News

This weekend in Daytona, the 2007 NASCAR season gets underway. Though the off-season in NASCAR is only about three months long, many fans have been eagerly awaiting this weekend's Daytona 500. WFAE commentator Sasha Trosch has been, even though she may not be your typical NASCAR fan.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools unveiled a plan for the long-awaited decentralized district. It's been split into six geographic areas, to be ready by next school year. WFAE's Simone Orendain went over the plan with CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman.

A popular Middle Eastern doll made its U.S. debut this week at the Toy Fair in New York. The doll, which comes in many outfits including traditional Muslim dress, is expected to hit retailers' shelves this spring. From WFAE's Carolinas Business Bureau, Simone Orendain spoke with Charlotte-based toy distributor Basel Kanawati who unveiled the doll at the fair.

Mecklenburg County got a $150,000 grant to "improve" it's youth football program over the next three years. WFAE's Simone Orendain spoke with Mecklenburg's youth football coordinator Akida Jordan and asked why the county - with a record of sending lots of high school stars to winning college teams - needs to improve its program.

Former House Speaker Jim Black will plead guilty to a federal corruption charge Thursday. He's also expected to resign. WFAE's Simone Orendain has more.

Around the country, eight custom motorcycles are being built this winter, to be auctioned off later to benefit breast cancer awareness. The project has been organized by the Cary-based "International 1 in 8 Motersports Foundation." For a Shelby bike builder involved in the project, it's become a way to pay tribute to his mother.
Find out more about the 1 in 8 Foundation here.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is leading what he calls a caravan to Raleigh today. The mayor, along with more than 200 people, including crime victims, are taking buses to the Capital to rally support for increased funding for the criminal justice system. The mayor spoke with WFAE's Craig Fahle. He says this is the best way to get the legislature's attention.

Union county is the fastest growing county in North Carolina. The sixteenth fastest growing in the country. Growth is usually considered desirable. But how much growth is too much? The issue has spurred debate over the delicate balance between welcoming new folks, and maintaining a quality of life that makes the area attractive to begin with. WFAE's Craig Fahle looks at what some bloggers have dubbed "The War for Union County."

Members at St. John's Baptist and Park Road Baptist voted to leave over the state convention's decision to investigate and expel churches that welcome gays and lesbians. To get some perspective on what this means, WFAE's Craig Fahle spoke with Bill Leonard, a Baptist historian and Dean of Wake Forest University's Divintiy School. Dean Leonard says homosexuality is only the latest issue to create what he calls a fissure between the state convention and its member congregations.

Negotiating life in the in-between years can be difficult, whether that's middle age or adolescence. WFAE commentator Alison Elrod reflects on life in the middle.