NC School Closing Due To Flu Outbreak

Steve
-
0
NC School Closing Due To Flu Outbreak

Earlier this week we reported on the growing flu outbreak. In one part of our state, things are so bad that an entire school system decided to close.

Last night, Ashe County School officials posted the following announcement to their Facebook page;

“Parents and Students. Due to the increase in the flu outbreak, Ashe County Schools will be closed Friday, February 8, 2019, for both students and staff. Custodians will use this time to perform a deep clean at all of our schools. Hopefully, this extended break and the intense cleaning will help to stop the spread of flu germs.”

Things aren’t much better here in the Charlotte region. Yesterday, both Atrium Health and Novant issued restrictions on all visitors 12 years and younger from entering Charlotte-area hospitals due to so many patients having the flu;

Some of the best remedies you can use at home to protect against the flu include;

CMS and Fort Mill Schools both say they are increasing cleaning schedules for their classrooms and making parents and teachers more aware of the increased danger.

10 Easy Tips and Activities for Team Building in Charlotte

Steve
-
0

Teams are very important in every organization. They help improve communication among fellow team members, boost morale, productivity at work, helping other employees and motivating one another. Additionally, they help new employees know each other and learning each other strengths and weaknesses. Team work helps build a better working relationship between employees and employers. Here is a list of team building activities and tips:

  1. Communication and Icebreakers

This activity involves two truths and a lie and it should take 15 to 30 minutes. Let every team member write two truths and a lie about themselves on a paper. The members should have an open communication where they try to convince each other that the lie about them is actually the truth. This game helps promote better communication skills in the team and allow them to know each other.

  1. Life Highlights Game

This game requires 30 minutes. It is suitable for both small and large groups. Request the members to close their eyes and remember the best moments of their lives. It could be family moments, career or individual. Request them to think of a 30 seconds of their life that they would like to relive if 30 seconds is all they had. This activity enables team members to know and understand each other’s passions and personalities.

  1. Coin Logo

This should take 5-10 minutes. Let all the team members empty their pockets, wallets and purses and place all the coins on the table. If someone does not have any coin or have few coins, the rest of the group members can share with them. This activity is meant for creating self-awareness and it helps the group members understand each other on a personal level.

4.The One Question Ice Breaker Activity

This activity requires 15-20 minutes. It helps the group members to talk to one another and work together as a team. This is a fun activity but is also helps members understand how to develop critical questions.

  1. Classification Game

This game takes 10-15 minutes to play. The purpose of this game is to encourage coworkers to know and understand each other. It helps them to collectively consider and know the nature of each member.

  1. Problem Solving

It takes 30 minutes to play this game. It involves cutting a picture of a well-known cartoon into so many parts and have each member take one part. Request the members to recreate their part, five times bigger than the original part. This activity helps promote departmental working and team-work contributing to overall results.

  1. Sneak a Peek Game

This games takes just 10 minutes and it teaches the workers the problem solving skills and communicating effectively.

8.Zoom

This activity should take 30 minutes using a picture book by Istvan Banyai. The purpose of this activity is to bring the team together with the aim of communicating to solve a common problem. It also helps identify leaders who come up and take over the game.

9.The Great Egg Drop

This will take two hours. It brings the team members to work together with the aim of winning as a team.

10.Create your Own Team Building Activities

This game requires one hour time to complete. This activity is meant to promote creative thinking, communication, problem solving, trust and time management.

Fire Causes Nationwide Banking Outages For Wells Fargo Customers

Steve
-
0
Fire Causes Nationwide Banking Outages For Wells Fargo Customers

Last night a Wells Fargo server caught on fire in Shoreview, Minnesota, requiring technicians to shut down the server, according to a bank employee.

The local server outage caused a ripple effect in the bank’s systems across the nation, affecting ATMs, Credit Cards, and online services.

Wells Fargo sent out a tweet at about noon on Thursday saying they’re ‘working to restore services as soon as possible’;

One Charlotte resident was forced to reschedule her nail appointment due to the issues with her card;

Another local business owner wasn’t able to get their payroll transferred;

Charlotte Metro Credit Union took advantage of the outages by telling fed up Well’s customers how easy a transfer is;

Did you run into any problems today because of Wells Fargo’s outages?

Arts Council of York County 2020 Call For Artists

Steve
-
0
Arts Council of York County 2020 Call For Artists
The Arts Council of York County is now accepting proposals for 2020 gallery exhibitions in the Dalton Gallery at the Center for the Arts, 121 E. Main St., Rock Hill, SC 29730. The Arts Council is a non-profit organization committed to creating and supporting a thriving arts community in York County, South Carolina. The Dalton Gallery, a professional gallery appropriated for the exhibition of experienced artists and community projects, is located at the Center for the Arts. The Dalton Gallery is an 1,800-square-foot space, illuminated by adjustable track lighting.
Each year the Arts Council presents six to eight exhibits. Artists wishing to be considered as a solo or group exhibition for one of the Arts Council’s 2020 gallery exhibitions, must submit the following to Mike Gentry, Gallery Manager, by 5 PM on Friday, April 5, 2019:
  • Exhibition proposal describing themes, goals, and vision of the artist(s) in the presentation of the body of work submitted for consideration. Artists may submit proposals for exhibition as a group or individually.
  • Artist statement describing the techniques used in the creation of the work, and the ideas of concepts communicated through the works submitted for exhibition.
    • Artist(s) must include a statement of clarification within their artist statement if the works submitted are not the works intended for exhibition. In this case, artists must submit examples of previous works, and a discussion of the techniques and concepts that will be utilized in the planned exhibition works.
  • Artist resume or curriculum vitae that includes name, contact information, short biography, list of past exhibitions, education notable honors, awards, publications.
  • 10 to 12 hi-res images (300 dpi jpegs) representing work intended for exhibition.
  • Inventory list with titles, sizes, and mediums that have been numbered to correspond to the file names of the images submitted for consideration.
  • $20 submission fee.
The Arts Council’s Gallery Committee will consider all submissions and notification of acceptance will be provided via e-mail. Submission packets will not be returned. Only complete proposals that adhere to the Arts Council’s submission guidelines will be considered. Works that sell while on exhibit at the Center for the Arts are subject to a 40% commission fee by the Arts Council of York County.
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Email to:
Mike Gentry
Mail to:
ACYC Attn: Mike Gentry
PO Box 2797
Rock Hill, SC 29732
Deliver to:
Center for the Arts
121 E. Main St.
Rock Hill, SC 29730

BB&T and Suntrust Announce $66 Billion Merger With New Headquarters in Charlotte

Steve
-
0
BB&T and Suntrust Announce $66 Billion Merger With New Headquarters in Charlotte

Two of the largest banks in the Southeast have announced they’ll be merging and establishing a new headquarters right here in the Queen City.

The new $66 billion deal will join Atlanta’s Suntrust Bank with Winston-Salem’s BB&T to creat the 6th largest bank in America.

According to a press release, “the combined company will operate under a new name and brand, which will be determined prior to closing.” (you can vote for the company’s new name in our poll below)

The company’s new headquarters in Charlotte will include an expansive Innovation and Technology Center to drive digital growth and development. The former community banking centers of both companies will remain in operation in Winston-Salem and Atlanta.

The board of the new company will be comprised of an equal number of executives from both companies.

“This is a true merger of equals, combining the best of both companies to create the premier financial institution of the future,” said BB&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kelly S. King. “It’s an extraordinarily attractive financial proposition that provides the scale needed to compete and win in the rapidly evolving world of financial services.”

William H. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust, also noted, “With our geographic position, enhanced scale and leading financial profile, these two companies will achieve substantially more for clients, teammates, associates, communities, and shareholders than we could alone. I have tremendous respect for Kelly, his leadership team and the BB&T associates. We will leverage our respective strengths as we focus together on the future.”

The new bank will add $442 billion in banking assets to Charlotte, bringing us one step closer to regaining the title of “second biggest banking city in America“.

[totalpoll id=”29980”]

North Carolina Regulators About To Start Cracking Down On CBD Products

Steve
-
0
North Carolina Regulators About To Start Cracking Down On CBD Products

After a wave of unregulated CBD products in local dispensaries, markets, and restaurants, NC politicians are now starting to crack down on practices that violate Food and Drug Administration rules.

The compound CBD (Cannabidiol) is one of 113 identified cannabinoids found in cannabis sativa. CBD does not alter the consciousness of the user or make them feel ‘high’, as THC does. Many health professionals are saying that CBD can help with a wide variety of ailments, including; Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more.

According to the FDA, the following are considered ‘prohibited acts’ when it comes to CBD; adding CBD to food products, adding CBD to nutritional supplements, and unregulated health claims about CBD.

Many restaurants, bars, and food trucks around Charlotte have been featuring the drug on their menus recently;

Starting next week, North Carolina regulators plan on sending warning letters to businesses who are violating one or more of the FDA’s ‘prohibited acts’.

Companies receiving the warning letters won’t face any immediate penalty or fines, but fines could start to be issued if repeated non-compliance occurs.

“We treat products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds as we do any other FDA-regulated products — meaning they’re subject to the same authorities and requirements as FDA-regulated products containing any other substance,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a Dec. 20th statement.

“It’s unlawful under the FD&C Act to introduce food containing added CBD or THC into interstate commerce, or to market CBD or THC products as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived,” noted Gottlieb.

Other hemp products will continue to be sold in a relatively unrestricted manner, including hemp seeds, hemp seed protein, and hemp seed oil. For your safety, do your research before purchasing any product. There are tons of sites, like CBDForSure, that publish guides for consumers like you.

Top 10 Latest Nigerian Movies

Steve
-
0
Top 10 Latest Nigerian Movies

Nollywood is recognized in Africa and around the world for producing quality African movies. The Nigerian film industry produces the top-rated comedy, drama, romance, action and horror movies. The industry keeps improving in quality and content over the years. Latest Nigerian movies are proof of how far Nollywood has come.

Nigerian movies are always entertaining and have a lesson at the end. There is also the cultural aspect especially in movies which are set in traditional kingdoms.  Nollywood creators are among the best in Africa. The following are the top 10 latest Nigerian movies.

  1.    Lionheart (2018)

Lionheart stars Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, and Pete Edochie among others. The film was a huge success especially after being distributed by Netflix. Genevieve Nnaji plays the corporate girl who wants to save her father’s company.

  1.    Isoken (2017)

The movie stars Marc Rhys, Dakore Akande, and Funke Akinde. The romantic comedy was directed by Jadesola Osiberu and tells the story of a woman who seems to have achieved everything but gets pressured by her family to marry.

  1.    Slow County (2017)

The main characters of ‘Slow County’ are Sambasa Nzeribe, Majid Mishel, Ivie Okujaye and Tope Tedela. The movie is about a poor teenage mother who ended up in contact with a drug lord who introduced her to a different world.

  1.    The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2018)

Starring Olu Jacobs, Zainab Balogun, Kenneth Okolie, and Joke Silva, the film shows the drama that goes on in a hotel co-owned by a couple in Lagos. You will enjoy this movie if you love watching humour that is mixed with romance.

  1.    Celebrity Marriage (2017)

The Pascal Amanfo directed film shows the lives of popular women who despite looking perfect in public go through tribulations at home. One celebrity is a victim of gender violence while another is in distress because of not getting pregnant. The Stars in the movie are Tonto Dikeh, Odunlade Adekola, Jackie Appiah and Toyin Aimakhu. Celebrity Marriage is among the most entertaining latest Nigerian movies

  1.    Potato Potahto (2017)

Starring Chris Attoh, Joke Silva, OC Ukeje and Kemi Lala Akindoju, Potato Potahto tells the funny story of a divorced couple who are contemplating living together even after the separation. They soon realise the idea was not genius and try to figure things out.

  1.    What Lies Within (2017)

The thriller movie shows the life of two women who are faced with challenges as they go about with their life in Lagos. The women have to find an immediate solution because the issues they are facing are affecting their families. The stars in the movie are Michelle Dede, Vanessa Nzediegwu, Tope Tedela, and Paul Utomi.

  1.    Banana Island Ghost (2017)

The action and comedy film tells the story of a dead man who is given a chance to find his soul mate. He is however limited to three days, failure to which he will know his fate. The main characters are Adetomiwa Edun, ChiomaOmeruah, and Ali Nuhu.

  1.    Hakkunde (2017)

Hakkunde is about a young, focused graduate who faces everyday challenges to achieve his dream. He fights love, bigotry and social constructs to accomplish his goal. The movie stars Ali Nuhu, Rahama Sadau and Toyin Aimakhu among other actors.

  1.    The Wedding Party 2 (2017)

The main characters in the movie are Adesua Etomi, Patience Ozokwor, Daniella Down, Enyinna Nwigwe and musician Banky W. The movie is about the life of a newlywed couple and how they live with their family and friends.

Stars like Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, Desmond Elliot, Mike Ezuruonye, Tonto Dike and others owe Nollywood their fame and success. Nollywood is credited with creating numerous blockbusters which bag regional and international film awards. The above mentioned latest Nigerian movies are both amusing and exciting.

Source: YEN Ghana

New Panthers’ Owner Talks About Possible Roof Over Renovated Stadium

Steve
-
0
New Panthers’ Owner Talks About Possible Roof Over Renovated Stadium

After over a year of speculation, new Panthers’ owner David Tepper indicated that he’s leaning toward renovating the current stadium instead of relocating or building a new one.

Yesterday afternoon, Tepper spoke the media after a charity event at Bank of America Stadium where he made a $120,000 gift to CMS. He talked about using the stadium for a wider array of events, including concerts, more charity events, and specifically, ‘the Final Four’.

Governor Roy Cooper met with Tepper last week and said he talked with the new owner about potentially hosting the major basketball tournament.

Tepper stated that he would “like to put a roof” over the Uptown Stadium in order to make that happen.

“I’ve said it before — but I would love if we could ever do it to get people to support it — to put some sort of roof in here and have a Final Four in North Carolina,” Tepper told reporters.

It’s unclear at this point how serious Tepper was in his comment, as the 24-year-old stadium has always been an outdoor stadium and the changes a roof may require an unreasonable amount of redesign.

What do you think about putting a roof on Panthers’ Stadium? 

Belmont Is Building A New $12 Million Hotel As Charlotte’s Growth Continues To Push West

Steve
-
0
Belmont Is Building A New $12 Million Hotel As Charlotte’s Growth Continues To Push West

As Charlotte continues its historic growth period, new development projects are popping up in all directions around our city.

With the multi-billion dollar expansion of our international airport and the progress of the sprawling 1,300 acres “River District” (which some are saying could become Charlotte’s ‘next Ballantyne’), much of that growth is spilling into Gaston County.

Gaston’s easternmost towns of Belmont, Mount Holly, Cramerton, and Lowell are seeing the biggest effects with new subdivisions, apartment complexes, breweries, and restaurants popping up all over.

The Town of Belmont just announced one of their most ambitious projects in recent years – a $12 Million ‘all-suite’ hotel concept called ‘Home2 Suites by Hilton’.

The approved final plans for the project earlier this week and posted plans to their Facebook page;

“At its regular meeting on Monday evening, the Belmont city council approved a plan for a new Hilton Home 2 Suites hotel on Hawley Avenue (behind Chick-Fil-A). This $12 million project should break ground later this year.”

What do you think of all our recent growth?

Jurassic Quest 2019 Is Coming To Charlotte This Spring

Steve
-
0
Jurassic Quest 2019 Is Coming To Charlotte This Spring

The biggest dinosaur event in the country is coming to Charlotte this spring.

Jurassic Quest 2019 has just announced that it will be bringing life-sized dinosaur replicas, rides, games, and activities to the Queen City

Events include; The Dinosaur Exhibit, Dino Tour, Dinosaur Rides, Dino Bounce Houses, Bungee Pull, Fossil Dig, Jurassic Jeeps, Dino Scooters (for ages 3 & under), Excavation Station (One Turn Per VIP Ticket), Dino Cinema, Crafts & Coloring Station, Science Station, and more

Jurassic Quest will be coming to Charlotte this April 5-7 at the Park Expo off Independence Blvd.

For tickets or more info click here.

1...1,0351,0361,037...1,316Page 1,036 of 1,316