Gaston County Board of Education selected both at large members to lead the board for the next two years.During a reorganizational meeting Monday, Jeff Ramsey, who was re-elected to the at large seat in November, was chosen as the board’s new chairman, and Dot Cherry was selected as vice chairwoman.Cherry, the other at large member, nominated Crowders Mountain Township representative Brent Moore, who served as chairman since December 2018. Riverbend Township ..read more

A chilly breeze wafted the smell of barbecue through The Gaston Gazette parking lot Monday as local veterans and active military members were served free to-go boxes of lunch.President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Dec. 7, 1941, as "a date which will live in infamy," after 2,403 Americans died during a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.And while most of the veterans passing through the drive-through line Monday ..read more

Gaston County commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to move ahead with a lawsuit filed last month against The Gaston Gazette.The story at the center of the suit had to do with how Gaston County commissioners handled worker’s compensation claims filed by former county employees.County staff claimed the story was inaccurate, and on Nov. 12, the day the story was published online at GastonGazette.com, demanded a retraction and apology. The story ..read more

A retail space in downtown Belmont recently exchanged its kennels and dog toys for fish and aquariums.Fish Geeks opened its doors at 26 N. Main St. – the former Happy Dog Café Boutique and Spa – for the first time on Small Business Saturday. Happy Dog Café closed in April.Matt Wiegert, a graduate of South Point High School who worked for Wet Pets in Gastonia on and off for 26 years, inquired to lease the space the same day it hit the market to ..read more

Carr Elementary School Principal Becky Duncan doesn’t have to look at charts, graphs, or numbers to know how important the BackPack Weekend Food Program is to many students at her school."I see the kids in the hallways," she said. "I hear them when they come up and whisper to me, ‘Do you have my bag of food ready?’"Duncan was principal at Sadler ..read more

An effort to fight child hunger that began as Gaston County was clawing its way out of one economic downturn remains vital today as the area now deals with the ongoing impact of COVID-19.The 2020-21 school year marks the 10th anniversary of the BackPack Weekend Food Program but the program’s founder, Carolyn Niemeyer, says the word "celebration" is not appropriate."We certainly don’t want to ‘celebrate’ the fact that we still have many hungry ..read more

Imagine ordering the finest cigars online, only they show up at your door two hours later.Or, you’re having a drink at your favorite brewery, shopping at a local vendor market or attending a wedding reception when you notice a man selling cigars out of a little pop-up shop on wheels.For cigar aficionados this may sound too good to be true, but selling, delivering and smoking cigars is Ron Martinez’s livelihood. Little Havana Humidor – a multifaceted ..read more

In mid-January, an updated Sunday comics section will launch in Gannett newspapers throughout the Carolinas. Ten classics will be included -- B.C., Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Born Loser, Close to Home, Dilbert, Family Circus, For Better or Worse, Garfield and Hagar the Horrible.You get to decide which additional comics will complete the lineup. Over the next two weeks, a ballot with 18 contenders ..read more

How did a guitar store in Lincolnton become one of the top music retailers in the world?Roger Calhoun, a Gastonia native who owns Guitar Wishes, believes there’s several factors at play, but all of them are built around the customer experience and making wishes come true.Guitar Wishes has sold acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, ukuleles, amplifiers and a number of guitar accessories since the store opened in downtown Lincolnton in 2017.By 2018 ..read more

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Gastonia and that includes planning some fun virtual events for the public. Here is a list of free, fun ways to celebrate the season:Zoom With SantaThis event is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to noon.Santa will talk with all of the children on the call and ask them what they want for Christmas.One of Santa’s elves will read a short holiday story. Pre ..read more