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Possible Tornado In South Charlotte, 4 Protesters Arrested In Uptown, And New City Manager Sworn In

The National Weather Service is investigating whether a tornado touched down in south Charlotte Wednesday evening around 6:30 p.m.  A tweet published around that time said a "possible" tornado may have been developing near I-485 southwest of Charlotte, and could cross I-77 through 7 p.m.

Earlier in the afternoon, heavy wind and rain entered the Charlotte region, building to a crescendo just as traffic hour got underway. The storm damaged at least one building, blew over a tractor trailer, and caused widespread power outages across the city.

By Thursday morning, power had been restored to nearly everyone, according to a Duke Energy power map.

Four Protesters Arrested In Uptown

As the much of the city was taking shelter from the storm, dozens of protesters clad in ponchos and rain jackets gathered outside CMPD headquarters on Trade St. around 7 p.m. to protest the day's announcement that no charges would be filed in the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

From police headquarters, the protesters began marching toward the intersection of Trade and Tryon, stopping along the way at the Omni Hotel, where a protester was shot in the head in September during a violent protest in reaction to the Scott shooting.

Police say over the course of the night, four protesters were arrested. None were African-American. All were charged with obstructing traffic. One received an additional charge of disorderly conduct.

Marcus D. Jones Sworn In As Charlotte's New City Manager

Marcus D. Jones was sworn in Thursday as Charlotte City Manager, becoming the first African-American to hold the position. The private swearing in ceremony took place at government center in uptown, and Jones' family was present.

Previously, Jones served as city manager in Norfolk, Virginia. He also worked in finance and administration in Richmond, Virginia. Jones succeeds Ron Kimble, who's been acting as interim city manager since former-city manager Ron Carlee declined to seek a contract extension in February of 2016.

Nick de la Canal is an on air host and reporter covering breaking news, arts and culture, and general assignment stories. His work frequently appears on air and online. Periodically, he tweets: @nickdelacanal