Year In Review: A look back at Charlotte's most memorable moments of 2018

10. Human trafficking bust in front of Charlotte grocery-store

The parking lot of a north Charlotte grocery store became the scene of a human trafficking bust in September.

Gerald Johnson, 59, was arrested for human trafficking and promoting prostitution in front of Food Lion on Beatties Ford Road. The arrest was part of a larger, undercover sting by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

“We should do more in our community to stop things like that from happening,” one shopper said.

9. Facebook post: Missing Davidson teacher dead in Mexico

A Mooresville teacher was supposed to meet up with his brother in Mexico City in October, but he never showed.

The search for Patrick Braxton-Andrew began when he disappeared after a walk in the small hiking village of Urique. It ended weeks later when his body was found in a shallow grave.  

A funeral was held for the Davidson graduate at Davidson College Presbyterian Church in December. The Sinaloa Cartel was believed to be behind Braxton-Andrew’s murder.

8. Missing 4-year-old Charlotte boy found safe

A frantic search began in November after Justin Idiarte left his family's south Charlotte apartment on a Thursday night.

His mother said she heard him get up and thought he was going to the bathroom. She then dozed off, and when she woke up, she realized he was gone.

Justin was found Friday morning at another apartment, just 100 yards away. He told the neighbor he woke up and didn't think his parents were home.

7. Journey cassette tape forces brief evacuation in uptown Charlotte

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police gave the all clear in uptown after a suspicious package turned out to be a Journey cassette in October.

Employees at the Duke Energy Building called 911 to report the object. During the investigation, multiple buildings near Church Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard were evacuated.

The package was determined to be non-hazardous and non-incendiary.

6. Video shows racially charged interaction in Charlotte

Remember South Park Susan? The white woman was caught on camera harassing two black women at an apartment complex in October, and the video went viral.

"What are we gonna talk about tonight?" Susan Westwood asked in the video. "Being hot, being beautiful, being white?"

Westwood claimed the other women didn’t belong there and called 911. A warrant was later issued for her arrest; she turned herself in to police in Sunset Beach, at the urging of her mother.

5. Mother of 1-year-old swept away by floodwaters charged with involuntary manslaughter

“I thought it was safe.” That’s what a Charlotte mom told authorities in Union County after her son drowned in flooding from Florence in September.

Officials said Dazia Lee drove around barricades, and her car got caught up in the rushing water. She managed to get herself free but lost her grip on 1-year-old Kaiden’s car seat. His body was found the next day.

Lee was charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving on a closed/unopened highway.

4. What Brad Panovich expects in Charlotte from Hurricane Florence

First Warn chief meteorologist Brad Panovich began warning about the devastating impacts of Florence almost two weeks before the monster storm hit.

Despite reaching Category 4 status a few times, the hurricane landed just south of Wrightsville Beach, N.C. as a Category 1 storm on September 14. A few days later, flash flooding hit the Charlotte area, trees fell down, and thousands lost power.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools shut down for several days to protect students and serve as shelters for coastal evacuees.

3. Classmate shoots, kills student at Butler High School

On October 29, a fight erupted between two students at Butler High School in Matthews. By the end of it, one student was dead; the other in handcuffs.

The shooting forced the school into a lockdown mode and sent parents into a panic.

"We had some initial confusion and it is understandable that some families were frustrated – the safety of their loved ones was first on their minds and ours," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox.

Bobby McKeithen, 16, died at the hospital. Jatwan Cuffie, also 16, was charged with second-degree murder.

This story caught people’s attention as they made their travel plans for Thanksgiving weekend. A few days before the biggest travel day of the year, North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) announced troopers would be set up every 20 miles along major interstates.

“Our mission is simple; reduce needless collisions in hopes of reporting zero fatalities statewide,” said Col. Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the NC Highway Patrol.

The traffic blitz ran from Wednesday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 25. As a result of the I-40 Challenge, a joint operation among seven other states, zero fatalities were reported along the interstate in North Carolina.

The disappearance of a six-year-old boy with autism in Gaston County made national headlines in September. Maddox was reported missing at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia on a Saturday. His body was found in a creek a few days later, not far from where he was last seen.

"He was just a very sweet boy," said Patty Woodcock, a teacher at Odell Primary School where Maddox was a student. "We're a close-knit school, a close-knit family, and we came together even more."

In November, an autopsy revealed Maddox drowned; there was no evidence of trauma.

Here's a look back at some of the top feel-good stories from 2018: (In no particular order) 

1. Firefighters step in after spotting family trying to fill up pool by using pots from the sink

A group of Charlotte firefighters were hailed as heros after stepping in to help out a local family in need. 

After leaving a medical call, Engine 18 stumbled upon a family desperately trying to fill up a kiddie pool by filling up pots from the sink for a little boy's birthday on a very hot Sunday afternoon. 

Without hesitation, Engine 18 stepped in and quickly filled the pool for the family.

2. Charlotte non-profit restaurant hires those considered 'unemployable'

The Kings Kitchen gained a lot of popularity in 2018 after the community learned the restaurant, in the heart of uptown, donates 100% of its profits to those less fortunate. They also close down for a couple of hours to hold a bible study. 

The Dream Center uses the money they receive from the restaurant to go out into the community and feed the homeless or provide job training for those considered 'unemployable."

3. Charlotte police officer 'like a stepdad' to young boys shot in west Charlotte

A Charlotte Police Officer is taking his duties to 'protect and serve' the community one step further. In 2018, the Charlotte community met Office Caleb Costner -- a CMPD officer known for making a difference in his community. After learning two kids were shot while sleeping in their beds almost a month ago -- Officer Costner is pretty much a stepdad to the two boys now. 

4. You can see the joy in their eyes | NC woman turns her home into a retirement home for senior dogs

A North Carolina woman has turned her home into a retirement center for senior dogs. 

Verna Wilkins was just 12 years old when she rescued her first senior dog. Now, 43 years later Wilkins has started her own non-profit for rescued senior dogs in Tryon, North Carolina.

Turning her home into a retirement home for senior dogs meant Wilkins could always keep watch of her dogs, 24/7.

5. Stop what you're doing because this pregnant foster dog just had the cutest maternity photo shoot

A photo of a pregnant foster dog having the time of her life in a maternity photoshoot quickly went viral in 2018 -- I mean, come one, just look at her face! 

6. Emu and donkey, an inseparable pair, find their forever homes with Walking Dead actor

A story about an Emu and a donkey at a local rescue farm in North Carolina quickly garned the attention of not only the Queen City, but of the nation. 

The two, Jack and Diane, were up for adoption but came as a pair. Months after the rescue farm's plea went viral -- Hollywood Actor, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his wife  Hilarie Burton, adopted the pair of rescue animals from Carolina Waterfowl Rescue Center.

7. Farmer plants thousands of sunflowers in Waxhaw

The story about a giant sunflower farm in Union County not only went viral in 2018 -- it stopped traffic. NBC Charlotte learned the person who planted the flowers just wanted to brighten people's days. 

8. I-77 hitchhiker who went viral with ukulele cover of 'Wagon Wheel' recording album

In 2018, a video of two hitchhikers serenading a driver on I-77 in Iredell County went viral. The two have quickly found their voice -- and fame. 

9. Man on a mission to mow 50 lawns in 50 states for those who can't

A man on a mission to mow 50 lawns in 50 states made us smile in 2018. 

Rodney Smith Jr. started a nonprofit company called Raising Men Lawn Care Service. Rodney and his partner go around Alabama mowing lawns for those who can't mow lawns themselves. Rodney then took his self-act on the road. 50 lawns. 50 states. 

10. Newborn daughter of soldier killed in Afghanistan photographed with fellow soldiers

A photo of a newborn baby photographed with soldiers in North Carolina melted our hearts and the hearts of many on the internet in 2018. 

Britt Harris was ecstatic when she learned she was pregnant back in October. Her husband, SPC Christopher Harris, was just deployed to Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, Harris would never get to meet his daughter. He was killed in a suicide bombing just a week after he learned of the pregnancy.

Harris' wife wanted to pay tribute to her late husband the only way she knew how... with his fellow soldiers by her side.

1. David Tepper buys the Carolina Panthers

Without question, the biggest story entering 2018 was who would buy the Carolina Panthers. Former owner Jerry Richardson announced in December he would sell the team after a report from Sports Illustrated unveiled allegations of sexual harassment from Richardson just hours before the Panthers played Green Bay. 

2. Kemba Walker becomes the Hornets' all-time leading scorer

Kemba Walker cemented his status as one of the greatest Hornets ever when he surpassed Dell Curry on the team's all-time scoring list on March 28. 

Walker accomplished the feat with 21 points against Cleveland, pushing his career total past Curry's 9,839 points. And he did it all in just seven seasons as the cornerstone of the new-generation Hornets. 

3. Christian McCaffrey set an NFL record for receptions in a single season

If 2018 wasn't the year of Kemba, it was definitely the Year of CMC. The Panthers' second-year running back proved that he is the versatile weapon the team hoped he'd be when they picked him No. 8 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. 

With Cam Newton and Greg Olsen struggling with injuries throughout the season, McCaffrey kept on running around, through and over defenders en route to a new league record for receptions in a season by a running back. Through 15 games, McCaffrey's 106 receptions are also the most by any Panther in a single season.

5. Snow starts off the year in Charlotte

Charlotte started 2018 as a winter wonderland. Temperatures didn't climb above 35 for the first four days of the year and less than four weeks into 2018 snow hit the Carolina's. 

CMPD responded to over 250 accidents as a result of the storm which dumped two to five inches of snow in Charlotte. 

The snow also showcased the 'Snow Angel Competition' on social media with a CMPD officer outdoing everyone.

4. Rain, rain and more rain. Charlotte has one of the wettest years on record

2018 has been the year of rain in Charlotte. As of late December the Queen City has experienced the tenth wettest year on record with more rain possible to add to that total. 

The totals were helped by Hurricanes Florence and Michael which dumped massive amounts of rain across both North and South Carolina. 

Charlotte could move into the ninth slot on the list with more rain slated for late in the week just before the New Year starts. 

3. Snow and ice hit Charlotte to end the year

As 2018 drew to a close snow came back to the Queen City to close the year, much like it started. 

Snow and ice knocked out power to thousands across the Charlotte area and resulted in hundreds of traffic accidents. 

The winter storm which dumped nearly three inches of snow in Charlotte which was the most snow the city had seen in December since 1997. 

The storm also set records in the foothills and mountains with some areas getting two feet of snow. Mount Mitchell came in on top with an incredible 34 inches of snow. 

2. Hurricane Michael brings heavy winds and rain to the Carolina's

Hurricane Michael struck less than two months after Hurricane Florence ripped through the Carolina's. Michael came from the Florida panhandle making landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 miles per hour. 

Michael came through Carolina's just southeast of Mecklenburg County bringing with it heavy winds gusting well above tropical storm force and knocking out power to millions across North and South Carolina. 

Michael also brought flooding to many areas already hit hard by Hurricane Florence such as the mountains and eastern sandhills

1. Hurricane Florence dumps record rainfall across the Carolina's

Hurricane Florence dumped record amounts of rain across the Carolina's as it made landfall near Wilmington and slowly made its way inland. 

Some areas in eastern North Carolina saw more than 30 inches of rain courtesy of the slow-moving tropical storm. 

The storm brought record amounts of rain to Charlotte setting the single-day record for rainfall in Charlotte and caused major river flooding across the state.

Our top 10 videos of the year covered a wide range of content, including several long-term investigations. This year, several stories caught our attention in the Carolinas, many making national headlines. Here are the top 10 local videos from this year.

10. Slain family captured vacationing in Carolinas days before the murders

Shanann Watts, her two young daughters and the son she was carrying were all killed this summer. On November 6, Chris Watts pleaded guilty to all charges, acknowledging that he’d murdered his wife and smothered their little girls, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste. A judge formally sentenced Chris Watts to three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole, plus an additional 84 years

9. President Trump visiting Charlotte, expected to impact holiday travel

President Trump’s August visit to Charlotte came right as people were starting Labor Day Weekend. While in the Queen City, President Trump attended a campaign fundraiser for at-the-time GOP candidate Mark Harris, now at the center of allegations regarding absentee ballot tampering.  

8. FUTURECAST: Snowfall in Charlotte

The Carolinas were hit with a large amount of snow well before the official start of winter this year. People all over North and South Carolina took the week to prepare for the winter storm, which brought snow, sleet, hail and freezing rain across the region.

7. 'I was about to detour': Mother of baby swept away says she thought road was safe

The Union County Sheriff's Office said Deja Lee was driving when she came upon a barricaded road and got trapped in rushing floodwaters caused by then Tropical Depression Florence. Her child, 1-year-old Kaiden Lee-Welch, was carried away by the floodwaters. The baby’s body was later found “wedged between the front bumper and another tree,” according to the Sheriff.

6. Inside one of the Charlotte-area's most elaborate homes

The mansion, priced at $2.5 million, has an entire miniature town in the basement, based on a street in the Bronx near where the owner grew up. Complete with a 1960s-style toy store, arcade, soda shoppe and more, you have to see this house to believe it.

5. "I just want my baby home," Mother of Maddox Ritch speaks out

The disappearance of Maddox Ritch, a Gaston County six-year-old boy with autism, captured the attention of people across the country. The community was devastated when his body was found in a creek a few days after he was reported missing. 

4. Jim Cantore in Boone:  'We're getting crushed'

Just days after rumors circulated that Jim Cantore was in Charlotte ahead of a Winter Storm, he arrived in Boone. The meteorologist is known for going to visit an area when they are expected to receive severe weather, which made his arrival to the Carolinas a huge deal.

3.Racially heated confrontation in Charlotte goes viral

In late October, a Charlotte woman later dubbed South Park Susan went viral after she harassed two women in an apartment complex. The racially charged confrontation shows her reaction she assumes they don’t live there, while also boasting about her beauty and wealth. South Park Susan went on to be served with an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and four criminal summons.

2. RAW: Video shows the moments right before fatal shooting at Butler High

It seemed as if the world came to a stop when, one morning at Butler High, one student shot and killed another during a fight. WCNC covered this story over the next week, as the suspect 16-year-old Jatwan Cuffie was seen in court and as the community gathered to mourn and remember 16-year-old Bobby McKeithen.

1.  Hurricane Florence Constant Coverage

Hurricane Florence had a huge impact on the Carolinas this summer, generating national attention. WCNC had wall-to-wall coverage during the storm, with frequent updates from our entire Storm Team including Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich.