I know!” Decker added.

Friends and loved ones are blown away by how the proposal went down.

“A lot of people that we’ve told so far, They said that I’ve set the bar too high,” said Burns.

“All my friends are saying that!” Decker said.

No telling how he’ll top that. They bask in the glow of the perfect landing and a new beginning.

“It was just a great moment; it was really magical,” says Decker.

The couple plans to get married next spring or summer.

Congratulations!

MINT HILL, NC – Dust off your cowboy boots and grab your 10-gallon hat for the 5th Annual Mint Hill Rodeo!

On hiatus during the pandemic, the rodeo triumphantly returned to 8201 Bartlett Road last spring. This year’s event will take place in the same location on Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22. The 30+ acre site of the arena is generously donated by James and Judy McWhirter.

Guests who’ve attended the rodeo in the past can expect a familiar format featuring everything from PeeWees riding sheep to two nights of elite high school competition. The biggest rodeo in North and South Carolina, the event is an opportunity for cowboys and cowgirls to earn scholarship money and even place in National Competitions doing the sport they enjoy.

What’s expected to be different about this year’s even is its size. Lori Peyton, Chairman of the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association, is expecting about three times as many calf-roping contestants as last year. “She says this is the largest rodeo on their circuit and that everybody wants to come to Mint Hill,” says Historical Society Representative Becky Griffin.

To prepare for bigger crowds, the Historical Society has reconfigured its parking plans and ordered additional bleachers. Guests are also encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs to set up between the bleachers and the arena. “We want everybody to have a view and be able to be in the bleachers,” explains Griffin. “That’s important to us. We don’t want just people; we want people who can see what’s happening in the arena.”

The rodeo would not be possible year after year without generous support from many local businesses and the Mint Hill community at large. The event’s main sponsor this year is once again Griffin Masonry, who not only funds the event but sends in a crew and equipment to help set up the arena and bleachers. “Our other big sponsor is Liberty Buick GMC,” says Griffin. “Liberty and Griffin Masonry – they both have a hometown connection. We know their people, and they know Mint Hill, and it’s great that these big companies are supporting us.”

Sponsors are crucial to the success of the rodeo simply due to the costs associated with putting it on. While the venue itself is donated by the McWhirters, the Historical Society has to prepare the arena with loads of creek sand for a soft landing, bring in the bleachers and rent the bulls for the competition. “Just those things alone are greater than $10k,” explains Griffin. “The rodeo goes on rain or shine, and if it rains, we could go in the hole. These people supporting us are making it possible for us to be successful even if the weather is bad.”

The rodeo is so beloved here in the Mint Hill community that it would be impossible to list every business and individual who contributes to the its success. “We have so much community support,” says Griffin. “Our program is printed free of charge by Kelly Office Solutions, and the Rodeo Association tells us it’s the best program they see all year. Almost every business in Mint Hill is featured in that program in some way. The Town of Mint Hill is a tremendous help to us mowing the field and providing porta-potties. ROTC from our local high school will help with parking. It is just a beautiful example of a community coming together.”

One local business gearing up early for the rodeo is Chick-fil-A Mint Hill. On Saturday, April 15, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Chick-fil-A will host an afternoon of fun and games with an opportunity to meet some of your favorite rodeo riders and their horses. All kids dressed in western gear receive a free ice dream cone! From April 10 – April 18, you can enter to win one of four rodeo prize packs courtesy of Chick-fil-A, which include all day Saturday PeeWee and Junior Rodeo tickets, a Chick-fil-A Family Meal at the rodeo, and other assorted gifts from Chick-fil-A and the Mint Hill Historical Society. Register in person or online social media (Facebook or Instagram). Winners will be drawn on April 19.

The annual rodeo is a unique and family-friendly event, an important fundraiser for the Mint Hill Historical Society, and an important park of keeping Mint Hill’s history alive. Tickets are just $10 at the gate for adults and $5 for kids under 12 (cash only). The gates will open on Friday at 6:00 pm, two hours in advance of the main event at 8:00pm; Saturday the gates open at 9:00 am for a full day of entertainment starting with the PeeWees at 10:00 am ending with the main event at 8:00 pm. “This is just a world-class rodeo we’re having, and we’re excited that Mint Hill is part of that!” says Griffin.

MINT HILL, NC – It’s been an eventful fall for Queen’s Grant’s music department as several students attended the 43rd Annual Choral Festival at Gardner Webb University and seven students were selected to practice and play with two different regional honors bands.

On October 25, Queen’s Grant High School Director of Music Ensembles Chad Turner took a dozen choral students to Gardner Webb University for their 43rd Annual Choral Festival. “My students joined about 150 others in a day-long clinic that culminated in an evening concert sung in conjunction with the Gardner Webb Chorale,” explains Turner. “It was an amazing opportunity for my students and was our second time being involved.”

On November 17th Turner will travel with three students to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, where they will participate in the 41st Annual Winthrop Invitational Band Clinic. Winthrop’s annual Invitational Band Clinic is composed of three bands of high school performers selected from a list of director nominations.

Selected from over 350 nominations submitted by 50 schools from four different states to participate in the clinic were sophomore bass clarinet Nathan Verret, senior euphonium Walker Mcmurry and senior trombone Micah Burkheimer.

“This clinic is very prestigious in that they bring in some very recognizable clinicians from all over the country to conduct the two honor bands that will be seated this year,” says Turner. “The students will participate in rehearsals, masterclasses, small ensembles and two large ensembles over about three days working on their musical technique, musicianship, and overall musical performance skills.”

On Friday, December 9, six QGHS students will travel to the campus of UNC Charlotte for a 2-day clinic with about two hundred other local high school musicians from the area. The students will again participate in 2 days of large ensemble rehearsals and masterclass sessions working on their technique and musicianship.

Sophomore trombone Andrew Jewell, junior bass clarinet Payton Fuge, sophomore tenor saxophone Tyler Korinek, sophomore bass clarinet Nathan Verret, senior euphonium Walker Mcmurry and senior trombone Micah Burkheimer were selected from about 300 nominations submitted by a number of local high schools in and around the UNCC campus area.

“I could not be more proud of all these students as they continue to put their very best foot forward representing themselves, the music department and QGHS as a whole,” says Turner. “It’s always a huge thrill to see any of my students perform and truly enjoy themselves, so I try my best to give them all the opportunities I can.”

You can catch Verret, Mcmurry and Burkheimer in action at Winthrop University on Saturday, November 19, at 3:00 pm in Byrnes Auditorium. Jewell, Fuge, Korinek, Burkheimer, Mcmurry and Verret will play in UNCC’s auditorium at 5:30 on December 10. For more information on Queen’s Grants music offerings and all the local charter high school has to offer, visit queensgranthigh.org.

Athlete of the Week:

Tosh Alberga– The 6’6″ junior PF continues to improve his game for the Patriots basketball team. In a recent win over Hopewell he led the team in scoring with 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks and 1 deflection. He was also selected as the “Player of the Game” by the Indy coaches. Alberga is not a prolific scorer, but his presence in the game is huge for Independence to be successful. His contribution to the team comes in various ways when he is on the hardwood for the 2022-2023 Patriots. He makes it difficult to penetrate the lanes, he hauls down rebounds consistently at both ends of the court, he plays a solid defense, and will match up against an opponents bigger players while staying out of serious foul trouble.

On the season with only 5 games showing in the stats since Indy is on the road playing in a tournament this weekend in South Carolina, he has averaged 10.0 PPG, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 3.0 blocks, 1.2 deflections, with only 1.6 fouls committed per game. This factor alone is impressive since he is the only legitimate big man on the Indy roster.

Honorable Mention:

Jaden Lyles – The senior PG/SG after 6 games this season is averaging 23.0 PPG, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 deflections. He scored 22 points against Palisades recently.

Henry Price – The senior had a double-double recently scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds along with 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block for the Ravens.

Shamari Johnson – He scored 13 points against the Pumas from Palisades. He is averaging 11.2 PPG, 9.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks this season to date.

Kamryn Kitchen – The Patriots sophomore PG/SG scored 17 points against Weddington on Saturday afternoon. She had 15 points vs. Hopewell with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 1 block.

Chloee Moss – In two games this week the junior had 12 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double and added 13 points against the Warriors from Weddington.

Jessica Worthey – The junior scored 17 points against the Warriors in a solid offensive performance.

Jaxon Neely – The young Stallion freshman SF at 6’4″ is having a solid season for QGHS. In 5 varsity games he is averaging 14.4 PPG, 10 rebounds, consistently with double-doubles, 2.2 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.6 tips.