Charlotte DOT and Sustain Charlotte Announce Plans for Uptown Cycle Track

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Sustain Charlotte, Charlotte’s Department of Transportation (DOT), and engineer firm Stewart have just announced plans for a new cycle track in Uptown Charlotte.

Representatives from Stewart and Charlotte DOT unveiled the plans yesterday at Sustain Charlotte’s Shifting Gears public action workshop and guided a ride-along of the pilot cycle track, which currently stretches from Independence Park to Uptown along 7th Street and 6thStreet.

The full cycle track project will continue along 6th Street to 5th Street and connect to the Irwin Creek Greenway, and include median improvements to better separate the bike lanes from traffic, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction is scheduled to begin in Fall 2020 and is estimated to be completed in 2021.

“Cyclist mobility, safety and awareness is an important part of our efforts to make Charlotte a better city for bicycling,” said Kate Cavazza, Bicycle Program Manager, Sustain Charlotte. “The pilot cycle track and planned expansion is a development we have been looking forward to for many years. We’re excited to continue to work with the City of Charlotte and their consultant Stewart to make the final track a reality and help propel cycling forward in the Queen City.”

Stewart has played an important role in the design and development of the cycle track to-date, including collaborating with Charlotte DOT and Charlotte Center City Partners for the Uptown Connects feasibility study. This study set forth a vision for both short- and long-term options to provide comfortable multimodal facilities for pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities, which are now becoming a reality.

“We’re excited to be helping Charlotte residents and visitors overcome the challenges of cycling and walking through Uptown,” said Todd Delk, the project’s manager at Stewart. “The public input that we have heard throughout the project in meetings and events like last night have helped us create a design that will serve pedestrians and cyclists of all ages.”

Attendees at yesterday’s Shifting Gears public action workshop heard firsthand the plans for the expanded Cycle Track, and participated in a 30-minute guided ride down the pilot track. Representatives from Stewart, Charlotte DOT and Sustain Charlotte were on hand to gather public input during and after the event to help further improve Uptown development plans.

To learn more about the project, go to bit.ly/UPTOWNCYCLETRACK.

Charlotte Attorney Cheslie Kryst Has Just Been Crowned Miss USA

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A Charlotte resident has just been crowned the most beautiful woman in America.

28-year-old Charlotte attorney Cheslie Kryst won the Miss USA pageant last night in Reno, Nevada.

The moment was broadcast live last night at about 10 pm;

Kryst currently works for Charlotte’s Poyner Spruill Law Firm and as the Founder and Lead Blogger of White Collar Glam.

She grew up in York County, completed her Bachelor’s Degree at The University of South Carolina, and her Law Degree from Wake Forest University.

Kryst will now begin preparing to compete in the 68th annual Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, set to air this coming November.

North Carolina’s ‘Land of Oz’ Theme Park Is About To Reopen

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north carolina land of ozNorth Carolina’s legendary “Land of Oz” theme park in Beech Mountain is about to bring back all the old characters and reopen all the attractions for a limited time this coming June.

The old park will is now planning on opening every Thursday and Friday in June (June 1st, June 8th, June 15th, June 22nd, June 29th), and for the first time this year, they will be opening for one Wednesday on June 26th, as well as Friday July 5th, according to the new organizers.

You’ll be able to follow Dorothy through a classic story-line. Escape the ‘cyclone’ and run to the storm cellar and enter into the magic Land of Oz.

Walk through the tilted house or the old witches castle. The park features hundreds of oz-themed props, buildings, and actives for visitors of all ages.

This video from a few years ago gives a little more insight into the historic rise and downfall of ‘The Land of Oz’;

The unique theme park was originally built by developmental team of Grover and Harry Robbins of Carolina Caribbean Corporation (CCC) starting in 1968. According to their website, “The two had built other local attractions in Western North Carolina such as Tweetsie Railroad and other resorts, and were in search of a way to utilize their newest acquisition: Beech Mountain. Skiing would be the main attraction during the winter months, but they were in search of a way to utilize the property during the spring, summer, and early fall seasons.”

The park saw almost 10 years of success before Grover Robbins died from cancer and several major acts of vandalism began to occur. In 1976, a new management team bought Oz and saw declining success and continued vandalism. The new owners, Tri South “decided to close the park at the end of the 1980 season. There were hopes of re-opening Oz through 1983, and even rebuilding the park with Pentes’s designs in Tennessee. Unfortunately, these dreams never came to fruition,” according to the website. “Over the next few years, The Land of Oz would be left to survive the harsh environmental elements, vandals, and looters. By 1985, the Emerald City, character houses, and some other buildings were demolished due to decay and vandalism.”

Over the past few years, the park has been slowly rebuilding and tickets for their annual ‘Journey with Dorothy’ in June and the ‘Autumn at Oz Festival’ in September continue to sell out.

Have you ever been to The Land of Oz?

What are your thoughts on North Carolina’s most unique theme park?

Charlotte’s Heart Math Tutoring Receives Major Grant from Barings Financial Group

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Heart Math Tutoring (Heart Tutoring), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students in high-poverty elementary schools, today announced that Barings, one of the world’s leading financial services firms, has provided a school sponsorship grant to fund over half of the cost of Heart Tutoring in a school site. This grant, which reflects an increase from Barings’ contribution last year, will allow 50-80 students to receive one-on-one tutoring from September 2019 to May 2020. Funding supports an on-site Program Coordinator, tutoring supplies, and two annual family engagement events.

“We are grateful to Barings for aligning volunteers and capital to bring tutoring to more students,” said Emily Gaffney, Executive Director of Heart Math Tutoring. “Barings’ gift leads the way as we head into school and tutor recruitment season, allowing us to provide even more students with the opportunity to succeed in school and beyond.”

Barings employees have been volunteering with Heart Tutoring since 2015. In addition to a financial partnership, Barings currently has 22 employees who are weekly volunteers with the program.

“We are pleased to support Heart Tutoring and believe strongly in the organization’s mission of helping students develop math skills and academic confidence,” said Adam Schauer, four-year Heart Tutor and Barings Client Portfolio Manager. “Education is a core pillar of the Barings’ social impact strategy and we believe by providing students with access to programs like Heart Tutoring, we are helping open the doors to skills students need to succeed.”

56 percent of economically disadvantaged students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) performed below grade level in math on 2018 North Carolina End-of-Grade Tests. In response, Heart Tutoring recruits, trains, and supports volunteers as tutors in high-poverty CMS elementary schools. Over 1,050 community members, including many Barings employees, spend one hour each week delivering Heart Tutoring’s activity-based, structured curriculum.

With the support of partners like Barings, Heart Tutoring has grown from serving 105 students across two schools to more than 1,000 students across 22 school sites in just six years. Since the beginning of the program, 98 percent of over 2,400 students have met program growth goals in math, growing in two or more building block concept areas. Throughout the 2017/18 school year, 89 percent of teachers observed an increase in student confidence and enthusiasm toward math as a result of Heart Tutoring, and 62 percent reported students are more confident in subjects other than math.

About Heart Math Tutoring

Heart Math Tutoring is a Charlotte-based nonprofit with a mission to ensure that all elementary students develop the strong foundation in math and enthusiasm for academics needed for long-term success, by helping schools use volunteers as tutors. Community members commit one hour per week to deliver an effective, hands-on curriculum through one-on-one tutoring sessions during the school day in high-poverty elementary schools. For more information, visit hearttutoring.org.

About Barings

Barings is a $317+ billion global financial services firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients and customers. Through active asset management and direct origination, we provide innovative solutions and access to differentiated opportunities across public and private capital markets. A subsidiary of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with business and investment professionals located across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

No Swimming Advisory Issued After Hundreds of Gallons of Raw Sewage Spill Into Lake Norman

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A ‘no swimming advisory’ has just been issued for a section of Lake Norman after a sewer line broke and discharged hundreds of gallons of raw sewage into the lake.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water, the line busted on John Conner Road in Cornelius and dumped at least 150 gallons between Springwinds Drive and Penninsula Cove Lane.

The leak has now been stopped, but officials warn against going into the water until the sewage has had a chance to spread out into more of the lake.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services will continue to monitor water quality in the affected area. Once water conditions are deemed safe, the no swimming advisory will be removed.

If you live in the area and you are on a well, officials recommend checking to see if your water was contaminated by using a field testing kit, and consider installing a reverse osmosis filter on any faucet used for drinking water.

Another Shooting Left 1 Dead In Charlotte Apartment Complex Next To UNCC

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Last night, 2 men were shot and 1 was killed in an apartment complex next to the campus of UNC Charlotte, just one day after the tragic shooting on campus.

At about 7:50 pm on Wednesday evening, officers were called to the University Village apartment complex in response to a call about gunshots being heard.

At about 9pm last night, CMPD sent out the following alert;

Early this morning, officers identified the victim who died as 22-year-old Donqwavias Davis, the other victim who was shot was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The shooting has no affiliation with Tuesday’s shooting on the campus of UNCC.

CMPD has yet to make any arrests in last night’s shooting. If you have any additional information, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Victim In UNCC Shooting Jumped On Shooter, Sacrificing His Life To Save Others

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Riley Howell with his girlfriend

According to witnesses who were present during yesterday’s tragic shooting on the campus of UNCC, 21-year-old UNCC student Riley C. Howell sacrificed his own life to save others.

At approximately 5:40 pm, in Room 236 of UNCC’s Kennedy Hall, while students were giving team presentations, 22-year-old Trystan Terrell began open firing at students.

Anthropology lecturer Adam P. Johnson clarified the location of the shooting late last night on Twitter;

Soon after the shooting began, the UNCC’s Emergency Mangement Center sent out an alert saying, “Shots reported near kennedy. Run, Hide, Fight.”

Riley Howell, who was in the class when the shooting began, decided to do the latter – he decided to fight.

According to witnesses, Howell jumped toward the shooter to stop him and was fatally shot in the ensuing struggle.

Officers who were on campus for a concert rushed into the classroom a few minutes later and subdued the shooter.

It is unclear how many more people would have been shot if Howell didn’t sacrifice his life to save his classmates.

Early this morning UNCC chancellor, Philip Dubois, identified the six victims in an interview on WBT radio, noting that all 6 victims were university students.

He named the two who were killed as Ellis R. Parlier, 19, of Midland, N.C., and Riley C. Howell, 21, of Waynesville, N.C., and the 4 other students who were injured, including; Sean DeHart, 20, and Drew Pescaro, 19, both of Apex, N.C.; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Rami Alramadhan, 20, of Saihat, Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Dubois also said that 3 of the injured had had surgery and were expected to recover fully, and the fourth, who was less seriously injured, had been treated at a hospital and was since released. He did not specify which student was released.

There will be a candlelight vigil for all the victims of the shooting tonight at 6pm;

SouthPark Opening Charlotte’s First Store Selling Untucked Shirts – UntuckIt

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One of the most revolutionary new fashion designs is coming to Charlotte this summer.

Fashion pioneer ‘Untuckit’ has just announced plans to open their first Charlotte retail location in the SouthPark mall.

Designers at Untuckit have developed a completely new way for men to wear button-down shirts, seamlessly merging both casual and professional fashion.

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Two tears in a bucket… #untuckit

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The new store will feature over 50 tailored-fit options in a 1,989 square-foot location next to Athleta.

“SouthPark shoppers are sure to find their new favorite wardrobe piece at UNTUCKit,” said the center’s director of marketing and business development Holly Roberson. “As we continue to welcome brands like UNTUCKit that were traditionally only online, we’re further positioning our center as a desirable, one-stop-shop for the Charlotte community and visitors.”

Here is a promo video showing just how versatile an untucked shirt can be;

 

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Decided to get classy on this one! 😏 Love the @untuckit style. Shirts designed to be worn untucked! 👔 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• For every purchase through our link $8 will be donated by @untuckit to the charity: ❤️ Happy Hearts Fund ❤️ -Which helps rebuild schools impacted by natural disasters! 🙏 👉Click the link in our bio to grab one👈 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Song: Love Talks by @wyattstarks ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Danced by: @gwilli_kers @rabwilliams @pancakerr @tag.williams 🎥 Filmed by @craigchadwick_ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #linkinbio #untuckit @untuckit #ad

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You can find out more or apply for a job at UNTUCKit.com.

Several New Bills Would Change How North Carolina Controls Alcohol

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After over 80 years of what many consider to be Prohibition-era alcohol laws in North Carolina, legislators are now proposing some significant changes to the system.

Over the past few months, several bills have been filled in the NC House and Senate that, if passed, would alter how, when, and where alcohol and alcohol-related merchandise can be sold.

So far in 2019, new alcohol-related bills include; the Craft Beer Distribution & Modernization Act (Senate Bill 246), the ABC Laws Modernization/PED Study (Senate Bill 87 and House Bill 91), the ABC Regulation and Reform (Senate Bill 11), the ABC Omnibus Regulatory Reform (House Bill 536), the Distiller Regulatory Reform Bill (House Bill 378 and Senate Bill 290), the Allow Common Area Entertainment ABC Permit (Senate Bill 344), the ABC/Univ Athletic Facility (House Bill 389), and Allow Game Nights (House Bill 130).

The new bills, among other things, include the following changes;

  • Allowing liquor to be sold on Sundays
  • Allowing public universities to sell alcohol at stadiums and arenas on school property
  • Allowing NC distillers to sell directly to the public in other states
  • Removing the 5-bottles-per-year limit for NC distillery visitors
  • Allowing free liquor tastings in state-run ABC stores
  • Establishing the Alcohol Law Enforcement as a separate division
  • Allowing brewers to sell beer and merchandise at farmers markets
  • Increasing the number of barrels that small craft brewers can self-distribute from 25,000 per year to 50,000 per year
  • Allowing the consumption of alcohol at non-profit ‘game nights’
  • Allowing bar or restaurant patrons to consume an ‘open container’ while walking around a shopping mall

If you feel strongly for or against any of these proposed changes, be sure to call your state representatives and tell them how you feel. If you are having problems with alcohol, Soberlink’s alcohol monitoring systems can help you keep accountable as well.

What are your thoughts about all the new bills?

Bank of America Stadium To Host Charlotte’s Largest Beer Festival In History This Weekend

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Charlotte’s beer festival industry is taking this to the next level this year with The Untappd Beer Festival at the Bank of America Stadium.

The first festival for Untappd (a mobile beer app with over 7 million users) takes place on May 4th, 2019 and will feature over 100 brewers of all sizes pouring samples along the legendary Panthers’ sidelines.

“We are delighted to be working with Untappd to bring this great new festival to Uptown Charlotte. The beer and brewery scene continues to be a beacon for the growth of our region, and we can’t wait to welcome many local and national brewers to our stadium,” said Carolina Panthers President Tom Glick.

“Bank of America Stadium is very much open for business. Attracting the best national sports and entertainment events to Charlotte and contributing to the rich quality of life in our city and region is a priority and of great importance to our organization.”

Tickets cost $50 for ‘General’ with 4 hours of beer sampling from 4-8 pm, $65 for ‘Early Access’ with 5 hours of beer sampling from 3-8pm, and $200 for ‘VIP’ with 5 hours of sampling and many other exclusives. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 1st.

Current breweries include;

For more info, visit https://untappd.com/festival, and follow Untappd on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.