Traffic Jam, Incest And Double Murder: Top News Of The Week

CHARLOTTE, NC — This week, the Charlotte metro region found itself cleaning up after torrential rains brought down trees and power lines. Damage was so severe that traffic on Interstate 77 was brought to a standstill while repair crews fixed downed lines near Davidson.

It wasn’t the only skyward event Patch readers were thinking about this week. The Lyrid meteor shower peaks Sunday, April 22. They also wanted to know more about how much recent federal tax law changes would cost North Carolina tax payers, the richest zip code in the area, what health inspectors found in an ice machine in a Charlotte restaurant, and more.

Here's a look at the top stories this week according to Patch readers:

Downed Power Lines Bring Interstate 77 To A Standstill
Interstate 77 closed in both directions Sunday evening after a wave of storms brought down power lines at the Griffith Street exit 30 in Davidson, according to transportation officials. Repairs are expected to take hours, they said.

Pregnant Woman Gives Baby To NC Woman She Met On a Plane
A little more than 18 months ago, a flight from Atlanta to Raleigh turned pivotal for a 24-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant and unsure about her baby's future. Samantha Snipes had already missed one flight and had snagged the last seat on the Delta flight bound to the North Carolina capital. Heavily pregnant, she was also carrying the weight of leaving what she described as an "unhealthy relationship" with her soon-to-be-born baby's father.

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NC Baby's Death Tied To Incest, Double Murder In Connecticut

Four people are dead in three separate states in what police are saying is all connected to the death of an infant in Knightdale, North Carolina. The baby was born as a result of an incest relationship between Steven Pladl, 43, and his biological daughter, Katie Pladl, 20, according to police and news reports.

Ice Machine With ‘Residue, Soil:’ Charlotte Kitchen Inspections
Several Charlotte-area restaurants saw their health ratings dropped last week after a health inspector found dirty kitchen items, out of date food and an ice machine with "pink residue and soil."

Lyrid Meteor Shower 2018: When To Watch In North Carolina
The spring and summer meteor shower season starts this month with the Lyrid meteor shower, which runs April 16-25. While the shower peaks Sunday, April 22, skywatchers may also see them on the days before and after the peak. And good news — the long range weather forecast in North Carolina suggests viewing conditions could be favorable.

Here’s How Taxes Will Really Change For NC Residents In 2018
With the 2017 tax season officially out of most North Carolinians minds, the focus is now on the 2018 tax year and how individual income taxes will change for residents of the Tar Heel State because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Most Americans began seeing changes in their paychecks earlier this year but the distribution of the individual income tax changes vary and North Carolina residents are getting less of a cut when compared to other states.

This Is North Carolina’s Richest ZIP Code
s a city rooted in banking, it's probably no surprise that Charlotte is one of the very richest communities in the south.

Providence Day Student Takes Prize In C-SPAN Documentary Contest
A Charlotte-area high school student's documentary on human trafficking has been awarded a prize in a national C-SPAN's 2018 StudentCam competition. Ari Gibson, a freshman at Providence Day School, won an honorable mention for her 7-minute submission interviewing trafficking victims.