SALISBURY — Yates Realty Inc., a Cornelius real estate brokerage firm with properties in Salisbury, made waves with a sale on Lake Norman.

Sunny Yates sold a .59-acre vacant waterfront lot in Cornelius for $2.5 million, which is a sales price record for a residential waterfront on Lake Norman. At that sales price, the buyer paid $97 per square foot, which would equate to more than $4 million for one acre. The lot went into contract in just a few days.

Yates said the Cornelius market has been inundated with buyers from out-of-state since the start of the pandemic.

“People can now work remotely and do not have to live near the office and commute to work,” she said. “People are looking for suburban towns with quality of life, outdoor recreations such as lakes, rivers and mountains.”

Yates Realty owns both commercial and residential property in Rowan County. The firm recently listed a portfolio of nine homes and duplexes for $1.35 million in Rowan County. Lane Yates, broker in charge, said the firm is already receiving interest on the properties.

Chamber and extension service’s Salute to Agri-Business event set for March 17

SALISBURY — The Rowan Chamber of Commerce and Rowan County Extension Office will have the annual Salute to Agri-Business at the Power In Partnership program on Thursday, March 17, 7:30 a.m. at 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. West.

The keynote speaker is Danny Munch, associate economist with American Farm Bureau Federation. The title of his speech is “Economic Impact of Rowan Agriculture.”

Munch was born and raised in East Lyme, Connecticut. He was an active 4-H member and heavily involved with Northeast agriculture. After graduating from University of Connecticut in 2018 with a double major in livestock management and policy and resource economics, he worked within the U.S. House of Representatives on agricultural policy research for Connecticut’s second congressional district on Capitol Hill.

In 2020, Munch graduated from Cornell University with a master’s degree in agricultural and food economics after completing his thesis titled “Assessing the Value of Agricultural Cooperative Membership: A Case of Dairy Marketing in the United States.” The work is published in the Journal of Cooperative Organization & Management.

Danny currently works as an associate economist within the Farm Bureau Federation’s public affairs department with a profile that covers issues including dairy markets, transportation & infrastructure, natural disasters, aquaculture, endangered and invasive species, public lands and specialty crop markets.

The purpose of the March breakfast is to honor our Rowan County farmers and those supporting the sector of the business community.

Kannapolis Youth Council opens applications for 2022-23 school year

KANNAPOLIS — The Kannapolis City Council has established a Youth Council, with a goal to create opportunities for students to become engaged in leadership development, provide avenues for high school students to volunteer, develop leadership skills, hold high standards for behavior, refine communication abilities, practice teamwork and have a line of communication to the adult leadership in the decision-making process of the city.

High school aged students who live within the Kannapolis city limits are eligible to apply to be on the Youth Council. Applications are due at 5 p.m. on March 31. Apply online at https://www.kannapolisnc.gov/Government-Departments/Boards-Commissions/Youth-Council.

The Youth Council will represent the geographic and educational diversity of the city with participants from the two public high schools located in the city, students living in the city but attending other public high schools, home school students, charter schools and private high schools.

“We look forward to getting the Youth Council organized. It is an item that has been on our wish list and during our conversations with members of our youth population we felt like it was the right time to form a youth council. Our youth are a valuable asset to our city. We want to cultivate their enthusiasm for our City and community and will be announcing next steps for the Youth Council soon,” Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant said in a news release.

City Council members Mayor Darrell Hinnant and Doug Wilson, as well as staff members, serve as liaisons to the group.

For more information contact director of communications Annette Privette Keller at 704-920-4311 or aprivettekeller@kannapolisnc.gov.