Aug. 4, 2026

This morning’s Forum offered details about three Mecklenburg County departments that help Mecklenburg residents navigate local and state- and federally-mandated social service programs. The tasks are immense, as are the benefits to the community:

• Preparing background information for judges making pre-trial release decisions; supporting individuals released from prison as they re-enter the community; guiding court-mandated substance abuse and mental health services;  promoting interagency cooperation; and much more.
• Guiding veterans through the complex approval process for federal and other assistance, medical care and family support.
• Identifying historically significant landmarks for preservation. The county is currently seeking longtime reuse of Huntersville’s Torrence-Lyttle schoolhouse that, when it opened in 1937, was north Mecklenburg’s only high school for African American students in Pottstown and adjacent neighborhoods.

Presenters were Sonya Harper, director of Mecklenburg County’s Criminal Justice Services; Stewart Gray, director of the staff department supporting the local Historic Landmarks Commission; and Edison Platt, manager of Veterans Services.

The Criminal Justice Services  slides are available as a PDF here and by individual slide below.

The Veterans affair slides are available as a PDF here and by individual slide below.

The Historic Landmarks slides are available as a PDF here and by individual slide below.