North Carolina

FBI begins new campaign to find missing Shelby girl

The FBI is trying to bring new attention to the case of Asha Degree, a Shelby girl who disappeared after leaving her home on Valentine's Day 12 years ago.

A photo of Asha at 9, when she went missing, and an age-progressed photo of what she would look like as a 19-year-old will be featured on 14 digital billboards across the Charlotte area and will be sent out on FBI-controlled Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

Asha's family last saw her asleep in her bedroom around 2:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day in 2000. An hour and a half later, drivers saw her walking along N.C. 18 in Cleveland County. More than a year later, her book bag was discovered buried along N.C. 18 in Burke County. Cleve R. Wootson Jr.

Crime

Police: Ballantyne robber changed hats, not banks

Federal authorities say they believe a man who robbed a Ballantyne bank Tuesday is the same man who robbed the same bank last month wearing a cowboy hat. This time the suspect wore a knit cap.

Tuesday's robbery happened around 2:15 p.m. at the RBC Bank branch on Ballantyne Village Way, not far from Ballantyne Commons Parkway and Johnston Road.

Surveillance photos show the suspect - a white man wearing a toboggan, dark sunglasses and dark jacket - gesturing to a female teller.

On Jan. 4, police were called to the same bank to investigate a robbery in which the suspect wore a cowboy hat, sunglasses and a dark jacket.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call FBI Charlotte at 704-672-6100 or Charlotte-Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Meghan Cooke

Religion

Top Presbyterian official removed from job

A top administrator who helped direct regional operations for about 130 Charlotte-area Presbyterian churches was fired over the weekend in what he called a "blind side" over his leadership.

Sam Roberson, general presbyter for the Presbytery of Charlotte for almost a decade, was removed from his position Saturday in a vote by the Presbytery members.

Roberson, 65, said Tuesday that prior to his firing, he was told by two of the Presbytery's clergy leaders that Roberson's staff "wasn't clear it could work with me."

He said the broader issue was his leadership style during a period of great change for Presbyterian churches in Charlotte and around the country. Among the changes, he cited: shrinking budgets and church rolls, multiculturalism and the emerging role of gays and lesbians.

Janie Beaver, who as the elected moderator of the Presbytery ran Saturday's meeting, declined to comment on what took place. Michael Gordon