WFAE Local Content

Charlotte's August arts calendar is packed. From the Stellar Gospel Music Awards and immersive theater to local concerts and film festivals, our First Friday Arts panel shares the events they think are worth checking out this month.

Western North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards ends his reelection bid after a censure recommendation from the House Ethics Committee. Charlotte City Council holds discussions this week on toll lanes, data centers, e-bikes and more. Plus, the state’s hemp industry can chill. House Republicans vote against holding a vote that would have killed the industry.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 33-year-old man who was being held at the county jail.

Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday.Kuechly spent his entire NFL career with the Panthers, playing for the team from 2012 to 2019.He retired in 2020, citing concerns related to concussions he sustained during his playing career.

Undrafted rookie quarterback Haynes King led the Carolina Panthers to a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the team's preseason opener Thursday night.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has arrested a man in connection with an assault in Dilworth that was recorded and later posted to Instagram.

Farms are shrinking in number but growing in size across the 14-county Charlotte region, according to a new report from the Charlotte Urban Institute. We talk with Roland McReynolds, executive director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, about what that means for local agriculture.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education again met in closed session Thursday as its investigation into Superintendent Crystal Hill continues with little public information about its progress.

North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd is pushing for implementation of a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products.

ICE confirms Wilson Creek was its first operation with the U.S. Forest Service in North Carolina in more than five years. Community members and advocates are questioning why the operation took place.

Thousands of students returned to school for the first day of classes in South Carolina, including those near the controversial Silfab Solar manufacturing plant. Meanwhile, state officials have confirmed for the first time an invasive bee-killing hornet entering the region. We’ll get an update on both.

Vice Chair Leigh Altman criticized a provision in the new state budget during a Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, arguing it could unlawfully undermine local transportation decision-making related to the controversial I-77 toll lanes project.