Ely Portillo
Executive EditorEly Portillo is Executive Editor at WFAE. In this role, he is responsible for planning and editing daily news coverage, as well as working on newsletters, digital content and long-term projects. A Charlotte journalist for more than 15 years, Ely worked at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the Charlotte Observer before coming to WFAE.
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It’s election season again in North Carolina. The March 3 primary will determine which candidates appear on the general election ballot in November. -
WFAE, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, hosted a forum with the Democratic candidates for Mecklenburg County Commission at the WFAE Center for Civic and Community Engagement in uptown Charlotte. -
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a hit-and-run Wednesday evening that left one person dead at The Plaza and 36th Street. -
Mecklenburg County is seeing a sharp increase in vaccine-preventable diseases as childhood vaccination rates decline and more families claim exemptions, county health officials said Tuesday. -
A corporate jet crashed while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport Thursday morning, leaving the small aircraft engulfed in flames. The Federal Aviation Administration has arrived to take over the investigation. -
A law enforcement source with knowledge of the operation said Thursday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are leaving Charlotte. Agents have been in the city conducting sweeps since Saturday, and have arrested more than 250 people in "Operation Charlotte's Web." They have also targeted Raleigh and other cities. -
As U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched a major immigration operation this weekend and arrested dozens, it’s still not clear who agents arrested. The Department of Homeland Security hasn’t released names or charges. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino has shared photos on social media of some of the people arrested, saying they are undocumented people who had DUIs or other criminal histories such as assault, but the agency is withholding their identities. -
Gov. Josh Stein and Charlotte officials said Tuesday that Scout Motors — a startup electric vehicle maker backed by Volkswagen — will open its U.S. headquarters in east Charlotte. -
Elected officials in Charlotte say they remain in the dark following reports that U.S. Border Patrol agents are gearing up for a major operation in the city. In a joint statement, local Democrats called for more transparency.
