Last month the shareholders of Duke and Progress Energy approved the merger. But the North Carolina Utilities Commission needs to give its stamp of approval before the deal can go through. Public hearings before the commission begin tomorrow in Raleigh. Duke and Progress are trying to limit some of the testimony.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood paid another visit to Charlotte today - this time to formally award a $25 million federal grant for a streetcar between Uptown and Presbyterian Hospital. The City of Charlotte kicked in another $12 million to build the 1.5 mile streetcar line.

Mayor Anthony Foxx calls it a "starter project," hoping eventually to have the funds for a streetcar connecting East and West Charlotte. But he says Secretary LaHood's visit today was helpful in other ways.

North Carolina will vacate all 16 football victories from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, as well as reduce scholarships and put its program on two years of probation as self-imposed penalties following an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct.

In Monday's response to the NCAA's notice of allegations outlining nine violations, the school says it will cut three scholarships for each of the next three academic years. The school will also pay a $50,000 fine, though it isn't imposing a postseason ban.

Cornelius Police on Friday arrested a Cornelius resident in connection with a series of arson fires in the Glenridge neighborhood where he lived. Robert Joseph Prevatte, 31, of Meadow Crossing Lane, was charged with two counts of first-degree arson, two counts of second-degree arson and two counts of burning personal property. He is being held in Mecklenburg County Jail on $210,000 secured bond.
Meanwhile, police are also investigating whether the man might be involved in fires in other states.
The charges against Mr. Prevatte are related to four fires:

Last month the shareholders of Duke and Progress Energy approved the merger. But the North Carolina Utilities Commission needs to give its stamp of approval before the deal can go through. Public hearings before the commission begin tomorrow in Raleigh. Duke and Progress are trying to limit some of the testimony.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood paid another visit to Charlotte today - this time to formally award a $25 million federal grant for a streetcar between Uptown and Presbyterian Hospital. The City of Charlotte kicked in another $12 million to build the 1.5 mile streetcar line.

Mayor Anthony Foxx calls it a "starter project," hoping eventually to have the funds for a streetcar connecting East and West Charlotte. But he says Secretary LaHood's visit today was helpful in other ways.

North Carolina will vacate all 16 football victories from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, as well as reduce scholarships and put its program on two years of probation as self-imposed penalties following an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct.

In Monday's response to the NCAA's notice of allegations outlining nine violations, the school says it will cut three scholarships for each of the next three academic years. The school will also pay a $50,000 fine, though it isn't imposing a postseason ban.