The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • B1

Monday, March 25, 2013 CHARLOTTE CMPD: Pedestrian struck, killed on Old Steele Creek Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say one person was struck and killed by a vehicle late Saturday. The incident happened around 10:15 p.m. in the 2700 block of Old Steele Creek Road, which is less than a half-mile from an intersection with West Boulevard, police said. Michael Dwain Williams, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene about 10:20 p.m. About 10:16 p.m., David Milton Motley, 59, was driving a 2001 In- finity QX4 on Old Steele Creek Road, police said.

As Motley approached the 2700 block of Old Steele Creek Road, he briefly observed something in the road. Williams was lying in the inbound travel lane, according to CMPD. Motley tried to avoid Williams but was unsuccessful. He ran over Wil- liams as he was lying in the roadway, police said. At the time of the crash, the road was dark but lit by streetlights.

Police believe Williams may have had alcohol in his system. The crash is under investigation by Major Crash Investigation Unit. Witnesses are asked to call Detective Kevin Allred at 704-336-8862. ELISABETH ARRIERO STATEWIDE Hagan says ad campaign influence her North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, says she be swayed by a $12 million advertising campaign, funded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, supporting a pending package of federal regulations to curb gun violence.

Bloomberg on Monday will begin bankrolling the national ad campaign, which is aimed at swing-state senators whom he believes might be persuaded to support the federal regulations. The ads will run during an Easter congres- sional recess that is to be followed by debate over the legislation. Hagan always votes for North Carolina first, and on this issue she has heard from many constituents who consistently ask her to protect their Second Amend- ment rights and use common Sadie Weiner, a spokeswom- an for Hagan, said in a statement issued late Saturday. the debate on this issue moves to the Senate floor, Sen. Hagan will continue seeking input from North Carolinians while focusing on legisla- tion that protects the rights of respon- sible gun owners and has a realistic chance of passing to make real prog- ress in preventing tragedies like the one at Sandy the statement said.

DAN DUFFEY Expect more cold weather; freeze warning issued Spring started Wednesday, but wintry weather lingered into the week- end and will endure until tomorrow. People watching the UNC versus Kansas game on CBS saw a freeze warning at the bottom of their screens and were warned to bring pets and plants inside overnight. The warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Monday in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Rowan counties. A freeze watch is in effect from Monday night into Tuesday morning for Alexander, Burke, Cabarrus, Cald- well, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Union and York Counties.

CLEVE R. WOOTSON WCNC-TV CONTRIBUTED Across the Region News from Mecklenburg, the region and the state at charlotteobserver.com/local. N.C. LOTTERY Numbers drawn Sunday Midday Drawings Pick 3: 1-1-7 Pick 4: 0-1-6-8 Night Drawings Pick 3: 7-7-0 Pick 4: 7-8-2-1 Cash 5: 6-7-13-14-26 S.C. LOTTERY Numbers drawn Sunday Evening Drawings Pick 3: 7-4-5 Pick 4: 7-5-6-0 Cash 5: 10-17-18-34-37 5 MULTISTATE LOTTERY Numbers drawn late Saturday PowerBall: 17-29-31-52-53 Power Ball: 31 Lottery Results SECTION charlotteobserver.com/local ABC TO BOOST GRANTS FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE Funds from liquor sales fund substance abuse efforts in Charlotte.

3B CMS CALENDAR how to get involved in CMS. 3B DIVERSIONS Comics, advice, puzzles and more. 6-7B GET OUT OF TOWN FIND TRIPS TO NEARBY DESTINATIONS. CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM/TRAVEL By Joe DePriest GASTONIA The friends have an un- usual bond: a search for two missing women. The six-woman team is made up of the family members, people known years earlier and a for- mer forensic detective who is retired from the Gastonia Police Department.

Chasing tips, combing through woods and fields, knocking on doors, out to find the missing persons, dead or alive. The quest takes them to what one of the women described as we probably Often, they turn up nothing. But occasionally they discover information worth pass- ing along to police. So far, though, been no break in the cases. Jamie Fraley was 22 when she disap- peared from her apartment near Gas- tonia on April 9, 2008.

On May 6 of that year, police found the borrowed BMW that 42-year-old Jennifer Ramsey Rivkin of Kings Mountain was driving, near a bar in west Gastonia. She was last seen May 4. As the fifth anniversary of the disap- pearances approaches, the six women spoke with a reporter in hopes of reviv- ing public interest. The women are Jan- et Garvey, sister; Tesla Rush, sister; Kim Fraley, mother; Rheta Conley, a retired detec- tive; Lisa Thompson, a friend of Gar- and Stacey Dennis, aunt. the first time family has gone into much detail about her life.

years is a long time for any fami- said Garvey, 46, of Bessemer City. too long. The not knowing is the hardest JEFF WILLHELM From left, Janet Garvey, sister of Jennifer Rivkin; friend Lisa Thompson; Kim Fraley, mother of Jamie Fraley; retired police detective Rheta Conley, and Jamie sister Tesla Rush. Search for women missing in Gaston creates close ties 6-woman team of friends, family hunts for women who disappeared 5 years ago Jamie Fraley was 22 when she disappeared from her apartment near Gastonia on April 9, 2008. Her family has been looking for her ever since.

SEE MISSING, 2B By Elisabeth Arriero More than 50 residents braved the cold and rain Sunday to take a stand against racial inequalities and voter discrimination by remembering a key civil rights moment. On the 48th anniversary of Bloody Sunday when members of the march on Selma were beaten by Ala- bama state troopers residents met Sunday afternoon at Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Charlotte to hold a silent march to the federal courthouse, where they prayed and discussed their mission for racial equality. The event was sponsored by Meck- lenburg Ministries, the local NAACP, local church congregations and other groups. It was also part of a larger move- ment of marches that happened Silent march speaks for past Organized by churches and the NAACP, residents meet to remember Bloody Sunday ROBERT LAHSER Marchers walk silently along the sidewalk on West Trade Street, headed to the federal courthouse, where they prayed for equality.

MORE PHOTOS See a slideshow of the march at www.charlotteobserver.com/local SEE MARCH, 3B By Elisabeth Arriero Police are searching for a man who witnesses said threw a pup- py into a Charlotte area pond last week and left it for dead. Matthew Schmidt, who lives off Nevin Road, said he was mak- ing dinner shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday when he noticed a car pull up beside the pond behind his house. order to help protect the pond, I try to chase out anyone out there not sup- posed to he said. guy drew my attention anyways be- cause he was acting so Schmidt went outside to con- front the driver, taking with him his two rescued pit bulls.

Just as he was about 50 feet from the fence separating him from the man, Schmidt said he heard a loud splash. scared he said. shouted, are you throwing in the and he respond. He gave me the most blank stare, and then he just Soon, Schmidt said, he heard splashing and something strug- gling to get out of the pond. when he saw the puppy trying to get out of the water.

He used a bit of the peanut but- ter and jelly sandwich he was holding to coax the puppy to him. was very friendly, very docile. But it was like she was saying, come help Schmidt said. was really bad An examination later re- vealed the dog, an American pit bull terrier mix, had a fractured leg and a fractured pelvis from a recent incident. But the pup- py also had a fractured skull and a spinal injury from past in- cidents, as well.

has quite a few injuries that shows had successive incidents of said Sara Abused puppy is now fostered Police still searching for man who threw dog in pond, left it for dead SEE PUPPY, 2B By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. Nearly 100 employees of the U.S. Postal Service picketed in front of a post office in south Charlotte Sunday afternoon, protesting a plan to reduce mail delivery to five days a week. The move, the employees said, would mean eliminating thousands of jobs across the nation, including more than 100 in Charlotte.

The protest in Charlotte was one of several across the United States. The local protesters lined the sidewalk outside the post office on Carmel Road near Pineville-Matthews Road on a rainy, unseasonably cold day as the temperature hovered near freez- ing. They held up signs that said wrong and Postal and chanted a varia- tion on a weathered protest slogan: mail? Our looking at the demise of the Postal said Gerald Brown, president of Local 248, the western North Carolina branch of the Nation- al Association of Letter Carriers. five days, then four days gutting the employees. This is the most ridiculous The financially troubled Postal Service announced last month that it Postal workers cold, delivery plan Rain, freezing temperatures deter disgruntled lot, who fear deeper cuts loom JEFF WILLHELM Letter carriers, other postal employees and their families rallied in front of the Carmel Post Office on Sunday, one of several rallies across the nation.

SEE POST OFFICE, 3B.