Concord’s new social district opens Thursday. It allows people to openly consume alcoholic drinks on streets and sidewalks in the city’s downtown. However, there are some rules. People can’t bring their own alcoholic drinks but must purchase them from participating restaurants and bars. Those to-go drinks also must be consumed between 11 am and 10 pm, and must be in a specially marked cup. Concord City Council had considered postponing the start of the new social district, but several business owners opposed that, saying they need more customers as downtown construction continues.
Woody is a Charlotte native who came to WFAE from the world of NASCAR where he was host of NASCAR Today for MRN Radio as well as a pit reporter, turn announcer and host of the NASCAR Live pre race show for Cup Series races. Before that, he was a news anchor at WBT radio in Charlotte, a traffic reporter, editor of The Charlotte Observer’s University City Magazine, News/Sports Director at WEGO-AM in Concord and a Swiss Army knife in local cable television. His first job after graduating from Appalachian State University was news reporter at The Daily Independent in Kannapolis. Along the way he’s covered everything from murder trials and a national political convention to high school sports and minor league baseball.