WSAT

Salisbury to Celebrate America 250 With Community Event

Salisbury, N.C. (Friday, June 26, 2026) – The community is invited to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Salisbury’s City Park. The free public event will feature the dedication of the newly completed Veterans Arch and a community block party with food and activities for all ages.

The Veterans Arch dedication starts at 4 p.m. at the Patriot’s Flag Concourse, 305 W. Miller Street. Salisbury Mayor Tamara Sheffield will lead the program, joined by representatives of the Salisbury Rotary Club, family of project champion Reid Leonard, and historian Dr. Gary Freeze. The program will conclude with a ceremonial ringing of the bell.

An interactive history station, games, food, face painting and other activities will be located across the entire park including the City Park Recreation Center Building and picnic shelters along Lake Drive.

The arch was built as a lasting memorial and meaningful space for reflection and remembrance, honoring local veterans and their service to the nation. The Patriot’s Flag Concourse is also home to the WWI and WWII Memorial Wall and the Vietnam War Memorial Walls honoring Rowan County veterans who died in those wars.

For more information, please contact Community Engagement Director Anne Little at [email protected] or (317) 446-8543.

A woman crashed her car into a house in Rowan County on Tuesday.

Woman airlifted after car crashed into house in Rowan County The serious crash happened along Woodleaf Road.

Rowan County American Legion Baseball

City Council Adopts Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget

Salisbury, N.C. (Wednesday, June 17, 2026) – The Salisbury City Council adopted the fiscal year 2026 – 2027 operating and capital budget totaling $131,702,978 during the Tuesday, June 16 Council meeting.

The new budget represents an 11.68% increase from FY 2025 – 2026, due to a rise in infrastructure and facility investment needed for Water and Sewer and Stormwater. The balanced spending plan includes a property tax increase of 1.9 cents to support the City’s strategic priorities, critical infrastructure improvements and strengthen public safety including new police officers and a new Police Department Park Ranger Program. A 4% increase in water and sewer rates will support Salisbury Rowan Utilities’ infrastructure needs.

“This year's budget reflects service efficiency, strategic investment, infrastructure maintenance, and planning for the needs of our growing community," said City Manager Jim Greene. "We are committed to maintain quality core services and invest in the future while assuring fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers. The budget continues to invest in additional compensation and benefits for our employees, our most valued asset."

Key highlights of the FY 2026 – 2027 adopted budget include:

Street Resurfacing - $1.5 million
Fire Engine - $750,000
Roof, HVAC, and Facilities Repair and Upgrades: $300,000 for Roof and HVAC, $100,000 for Fleet Restroom Repairs, $100,000 for Price High School Boiler Repair
Ellis and Bank Street Bridge Repair - $200,000
Bell Tower Improvements - $140,000
Economic Development Strategic Plan - $50,000

The 1.9 cents property tax increase will result in an additional $4.74 per month for a residential home valued at $300,000, while the 4% water sewer rate increase will add roughly $2.72 per month for average customers. The anticipated total average monthly impact on residents is $7.46. No stormwater or solid waste recycling increases are included for customers.

The new budget will be available online at salisburync.gov/Budget on July 1.

Budget The City of Salisbury, NC is the county seat of Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census (growing 27.8% from the previous Census in 2000). Salisbury is the home to famed North Carolina soft drink, Cheerwine and regional supermarket Food Lion. It is on...

City of Kannapolis - Community News and City of Concord Government have reached an agreement to maintain all Rider Transit routes and stops for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year. The agreement comes after months of negotiation and will preserve essential transportation services for residents while city leaders continue to collaborate on ways to enhance system efficiencies.

Learn more: https://concordnc.gov/Services/Community/News/ID/443/Kannapolis-/-Concord-Reach-Agreement-to-Maintain-Current-Rider-Transit-Routes-and-Schedules

Celebrating 15 Years at the Norvell!

Piedmont Players Theater invites the community to the upcoming celebration of 15 years of youth theater productions on the Norvell stage. The annual Night on Stage fundraiser is happening Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th and will feature past and present Norvell performers reprising their roles while the audience takes a walk down memory lane!

Proceeds from this event will help support the Norvell’s mission of providing theatre education, performance opportunities, and arts experiences for young people in our community. Over the past 15 seasons, the Norvell has staged musicals, comedies, dramas, and multiple Shakespeare productions using actors aged 6-18 years old.

Piedmont Players maintains a special partnership with the Rowan Salisbury School System Every season, an average of 5000 students in 2nd-5th grade take a field trip to see one performance at the Norvell. A good number of those students have decided to audition and were cast in productions after seeing one of the school shows. During the summer, PPT hosts multiple Summer Camps where hundreds of young performers spend the week polishing their creative techniques, fostering their imaginative skills, or preparing a fully staged production.

PPT would love to see the growth and expansion of the Norvell programs in the future and the community’s support is essential.

There are two ways to enjoy the celebration this weekend:

✨ Performance Only: Enjoy the showcase at the Norvell Theater starting at 7:30pm $25 per ticket. Available for purchase at https://piedmontplayers.com/event/night-on-the-stage

✨ Dinner & Performance: Make it a full evening with drinks and dinner on the Meroney Theater’s third floor before the showcase. Individual dinner tickets and tables are only available by calling 704.633.5471 Monday–Friday, 10 AM–3 PM

See you at the Norvell!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Message from Rowan County Fire Marshal

Since the night of the fire, our focus has been on two things: finding answers and helping families begin the long road to recovery.

Today, I am able to share that after a thorough investigation conducted by the Rowan County Fire Marshal's Office in partnership with the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, the fire has been determined to be accidental in nature. Investigators determined the fire originated within a breezeway area (previously referred to as a balcony in earlier communications), with evidence indicating smoking materials as the probable ignition source. The investigation found no evidence of intentional actions or criminal activity.

While the final written report is still being completed and is not expected to be available for public release for approximately 14 to 21 business days, I felt it was important to share these findings now. The final report requires additional documentation, review, and administrative processing to ensure it is complete and accurate. However, I did not believe residents should have to wait several more weeks for answers before being able to better understand what occurred and continue taking the next steps in their recovery.

Nothing about these findings changes the hardship that so many families have experienced. Homes were lost, lives were disrupted, and for many, the future suddenly became uncertain. My hope is simply that having these answers provides some measure of closure and helps residents continue moving forward.

Over the past several days, I have had the opportunity to meet with residents, listen to their stories, and witness both the heartbreak and resilience that have followed this tragedy. I have seen neighbors supporting one another, families finding strength during incredibly difficult circumstances, and a community refusing to let anyone walk through this alone. The strength shown by the residents of The Grand has been remarkable, and it is something I will not forget.

As we move forward, I also hope this incident serves as a reminder that many fires occur accidentally and often begin during ordinary, everyday activities. Fire safety is not about blame. It is about awareness, prevention, and recognizing how quickly a single moment can change lives. Every fire code, every safety requirement, and every prevention effort exists because somewhere, at some point, a tragedy taught us a difficult lesson. Those lessons have helped shape the protections we rely on today, and they remain just as important as ever.

I encourage everyone to take a moment to check their own homes. Ensure your smoke alarms are installed, working properly, and tested regularly. Working smoke alarms save lives and continue to be one of the most important layers of protection for families.

Finally, I want to express my sincere gratitude to this community. The support shown over the past several days has been overwhelming. We have seen neighbors helping neighbors, businesses stepping forward, organizations offering resources, and complete strangers asking how they can help.

For those asking how they can support the families affected by this fire, gift cards remain the most beneficial form of assistance and may be dropped off at The Grand Clubhouse. While physical donations are always appreciated and come from a place of genuine kindness, many residents are currently living in temporary accommodations and have limited space to store large quantities of donated items. In addition, each family's needs are different and continue to evolve. Gift cards provide flexibility and allow families to purchase the specific items they need, when they need them.

The recovery process is far from over, but I want every resident to know that you have not been forgotten. Community leaders, partner agencies, property management, faith-based organizations, volunteers, and countless others continue to work together every day to help families navigate the challenges ahead.

To the residents of The Grand on Julian: thank you for your patience, your grace, and your trust as we worked to find answers. You have endured more than anyone should have to, yet you have continued to move forward with strength, courage, and compassion for one another. You remain at the center of every decision we make as recovery efforts continue.

On behalf of Rowan County Emergency Services, thank you to every resident, first responder, volunteer, community partner, and supporter who has played a role in this response and recovery effort. The compassion shown throughout this tragedy has been a powerful reminder of the strength of this community. While the road ahead may still be long, I am confident that together we will continue moving forward, one step at a time.
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The Grand on Julian
Rowan County NC
Salisbury Post
NC OSFM
South Salisbury Fire Department

Two charged in Rowan County stabbing case

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (June 8, 2026) - On Saturday, June 6, 2026, at approximately 6:04 p.m., deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff's Office responded to 142 Larin Way in eastern Rowan County in reference to a reported stabbing.

Upon arrival, deputies learned that an altercation at the residence had resulted in one individual being stabbed in the back. Prior to the arrival of first responders, the victim was transported by a private vehicle to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury for treatment.

Investigators identified the suspect as 37-year-old Daniel Ray Kesler, who had left the scene before deputies arrived.

Kesler was later located at a residence on Bringle Ferry Road along with 36-year-old Leah Annette Burns, who was also present at the Larin Way residence during the incident.

During the investigation, detectives executed a search warrant at the Larin Way property and seized blood evidence and narcotics.

Investigators also recovered blood evidence and a knife believed to have been used in the assault from the vehicle Kesler was operating.

The victim, 46-year-old Travis Elmer Cox, sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized for treatment. Cox is expected to recover.

As a result of the investigation, Kesler was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. Burns was arrested and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

As of Sunday evening, both individuals remained in custody at the Rowan County Detention Center. Kesler was being held under a $40,000 secured bond, while Burns was being held under a $1,500 secured bond.

The investigation remains ongoing.