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The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's office fires second employee in a week. Union County Schools prepare for the end of some federal funding. NC's new photo ID law affected voters from each party equally. Ann Doss Helms looks at how the school voucher expansion is playing out.

Charlotte City Council determines fate of land off Sugar Creek and I-85. Michele Morrow blames the media for "gotcha moments" as she campaigns for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Warmer days bring spring pests. And another earthquake hits South Carolina.

A plethora of Super Tuesday election results. Matthews Commissioners change meeting rules. Hornets hire new Executive V.P.

Mecklenburg County employees ordered back to the office. CMS to replace payroll system. Panthers reps scout players at the NFL combine. Bizworthy examines Plaza Midwood's new social district. And the new Landslide podcast looks at the shift in the GOP.

Gov. Cooper announces school breakfast grants. CMS to shut down library book app. Lake Wylie boat renters face more regulations. Ballantyne Elementary gets new principal. Fact-Check returns.

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Kindred Motes, an Alabama native who works with nonprofits and small businesses to help them be more socially responsible. He also guides those companies to send money to places in the South that need it.

USC completes its undefeated season with National Championship. Today's solar eclipse won't be very dramatic in the region. Charlotte Art League swears in new board. Tommy Tomlinson reflects on South Carolina's newly found cash.

State board renews charter for a local school. CLT works to improve security measures at the main terminal. Two major area cultural groups could combine. A Charlotte developer asks for public money to convert Duke Energy headquarters into apartments.

VP Kamala Harris announces recipients of clean energy grants. NC Board of Education rejects Gastonia charter school's plea for more time. State regulators hold hearings on Duke Energy's carbon plans. Music abounds at Charlotte Shout!

President Biden visits CLT to meet the families of four slain officers. Twenty district court judges write in support of Elizabeth Trosh. Gastonia seeks public input about its new microtransit plan. The Senate Appropriations Committee votes to advance a bill to pump millions into N.C. private-school voucher program.

President Biden stops in Charlotte to visit with families of slain officers. UNCC students set up a tent camp to show support for Palestinians. Lovin' Life Music Fest kicks off this afternoon in uptown. Traffic snarls ensue. NC's photo ID voting requirement reaches final legal challenge.

Charlotte City Council looks at ways to reduce juvenile crime. The Environmental Defense Fund examines natural gas price fluctuations to pitch more renewable energy. NC's photo ID voting requirement goes on trial. I-77 expansion costs continue to rise.

WFAE's “Fractured” series began with the story of John, a 32-year-old Charlotte man living with severe mental illness and intellectual disabilities. John was arrested more than five years ago and has been in custody ever since — but he’s never had a trial. WFAE caught up with John, where he's still stuck in a system that isn't working well, cycling between the jail and the hospital with no end in sight.

The more trauma children endure, the more likely they are to develop a host of medical and social problems, including learning disabilities and addictions. They are also more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system and eventually in jail. In this installment of the series "Fractured," WFAE looks at the intersection of childhood trauma and the justice system.

The vast majority of violent crimes aren't committed by people living with mental illness. But when people struggling with mental illness are charged with violent crimes, it poses a dilemma. When a defendant receives treatment and improves while awaiting trial in custody, prosecutors must decide whether they'll ask for a prison sentence or allow defendants to be released to the community with no guarantee they'll continue their care.

As WFAE has been reporting in our series, “Fractured,” locking up defendants with serious mental illness can make their mental health worse. It’s expensive, and it's often not very effective at reducing crime. If former inmates don’t get treatment when released, they’re likely to get arrested again. But in Miami, Florida, public officials are taking a different approach to the issue — jail diversion.

Crisis describes North Carolina’s mental health system. It is harder to access mental health care here than most other states, and that affects everyone — particularly the most vulnerable. Like inmates who are too sick to stand trial. They often wait months in custody for the treatment they need just to be well enough to go to court.

WFAE — with support from the PBS series, "FRONTLINE" — has been examining the problem of inmates living with mental illness. This week we focus on ways to help former inmates stay out of jail. And the ways the system fails to do that.

For those living with severe mental illness, the chances of becoming homeless can be high. Once homeless, they’re more likely to end up behind bars. Going to jail can start a downward spiral. Many lose jobs or benefits — even health care. Some will cycle between jail and the streets for years — often for minor crimes like trespassing. Last week, WFAE — with support from the PBS series, "FRONTLINE" — examined the problem of inmates who wait in custody for months because they’re too sick to stand trial. This week we focus on inmates who cycle in and out of jail, serving what many in the court system call a “life sentence on the installment plan.”

WFAE’s "Fractured" series has reported on the struggles of inmates living with mental illness. But it isn’t just inmates who wait. On average, North Carolinians who go to an emergency room in crisis wait 16 days for a state psychiatric hospital bed.