WFAE staff and wire reports

The Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team got a home win Tuesday night over North Carolina A & T, downing the Aggies 74-57. Ten Niners scored in the game. Charlotte hosts Utah State on Sunday.

The bridge on Shopton Road over Coffey Creek in southwest Charlotte is scheduled to close this morning so it can be replaced.

The Carolina Panthers bounced back from last week’s sluggish performance to upset the Los Angeles Rams 31–28 on Sunday, with the defense generating three turnovers. Carolina also recommitted to the run game, and a healthy Chuba Hubbard totaled 124 yards and scored a touchdown in the win.

Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to approve $25 million in upgrades to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The money will modernize the 14-year-old facility with new studio space, expanded classrooms, updated learning labs and additional event areas.

A Mecklenburg County jury on Monday found two men guilty of killing Scott Brooks, the longtime co-owner of Brooks Sandwich House near NoDa. Brooks, 61, was opening the restaurant in the early morning hours in December 2019 when he was robbed and fatally shot.The defendants, Terry Connor Jr. and Steven Staples, were charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. After the jury returned guilty verdicts, both men were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Brooks and his brother, David, co-owned the popular sandwich shop, which has been a Charlotte staple for decades.

The Cornelius Police Department says it's still actively searching for Madalina Cojocari, who disappeared Nov. 21, 2022. The 11-year-old was last seen getting off a schoolbus near her house.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are warning people to leave their guns at home when they’re planning to fly this holiday season. So far this year, police have seized 135 guns from travelers at the airport’s checkpoints this year, a 30% increase from last year. Officers say most guns appear to have been left in people’s bags unintentionally, and people who own and regularly carry firearms should check before flying.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is warning people to beware of immigration scams. Amidst the Border Patrol’s ongoing crackdown and arrests in the state, Jackson says some scammers are posing as immigration attorneys or government officials who can help immigrants. He said the scammers say they can resolve immigration cases, but take people’s money and disappear. Some scammers are reportedly even using AI to generate fake hearings and videos for desperate families. Jackson said people who need legal help should talk to trusted organizations for referrals or look in the North Carolina Legal Resource Finder’s directory.

The Charlotte Hornets continue to struggle and lost their fourth straight game Wednesday night falling to the Indiana Pacers on the road 127-118. It was just the second win of the season for the Pacers. Rookie Kon Kneuppel led Charlotte with 28 points. The Hornets are now 4-11. They’ll return home Saturday afternoon for a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is forecasting a dip in travel demand this Thanksgiving holiday. The total number of travelers expected to use the airport during the travel rush next week is expected to be down 10%. Excluding those passengers switching planes at CLT, the number of local passengers is expected to be 2.5% lower than last year. The drop in holiday travel comes amidst economic uncertainty and high-profile delays and problems with air traffic control during the recent government shutdown.