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Butler High School was put on lockdown Monday afternoon, as police looked for several people being sought in connection with an armed robbery nearby.
The lockdown happened about 1 p.m. and lasted about 20 minutes, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokeswoman. It did not affect dismissal.
The robbery happened sometime after 12:30 p.m. at Lapidary Arts, in a shopping center on East Independence Boulevard, between Matthews-Mint Hill Road and Interstate 485. Police said an employee and a customer suffered minor injuries during the robbery.
Three men were being sought. Police did not say which way the gunmen fled, but they put Butler on lockdown for safety measures.
It is the second time in less than a month that a robbery on the south side of Independence Boulevard caused a lockdown at the high school. The first case involved a robbery at a Wachovia Bank branch on Matthews-Mint Hill Road. -- Steve Lyttle
Meck briefs
Charlotte thin-film solar panel maker Sencera has installed what it says is the first solar array at an N.C. winery.
RayLen Vineyards & Winery in Mocksville, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is using 104 100-watt panels to power refrigeration systems, pumping machinery and offices.
General manager Steve Shepard expects the solar array to cut the winery's electricity bills by at least half. Government incentives helped lower installation costs.
Sencera's thin-film panels use a tiny fraction of the silicon used in conventional panels, making them cheaper to produce. -- Bruce Henderson
Bernard Goldberg, the former CBS reporter and current Fox News analyst, will speak to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republican Women's Club annual Christmas luncheon on Dec. 4.
Goldberg, author of "Bias," analyzes the media for "The O'Reilly Factor."
He'll speak to the noon luncheon at Myers Park Country Club. It's open to all registered Republicans and their guests. The cost is $75. RSVP to: NU88@aol.com or call 704-531-2356. -- Jim Morrill
Superintendent Peter Gorman and two other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools staff members have won state honors for their interest and support of physical fitness.
Gorman has been named North Carolina Healthy Schools Superintendent of the Year and was honored Nov. 13 at the convention of the N.C. Alliance for Athletics, Healthy, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, held in Winston-Salem.
In addition, Debra Kaclik, CMS director of arts, health and physical education, was named Outstanding Healthful Living Coordinator, and Randolph IB Middle School's Rebecca Hill was named K-12 Dance Education of the Year. -- Steve Lyttle
Students from 22 Charlotte-area high schools will test their knowledge of world affairs today in the Academic WorldQuest competition.
The event, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, takes place at First Presbyterian Church uptown. The international trivia quiz features questions about history, current events and geography. The winner will advance to the national competition in Washington. -- Ann Doss Helms
