Charlotte Tax Service vs Angry Crowd: Rapid Refund Checks! WCNC Reporters Laugh!

IRS change causing slow down for Charlotte Tax Refunds

The Instant Tax Service says you should wait for a call telling you that your check is in and at that point, you can go pick it up.

Hundreds of people went on Friday and expected their checks but were told there’s no money.

The problems are the result of an IRS slow down due to new security procedures aimed at reducing tax and identity fraud.

NewsChannel 36 reporter Bill McGinty spoke with Sonja Gantt on Monday afternoon about the issue.

See below for a statement from the IRS:

The IRS has opened its filing season successfully this month, and refunds have started going out to many taxpayers. As with the start of any tax season, there are system validations that occur requiring some fine-tuning of our systems.

As part of this, some taxpayers will receive refunds approximately one week later than initial projections they may have received, but these are still in line with historical refund delivery times. This delay only affects some early filers.

Taxpayers whose returns were accepted by the IRS on or after Jan. 26 will not experience the delay and their tax returns will be processed under normal guidelines and time frames.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that refund time frames provided by Where's My Refund and tax providers are projected time frames and are subject to revision.

Many different factors can affect the timing of the refund after the IRS receives the return for processing. The IRS apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the revised refund dates.

When the IRS announced the opening of the 2012 filing season, it advised taxpayers who electronically file and select direct deposit that they could see their refunds in as few as 10 days and 90 percent of refunds are provided within 21 days.

Some taxpayers are getting refunds much faster, but at this time taxpayers should expect refunds to be issued as indicated in the original IRS guidelines.

The one-week delay for some refunds relates to fine-tuning IRS systems to adjust for new safeguards put in place this tax season to provide stronger protection against refund fraud.

The IRS is providing additional screening for fraud this year before issuing refunds, but the vast majority of taxpayers can still continue to expect to receive their refunds in a timely fashion.

The IRS will provide additional updates as they become available.





Early Tax Refund issue causes problem at Charlotte Tax Service


The Instant Tax Service on Remount Road in south Charlotte called police for help Friday afternoon as about 75 angry people demanded their tax refund money.

People said the Instant Tax Service promised them their refund checks would be available Friday, but only a few checks showed up and that infuriated the growing crowd.

Some of the people there said what checks were given out started bouncing when they tried to cash them.

The refund the store was supposed to hand out wasn’t being given to customers.
“Exactly, they have my money, said a frustrated Jenelle Burns.

The delayed checks glitch might be coming from the IRS, which recently installed new security procedures to curb tax fraud. The IRS released a statement about any problems.

NewsChannel 36 called Instant Tax Service five times, but their line was always busy.

See below for a statement from the IRS:

The IRS has opened its filing season successfully this month, and refunds have started going out to many taxpayers. As with the start of any tax season, there are system validations that occur requiring some fine-tuning of our systems.

As part of this, some taxpayers will receive refunds approximately one week later than initial projections they may have received, but these are still in line with historical refund delivery times. This delay only affects some early filers.

Taxpayers whose returns were accepted by the IRS on or after Jan. 26 will not experience the delay and their tax returns will be processed under normal guidelines and time frames.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that refund time frames provided by Where’s My Refund and tax providers are projected time frames and are subject to revision. Many different factors can affect the timing of the refund after the IRS receives the return for processing.

The IRS apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the revised refund dates.

When the IRS announced the opening of the 2012 filing season, it advised taxpayers who electronically file and select direct deposit that they could see their refunds in as few as 10 days and 90 percent of refunds are provided within 21 days. Some taxpayers are getting refunds much faster, but at this time taxpayers should expect refunds to be issued as indicated in the original IRS guidelines.

The one-week delay for some refunds relates to fine-tuning IRS systems to adjust for new safeguards put in place this tax season to provide stronger protection against refund fraud. The IRS is providing additional screening for fraud this year before issuing refunds, but the vast majority of taxpayers can still continue to expect to receive their refunds in a timely fashion.

The IRS will provide additional updates as they become available.

More information about the refund process is available at: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=251959,00.html"


View Larger Map

Sources: WCNC, Google Maps

Nic Mahone's Killer Arrested! (Karizma Sergeant) R.I.P. Nic

Charlotte Law Enforcement Officials Have FINALLY Arrested Nic Mahone's Killer After Allowing Her To Continue Walking Around Free For Almost A Year Following Nic's Death!

Who's The Suspect?

A 21-Year-Old Black Female Career Criminal With 10 Charges On Her Rap Sheet, Some Felonies.

That's Right!

A 21-Year-Old Young Woman!

Can You Believe It?

Dear God!

What Kind Of 21-Year-Old Young Woman Walks Up To A 25-Year-Old Young Man & Blows His Brains Out At His OWN Birthday Party Celebration??

Here Are The 10 Charges On Karizma's Rap Sheet:

1) First-Degree Murder
2) Breaking & Entering
3) Carrying A Concealed Weapon
4) Felony Robbery
5) Fleeing To Elude Arrest & Accessory After The Fact
6) Fleeing Or Eluding Arrest With A Motor Vehicle
7) Forgery
8) Hit & Run
9) Resisting A Police Officer
10) Possession With Intent To Sell Or Distribute Marijuana

10 Serious Charges & Yet She Was Still Allowed To Remain Free?

This Makes NO Sense!

If Nic Were A White Man Or White Woman I Don't Believe This 21-Year-Old Black Female Career Criminal Would Have Remained Free.

Thank God She Will FINALLY Pay For Taking Nic's Life.

But This Situation Is So Sad.

Sad Because Its Another Black-On-Black Crime.

Sad Because Bringing Nic's Killer To Justice Still Won't Bring Him Back.

If Charlotte Police & Criminal Justice Officials Had Locked Up Her Sooner, Nic Would Still Be Alive Today!

R.I.P Nic! They Got Her!!

Its About Time!






Karizma Sergeant charged in Nic Mahone's death

Dominic Mahone was standing on the dance floor of the Breakfast Club in Charlotte's uptown early last Sept. 10 when witnesses said a woman calmly walked up, pointed a gun at Mahone's head, and fired twice.

The woman fled, and Mahone died a few hours later.

On Tuesday morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police announced an arrest in the case.

Karizma Sergeant, 21, was charged Tuesday morning with first-degree murder in Mahone's death, police say. It was the fourth time she was arrested since the Breakfast Club shooting -- with one of those coming just four days after the uptown homicide.

Police are not releasing a motive in the case or saying how Sergeant and Mahone might have been connected.

Mahone, 25, was at the Breakfast Club, a popular nightspot at Sixth and Caldwell streets, for a private party. Club workers told police the shooter seemed to know exactly what she was doing, but nobody recognized her or the blue Chevrolet four-door that she escaped in. Police said it appeared as if the woman was in the club only a short time before the shooting.

It was the seventh arrest for Sergeant in the last three years, according to Mecklenburg County jail records.

Four days after the Breakfast Club shooting, Sergeant was charged with forgery. On Dec. 23, she was arrested on charges of fleeing to elude arrest and accessory after the fact. And on Jan. 4, she was charged with hit-and-run. Sergeant also was arrested in July and October of 2008, and in February of last year.

According to court records, she has three pending felony charges (not counting today's arrest): fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle; possession with intent to sell or distribute marijuana; and accessory after the fact.

She was found guilty in 2008 and 2010 of resisting a public officer; in 2009 of carrying a concealed weapon; and last year of breaking and entering. All of those were misdemeanor charges.

And she has been charged with but not convicted of these offenses, according to court records: in 2008, felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle, and possession of a stolen vehicle, along with misdemeanor trespassing; and last year, with felony forgery.




Nick Mahone Vs Anthony Foxx & Charlotte's $200,000 Prize!

So The Life Of A Young Black Man These Days Has Been Reduced To $200,000 In Federal Dollars!

Let's See Nick Mahone Was Killed Last Friday.

Than Early This Afternoon CMPD Receives A $200,000 Crime Fighting, Anti-Gang Grant?

Something Smells "Fishy" To Me.

Nick Mahone A Rumored Charlotte, NC Drug Dealer Was Killed Last Friday At A Popular, Uptown Charlotte Club.

This Entertainment Establishment Was Not Some "Hole In The Wall" Kind Of Establishment.

It Was A Very Nice Club Located In The Heart Of Uptown Charlotte With Tight Security.

So How Was A Young Black Woman According To Other Patrons Who Witnessed The Incident, Allowed To Walk In With A Handgun & Blow Nick's Brains Out In Plain View & Than Allowed To Walk Calmly Out Past Security Guards?

Easy It Was A Set Up! A Hit!

Possibly With The FBI's & Charlotte City Officials Involvement.

Nick's Death Made Major Headlines & Sent A Message Throughout The Charlotte Community.

However Almost Immediately Upon Learning Of His Death Many White & Black Citizens Began Celebrating!

How Sad.

I'm NOT Celebrating!

Why?

1) He Was Still Someone's Son.

2) I Believe He Wanted To Get Out Which Is Probably The Reason Why He Was Killed. His Death Sent A Message To Others.

3) There Have Been More Young, Black Men Who Were "Rumored" Drug Dealers, Killed In Charlotte This Year Than In 20 Years!

4) Since Charlotte Now Has A Black Mayor & A Black Police Chief, To Have So Many Young Black Men Killed In One Year Reeks Of Possible Local Law Enforcement, FBI & CIA Involvement.

Wake Up Black People!

Is This Is A Coincidence?

I Don't Think So But I Could Be Wrong.

Please Understand That I Don't Condone Drug Trafficking, Abusing Illegal Drugs Or Coddling Rumored Drug Dealers.

Neither Do I Condone Black Leaders Who Possibly Conspire With Feds To Kill Off Young Black Men & Women.

First Tiffany Wright, I Told You All That DNA Test Was Bogus!

God Exposed The Truth Last Month When Local Media Revealed That North Carolina's SBI Lab Was Corrupt. Especially As It Relates To Tampering With Evidence, Including DNA Tests.

Now Nick Mahone. Who's Next?

Might I Remind You That Charlotte Has A Black Mayor & Black Mayor Pro Tem?

So Sad.

Don't Forget To Not Re-Elect Most Of Charlotte's Current City Council Members In 2011.

The No Re-Elect List Includes: Mayor Anthony Foxx, Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, David Howard, James Mitchell, Warren, Turner, Nancy Carter, Patsy Kinsey & Edwin Peacock.

Charlotte, NC Officials Land $200,000 Grant To Fight Gangs, Youth Crime After Nick Mahone's Death



Charlotte, NC Officials Land $200,000 Grant To Fight Gangs, Youth Crime After Nick Mahone's Death


Charlotte has landed a $200,000 federal grant to boost the city’s crime-fighting programs among youth.

The U.S. Justice Department announced the grant Tuesday, saying it was awarded through a congressional program designed to help combat juvenile crime and assist its victims.

Charlotte officials say they will use the money to continue Anti-Truancy programs that target students. Those include the Gang of One, Truancy Court, and other community projects. Gang of One is a gang prevention initiative of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, in partnership with other local agencies. Truancy Court is a school-based program that targets families of students with high numbers of absences from school.

Community impact projects will include the Police Athletic League, the McCrorey YMCA, and Right Moves for Youth.



Nick Mahone Dies After Being Shot In Uptown Charlotte, NC Club

Witnesses say a woman calmly walked up to Dominic Nicholas Mahone while he was dancing on the floor of an uptown Charlotte club early Friday, pulled out a gun and shot him twice.

Mahone, 25, died several hours later, leaving friends and police with plenty of questions and not many answers.

The shooting happened during a private party at the Breakfast Club, a popular nightspot at North Caldwell and East Sixth streets.

Police say they aren't sure what provoked the shooting. Friends of Mahone said they don't know how the shooter managed to get past security guards with a handgun.

"This didn't appear to be a case of something that happened in the club," said Capt. Jeff Estes, commander of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Central Division, which oversees the uptown area.

Police said later Friday they weren't sure if the shooting might have resulted from some type of domestic dispute between Mahone and the female shooter.

What they know is that the woman walked up to Mahone and, without apparent provocation, shot him in the head. Mahone was taken by Medic to Carolinas Medical Center, where he died shortly before 9:30 a.m.

A friend of the victim, Nakeya Land, told WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner, that she can't understand how the woman managed to bring the gun inside.

"They pat me down head to toe, so how does she find some way to get into the club with a gun?" Land said.

The club's owner was not available Friday afternoon, but an employee said the club had been rented out for a private party. The Breakfast Club is a popular site for bachelor parties and other similar events.

"We don't have many problems here," said the employee, asking not to be identified. "I've been here several years, and our problems are usually a fender-bender in the parking lot. This was something we don't see."

The employee said he expects security will be tightened at the club, but he said people who rent the club for private parties sometimes provide their own guards. It is not clear who was responsible for hiring guards at the party early Friday.

Witnesses told police the shooter was accompanied by two men, and they drove off in a royal blue Chevrolet with custom rims.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call 704-432-TIPS, or information can be left with Crime Stoppers.



Scathing North Carolina SBI Audit Says 230 Cases Tainted By Shoddy Investigations


The North Carolina justice system shook Wednesday as an audit commissioned by Attorney General Roy Cooper revealed that the State Bureau of Investigation withheld or distorted evidence in more than 200 cases at the expense of potentially innocent men and women.

The full impact of the disclosure will reverberate for years to come as prosecutors and defense attorneys re-examine cases as much as two decades old to figure out whether these errors robbed defendants of justice. Some of the injustices can be addressed as attorneys bring old cases back to court. For others, it's too late: Three of the defendants in botched cases have been executed.

"This report is troubling," said Cooper, who oversees the SBI. "It describes a practice that should have been unacceptable then and is not acceptable now."

The revelation came after a five-month review in which two former FBI agents pulled dusty case files from shelves to find the truths that analysts chose to keep to themselves.

Two former FBI agents, Chris Swecker and Mike Wolf, examined more than 15,000 cases at the invitation of Cooper, a Democrat who has been attorney general since 2001. The exoneration of Greg Taylor, a Wake County man imprisoned 17 years for a murder he didn't commit, prompted the review. SBI analyst Duane Deaver admitted in February that he failed to report tests indicating a substance on Taylor's SUV was not blood. Deaver, who was suspended Wednesday, said that his bosses told him to write reports that way.

He was telling the truth. Swecker determined that the practice of not reporting results of more sophisticated blood tests was sanctioned by some analysts. In 1997, it became written policy. That policy remained in effect as recently as 2003.

Swecker said his findings signal potential violations of the U.S. Constitution and North Carolina laws by withholding information favorable to defendants. Swecker stopped short of determining whether the hidden results affected guilt or innocence in the cases he examined; often there was other evidence in the cases that linked defendants to the crimes. Still, the withheld information could have made a difference in the sentences handed down.

"This is mind-boggling," said veteran Wayne County District Attorney Branny Vickory, a Democrat. "It is really a nightmare for everyone. I don't know how we are going to make this right."

The audit is another black eye for a beleaguered SBI.

The News & Observer reported this month in a series, "Agents' Secrets," that analysts across the laboratory push past the accepted bounds of science to deliver results pleasing to prosecutors. They are out of step with the larger scientific community and have fought defense attorneys' requests for additional information needed to review the SBI's work. Cooper last month dismissed SBI Director Robin Pendergraft after she struggled to answer questions about SBI cases and policies.

"This is such a damning indictment on the SBI," said Staples Hughes, the state appellate defender, whose office oversees appeals of all defendants convicted by juries. "Why didn't they just say 'we lied.' That's what they did. Sadly, I'm not surprised."

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are scrambling to review the 230 problem cases cited in Swecker's report. At least 80 defendants are still in prison, a top priority for Prisoner Legal Services, said executive director Mary Pollard.

No Rules, Bad Science

Swecker's report paints a picture of a renegade unit at the SBI crime lab acting without rules and with misguided notions about the science behind blood analysis.

In serology, police use rudimentary presumptive tests at crime scenes to determine where blood might be. Those tests are fallible, prone to giving false positives. So analysts depend on more sophisticated, confirmatory tests to determine whether a substance is, in fact, blood.

Before 1997, the serology unit operated without report-writing guidelines. Analysts set their own criteria until 1997; that policy sanctioned the practice of not reporting negative or inconclusive results of confirmatory tests.

Swecker found policies and practices out of step with the rules of serology. They were also far afield of fairness, according to the report.

"There was anecdotal evidence that some Analysts were not objective in their mindset," Swecker wrote.

Tests used to confirm the presence of blood never yield "inconclusive results," Swecker noted. Two analysts interviewed for the report told Swecker that despite volumes of warnings about the potential for false positives on presumptive blood tests, they didn't believe it because they had not gotten a positive result when testing plant material and bacteria known to signal false positives. Those two analysts believed that positive presumptive tests were absolute indications of blood.

Eight analysts were involved in these bad practices. Some are dead; a few are retired.

Four still work for the SBI, and another performs contract work for the agency.

Behind the five cases Swecker deemed most problematic: Deaver, a 23-year veteran of the agency.

New SBI Director Greg McLeod suspended Deaver on Wednesday, pending further investigation.

"An Abomination"

The cost of these errors was tough for lawyers to comprehend Wednesday.

"This report reveals staggering lack of competence at the lab," said Mike Klinkosum, a Raleigh lawyer who represented Taylor in February and helped discover Deaver's withheld test results. "It's an abomination of the criminal justice system and an affront to all the decent law enforcement officers out there doing their jobs."

Cooper delivered copies of the report and a list of affected cases to district attorneys across the state little more than an hour before announcing his findings to the public.

At least one met the findings with anger.

"We've been out here asserting things as fact that just weren't," said John Snyder, district attorney of Union County. "Now, when I've got jurors coming in, I've got to enter into a whole line of questioning I never should have been forced to do. They won't trust us."

Snyder, a Republican , called for an independent audit of the entire crime lab.

On Wednesday, Cooper promised a more independent review would follow and that McLeod, the new director, would bring in experts.

"The lab cannot accept a lack of thoroughness," Cooper said. "It cannot accept attitudes that are not open to the possibility that a mistake has been made. It cannot ignore criticism and suggestions from the outside."


View Larger Map


Sources: Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, Wikipedia, Google Maps

Charlotte Leaders Reach Out To Small Business Owners: Job Creation

Well, Well Its About Time Charlotte's Leaders & Politicians Begin Reaching Out To The Community's Small Business Sector, Especially Minority Entrepreneurs.

Yesterday The City Of Charlotte Launched A Small Business Portal Website: CharlotteBusinessResources.com To Assist Entrepreneurs With Start-Up Help, Including Funding Information.

The Site Is Very Similar New York City's Web-Based "One Stop Shop" Small Business Start-Up Portal.

Considering Charlotte's High Unemployment Rate (10%) Such A Venture Is An Excellent Tool For Job Creation.

I Wonder Why Mayor Anthony Foxx (Who's Up For Re-election) Didn't Do This When He Was First Elected Back In 2009?

I Wonder How Many Unemployed People Would Have Benefited From This Very Effective Business Idea Say Just A Year Ago?

Whatever The Case Since I Have Observed Much Improvement In Charlotte's Business Community, I Endorse This Region As The Southeast's New Business Hub.

In Other Words If You Are Starting A Small Business, Charlotte, NC Is The Place To Be!

Its NO Longer Atlanta, GA!

Most Certainly NOT Columbia, SC!

Its CHARLOTTE, NC!!





City Of Charlotte launches website to help small business owners

Small business owner Will Peters says it was a chore when he started his web-based company four years ago.

"I had to go to several different websites, and physically go all around to build my company, including different locations like the City Hall," Peters said Monday at a morning gathering of small business owners hosted by Charlotte at the start of Small Business Week.

Peters' Anstad Group is a design, marketing and technology company, which provides web communications. He's familiar the importance of the World Wide Web.

Peters currently employees 10 people.

"I've got two designers, three developers, a couple of marketing development specialists," he said.

On Monday, Peters and dozens of others got a firsthand look at what the city says will help businesses like his get up and going.

The new website CharlotteBusinessResources.com will also provide companies with the tools they need from the city to keep running.

"With this portal, what it's done is made it a one stop shop," said Peters.

The portal covers everything from starting a small business to networking and training opportunities. It's primary function is to link small businesses to the best resources to help them succeed.

"Now we're going virtual and I think it's going to be an enormously helpful tool for our small businesses," said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. "We can be the best city in America when it comes to starting and running a small business."


View Larger Map

Sources: Charmeck.org, City Of New York, charlottebusinessresources.com, WCNC, Google Maps

Kojo Nantambu Challenges Charlotte's Scared Black "Leaders" On Racism & Willie Lynch Syndrome!

Kojo Nantambu, Prez. Of Charlotte's NAACP Chapter Used To Be A Scared Figurehead Just Like Charlotte's Other Scared Black Leaders. (Charlotte, NC Is A Very Racist City Despite Having A Black Mayor.) Well Thank God Kojo Has Finally Awakened From The Coma He Was In & Now He's Speaking Up! He's Protesting, Writing Letters, Filing Civil Rights Lawsuits & Challenging Other Black Leaders To Join Him In The Struggle. YEAH!! Its About Time!! He Has My Support.


Letter From Charlotte's NAACP Prez. Kojo Nantambu Lashes Out At Some Blacks


Local NAACP President Kojo Nantambu has written a strongly worded letter criticizing members of the black community.

In the letter published Monday by Observer news partner Qcitymetro.com, Nantambu charges that some in the African-American community are diminishing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s crusade and losing sight of the injustices against minorities in education and housing.

Nantambu came under fire last month after protests he led over Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' decision to hold a snow makeup day on the MLK holiday. Nantambu called Charlotte "a racist bastion" and called for a drive to keep the CIAA basketball tournament and other events from coming to Charlotte.

In his letter titled "Letter from off the plantation," Nantambu cites King and the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., to counter his critics and to question the community's priorities.

"The only thing the Negroes in this community are concerned about is one week of fun and games and mammon and Massa," he wrote, referring to the weeklong CIAA basketball tournament. "Please let us not forget the four little girls blown up in the church; that's shared sacrifice nothing comparable to what we've asked of you, here in Charlotte..."

In a second letter sent to media outlets Tuesday providing more context, Nantambu cites disparities in the lack of government contracts given to minority contractors, the widening achievement gap for students, and the lack of affordable housing for minorities as evidence of Charlotte's problems.

Reaction from community members has ranged from criticism that Nantambu is out of touch to applause for raising issues so many are afraid to speak to. Some leaders, however, are concerned that the valid points Nantambu is trying to make are getting lost in his rhetoric.

"The whole demeanor of the piece is 'I get it. You don't. And let me tell you what it is you don't get,'" said Democratic state Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr., a former state and local NAACP president.

Alexander said Nantambu raises real concerns about the achievement gap and the lack of affordable housing for minorities. But he said some people might feel insulted by the style of Nantambu's letter and could resent how they're being spoken to. If that happens, he said, they'll simply ignore the message.

Alexander, however, said it's healthy to hear from people like Nantambu, whose views represent a segment of the community.

"Whether you like it or not, it contributes to the discussion of the dialogue. And I think ultimately it's a good thing."

The Africana Studies department at UNC Charlotte plans a roundtable forum on April 14 to discuss the issues Nantambu raised. Department chair Akin Ogundiran said he hears frustration in Nantambu's message and may feel that people don't understand his goals. But he sees Nantambu's style of "admonishing the people" as counterproductive.

"You can't attack the community you lead," he said. "You cannot say that you just don't get it. There is something wrong with that kind of leadership."

Colette Forrest, a former NAACP board member, said she doesn't want to read the letter. She's heard excerpts and feels the language will only hurt the community.

"We don't need any more divisions because basically black folks, white folks, we all need jobs," she said. "All this racial rhetoric, conquer and divide, is not solving these problems. We need economic vitality."

Reached at Green Oak Missionary Baptist Church, where he is the pastor, Nantambu said he realizes some people are not going to like his words.

"I just want people to pay attention to what's going on in Charlotte," he said. "I've always been taught that you will be persecuted for righteousness... You'll never get people to change if you don't address them honestly and forthrightly."




First Letter From Kojo Nantambu


Letter from off the plantation

(21st century letter from the Birmingham Jail)

In the past two weeks there has been an enormous amount of clamor, incrimination and condemnation by members of the community who were angry about the decision to protest the racism bigotry and hypocrisy evident throughout Charlotte. Even more atrocious is the disservice to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. illustrated by the myopic revisionist plantation ravings about Dr. King as to who he was and what he would do.

The sad part about it is many of you really don’t know anything about Dr. King and his righteous crusade to end racial injustice and discrimination to end segregation and separation of the masses for such reason as race, religion, color or creed. All you know is what "Massa" promotes and what "Masssa" prefers. King was a very bold courageous and God filled man, determined to fight the evil of racism in this country. Those of you espousing all of this sad and erroneous commentary about Dr. King have not a clue to the infinite dimensions of the man.

Though, relative to this incident I've never uttered the word boycott which was a(sensational fabrication) by the media and it is unbelievable how ignorant you are about Dr. King's beginnings.

The first official act by Dr. King and his supporters, that hurled him into world history was the "Montgomery Bus Boycott" yes "Boycott" get it boycott. Dr. King wasn't trying to make friends or please Massa he was trying to show the economic strength and effectiveness of African-American minorities when they come together in unity, remember Psalm 133. He was trying to demonstrate that we all must share in the sacrifice of self to receive the reward of freedom for the many".

The "Montgomery Bus Boycott” (remember boycott) lasted a year not a week, a year. People lost their jobs their homes there cars. They lost white friends and black friends some lost their lives but they won the battle. They weren't concerned about the loss of a week of fun and games and mammon or Massa unlike some contemporary Negroes, the people of Montgomery were concerned about justice.

Some of our community; Negroes included have lied and said that Dr. King would not want our children to stay out of school for any reason because he loved education. Yes you are right Dr. King was definitely for education but he was against racist, separate, segregated so-called "neighborhood school" education. Do any of you remember Birmingham, Alabama, the children walked out of schools for days went to jail by the hundreds for weeks (missing school) and enjoyed going to jail so much so often they over filled the jails. And as soon as they got out they went right back to marching and going back to jail saying "I'm going to jail for my freedom." They understood the need for personal and group sacrifice not like some of these Negro elected officials and modern Massa's.

Martin was there, he knew what was going on. Did you know some of those children not only missed school but were beaten by police, bitten by dogs, had their clothes torn off by fire hoses under full pressure as they were tossed into brick walls on sidewalks rolled up and down asphalt streets. And the only thing the Negroes in this community are concerned about is one week of fun and games and mammon and Massa. Please let us not forget the four little girls blown up in the church; that's shared sacrifice nothing comparable to what we've asked of you, here in Charlotte, write a letter!

Not only was Dr. King in Birmingham he was on the frontline in all his marches, boycotts, pickets, protest and anything he did. Martin Luther King had guts he didn't hide behind his title of scurry off like a little rat like a lot of his contemporaries and modern preachers or so-called Negro Leaders who wouldn't stand up to a "junebug" not to mention this racist city. Dr. King stood up to George Wallace, Lester Maddox, Bull Connors and many others because he wasn't afraid of controversy he said "The measure of a man is not where he stands during the time of comfort and convenience but where he stands during conflict and confusion."

Do not any of you realize or recall that Dr. King faced death everyday. Everyday he lived he stood up in a time where black men were killed for speaking out are speaking up. He not only spoke out he stood up and stood out. During the era in which Dr. King began his involvement Black men were killed for even looking at white women, remember Emmett Till or the Scottsborough Boys. Dr. King understood and lived the Word of God that said give your body as a willing sacrifice holy unto God and he did that, willingly and knowingly twenty four seven. Don't you remember the call at midnight they said to him in substance 'Nigggaahh we're tired of your mess now, if you're not out-of-town in three days we gonna blow your brains out and we gonna blow up your house." He did not try to run he did not try to hide, he didn't back down.

No, he was emboldened he said "I've seen the lightening flash, I've heard the thunder roll, I've felt sin breakers dashing against my soul but I heard the voice of Jesus saying "Martin Luther King Jr. stand up for truth, stand up for justice, stand up for righteousness and low I will be with you even until the end of the world"! Not only did Dr. King here it and say it,he lived it. I know most of you Negro readers don't remember it probably never heard it and Massa doesn’t want you to know it. Dr. King lived in fear constantly, being faced with the possibility of his own death daily and here we are today worried, mad, sick. not about the loss of life or liberty but worried about a week of fun and games, mammon and Massa.

It is obvious the only thing this country and the daily media want you to remember is his dream. But if you decide to live in his dream that means as is evident by the way some of you act - you're still asleep or even worse, dead. Because his dream has not come true yet; We have more poverty than ever, the schools in Charlotte are just as segregated as they were 40 years ago, banks still won't give minority businesses any help, they won't modify mortgages for low / middle income families and there is still enormous gaps in housing with disgusting pockets of poverty and excessive pockets of affluence no add mixture of mixed and affordable housing hardly anywhere recognizable, Jerry Orr still wants to get rid of 144 minority cabbies, for one white cabbie. That's not promoting small-business. Though we have had many successes, the current state of Charlotte, the state and nation is upsetting.

Congress threatening to challenge the 14th amendment, most of the 'Civil rights Bills"; the General Assembly threatening to use voter ID, challenge the voting rights bill and health care, makes the "Dream" sound more like we're living in a continuous relooping "Nightmare"

So people need to hone in on the first 16 lines of that speech Dr. King wasn't dreaming, he was dealing with reality the reality of the awful, abhorring, depressing and godless conditions in which we were living. Exposing this supposed land of freedom, justice and equality as one big diabolical contradiction.

Please make sure you study his discourse or speech on the Vietnam War. Many told him that the speech would be his death knell. But he was not worried are deterred. Remember he said “If a man has not found something he is willing to die for, he is not fit to live!” So I would guess many of you in Charlotte are willing to die for a basketball game, but are not as zealously inclined to fight for your children, who are being permanently, emotionally and academically scarred as they suffer in this racist school system!

During his long 13 year journey, Dr. King lost many friends, acquaintances and allies but he understood it was a small price to pay when looking at the bigger picture. He gave the Vietnam war speech on April 4, 1967 at the Riverside Church in New York, lambasting the heresy, hypocrisy, racism and bigotry of America for the Vietnam War delineating all the money wasted in that war when the money could have been better used for schools and education, we had growing expanding ghettos, and a rapidly growing underclass, sounds familiar.

After King's speech Pres. Lyndon Johnson who had become a good friend who signed the civil rights bill, the voting rights act and other such legislation, never spoke to Dr. King again. King was killed on Thursday evening, April 4, 1968 exactly one year after the Vietnam speech, quite interesting.

Dr. King was truly a man's man he didn't talk about putting on the armor of God then hide behind the pulpit. He put on the armor of God and went to war.

It's so sad that we have forgotten how great Dr. King really was and all he really is spiritually. He has been reduced to a very ineffective monolithic sound bite, year after year after year. The masses really not caring to explore the real man which has left us with some glaring realities that the tactics and teaching of Mr. Willie Lynch are alive and well and Mr. Lynch is probably dancing in hell, rejoicing in the fact that after 300 years, his plan is working perfectly and that many of Charlotte’s Negroes are the manifest personification of the Willie Lynch Proto type.

In the last three weeks I've come to realize some of our Negroes have earned their PhD in the WILLIE LYNCH SYNDROME. Thank God, King was more than talk more than show.

He lived what he said. Most of you keep running off at the mouth like you new the man. You heard his word, you saw all his deeds but you still failed to capture his essence, his heart. I don’t have his demeanor nor do I have his tact but I do have his courage and heart and understand the ”moral and spiritual constitution” that drove the man, not politrics. Thank you and To God be the Glory. Na'Maste'

Reverend Brother Kojo Nantambu



Second Letter From Nantambu


Open Letter to the Elected Officials of Charlotte


Of course this letter is to the members of the NAACP as well as the greater Charlotte community. First, we would like to say thank you to the many parents, students, and other individuals who joined with us for the MLK Day March and visits to the Levine Museum and the Harvey Gantt Center.

And to the many leaders of Charlotte let me say, we respect every opinion given regarding the NAACP’s decision to put Charlotte in the National spotlight. Our call was a call for a letter writing campaign not a boycott, a call to various groups such as CIAA, NCAA, PGA, to reveal the consistent growing racial disparities in our schools, our neighborhoods, against small businesses, against our parents, but most importantly against our children.

In the last ten (10) years, several research studies have shown the many disparities within this community:

We wanted to bring attention to the deplorable disparity of jobs through government contracts for our minority contractors. We are about 30% of this community yet we get less than 1% of all contracts, this is unacceptable. Many contractors in Charlotte have had to go out of business because of this fact and a lot of large construction companies are very crafty in getting around the utilization of minority contractors.

We need to highlight Jerry Orr’s attempt (Charlotte Douglass Airport) through City Council to put 144 small businesses out of business. Mr. Orr wants to replace 144 independent minority cab drivers with one major white cab company called Yellow Cab (I’m sure you’ve heard of it). He wants to make these men go to work for Yellow Cab, that’s tantamount to making them share croppers or tenant farmers and they will never get anywhere financially, probably die owing Yellow Cab for the cabs they already own.

Our members and citizens should be aware of the reports done by Crossroads Charlotte whose research about the relations in this city showing Charlotte headed toward four possible outcomes as a community, the one they fear most seems as though it is the one that it is rapidly becoming (Fortress Charlotte). Think about it!

The University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights, headed by Attorney Julius Chambers, did a study on education and housing in Charlotte and completed the study in 2005. The study clearly showed the Board of Education that the direction it was going and the policies it was making were actually widening the achievement gap creating despair and disenchantment with minority students, forcing a higher failure rate. The report warns CMS that the continuation on this course would destroy communities and get progressively worse. The report proposed alternatives but CMS has refused to use any of them. Once you read the report you realize that the CMS Board seems to be doing everything the EXACT opposite of what was recommended. During this same period Judge Manning, a white republican judge stated that what’s happening in the Charlotte school system is nothing but “Academic Genocide.” What do you think?

In October of 2010, Johnson C. Smith University’s School of Business released a report that graphically illustrates “Though Charlotte maybe the second largest financial center in this country, minority businesses here (Black and/or Hispanic) get less help from the financial industry than in any other city in America. No help jump starting minority businesses, not enough if any joint, corporate/community training programs, no special small business seed programs. And let’s not forget minority home owners in Charlotte are getting little to No Help on restructuring their mortgages. We should remember how Bob Johnson, a very wealthy American and former owner of the Charlotte Bobcats expressed in an exit interview his disappointment with Charlotte and it’s resistance to work with young black entrepreneurs. He found it just as hard to do business here for himself.

First Century Foundation has completed a study in Montgomery County, MD that shows that diversity in housing and socio/economic diversity in the schools has shown to unequivocally increase academic performance of minorities and is closing the gap by 2, 3 and in some cases 8 points a year. The study also shows that neighborhoods and the people in those communities get along much better with much more harmony than before. Over 100 school districts across the nation have adopted this model. CMS refuses to accept the report, and the Charlotte City Council seems reluctant to or is too inept to enforce a mandate for mixed and affordable housing anywhere.

An impact study done by the Charlotte Housing Authority and additional study by members of the Northwest Corridor shows a great disparity in mixed and affordable housing in the city. There is a need for at least fourteen thousand (14,000) more units of mixed/affordable housing throughout the city. Less than 35% of possible affordable housing even exists in the NW corridor though space is available. The study shows the continued devaluation of property in the corridor which effects schools, businesses, and neighborhoods but plans for upgrading the corridor seems to be slow in coming. There is no Lynx and now due to the economic downturn maybe no trolley.

Some say “Charlotte can not be a bastion of racism, look at all the African Americans that are elected officials.” I say “We have a black president now and I have seen more racism and hatred in America, in the streets and in Congress than anytime over the last 40 years and Charlotte’s no exception.”

These are the reasons for our protest, not to mention the total resegregation of our schools, putting all of the predominantly black schools in a special separate zone by themselves and the closing of the ten schools in the Black or minority community.

These are the reasons for our reasonable and rational discontent and we are determined to do more, to bring national attention to this city and the glooming racial disparities that exist here. Everything we’ve mentioned is a glowing sign of injustice to the minority and poor in this city. Injustice, discrimination, and racial hatred are the fundamental causes for which all NAACP battles have been fought for over 102 years. And we won’t stop now, “Forward Ever, Backward Never, On ward Forever.”

Reverend Brother Kojo Nantambu


View Larger Map


Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Qcity Metro, WCNC, Google Maps

McCrory Expected To Whoop Perdue In 2012 & Her Poor Leadership

Pat McCrory Looks Well-Positioned For Rematch In 2012


A new poll shows former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is well positioned for a rematch against North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue in 2012.

The Public Opinion Strategies survey commissioned by the conservative Civitas Institute grants McCrory a 15-percentage-point lead over Perdue.

McCrory 51 percent, Perdue 36 percent, Undecided 12 percent

One problem for Perdue, according to the survey of 600 likely voters, is she's snagging only 64 percent of Democrats.

The survey was conducted Dec. 15-16 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Get the full memo and cross-tabs here.

While McCrory is seen as a likely candidate, he has not yet announced his intentions.



In 2008, Perdue defeated McCrory 50 percent to 47 percent, marking the closest governor's race in the nation that year.







Read Between the Lines: Perdue Lacking Clear Vision


The current $3.7 billion budget deficit facing North Carolina presents a golden opportunity to re-evaluate the size and scope of state government. Presented with this opportunity, however, Governor Bev Perdue has failed to clearly articulate her vision for government’s role in society.

For instance, Perdue recently revealed a broad outline of her “reorganization plan” for state government. The plan included consolidating or privatizing some state agencies and a hiring freeze of “non-critical” state positions.

In an email to state employees discussing her reorganization plan, Perdue stressed that her priority is for state government to focus on its “core priorities.”

Readers of the email eager for Perdue to clearly define her vision for what she believes to be the state’s “core priorities” were left wanting. Perdue’s message disappointingly included only a vague and principle-free passing reference to “jobs, investing in our children’s education and safer and healthier communities.”

Unsurprisingly, Perdue’s lack of vision has resulted in confusion from state agencies as they try to define which positions are “critical” in their agency so as to implement a hiring freeze of non-critical positions. As mentioned in a Raleigh News & Observer article, “Perdue’s call for state agencies to voluntarily impose a hiring freeze for noncritical positions is being met with varying degrees of support, wariness and questions over what state jobs should be subject to a freeze.”

It seems that without a clearly stated vision of the proper functions of state government, assignments to identify “critical positions” can quickly become an exercise in futility.

Perdue’s lack of a clear vision has also created much uncertainty regarding two significant issues facing North Carolina: privatizing the ABC system and legalizing video poker. Perdue is waiting for the results of a consultant’s study on the impact of privatizing the ABC system before committing to a position on the issue, saying “I’m not quite there. I need to know what its worth. I need to know what its worth to the taxpayer.”

Similarly, Perdue remains uncommitted about the legalization of video poker, even though she admits she is not “philosophically opposed” to gambling.

If the governor was interested in defining her core principles and beliefs regarding state government, the answers to these questions wouldn’t require any studies; they would be quite simple. State control and monopolization of liquor sales is either a “core priority” of state government or it is not.

Furthermore, if she is not philosophically opposed to gambling (and in fact she was the tie-breaking vote in favor of the state lottery as lieutenant governor in 2005) she would find no reason to criminalize video poker.

But it does seem that, in spite of her reluctance to clearly state her beliefs on core functions of government, Perdue has recently offered some significant clues as to the principles that guide her decisions.

First was on the issue of legalizing video poker. Perdue sent her chief of staff, Britt Cobb, to a video poker parlor to report on the atmosphere at such locations. In response to Cobb’s report that the parlor was smoke-filled and “the saddest thing he’s ever seen,” Perdue said "I don't believe I'm the mother of North Carolina, that I should ...regulate people's personal choices, but I don't like what I heard from Britt and I don't like what I see.”

Have you ever noticed that the word "but" often reveals someone's true thoughts? For instance, a person may start a sentence saying "I'm not a racist, but...." and then proceed to say something extremely racist. In other words, injecting the word “but” in such a way is an indicator that whatever was said before “but” is untrue and the speaker’s true intentions are revealed after it.

In this case, we can see Perdue does believe she's "the mother of North Carolina."

Similarly, Perdue had this to say about corporate welfare: “I don't like them (incentives), but they are part of the game.”

Translation: Perdue likes incentives.

It seems by these most recent statements that Perdue is unwittingly providing us with a glimpse into her belief system. And what we find is a person committed to the nanny state with a healthy dose of crony corporatism.

It all adds up to someone who favors the accumulation of power in the hands of the ruling class at the expense of individual liberty.




McCrory Lead Widens Over Perdue If Election For N.C. Governor Were Held Today


Although the next election is not until 2012, Republican Pat McCrory leads Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue by 15 percent, according to a new poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 600 likely voters, 51 percent of voters said they would vote for McCrory if the election for Governor were held today. Thirty-six percent said they would vote for Perdue, and 12 percent said they are undecided.

This is a 6 percent increase in McCrory’s lead from a June 2010 Civitas poll when he led Perdue by a 46 percent-37 percent margin.

“Support for Perdue is low as voters see job creation and economic recovery remaining flat,” said Civitas Institute Francis De Luca. “Despite press releases heralding new jobs and incentive giveaways, voters are not seeing improvement in the employment picture.”

McCrory leads among Republicans by an 83 percent-8 percent margin and among unaffiliated voters (53 percent-23 percent). Democratic voters support Perdue by a 64 percent-29 percent margin.

“Perdue has an uphill climb in light of the recent midterm elections, bleak jobs picture and the challenging state budget situation,” added De Luca. “In the next few months, the public will see whether she works with the new Republican leadership to balance the budget and improve the employment picture. If successful, that may prove critical to her reelection plans.”

In addition, 60 percent of voters said they think Perdue does not have a clear plan for creating jobs, while 25 percent said she does. Fifteen percent of voters said they do not know.

The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina.

For more information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.


Full text of question:

“And although the next election isn’t until 2012… if the election for Governor were being held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were Pat McCrory, Republican and Bev Perdue, Democrat? And would you definitely vote for (choice) or just probably for (choice)?”

McCrory – 51%
Perdue – 36%

Definitely McCrory – 35%
Probably McCrory – 17%
Probably Perdue – 14%
Definitely Perdue – 22%
Undecided – 12%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.

This poll of 600 registered voters in North Carolina was conducted December 15-16, 2010 by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Virginia. This survey has a margin of error of +4.0% in 95 out of 100 cases. To ensure a representative sample, interviews were conducted proportional to voter registration figures for each county in the state based on the most recent figures compiled by the State Board of Elections.




McCrory's Polls Numbers Increasing Over Perdue: 2012 N.C. Gubernatorial Race


Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has a commanding lead over Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue in a new poll.

If a rematch up of their 2008 race were held today, McCrory would defeat Perdue by a 51 to 36 percent margin, according to a new survey commissioned by The Civitas Institute, a Raleigh-based conservative think tank. Twelve percent said they were undecided.

McCrory's lead has expanded since a June Civitas poll which showed Perdue leading by a 46 percent to 37 percent margin.

Perdue defeated McCrory by a 50 to 47 percent margin in 2008, the closest governor's race in the nation that year.

The spin:

“Support for Perdue is low as voters see job creation and economic recovery remaining flat,” said Francis De Luca, the institute's president. “Despite press releases heralding new jobs and incentive giveaways, voters are not seeing improvement in the employment picture.”

The survey of 600 registered North Carolina voters was conducted Dec. 15-16 by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Virginia. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.


View Larger Map


Sources: Civitas Institute, McClatchy Newspapers, Politico, WCNC, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Under Investigation: Delvonte Tisdale's Death

TSA & Charlotte Douglas Airport Confirms Investigation Into Security Breach


The Transportation Security Administration is sharing new details into the stunning security breach that appears to have occurred at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Specifically, the TSA is offering new details on how a stowed away teenager might have gotten on the plane.

It sounded simply unbelievable, even to investigators.

“When we started out in the beginning, believe me this was not something we were even contemplating,” said Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating.

The mystery began with a Charlotte high school student found dead on a Boston street, his body so badly broken even seasoned homicide detectives couldn't figure it out. Now there is mounting physical evidence Delvonte Tisdale likely fell from the sky.

“It appears more likely than not Tisdale was able to breach airport security and hide in wheel well of a commercial jet airliner without being detected by airport security personnel," Keating said.

In a statement emailed to NewsChannel 36 Monday afternoon, a TSA spokesman says airports have to follow strict TSA procedures that restrict access to secure areas. The email goes on to say the airport is responsible for perimeter and access control and there will be a thorough, joint investigation between the airport and TSA.

“There’s a great concern with all our efforts with security… that something like this could happen obviously causes great concern,” Keating said.

The Massachusetts prosecutor says he had to call that Friday news conference calling the incident a major security breach.

“What they have done, I don't know and that's one of the reasons frankly that I wanted to go forward,” said Keating.

Late Monday afternoon NewsChannel 36 received a press release from the airport.

In it, a spokeswoman confirms Massachusetts investigators were at the airport Dec. 3 but says the airport didn't know investigators believed Tisdale stowed away on the plane until the Friday news conference with the prosecutor.

The airport spokeswoman also said they just learned today about the TSA investigation.





Delvonte Tisdale's Mother Can’t Fathom Why He May Have Stowed Away


As Jonette Washington prepares a private service to remember her 16-year-old son, Delvonte Tisdale, she remains mystified by his apparent decision to flee his father’s home in North Carolina and climb into the wheel well of a commercial airplane.

“My first instinct was it can’t be true,’’ Washington said yesterday in an interview from her Baltimore home. “He wouldn’t do anything like that. He has no reason to do anything like that. All he had to do was pick up the phone and say, ‘Mommy, I’m ready to come home,’ and I’d go get him.’’

Tisdale and his younger brother and sister had been living with their father for a year and a half, and although Anthony Tisdale, a chef, was stricter than she was, his relationship with the children seemed generally good, Washington said.

Why Delvonte Tisdale left around Nov. 15 as everyone slept — and, according to authorities, sneaked into a US Airways plane bound for Boston — is a puzzle that may never be solved. A spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating said yesterday that investigators scoured his family’s computer and cellphone — Tisdale did not have his own — and found nothing that indicated he planned to do something so drastic.

On Friday, Washington will hold a small service at her home, where she will gather with close friends and family and tell stories about her son.

She said she will make his favorite dish, fried chicken and potatoes, and put out a yellow cake with white icing. A picture of Tisdale in his ROTC uniform will be iced onto the cake. He will be buried in Baltimore, Washington said.

Washington, a 35-year-old nursing student, said she accepts what authorities are telling her but cannot reconcile their conclusions with what she knew of her son, whom she described as a quiet, stable boy whose wildest behavior had been to once cut school.

Contrary to reports, she said, he never ran away from home, but he had been more aloof in recent weeks.

“I think it was something that was building that nobody actually saw or knew about,’’ Washington said. “Just sounded like something was building and made him get fed up and he was just tired and wanted to leave.’’

Authorities from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the federal Transportation Security Administration, and US Airways declined yesterday to say how Tisdale managed to get onto the tarmac and climb into a Boeing 737 undetected.

“Airport security is a multi-layered process and every facility is different, based on how the facility works,’’ said Haley Gentry, an airport spokeswoman.

The boy’s family said they have no idea how Tisdale got to the airport, about 18 miles from his home, or if he had any friends who worked there.

In a statement, officials at the Charlotte airport said they were told on Dec. 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration that Massachusetts investigators would be examining two US Airways planes.

A US Airways spokesman referred questions to Massachusetts authorities.

David Traub, Keating’s spokesman, said that the Norfolk district attorney has no jurisdiction over airport security.

None of the images examined in the surveillance videos from the airport so far has shown Tisdale crawling into a plane’s wheel well, Traub said. An exact cause of death has not been released; officials are awaiting the medical examiner’s final report.

Fingerprints left on greasy parts of a plane’s wheel well have been photographed and digitally enhanced in the hopes they can be identified, said David Procopio, spokesman for Massachusetts State Police, who have been investigating the case with Milton officials since Tisdale’s battered body was found on a quiet Milton street Nov. 15. Officials said Tisdale apparently plunged to the ground as the plane opened its landing gear.

Patrick Smith, a commercial pilot who writes the “Ask the Pilot’’ column for Salon.com, said, “We can have all the security in the world and short of turning the airport into a fortress, there’s always going to be a way for someone who is resourceful enough to find his way around security.’’

While it is unclear how the teenager bypassed security, Smith said the TSA exempts ground workers from the same security checkpoints, with metal detectors and X-ray machines, that pilots, flight attendants, and passengers are required to pass through.

Tisdale had never flown in his life, according to his mother. His father drove him and his siblings from Baltimore to North Carolina, where they went last year so they could get to know their father, whom they had not seen in years, Washington said.

“He was afraid of heights,’’ she said. “He didn’t even like going in a building that was high.’’

He was passionate about the Air Force ROTC program at his school, but his dream was to be a Marine, Washington said.

She said she last spoke to him on Nov. 8, his birthday. She was planning on visiting her children for Thanksgiving and Tisdale wanted her to meet his ROTC friends, Washington said.

Nothing seemed wrong, Washington said, but a couple of his friends told her later that he had been wanting to come back to Baltimore.

“All of a sudden he started becoming distant,’’ she said.

Anthony Tisdale said he was too distraught to speak yesterday.

On Saturday, he held a memorial for his son at a Charlotte church, said the Rev. James Woodson, the family’s pastor when they lived in Greensboro.

About 50 people came to mourn the teenager. His ROTC classmates presented Anthony Tisdale with a framed picture of his son in uniform.

The moment reminded the father of something his son once told him, Woodson said: “I want you to keep a picture of me because someday I’m going to be great.’’


View Larger Map


Sources: Boston Globe, CNN, Jet Photos.net, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, WSOC, Google Maps