Measles

Union County Public Health has issued more than 170 quarantine orders tied to a measles exposure at Shining Light Baptist Academy in Monroe, officials said Friday.

Gov. Josh Stein has declared a state of emergency as the region braces for a major winter weather event. Also raising concern, the flu has been more deadly than last year, with 67 deaths so far in South Carolina and 181 deaths in North Carolina. Meanwhile, for the second year in a row, a person was found dead during a count to assess homelessness.

CMPD released crime statistics for last year. A petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden had its first court hearing. Charlotte City Council voted to give the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority $4.3 million in startup funds, as the measles virus was detected in local wastewater.

Health officials say a trio of vaccine-preventable illnesses is circulating during an already busy winter virus season.

As 2025 comes to a close, we take a look at the public health developments shaping life in Mecklenburg County and what residents should know heading into 2026. Later in the show, we turn to mental health during the holidays, including exploring the impact of financial stress and practical coping tools.

Thanks to vaccinations, measles in the United States was eliminated in 2000. But, measles is making a comeback and one of the hot spots is the upstate of South Carolina. We discuss the rise in measles here, how it compares to other parts of the country and what this means for public health.