News

Black tar heroin is a crude and relatively cheap form of one of the world’s most addictive drugs, and its use is on the rise in Charlotte. CMPD has said that Charlotte is in the top five in the nation for black tar heroin. Carolinas Healthcare System recently conducted a study of the heroin users in its care, and it might surprise you who they are. WFAE’s Ben Bradford spoke with Robert Martin, the director of substance abuse services for Carolinas Healthcare System.

When you "talk,"  do you say "tawk" or "tock?" What does it mean to have a Charlotte accent? If you were born in the Charlotte region (or even if you’re a newcomer like me), we want to know what you sound like. 

So we've started a new project to collect your voices called The Charlotte Accent Project. We'll publish your recordings and photos on the radio as well as our web site, Tumblr blog, Facebook and Twitter. 

The Charlotte Airport would best be governed by an airport authority, according to a consultant hired by the city to study the issue. 

Passengers at the Charlotte airport can expect short delays to be an ongoing but somewhat random problem. Delays have increased since the Federal Aviation Administration started furloughing workers Sunday because of the sequester.

  U.S. Senators are poised to pass a measure this week that would mean new taxes for South Carolina online shoppers who frequent Amazon. The state granted Amazon an exemption to collecting sales tax until 2016, but that deal would end if Congress passes the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act. 

It's time again for the city of Charlotte to draw up its annual budget – including a renewed push to raise property taxes for capital projects. Last year's capital investment program proved so large – and divisive – that the council and mayor couldn't agree on any plan.  They still can't. And in the interim, those divisions have proven to run deeper than city council politics.  They've shown up across Charlotte and they're the topic of a special WFAE public forum Thursday at 7 p.m. at Spirit Square. 

As Charlotte City Council debated in February whether to give the Carolina Panthers money for stadium renovations, the city attorney believed the team might be sold and moved if members turned the team down.

Transcripts of closed meetings released Tuesday also show the city and team tangled over the Panthers’ tax burden, the length of a contractual agreement to keep the Panthers in Charlotte, and even over a proposal that the city build the team a parking deck.

The chairman of the Charlotte Airport Advisory Committee has been ousted on the recommendation of the majority of the 11-member board. 

Shawn Dorsch was grilled by the city council for 90 minutes Monday night about his behind-the-scenes role in supporting a legislative push to strip the airport from the city’s control.  

The CMS school board tonight will ask the county to finance a bunch of building projects over the next few years.  It could come out to about $400 million.  Central Piedmont Community College has a similar request.  But the county is only willing to put together a bond referendum for half that amount. 

County Finance Director Dena Diorio says the county uses nine different criteria for deciding which projects get priority. 

The Charlotte Bobcats fired head coach Mike Dunlap Tuesday.

Dunlap took over the worst team in NBA history when he became head coach last summer. The Bobcats had just set the record for the worst winning percentage ever, winning just seven of their 66 games during a lockout-shortened season.