Uber Accident Injury Attorneys in Gastonia, NC

City, state and Whataburger officials gathered Friday morning at the site of the new Whataburger location they hope to open this year at 3415 E. Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia.

According to Adam Worthley, a spokesman for Whataburger, the company plans to open the Gastonia location in May.

Gastonia Mayor Richard Franks, who spoke at the event, said he hopes the Gastonia Whataburger is open before the location that was constructed in Hickory with a similar timeline.

He also said the restaurant is more than a place to get burgers, "It is the start of new opportunities for our citizens."

According to Worthley, the restaurant will employ around 150 people. The business has already started hiring. Kristy Crisp, Gastonia's director of economic development, said the new location shows that Gastonia is a destination for business.

A Gastonia resident at the event said she is looking forward to being able to get her favorite burger right at home. Star Connor said she previously made trips to Georgia just to get Whataburger. The flavors, taste, sauces and the fact that Whataburger is open 24 hours set it apart, she added.

"I'm just excited to have it here," Connor said. "I hope it stays for years to come."

Another Gastonia resident, Carrie Robbins, stopped by the event in hopes of getting a shirt for her mother, Kathy Norton, who went on her first date with Robbins' father, Billy Wall, at a Whataburger in the 1960s.

Robbins' parents, who were married 20 years, always loved Whataburger for being the location of their first date, she said.

Norton, now living in an assisted living facility in Stanley, plans to visit the new location with her daughter on opening day in memory of Wall, according to Robbins.

Gaston Gazette

Gastonia's first Free Excess Household Trash Week of the year is coming up just in time for spring cleaning.

Here's what residents need to know.

Excess trash placed at the curb in front of the home will be picked up on a resident's regular trash day the week of March 17-21.

Items eligible to be picked up through the program include:

Items that do not qualify for the program include:

For those items that cannot be picked up through this program, residents can dispose of them at the Gaston County Landfill or at special waste collection events, according to a press release from the city.

Fees will still apply to vehicle tires on and off the rim, electronics and appliances left on the curb during Free Excess Household Trash Week.

According to the release, the city encourages residents to seek alternative, sustainable options first, like recycling repurposing or donating slightly used items.

After announcing a return, Big Lots is now set to open a second round of stores across the U.S. next month, including one in Gastonia.

The dozens of openings will come after the company filed for bankruptcy and closed some locations in 2024. Nine Big Lots locations in six states reopened on April 10, and the company plans to reopen 55 Big Lots stores on May 1. Two more rounds of openings are set to take place through early June.

The openings come months after Big Lots announced its sale to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. As part of the deal, Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots stores, as well as two distribution centers.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Big Lots! brand back to life by offering more deals than ever, lots of famous brands and a new apparel department for the entire family,” Variety Wholesalers CEO Lisa Seigies said in a news release.

Which stores are reopening?

Big Lots openings are set to take place in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The Gastonia store listed is at 2587 W Franklin Blvd.

A Big Lots spokesperson told Fast Company that the stores planned to open in May are the following.

Other retailers taking over Big Lots locations

Apart from Variety Wholesalers, other retailers have announced the purchase of Big Lots locations. Rhode Island-based Ocean State Job Lot announced in March it would be buying 15 Big Lots locations in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont.

Earlier in February, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet said it would be buying 40 former Big Lots store locations.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

Kohl's is closing 27 "underperforming" stores Saturday, March 29, as sales decline.

California was hit the hardest, losing 10 stores and an E-commerce distribution center.

The closures are part of the company's transformation efforts that include cutting its corporate workforce by 10 percent and ending Amazon returns in some stores.

Kohl's will still have over 1,120 stores following the closures.

Here's what you should know.

27 Kohl's stores, California E-commerce distribution center closing

In January, Kohl's announced:

Is Kohl's closing it's Gastonia's store?

Stores slated to be closed Saturday have a note on top of the store's website saying: "This store will be closing soon. Our last day of business at this location will be Saturday, March 29."

Gastonia's store does not have the notation, which indicates that it will remain open.

What stores will Kohl's close in US?

Kohl's will close stores at these locations Saturday:

What happens to Kohl's employees at the stores being closed?

"We always take these decisions very seriously," said Tom Kingsbury, Kohl’s chief executive officer.

"As we continue to build on our long-term growth strategy, it is important that we also take difficult but necessary actions to support the health and future of our business for our customers and our teams.

"All associates have been informed, and offered a competitive severance package or the ability to apply to other open roles at Kohl's," the company said in January.

What Kohl's stores don't take Amazon returns?

Kohl's has temporarily stopped accepting Amazon returns at some stores, the company confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday.

Modern Retail, a retail trade outlet, reported locations that have stopped accepting returns include: Leominster, Massachusetts, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Washington, Missouri.

Information on which stores continue to accept Amazon returns is not posted on Kohl's store websites as of Wednesday, March 26.

Contributing: Mike Snider, USA Today

(TNS) — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The wildfires in Polk County, North Carolina, have surpassed 6,000 acres and can now be seen 500 miles up by satellites, according to the Joint Polar Satellite System.

Collectively, the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and Fish Hook Fire have burned 6,168 acres, destroyed 22 structures, prompted evacuations on 18 roads and put one firefighter in the hospital, the county and N.C. Forest Service say.

Smoke plumes and red flames from the fires were intense enough to be recorded March 23 by infrared imaging onboard the NOAA/NASA Suomi-NPP satellite, NOAA reports. The satellite orbits 512 miles above the earth.

“Yesterday ( March 25 ), fire behavior was intense, with rapid fire spread and extreme burning conditions as high winds and dry weather returned to Western North Carolina,” the N.C. Forest Service said in a news release.

“A firefighter was injured on the Black Cove Fire. The individual was airlifted to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he received medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”

Mandatory evacuations are in place for 165 homes in Polk County due to growing concern the fires are rapidly feeding on a glut of fuel created by Hurricane Helene.

“Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic damage to forests across the advisory area in late September of 2024. Lighter fuels cured rapidly through a winter with below average rainfall, but extreme rates of drying have been observed in recent weeks,” the Southern Area Coordination Center reported March 25.

“Extraordinarily low humidity has persisted throughout March in the Southern Appalachians, foothills and Piedmont, resulting in accelerated drying of leaf litter and fine fuels left in the wake of Helene’s destruction.”

The end result is “fire spread and intensity” exceeding predictions, the center says.

In Polk County — an 85-mile drive west from of Charlotte — the fires have more than doubled in size since first being reported March 21.

The 3,046-acre Black Cove Fire is the largest and most destructive of the three, accounting for 14 destroyed homes and out buildings, officials said.

It is 0% contained and “remains highly active in the steep terrain of the Green River Gorge,” the county says. The fire was started by a downed power line, state officials say.

The 2,923-acre Deep Woods Fire is also 0% contained and has forced 110 homes to be evacuated, officials said.

Only the smallest of the three fires, the 199-acre Fish Hook Fire, has a partial containment of 72%, officials say. The fire destroyed three homes and one outbuilding before being brought coming under control.

“The fires continue to pose a serious threat to homes and communities,” the county says.

“Currently there are 263 personnel from North Carolina and other states are present to manage the incident. Firefighters have come from South Carolina, Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon, South Dakota, and California to help contain this fire.”

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