Cornelius, NC (September 30, 2024) - The Lake Norman Chamber will host a candidate forum highlighting the competitive race for North Carolina House District #98 featuring Beth Helfrich (Democrat) and Melinda Bales (Republican). The two-hour forum will be held at The Cain Center for the Arts located at 21348 Catawba Ave. in  Cornelius Wednesday, October 9th from 7:00 to 9:00pm.

The forum will be moderated by Justin Ckezepis, owner and general manager of WSIC. Ckezepis, who grew up in the Lake Norman area, hosts 'Good Morning LKN' and 'Today's Real Talk' on WSIC 105.9FM. The forum is sponsored by WSIC FM and streamed live on WSIC.com and all of their social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, YouTube, and Truth.

Melinda Bales is the former mayor for the Town of Huntersville. She was first elected in 2011 to the Huntersville Board of Commissioners. Mayor Bales spent her time in elected office working on economic development/workforce development issues, transportation needs and most recently affordable housing. She served on the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors, and she co-chaired the NCLM Legislative Policy Committee. She served on the Centralina Economic Development District Board of Directors, Centralina Connect Beyond Advancing the Plan Committee, Metropolitan Transit Commission, and the Lake Norman Economic Development Board of Directors

Beth Helfrich, a newcomer to politics, is a third-generation and lifelong resident of District 98, Rooted in this community, she is a graduate of North Mecklenburg High School and Davidson College. Helfrich is a former teacher and school leader who has also served as president of the PTO at her children’s public school. She left the classroom in 2020 to launch her own writing and editing company. Beth and her husband, Tim, are raising five kids - ages 3-15 - in the district.

Bill Russell, President & CEO of the Chamber said, "The Lake Norman Chamber is pleased to provide forums for our members and the residents of our communities to educate themselves on the candidates for office. We are thankful for the support and the cooperation of the respective town managers and their staff in allowing us to facilitate these forums. While the Chamber does not endorse candidates, our hope is that these forums will allow the public to better understand the candidate's positions on issues that affect our communities."

The format of the forum will be similar to the forums conducted in previous years giving attendees a chance to submit their written questions to the candidates. Local citizens are strongly encouraged to attend and participate. Candidates for other races will also be allowed to participate sharing their qualifications for office in time allotted by the moderator.

For more information about the forums, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 704-892-1922 or visit www.lakenormanchamber.org. The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce, with approximately 850 business members, has been serving the Huntersville, Davidson, Cornelius, and greater Lake Norman region since 1987.