City of Locust, North Carolina

A City With a Soul

186 Ray Kennedy Drive Locust, NC 28097    704-888-5260

Bulk Waste Pick-Up

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📢 Bulk Waste Pickup Alert – Saturday, January 17th 🛋️🗑️

The next Bulk Waste Pickup is scheduled for Saturday, January 17th! To ensure your items are collected, please follow these steps:

✅ Register with Waste Pro by calling 704-821-7578

📅 Deadline to register: Wednesday, January 14th by 12:00 PM

⏰ All bulk items must be placed curbside by 7:00 AM on pickup day

Don’t miss out — if you’re not registered, your items won’t be picked up!

Please share this post with your neighbors!

City of Locust Leaf Pick-Up

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2025–2026 Season

Waste Pro will offer curbside leaf pick-up on the following dates:
November 8, December 13, and January 10.

Leaves may be placed in paper bags or enclosed in a tarp (“leaf burrito”) and set at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection days.

Please review the flyer below for full program details, including preparation guidelines and contact information.

For questions, contact Waste Pro at 704-821-7578 or visit www.locustnc.com.

PRESS RELEASE: Awarded $500,000 Grant for Park

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2025

City of Locust Awarded $500,000 Grant for Officer Jeff Shelton Memorial Park Redevelopment

LOCUST, NC – The City of Locust is proud to announce it has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Accessible Parks Grant Funding Program to support the redevelopment of Officer Jeff Shelton Memorial Park. This highly competitive grant will allow the City to move forward with a major accessibility-focused improvement project, ensuring a more inclusive and welcoming space for individuals and families of all abilities.

The grant requires a 20% local match, and the Locust City Council has committed just over $300,000 to support the project, bringing the total investment to over $800,000.

Project Scope & Goals

The redevelopment project will include:

  • Universal Playground – New, accessible play structures for children of all abilities
  • Restroom Improvements – Upgraded facilities to meet ADA standards
  • Accessible Routes – ADA-compliant pathways, a new bridge, improved parking, and updated signage
  • Planning Costs & Contingency Funds – To ensure project quality and flexibility

These improvements aim to replace the current playground with universally accessible features, ensuring that all children can engage in active play, regardless of ability. Upgraded accessible routes will connect parking areas to the playground and restrooms, creating a seamless experience for all visitors. Enhanced restroom facilities will further support extended visits and comfort for all park users.

Importantly, the Officer Jeff Shelton Memorial will not be changed. The City is committed to preserving the memorial’s significance and the aesthetic value it brings to the park, honoring Officer Shelton’s legacy while making the park more accessible to all.

Project Timeline

The project may begin no earlier than September 1, 2025, and must be completed within three years. The City is eager complete the project well before the deadline, though an exact timeline will be determined as the planning phase progresses.

As part of this next phase, the City will continue working closely with local advocates for individuals with disabilities, building on the relationships and conversations that were started during the grant application process.

A Collaborative Effort

This grant marks the culmination of nearly a year of community engagement and strategic planning. The process began in late summer 2024 and included:

  • Two open public forums
  • Meetings with disability advocates and special interest groups
  • Presentations to local organizations
  • Thorough review and support from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
  • Final approval from Locust City Council in March 2025

Out of 29 applications requesting over $11 million, Locust’s proposal was one of only nine projects selected and was tied for first place in the final scoring by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Parks Division, which had $3.76 million available to distribute.

Stay Informed

Updates on the planning process and construction timeline will be shared on the City’s website and social media channels. Community input will continue to be welcomed as the project moves forward.

Media Contact:
Emily Jones
Director, Locust Parks & Recreation
ejones@locustnc.gov
704-888-5260

Cesar Correa
City Manager
ccorrea@locustnc.gov
704-888-5260

City of Locust
www.locustnc.com
Facebook: @CityOfLocust

West Stanly Senior Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

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Join us for the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the new West Stanly Senior Center!

🗓️ Date: Thursday, July 10th at 10:00 a.m.

📍 Location: On the site of the future center, to the right of the Locust Library at 186 Ray Kennedy Drive, Locust, NC

We look forward to celebrating this exciting milestone with you!

Rocky River Bridge Construction

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Update 3/13/2024: The Bridge will re-open on Monday, March 18th, 2024. Only one lane each direction will be open. This is due to an additional project NCDOT will complete on 24/27 at Pine Bluff and Reed Mine Road. For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media

Update 11/23/2022: Starting on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, traffic will be shifted from the existing eastbound bridge to a two-lane, two-way pattern on the existing westbound bridge. This will allow crews to safely demolish and build a new bridge for eastbound drivers. Travel lanes will be narrowed, so wide loads greater than 12 feet wide will need to use alternate routes. This pattern will remain in place through June 2024.

Important Notes: This is an NCDOT project. This is NOT a City of Locust project. We are only informing you of NCDOT’s plan. The eastbound bridge was built in 1923 and rebuilt in 1957. The new bridge must be open to traffic by mid-July 2024.

For more information, please visit NCDOT’s website: https://drivenc.gov/?type=incident&id=646027

Updated flyer 11/28/22 10:30 AM

Initial Post

Roadway Plans: https://locustnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/100-Roadway-Plans-1.pdf

Transportation Management Plans: https://locustnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/200-Transportation-Management-Plans.pdf

NCDOT Website: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2022/2022-09-12-cabarrus-bridge-award.aspx

Sewer Emergency – Resolved

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‼️Sewer emergency impacting vacuum sewer customers. ‼️
 
This is an ongoing emergency, and more updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
Please excuse any inconveniences. To view general information about the City of Locust Public Works Department wastewater resources, visit: https://locustnc.com/wastewater/

January 14th, 10:30 AM Update: As of 8:00pm on Saturday 1/13, we are pleased to report that the Meadow Creek Vacuum Station is back to fully automated operation.
Public Works staff will continue working with contractors and engineers towards a permanent repair and replacement of the damaged control panel.
We would like to take a moment to express our appreciation for everyone’s understanding and cooperation. Thank you to the staff and contractors for their diligent effort around the clock. And thank you to our neighboring City of Albemarle for their assistance.
 
January 13th, 9:00 AM Update:
Important Sewer Update:
Public Works and contractors have been able to re-establish pressure in the vacuum system, and it’s currently in stable condition. However, the system is still operating manually as we continue to implement a temporary control system that will allow the system to operate automatically.
Public Works staff is scheduled to work around the clock through the weekend and Martin Luther King holiday to manually operate the station while contractors assist in assembling a temporary control system.
Residents and businesses may resume normal operations at this time.
Please continue to be on the lookout for updates as we continue to restore normal operations.
Thank you for your patience and continuous cooperation.
 
January 12th, 4:45 PM Update: Public Works staff and contractors continue to work around the clock to restore service to the Meadow Creek Vacuum Station. Staff and crews are scheduled to work overnight to ensure the integrity of the station as repairs continue. At this time, a number of components within the station have been replaced. Staff and contractors continue to make progress towards automatic operation of the station. Unfortunately weather does not help the situation , and we continue to ask for conservative use of toilets, showers and sinks to limit the strain on the system. Thank you for your continuous cooperation and patience as we continue to work towards resolving this issue.
 
January 11th updates:
9:45 PM Update: As of 9:45pm on Thursday 1/11 Public Works staff is able to manually operate the Meadow Creek Vacuum Station. Full service is not yet restored. However, residents may resume use of bathrooms, showers and sinks. We ask that you please continue to be conservative with the amount of water you discharge as we continue to re-establish the pressure of the system. Businesses will be able to resume services to the community starting 9am on Friday 1/12. We will continue to update the public until the situation is resolved, and normal sewer service operations are restored. Thanks again for your cooperation during this emergency.
 
4:30 PM Update: Locust Public Works and private contractors continue to work on the Meadow Creek Vacuum Station. They are expected to continue working overnight until the station is operational. At this time various system and station components have been tested to ensure they remain operational following the electrical fire. Contractors continue to pump and haul sewage waste from the stations wet well. However, the vacuum component remains inoperable. Public Works and contractors are optimistic that the system could be brought up online in the upcoming hours, but with limited capacity. As of 4:30pm on Thursday 1/11, the station remains inoperable. Crews continue to work diligently, and the public will continue to receive updates as additional information becomes available. (Photo added below, showing scorched control panel in the Meadow Creek Church vacuum station.)
 
Affected users should continue to limit use of toilets and showers and avoid laundry, dishes, and other non-essential use of water.
You can expect to have limited use of these items until the issue is resolved.
We expect it to be semi-operational within hours, allowing for continued limited use.

***To receive alerts regarding City of Locust pubic works notifications, trash and recycling, events, and more, you can register your household for City of Locust updates in the Stanly County Communications system: RAVE. Register online today! Our goal is for this system to be used for majority of residents for alerts like this sewer updates. https://www.getrave.com/…/remoteAuthenticationForm.action
 
9:20 AM Update: We have created a map (below) with highlighted areas showing home and businesses affected. It is in the comments below and on our website: www.locustnc.com
 
8:20 AM Update: We’ve received an update: Areas Impacted by The Outage: Sewer users on W. Main St. ( from Ray Kennedy to Meadow Creek Church Rd), some portions of Church St., and Simpson Rd,
all users on Meadow Creek Church Rd and all its tributaries up to the vacuum station, Barbara Ann Park & Hickory Ridge, Western Hills, and users on 200N up to Locust Valley
 
7:30 AM: Earlier this morning Public Works staff received notification of a power outage from Meadow Creek Vacuum Station. It appears that an electrical fire caused damage to the electrical control panel, and the station is down indefinitely. Public Works staff, and private contractors are on site/route to assist.
 
Please refrain from using showers, sinks and toilets as much as possible.
 
 
 

Map of affected home and businesses:

Register for Emergency Alerts

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Stanly County Communications, along with many of the Stanly County’s municipalities, utilizes the RAVE system to email, text, and/or call registered users with emergency updates. Households can enter as much personal information as they would like to include.

The City of Locust has two ways to opt-in. You can opt-in for updates for all City of Locust notifications, which may include but is not limited to, trash and recycling updates, street closures, emergency weather notifications, sewer notifications, event and programs information, and more. OR, you can opt in for just parks and recreation event, athletics, and program information.

Visit this link to register your household today.

Contact Us

City Hall Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8:30am – 5:00pm

Physical Address:
186 Ray Kennedy Drive, Locust, NC 28097

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 190, Locust, NC 28097

Phone:
704-888-5260

Fax:
704-888-1566