New Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell gave his first State of the County address this week. Jerrell has warned the county could be facing some financial belt tightening, including a potential property tax increase. We break down the speech and what comes next.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has released recordings of recent threats his office has received. One caller threatened to drive to North Carolina and “shoot him dead in the street like the dog he is,” adding that he hoped Tillis’ family gets kidnapped and tortured. Tillis has been criticized by opponents of President Trump for siding with the president on several of Trump’s nominations and other decisions.
Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it arrested two dozen undocumented immigrants in Charlotte during the first week of March as part of a “targeted enforcement operation.” Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden tells WFAE he contacted ICE to explain why it’s important for his office to stay informed about these arrests and to know the costs of detaining some of them. “If ICE perceives these undocumented immigrants as violent or dangerous, they should place on them criminal charges, rather than detainers,” he added.
And the Union County Commission voted unanimously this week to ban events from county parks deemed "obscene," "sexualized" or "not suitable for children." The decision came with no discussion, but the changes come after Union County Pride, an LGBTQ organization, held a Pride festival in a park operated by the town of Indian Trail last year. WCNC-TV reported at the time that some Indian Trail council members expressed concern that families and children would be welcome to attend.
GUESTS:
Julian Berger, WFAE race and equity reporter
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte
