NEWS UPDATES SEPTEMBER 2023

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said today CMPD is training their largest recruiting class with 81 recruits. Nationwide, law enforcement agencies have seen a decrease in applications but CMPD has seen an 18% increase in applications for its police academy.

CMPD Major Zeru Chickoree credits a new marketing campaign. "We joined forces with Kelso Communications and launched a marketing campaign that focused not on the what but on the why," Chickoree said.

"Why exactly officers go into policing because of a deep rooted desire to serve and help people. The majority of our why where marketing campaign doesn't include images of police officers. Instead we showcase the many faces of our community members who put their faith and trust in CMPD"

CMPD has also received approval from the city council to raise the starting salary for officers to just over $56,000. In 2024 the base pay will be raised to $57,192.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte will have a new leader starting in 2024. The organization said today that Sue Glass will be the next president and CEO.

YMCA

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YMCA of Greater Charlotte

Glass will become the first woman to serve in the role. She’ll start her position on January 15.

Novant Health will lay off 160 positions from their workforce as a part of the company's organizational redesign plan. Novant says the staffing reduction will come from management and administrative roles.

According to a Novant Health spokesperson, this organizational change will affect only a small percentage of the 36-thousand employees in their system.

An officer with the Rock Hill Police Department has been fired after he was investigated for committing possible crimes against children.

WBTV reports police said they were notified yesterday afternoon that the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force was investigating allegations that Officer Daniel Shealy possessed and distributed images of child pornography over the internet.

After a briefing with the ICAC Task Force, Rock Hill police made the decision to launch an internal investigation into the allegations against Shealy, and issued an immediate suspension. He had been with the department since January 2011.

The Mecklenburg County Courthouse was briefly evacuated this afternoon due to a bomb threat.

The county sheriff’s office reported the threat just before 1 p.m. In a statement on Twitter, the county sheriff’s office says deputies and K9 units were sweeping the building, and asked people to avoid the uptown courthouse for the time being.

Following the search, the sheriff's office said deputies found no threats. The building and surrounding streets in uptown were reopened around 2:40 p.m.

No other details about the threat were made available.

More changes could be coming the Charlotte skyline under a rezoning request filed last week by Wells Fargo.

The bank is asking for permission to place signage on the top of the 48-story tower formerly known as the Duke Energy Center. Duke Energy is no longer the building's primary tenant, and Wells Fargo said earlier this year its staff would now occupy the most of the building.

The petition was first reported by WSOC-TV. A Wells Fargo spokesperson provided a statement to the television station that read, “We are proud to elevate the Wells Fargo brand and build awareness for our company through building signage, joining numerous other major companies with a presence in Uptown Charlotte.”

The skyscraper at 550 South Tryon St. is one of the most recognizable buildings in the Charlotte skyline, with some saying it resembles a large bottle opener.

The petition will first go the city's planning department. The petition would need final approval from the Charlotte City Council.

The Carolina Panthers have gotten off to a slow start and injuries have piled up in the first three weeks of the season. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who has a sprained ankle, will practice today for the first time in two weeks. Head Coach Fran Reich gave an update to his potential return as the starter.

Credit to Bryce for, you know, being ready. I mean, really at the beginning we're thinking 1 to 2 weeks, thinking it could be more too, but, you know, he's done everything he can do to get back here," Reich said

"So, and he obviously wants to be out there. We want him out there, you know, as long as he's ready to go and play winning football and, you know, we'll see what he can get done out there today and then see how he responds to it and then know more tomorrow."

The Panthers take on the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America Stadium at 1PM on Sunday.

More Mecklenburg County homeowners are applying for discounts on their tax bills this year, but not nearly as many as county commissioners had hoped.

Yulonda Griffin, director of Mecklenburg County's department of community resources, told county commissioners Tuesday only 1,617 households had successfully applied for grants through the county's HOMES program so far this year.

That's higher than last year, but far short of the 25,000 households the county and city of Charlotte had set aside money to help this year.

Griffin said her department had been running an aggressive outreach campaign that included ads on television, radio, social media, billboards, buses and trains. Staff have also handed out information at some 29 events and festivals, as well as at Park and Rec centers. Staff have also partnered with neighborhood association, HBCU alumni groups and faith and community leaders.

Still, Griffin said, many residents have remained unaware or skeptical of the program.

"Some individuals don’t know if it’s real or not. They don’t necessarily trust what’s being shared in the community, which is why we’re trying to ensure that we are working with trusted organizations, trusted places for people to become aware," she said.

Many homeowners are facing higher tax bills after this year's property revaluation.

Griffen said the county has partnered with a marketing agency and plans to send out postcards to some 40,000 additional households that may be eligible in the coming days.

Homeowners that have lived in their home for at least three years and meet income requirements can get up to $660 dollars off their property tax bill. The program will stop taking applications on Nov. 17.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said on X, formerly Twitter, that a massive brawl during Harding University High School’s homecoming football game Friday will lead to enhanced security at all upcoming athletic events.

CMS staff, law enforcement and security will be on site at all events going forward.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a deadly crash in Plaza Midwood.

On Saturday around 12:59 am, officers found a 2005 Jaguar XJ8 that was overturned and sitting in a creek at the Plaza near Aintree Road Paramedics pronounced the passenger, 41 year-old Elizabeth Washington, dead. The driver, 31-year old Santario Washington, was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

According to the initial investigation, the Jaguar was driving at a high rate of speed on the Plaza when it ran off the road and overturned. CMPD said impairment and speed led to the crash.

CMPD has warrants for Washington for felony death by motor vehicle and reckless driving. The warrants will be served once he is released from the hospital.

The Charlotte City Council Monday night discussed quality of life issues, such as littering, uncut grass….and the problem of people going to the bathroom in public uptown.

Residents of Fourth Ward have pushed the city to re-instate criminal penalties for public urination and defecation, citing a surge of people doing so in parks and on sidewalks.

City Council member Malcolm Graham, who represents the area uptown, said the city needs to move quickly to address the problem.

"Obviously we don’t want to criminalize being poor. Right, we don’t want to do that. But if we’re going to talk up qualify of life…there are some issues happening in our uptown area that we need to stay we are going to address those issues that they outlined," said Graham.

But at-large council member Braxton Winston said the city needs to look at the root causes of the problem. He said the city would be "taking a step back to give police arrest powers for public defecation."

"I assure you people are not defecating or urinating in neighborhoods simply because an ordinance does not have a criminal prosecution associated with it," said Winston.

The city plans to have a public meeting about the issue Wednesday.

In other action, the City Council pushed back until a future meeting the possibility of creating so-called social districts in the city. Those are areas where people would be allowed to leave a restaurant or a bar with an alcoholic drink and walk on the sidewalk. One of the first could be in Plaza Midwood.

Politics

Related: After city decriminalization, uptown residents say public drinking, defecation is out of hand

Steve Harrison

Residents of Fourth Ward uptown say the city of Charlotte should not have decriminalized public drinking and public defecation and urination last year.

Listen • 5:53

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are still investigating a shooting that was reported Monday evening on Interstate 77 near uptown. According to CMPD, the shooting happened on I-77 Northbound near Clanton Road. The highway was shut down for part of Monday night.

One motorist was shot, and the injuries were not life-threatening. Police haven't made any arrests or disclosed any details about what might have led up to the shooting.

The Carolina Panthers are still looking for their first win of the season after falling to the Seattle Seahawks 37-27 yesterday. Andy Dalton threw a career high 58 passes but it wasn’t enough as the Panthers committed 13 penalties in the game.

“I think at the end of the day, we hurt ourselves. There's too many penalties, too many little things that set us back and made it a lot harder for us to have the success that we wanted to,” Dalton said.

“There are some things that we're gonna go back and look at and say that we did things really well, a lot of explosive plays out there. But, we can't continue to hurt ourselves because we're not giving ourselves a chance.”

Head coach Frank Reich said crowd noise was a factor but not a valid excuse.

“The number of penalties that we had on offense was pathetic,” said Reich.

“And, you know, that starts with me, as an offensive coach that starts with our offensive coaches, you know, getting our players ready and that starts with our players. That's unacceptable. I mean, it's like we never played in the noise before.”

Two of the Panthers’ NFC South divisional opponents Atlanta and New Orleans both also lost yesterday and Tampa Bay takes on Philadelphia tonight.

The Panthers will be back in action Sunday, hosting the Minnesota Vikings.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating two homicides Sunday evening, in a violent finish to the weekend.

-On Sunday, just after 6 p.m. CMPD officers responded to a call for an assault with a deadly weapon near 2500 Eddington Street. When officers arrived they found 18-year old Caleb Thompson with a gunshot wound. Thompson was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

-Later in the evening, officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call in the University City area. When officers arrived near 13700 Mallard Creek Road, they found 24-year old Joshua Howze with a gunshot wound. Howze was pronounced dead by paramedics. CMPD officers also found another person with a gunshot wound who was taken to the hospital but survived. CMPD did not release the names of those involved but they are not looking for any suspects.

The Huntersville Fire Department said a Toyota sedan plowed through a house Sunday afternoon, but caused only minor injuries.

The wreck happened shortly before 5 p.m. on Lawther Road. The car drove "completely through a home, from one side to the other," the fire department said on social media.

The driver was taken to a hospital. No serious injuries were reported, but damage to the house appeared extensive. The accident remained under investigation Sunday evening.

It's official: The invasive zebra mussel, which can disrupt ecosystems and damage public water infrastructure, is in North Carolina.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said Friday that zebra mussels were found in a private quarry in Iredell County. Scuba divers confirmed the finding. It's the first time the species have been found in the wild in North Carolina.

For now, the zebra mussels are believed to be confined to the quarry, and state officials are still investigating where they might have come from and how to control the infestation. But the small shellfish are good at spreading, the NCWRC says: "Zebra mussels are prolific. Adult mussels can move to other water bodies by attaching themselves to boats, docks lifts and other water-related equipment. Microscopic larvae can be transported in any water that is moved to another location including through diving equipment, live wells, bait buckets, boat bilges, or other gear."

Zebra mussels proliferate so rapidly that they clog water intakes and other pipes, and can damage boats and docks. The U.S. spends about $1 billion annually to remediate damage caused by zebra mussels, the NCWRC says.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

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Nuisance species guide

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have issued citations to the owner of two large dogs in an attack that left two people injured in the University area.

The owner has been cited for an unprovoked bite and leash law violation citations. CMPD did not release the name of the owner.

On Monday, Animal Care and Control received a call about an attack by two Cane Corso dogs, a large breed that can weigh 100 pounds or more. The initial investigation found that the dog's owner was walking them on a leash when they escaped near Mallard Glen Drive and Mallard Highlands Drive. The dogs attacked a woman, and the dogs then turned on one of her relatives who intervened.

Both people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The dogs did not have up to date rabies vaccinations and both were euthanized. They did not have rabies, police say.

A General Motors parts distribution center in Charlotte is joining the United Auto Workers strike. UAW president Shawn Fain announced Friday morning that the strike will expand to 38 locations in 20 states. More than 130 people work at the Charlotte facility, which opened in 1999. Workers are represented by UAW Local 2404.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have made an arrest in connection to a 2020 shooting in the University City area.

On Wednesday, detectives interviewed 23-year old Joshua Garmon, suspecting he was behind the murder of Li Y. After the interview, Garmon was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and murder. Garmon is in custody at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

On April 23, 2020, at around 3:20 pm, CMPD officers responded to a call about a man being shot near Paces Oaks Boulevard at the East W.T Harris Boulevard intersection. When officers arrived they found Y lying beside his vehicle. He was pronounced dead.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton is expected to start in place of rookie Bryce Young after the No. 1 draft pick missed the last two days of practice with an ankle injury. At a press conference Thursday, Dalton, a three-time Pro Bowler, said this is why he was brought to Charlotte.

"My whole goal was just to be me and to show them how I operate, how I do things and people here have been very receptive of what I've been able to do," said the backup QB. "I know what I'm capable of."

Young would be the fifth starter missing from the lineup if he doesn’t play. Dalton is in his 13th season. The Panthers travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, with Carolina looking for their first win of the season. Kickoff is set for 4:05 pm Sunday.

A few lines in the new state budget that North Carolina lawmakers plan to finalize this week would allow state legislators to decide which records in their offices are public and which ones they keep private.

WRAL reports the bill's wording is clear: "A legislator, while in office or after leaving office, shall not be required to reveal or to consent to reveal any document, supporting document, drafting request, or information request made or received by that legislator while a legislator."

Open government activists were hoping to stop this change to public records after separate, but related, language cropped up in a draft version of the budget that leaked earlier this week. They were not successful. Southern Environmental Law Center Litigation Director Kym Meyer told WRAL the final language represents "the deepest cut to the public records act since it was enacted."

WUNC summarized the changes: "Legislators and others in charge of records at the General Assembly would get the power to decide which documents in their office are considered public records—and which ones can be destroyed.

It’s a change that worries open government advocates, but Senate leader Phil Berger says it stems from confusion between the legislature and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the state’s archives and is housed in the governor’s administration."

North Carolina's state budget bill up for a vote Thursday has a surprise for electric vehicle owners — higher fees. The bill calls for increasing North Carolina's annual electric vehicle fee from $140 to $180. And the budget proposes adding a new $90 annual fee for owners of plug-in hybrids, which use gasoline and electric batteries owners can recharge.

North Carolina and other states have added EV fees to make up for the lost gasoline taxes that pay for roads and bridges.

Charlotte FC took a 2-nil lead at home last night over the Philadelphia Union before winding up with another tie. A late penalty kick evened the score at 2-2. Justin Meram scored Charlotte’s first goal but described the team’s disappointment at not gaining ground on a playoff spot after the match.

"Frustrating. But the thing is you can't solve, in this, in this world and in this industry, you have to find a way to put it behind you and focus on Saturday. And that's all we can do," he said.

Midfielder Ashley Westwood also said afterward the team is frustrated

"We need to regroup," Westwood said. "It's the points we've dropped. We need to, we need to have a good look at ourselves. We're playing some unbelievable stuff."

It was the ninth tie in the last 11 games for Charlotte and the fourth in a row. Charlotte has six matches left in the regular season and remains three points out of the final playoff spot.

Charlotte visits Cincinnati, the team with the best record in Major League Soccer, on Saturday night with just six games left in the regular season.

Significant changes to the high school sports landscape in South Carolina could be coming from the State House.

WCSC reports many South Carolinians with an interest in high school sports believe the playing field isn’t fair right now, especially when some of the state’s public charter schools are competing.

Yesterday, several residents told state lawmakers that some public charter schools have become too dominant, in part by being able to enroll students from any part of the state and not a particular zone, as traditional public schools are bound.

Some students from Providence Classical School, a private school in Rock Hill, spoke in favor of legislation that would allow them to play sports for their local public school because their school is too small to field teams.

Bank of America said Wednesday that it will increase its minimum hourly wage for employees to $23 in October.

The company said it plans to further increase its minimum wage to $25 in 2025.

Employees at Bank of America have seen minimum hourly wages increase from $15 in 2017 to $22 in May 2022. This year’s increase will also move the minimum annual salary for full-time employees to nearly $48,000.

North Carolina environmental groups are objecting to a proposed state budget provision that would prohibit city or county governments from banning plastic shopping bags, as well as other plastic cups, bottles and packaging.

Plastics are a global environmental problem. They're made from oil and gas and their production contributes to global warming, and single-use bags end up as trash. A grassroots effort is underway to ban single-use bags in Buncombe County.

Groups including the French Broad Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, North Carolina Public Interest Group and Southern Environmental Law Center are urging lawmakers to remove the provision from the budget bill, which could come up for a final vote by the end of this week.

"At a time when we are seeing record heat waves and flooding due to climate change, why would the NC General Assembly prevent local governments from reducing carbon-intensive plastic bags? Microplastics from plastic bags are being ingested and are becoming a health risk. The General Assembly should care more about the health of its citizens than the profits of the plastic industry," Ken Brame, president of the Sierra Club's Western North Carolina Group said in a statement.

See the full statement at https://mountaintrue.org.

The ban on plastic bag bans is on page 65 and 66 of the budget bill, which is at NCLeg.gov

Midland Fire and Rescue says Highway 24/27 at Bethel School Road is closed in both directions after three people were killed in a deadly crash this morning. Four people were also injured but survived.

Investigators expect the road to be closed for several more hours while they look into what caused the crash.

Freedom School Partners is searching for a new leader, as chief operating officer Glenda Bernhardt will step down from her position at the end of October. Bernhardt has been in the role since January 2020 and she's leaving to become the CEO of the Greensboro Jewish Federation.

FSP, a non-profit that helps needy students, said they plan to fill the position with an interim executive until they find a permanent CEO.

Expect a heavy presence from first responders around Concord-Padgett Regional Airport on Wednesday morning as the city conducts an emergency training exercise. The event starts at 8:30 am and is designed to simulate emergency response to a downed aircraft on the runway. Residents and motorists traveling in the area surrounding the airport may see smoke and a large presence of emergency vehicles but the public should only call 911 if they are experiencing a life-threatening emergency. The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to hold full-scale emergency response exercises at least every three years.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will close part of North Davidson Street for nearly a month of construction. NCDOT crews will begin a sidewalk project on Monday, Sept. 25, on North Davidson Street between Donatello Avenue and 37th Street.

A detour will be in place for traffic along East 36th Street, North Tryon Street and Sugar Creek Road going into North Davidson Street.

During the construction, people will still be able to access homes and businesses.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run crash in south Charlotte.

On Monday afternoon CMPD officers responded to a call about a crash near the 2800 block of Sandy Porter Road at about 12:52 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found a 2005 Buick Lacrosse with passenger-side damage and a 1998 Ford Econoline with front-end damage.

Paramedics pronounced the driver of the Buick, 46-year-old Issac Huey, dead.

The driver of the Ford, 67-year-old Edgardo Reyes, was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

According to the initial investigation, Huey was driving south east on Sandy Porter Road, lost control and veered into oncoming traffic. His vehicle was thenstruck in the passenger side door by Reyes' Ford Econoline.

Three schools in the Charlotte region were recognized Tuesday as National Blue Ribbon Schools. The U.S. Department of Education honored Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Jay M. Robinson Middle School, Gaston County’s Highland School of Technology and Cabarrus County’s W.R. Odell Elementary School for being among the state’s top performers on exams. They’re among 353 public and private schools across the country, including eight in North Carolina, that were named to the blue-ribbon list this year.

The North Carolina Commerce Department said Tuesday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 3.3%. That’s unchanged from July’s revised rate, but six-tenths of a percentage point lower than a year ago.

The number of people employed increased by almost 104,000, bringing North Carolina's total number of people working to over 5 million.

Chick-fil-A is planning a new distribution center in the Rowan County portion of Kannapolis to supply its restaurants.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s office made the announcement Tuesday morning, saying 85 jobs will be created over the first two years.

The new 120,000-square-foot distribution center at Lakeshore Corporate Park — on the site where the Kannapolis Intimidators baseball team used to play — will serve about 100 restaurants in the Charlotte region.

The company plans to open the facility in the third quarter of 2024.

Chick-fil-A Supply currently operates four distribution centers, including a 180,000-square-foot distribution center in Mebane.

“Chick-fil-A Supply is committed to investing in local communities like Kannapolis to create jobs and grow our supply chain operation,” said Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply. “We look forward to growing our Chick-fil-A Supply family in North Carolina and know they will complete deliveries with care to serve our franchise Operators, licensees and Team Members.”

The Carolina Panthers lost to the New Orleans Saints 20-17 on Monday night, dropping the team to 0-2 on the season. Quarterback Bryce Young threw for 153 yards and a touchdown but he also had a costly fumble.

"It was just us not executing. I think we were put in great positions to execute. First and foremost, I have to do a lot better job of executing. And then, you know, I think again, just our DNA, all, all of us, you know, we look in the mirror and, you know, we all want to be better as a unit," Young said after the game.

The rest of the Panthers’ NFL South division rivals are all 2-0 on the season. Carolina visits the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Frank Reich said after the game that things aren’t as bleak as they may seem right now.

"It looks bad, but really, I don't believe it's that far away. You know, we make a couple of plays here. We, here and there, and next thing, you know, you got 28, 30 points. I know we have the players and the coaches to do it. I have zero doubt about that. It's just, we have to execute better on offense," he said.

Linebacker Shaq Thompson suffered an ankle injury in the first half that coach Frank Reich said afterward would cause him to miss significant time.

Charlotte FC notched its third straight draw Saturday night in Major League Soccer action.

Teams get three points for a win and one point for a tie, meaning Charlotte is still just outside the playoff picture with seven matches left in the regular season. Coach Christian Lattanzio is also facing a quick turnaround as his team will be back in action Wednesday night hosting Philadelphia, he fourth place team n the Eastern Conference.

"I focus on, first of all, being fresh mentally and then physically because we need to stay ready for tough challenges, tough games that we have ahead," Lattanzio said.

Charlotte is two spots and three points out of the final playoff spot. Wednesday night’s match is set for 7:30 at Bank of America Stadium

Two dogs attacked and seriously injured two people Monday morning in the University City area.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Animal Care and Control received a call about an attack by two Cane Corsos, a large breed that can weigh 100 pounds or more.

The initial investigation found that the dogs' owner was walking them on a leash when they escaped near Mallard Glen Drive and Mallard Highlands Drive.

The dogs attacked a woman, then turned on one of her relatives who intervened.

Both victims were seriously injured and were brought to a hospital by paramedics.

Both dogs did not have up-to date rabies vaccinations, and both were euthanized.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a pair of deadly crashes this weekend.

On Saturday, officers responded around 8:20 p.m. to a call about a vehicle crash near 3700 West W.T. Harris Boulevard. When officers arrived, they found a 2019 Ford F-150 overturned and a 2004 Nissan 350Z off the road in a wooded area.

Paramedics responded and pronounced the driver of the F-150, 43-year-old Jarrod Bayless, dead. The passenger, 41-year-old Michelle Bayless, and the driver of the Nissan, 27-year-old Zachary Alexander, were taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

According to the initial investigation, Alexander was turning left in his Nissan onto David Cox Road and was struck by Bayless’ F-150 at a high rate of speed. Alexander was found to be impaired, police said, and has been charged with a DWI.

On Sunday, CMPD said in a tweet at about 3:34 a.m. that detectives were investigating a fatal crash in South Charlotte. Officers responded to Idlewild Road. CMPD released no other information about the crash as of Monday morning.

Crystal Hill, who was hired as superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in May, will hold a series of town hall meetings starting Tuesday. The district says she'll talk about last year's achievements, her vision for the future and the November school bond referendum. The first session is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Harding University High; four more will take place around the county in the next three weeks.

Registration is required; click here to sign up and for details about all sessions.

North Carolina's state budget negotiations continued over the weekend, and Republican leadership appears to be working on a new plan that could pair a massive expansion in Medicaid health insurance for the poor with authorization for four new casinos — a plan that already earned a rebuke from the governor.

WRAL reports the top Senate Republican — Phil Berger — released a version of the proposed casino legislation to Democrats Saturday night.

Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte was closed in both directions between 5th and 6th Streets Monday morning as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police investigated an overnight shooting.

Police responded to the area at about 2:30 a.m. after a call reporting gunshots in the area. They found no victims, but later learned that four people had taken themselves to a hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information is being asked to call Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600.

A US Postal Service Carrier and her husband pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to charges associated with a large mail theft scheme. Twenty-nine-year-old Kiara Padgett of Waxhaw and 28-year old Dominique Dunlap from Charlotte have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Dunlap also pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of stolen mail.

According to prosecutors, Padgett worked as a mail carrier on a route in West Charlotte from August 2021 to November 2022. During that time, Padgett stole incoming and outgoing checks. She sold the stolen checks, with her husband Dunlap as the middle-man. According to court documents, she stole over $8.8 million worth of checks.

Court documents showed that Dunlap negotiated with another man, Terrell Alexander Hager Jr., on sales of stolen checks, shared photographs of stolen mail and the names of the companies on Padgett’s mailing route.

In March, Hager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Prosecutors said the checks were deposited into bank accounts the conspirators controlled. They would withdraw the deposits in cash before banks would determine the transactions were fraudulent.

Prosecutors said Padgett, Dunlap and Hagger will face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million dollar fine for their bank fraud conspiracy charge. Dunlap is also facing a five year sentence and a $250,000 fine for each charge of possession of stolen mail.

Charlotte could have a law school again, changing its status as one of the largest U.S. cities without one.

Business NC reports that Elon University has filed an application with the American Bar Association to open a Charlotte law campus. The school declined to comment on its plans, and the ABA hasn't reached a decision on what to do with the application.

Charlotte hasn't had a law school since the Charlotte School of Law, a for-profit institution, closed in 2017.

Schools across the state continue to deal with understaffing. The North Carolina School Superintendents Association recently surveyed public schools about the vacancies they had on their first day of school. There were more than 9,800 vacancies for school employees reported across the state, with 88% of school districts reporting. The number of vacancies dropped from the prior year, but the association's executive director Jack Hoke says it's still very high.

"What the data says to me is that we have got to elevate the teaching profession, and that includes salary, benefits, and treating them as professionals. And in order to address this it's a long term solution," he said.

The data also showed thousands more teachers in classrooms who are not fully licensed to teach — more than double from two years ago. That's related to enrollment decline at teaching colleges. Meanwhile, educators are awaiting passage of the state budget to fund teacher raises and school budgets.

The Carolina Panthers are regrouping this week after losing their season opener in Atlanta last weekend and suffering some key injuries. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw two interceptions in the loss but says he’s looking ahead to the Panthers next opponent.

"There's good stuff on film that we have to continue to do, and then there's stuff that obviously, you know, we have to learn from, I had to learn from and we, we're in the process of getting it cleaned up," he said. "So, you know, you gotta push what happened on Sunday aside. And, it's been all about growing and getting ready for Monday."

The Panthers will take on the New Orleans Saints in their home opener on Monday night.

Kickoff at Bank of America Stadium is set for 8:15 pm.

Home sales in Charlotte fell last month compared to the year before, as mortgage rates stay high. Data from the Canopy, the Charlotte-area Realtor association, showed sales down 14.8% in August.

The median home price in the region fell less than a percentage point, to just under $387,000. Still, sellers are receiving almost full asking price, on average, Canopy officials said.

The average sales price, which reflects greater weighting of high-priced homes, rose 3.3%, to almost $475,000.

"Buyers are adjusting to the higher interest rate environment.” said Tiffany Johannes, 2023 president of Canopy and general manager of RE/MAX Executive. “The activity we’re seeing in the outlying county areas further indicates buyers are seeking more affordability, as the areas where transactions are occurring tended to have more inventory and supply, and more affordable pricing.”

Houses in Matthews, Rock Hill, Waxhaw, Kannapolis and Huntersville are seeing the highest level of buyer interest, as measured by showings.

Across the region, homes averaged 29 days on the market before selling. That's up from 19 days at the same time last year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a fatal crash near Carowinds on Wednesday night.

CMPD said shortly after 10 pm that officers responded to a motorcycle crash around 14300 Carowinds Boulevard. The crash left the road shut down from Carowinds Boulevard to the intersection of Choate Circle.

No other information was released.

A driver has been charged in connection to a fatal crash near the Plaza, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.

On Wednesday, CMPD arrested 34-year old Angelia Figueroa with failing to stop at a stop sign and death by a motor vehicle.

On Monday, officers responded around 9:45 am to a call for a motor vehicle crash near 600 Eastway Drive. When officers arrived they found a 2023 Honda Accord with driver’s side damage and a 2009 Suzuki GSX-R damaged in the road. Paramedics also responded and pronounced Jorge Jafeth Pena dead at the scene.

CMPD detectives said Figueroa failed to stop at the stop sign before driving into traffic and the path of the Suzuki.

The Carolina Panthers dropped their opening matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and while quarterback Bryce Young recorded 146 yards and threw two interceptions in the Panthers 24-10 loss. Despite Sunday’s loss Young said at a press conference, he’s looking ahead to the Panthers next opponent.

"There's good stuff on film that we have to continue to do and then there's stuff that obviously, you know, we have to learn from," Young said.

"I had to learn from and we, we're in the process of getting it cleaned up. So, you know, I think it's again, you now, you know, we, you know, we're playing New Orleans. "

"So obviously all our attention, you know, we need all of our attention to be able to do what we wanna do and, you know, it takes us being locked and engaged on that. So, you know, you got to push what happened on, on, on Sunday aside. And, it's been all about, about growing and getting ready for, for Monday."

The Panthers will take on the New Orleans Saints in their home opener on Monday night. Kickoff at Bank of America Stadium is set for 8:15

An updated COVID-19 vaccine won approval this week and will soon be available to the public, and officials are urging people to get the shot. But when the public health emergency ended in May, that meant the government would no longer pay for all vaccinations.

During a press conference Wednesday, Atrium Health's Dr. Katie Passaretti said insurance plans should still cover the booster.

"Yesterday with the recommendation from the CDC and AC IP for everyone six months and older to get the COVID vaccine," Passaretti said.
"That generally means for individuals with insurance coverage that most insurance companies will cover the cost of that as part of preventive care."

According to officials, the latest booster has been shipped out and will become available in the next week.

UNC Chapel Hill is no longer on lockdown after its emergency system sent an alert this afternoon warning faulty and staff of an 'armed and dangerous' person on the campus.

The campus emergency system sent out an alert at 12:54pm stating:

This is the second lockdown in just over two weeks after a student fatally shot a university associate professor.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a homicide that occurred in uptown Tuesday afternoon.

CMPD officers responded just after 3 pm on Tuesday near 700 West Ninth Street for a call for an assault with a deadly weapon with injury. When officers arrived, they found a person with a gunshot wound.

Paramedics also responded and pronounced the victim dead.

CMPD released no other information.

Interstate 77 was closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon near Lasalle Street for what officials described as an "emergency situation." The road reopened after about an hour.

Further details weren't immediately available. The closure was announced at about 2:30 p.m.

There's a competitive Democratic primary for North Carolina governor.

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan announced Tuesday that he's entering the race. He'll take on Attorney General Josh Stein, who Gov. Roy Cooper endorsed last month.

The winner of the Democratic primary will likely face Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the leading Republican candidate for governor, in the general election.

UNC Charlotte set a record with its fall 2023 enrollment for first-year, graduate and international students.

And the school's total enrollment has climbed to 30,298, breaking its 2021 record for enrollment.

“Students are choosing UNC Charlotte for high-quality academics and research opportunities, the co-curricular and extracurricular options available to them — and much more,” Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber said in a statement.

The record 4,501 first-year students are also UNC Charlotte's most diverse class, the school says:

• 17% of students are Black.
• 14.8% are Hispanic.
• 5% identify as multiracial.
• 33% are first-generation college students.

With Republicans still split over the state budget, it's looking less likely that there will be a vote this week, according to reports from Raleigh.

Though Republicans control the state House and Senate with veto-proof supermajorities, they've been unable to agree on a spending plan for North Carolina. The main sticking point is whether to allow four casinos in rural areas.

Legislators had hoped to approve a budget by the end of June, when the state's fiscal year ends. Raises for teachers and state employees, as well as Medicaid expansion, are on hold until the budget is approved.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board will look at an early draft of new five-year academic goals at its meeting Tuesday.

After last week’s release of 2023 test scores, Superintendent Crystal Hill and her staff acknowledged that the district is not on target to meet its existing goals, which end with the current school year. Those goals focus on reading, math, academic growth and graduating with extra credentials.

But Hill, who became superintendent this summer, noted that CMS made some gains despite turmoil at the top of the district. The current five-year plan was launched with Superintendent Clayton Wilcox, and the superintendent’s office has changed hands three times since then.

“So that stability in leadership, it’s a game-changer, right? It’s just something that we’ve not had here,” Hill said.

The report on the new long-term strategy should come soon after the start of the 6 p.m. meeting, which will stream live on the school board’s Facebook page.

A 31-year-old man was arrested this weekend in connection with multiple sexual assaults, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

CMPD identified a 2010 Jeep driving around Charlotte on Saturday that it says was associated with multiple assaults.

Investigators said the Jeep belonged to Kelvin Rene Mejia Ortiz. Ortiz, 31, was arrested and has been charged with multiple counts of rape, sexual battery, attempted kidnapping, assault on a female and communicating threats, in a total of five cases.

According to CMPD, all of the victims are Hispanic females. One additional assault was reported in Huntersville.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the death of a detainee at the York County Detention Center.

YCDC detention officers found a 43-year-old inmate unresponsive in her cell at about 8 a.m. Sunday, according to a press release. Officers attempted to perform CPR until paramedics arrived. She was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

According to the initial investigation, she attempted to hang herself.

She had been in the detention center since Sept. 6 for felony possession of fentanyl and possession of a controlled substance, officials said.

YCDC did not release the inmate's name.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Providence Road between 9200 to 9400 due to a tree falling on power lines. CMPD officers are in the area directing traffic.

Commuters should take an alternate route until the tree is cleared.

Two people were killed in separate shootings early Saturday in Charlotte, police said.

The first was reported at about 1:30 a.m. on Prospect Drive, near I-85 and West Sugar Creek Road. Police said they were called for an assault with a deadly weapon and found
Gustavo Adolfo Nunez dead from gunshot wounds. He was 24. It was two days before his birthday. Police haven't released any other information about the case.

The next shooting was reported five hours later, at about 6:30 a.m. Police said they were called to Moretz Avenue near Lucena Street, just north of uptown. They found one victim dead of gunshot wounds. Police hadn't released any information about the killing, including the victim's name, by Sunday morning.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Saturday that they've arrested a suspect in multiple sexual assaults in different parts of the city.

Police didn't release the suspect's name or say how they found him. Earlier Saturday, police asked for the public's help to locate a silver or gray Jeep that was tied to the assaults. Police said the suspect was a Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s, and that the incidents all started near Archdale Road, Nations Ford Road or East Arrowood Road.

"In these cases, the suspect followed the victims in his vehicle before using a weapon to intimidate them into leaving with him," police said.

The investigation is ongoing and police said they expect to release more information soon.

It appears a proposal to open new casinos in North Carolina won’t make it into this year’s budget. The Raleigh News and Observer reports House Speaker Tim Moore has sent an email to the House Republican Caucus saying GOP members would not pass a state budget that didn’t have at least 61 House Republican votes, a majority of the 120-member House. Moore went on to say that there are not 61 Republicans willing to vote for the budget if it includes gaming.

A vote on the budget is expected next week.

The Carolina Panthers face division rival Atlanta on the road in Sunday’s season opener. Head Coach Frank Reich notes the Falcons are one of the least penalized teams in the NFL.

"We have a similar philosophy. We don't want to play scared, like, you know, there's gonna be some penalties in the game. So there's always that fine line. You know, we want to be aggressive, we want to push it as much as we can, but we want to play smart and disciplined as well," Reich said.

Pass rusher Brian Burns participated in practice yesterday, but it’s not clear yet whether he’ll play Sunday without a new contract.

Major overnight construction work along I-77 in the Lake Norman area begins Thursday as the North Carolina Department of Transportation works to convert the often-congested Gilead Road exit into a diverging diamond interchange.

All southbound lanes in that area will close Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 pm to 5 am each day.

Leaders in the North Carolina General Assembly are gearing up for a vote on the state budget, which they had originally hoped to pass by the end of the previous fiscal year in June.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, State Senate leader Phil Berger said the House and Senate have worked out many of their differences. The splits between Republicans in the two chambers have centered around tax rates and issues such as whether to allow casinos in rural areas.

Raises for state employees and teachers won't kick in until a budget is passed. Neither will Medicaid expansion, which legislators tied to the state budget when they agreed to expand healthcare access.

Thursday marks the beginning of campaign season for boosters drumming up votes for this year's $2.5 billion school bond that will be on this year’s municipal election ballot. The "Vote Yes" campaign run by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, campaign co-chairs
David Longo, Mary McCray and Ralph Lopez Massas, as well as CMS parents and other stakeholders, holds its kickoff meeting Thursday at Allenbrook Elementary School.

Last month, Mecklenburg County commissioners voted to add the bond to the November ballot. It would be the largest school bond issued in state history. The bond would help fund major school construction and renovation projects for CMS.

You read about bonds on this year’s ballot on WFAE's bonds page.

Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy has agreed to sell Public Service Company of North Carolina for $2.2 billion as part of a deal that continues Dominion’s exit from the natural gas business.

In a press release, Richmond-based Dominion said it's selling PSNC, East Ohio Gas, Questar and Wexpro to Canadian pipeline owner Enbridge Incorporated. Enbridge will pay $9.4 billion and assume $4.6 billion in debt.

PSNC sells gas to homes and businesses in 28 counties in central and western North Carolina, including the Raleigh area, Concord, Statesville, Gastonia and Asheville.

Enbridge is expected to complete the acquisitions by the end of 2024, pending approval by federal antitrust regulators.

Dominion said Enbridge also agreed "to provide significant protections for existing employees, honor existing union commitments, and maintain local operating leadership."

The city of Gastonia and Faith Hope and Love Community Enrichment Ministries have come to an agreement to drop financial penalties accrued against the church if it can meet the guidelines of a consent order filed Tuesday.

Gastonia previously filed a lawsuit against the church for violating several city and zoning ordinances while allowing a homeless encampment on their property.

The new agreement forgives $116,000 in penalties as long as the church cleans up the property to conform with city code. The church has 30 days to get into compliance.

Crime & Justice

Gastonia church disbands homeless camp after city lawsuit, fatal shooting

Nick de la Canal

Dozens of people living in a homeless encampment behind a church in Gastonia began moving out Monday morning, one week after a man was shot and killed on the property, and as the church tries to defend itself from a city lawsuit.

Listen • 1:17

Charlotte FC is off this week as Major League Soccer pauses for its traditional International break for players to compete with teams in their home countries.

Charlotte Midfielder Scott Arfield says the team will be ready for the stretch run when MLS gets back in action.

"I think we're in a good, a good form at the minute. I think going forward in the next eight games it’s going to be, obviously, our aim is to make the playoffs. I think that's well within our grasp to do so. I think we're hitting form at the right moment in time," he said.

Charlotte takes on DC United on Sept. 16. That team currently holds the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with Charlotte two spots and two points behind.

State lawmakers could consider Sunday hours at ABC stores when they return next week.

A bipartisan alcohol deregulation bill that passed a committee Tuesday would let local leaders decide if they want to open liquor stores on Sundays. Some conservative groups oppose the change. Rev. Mark Creech leads the Christian Action League.

"No Sunday sales at ABC stores helps to promote family time, improve health, less alcohol-related crime and drunk-driving fatalities on Sundays, religious observance and responsible consumption," he said.

The bill would also allow ABC stores to sell merchandise with liquor brand logos. And it would let restaurants and bars offer take-out and delivery cocktails.

Opponents of legislation to legalize more casinos in North Carolina held a rally at the legislature Monday. Lawmakers are considering allowing new casinos in Rockingham, Nash and Anson counties. But some residents of those communities say they worry about negative effects. Elisabeth Corona lives near the proposed Rockingham casino site.

"We don't want our neighbors to become addicted to gambling and have it destroy their families. Studies show that 90% of the casinos’ clientele live within 30 miles of the casino," she said.

She says the counties affected haven’t been included in the legislative process. House Republicans met behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon to decide whether to add casino legislation to the pending state budget.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies handed out hundreds of speeding tickets on I-485 over Labor Day weekend.

Officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Huntersville, and Davidson Police Departments, plus the North Carolina Highway Patrol, joined sheriff's office deputies to patrol I-485 from University Boulevard to Steele Creek for two days.

The agencies collectively issued 346 speeding tickets, 66 move-over violations, 18 reckless driving citations and made four arrests.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have identified the victim of a homicide this weekend in the University area.

Dianne Davis, 64, was killed Saturday near 200 Orchard Tree Lane, police said. Officers found her fatally shot at about 6 a.m.

Police haven’t released any other information about the circumstances or any suspects.

The investigation is ongoing.

Charlotte Area Transit System interim chief executive Brent Cagle said Tuesday that less experienced light-rail operators could be leading to an unusual number of minor derailments inside the rail yard.

Because of staffing shortages, CATS has been working quickly to hire new drivers, including for the Lynx Blue Line. But Cagle said their inexperience could be leading to a spike in derailments.

“They are all properly trained, and they have gone through and successfully completed their training, but these are operators with four, six, eight months of experience and they are learning,” Cagle said.

Cagle said the transit system is working to install better lighting inside the rail maintenance yard, as well as a new safety product that gives operators a green light when it’s OK to switch tracks inside the yard.

CATS has had at least four derailments inside the rail yard in 2023 and 2022, along with a May 22 derailment while a Lynx Train was carrying passengers.

Cagle also sought to reassure the public.

“Internally we are concerned but as a passenger, this is not cause for alarm,” he said.

The May 2022 derailment — which did not cause any injuries — was due to CATS not performing required maintenance on rail cars. The state imposed a 35-mph speed limit on all Lynx trains, which remains in effect.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detectives are investigating a shooting that left one person dead early Saturday in north Charlotte.

Officers were called at about 6 a.m. to an apartment building on Orchard Trace Lane, just off Interstate 85, for a report of a shooting. They found one person shot dead.

No other information had been released by CMPD as of midday Monday. WSOC reported that the victim was a woman with three grown children and several grandchildren, and that her car was also stolen.

A Battle of the Bands event featuring music from a dozen historically Black colleges and university marching bands was derailed Sunday afternoon by a wave of heat-related illnesses that sent seven people to a hospital.

The event was held at the American Legion Memorial Stadium, just outside uptown. High temperatures Sunday reached almost 90 degrees, with a heat index reading of 90.

The Charlotte Fire Department said 21 people were evaluated for heat-related illness symptoms and seven required transport to a hospital. One of those patients was in serious condition, paramedics said.

First responders brought the county's mass casualty event bus and used four ambulances on a rotation to shuttle and evaluate patients.