10 Worst Charlotte Restaurant Health Scores in September

Steve
-
0
10 Worst Charlotte Restaurant Health Scores in September

charlotte-health-inspection-scoresEven though Charlotte’s restaurant selection continues to grow, so does our population, and some restaurants are taking advantage of this growing customer base by letting their health standards slide.

Some of the most common reasons for low scores were food handlers not washing their hands properly, contaminated food containers, and improper food temperatures (many restaurants are starting to use infrared thermometers to avoid this). You can see exactly what the inspectors look for on this blank copy of an inspection report.

These are the top 10 worst currently standing inspection scores in Mecklenburg County (some restaurants scored lower in September but were reinspected with higher scores before October 3rd):

#10 Maggianos Little Italy 

Mushroom ravioli

A post shared by Nang Sila (@nangsilk) on

4400 Sharon Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 9/11/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed one chef touching aglio butter with bare hand.
  • Observed several pans of food stored uncovered or left open.
  • Observed soiled metal pan stored as clean.
  • Observed several pans of TCS food overstacked resulting in foods at the top of the pan measuring above 45F.
  • Observed many pans and trays of food with no date marking – diced tomatoes, cooked chicken, pasteurized eggs and whites, milk, half and half, pot roast, pasta, meat sauce, cut lettuce, sliced cheese, shrimp bruschetta, cooked sausage, etc.
  • Observed several sanitizer buckets unlabeled – painted label had worn away.

#9 Hibachi Express Japanese Restaurant

7945 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
Scored 87.5 (B) on 9/11/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed utensils stored in handsink.
  • Observed raw shell eggs stored on top of container of sauces in the front beverage cooler.
  • Observed rice sitting out of temperature control on prep table.
  • Observed several cockroaches inside inoperable walk-in cooler.
  • Observed heavily rusted walk-in cooler racks.

#8 Golden Coral

7701 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
Scored 87.5 (B) on 9/25/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed ice in handsink at beverage station. obsevred employee place pan of food on handsink.
  • Observed food debris on several food contact utensils on the drying rack.
  • Observed fried chicken breast final cook temperature of 153F (required to be 165F).
  • Observed taco meat (beef) on the buffet had been reheated to 115F (required to be 175F).
  • Observed garlic butter stored in mini steamer < 135F. Steamer was unplugged.
  • Observed crumbled sausage, peppers and onions (cooked) stored on buffet > 45F.
  • Observed several TPHC food items on buffet not properly marked for time (diced ham, pico, fried chicken fried fish, sausage links, ham).
  • No consumer advisory for raw or undercooked food posted at grill.

#7 Greystone Restaurant

Beef souvlaki! So damn delicious!!

A post shared by All Paul (@paulcressend) on

3039 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 86 (B) on 9/21/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed operator handle raw beef with their bare hands then proceed to handle clean equipment without washing their hands.
  • Observed operator touch walk in cooler with bare hands then handle raw beef without washing their hands in between.
  • Observed employee handle soiled hot water faucet valve then handle clean equipment.
  • Observed operator touch cut lettuce held in flip top prep unit with their bare hands.
  • Observed hot water at 95 degrees F in women’s and women’s restroom (must be over 100F).
  • Observed raw hamburger meat stored above cooked gyro meat in flip top prep refrigerator.
  • Observed cut lettuce overstacked in prep unit over 45 degrees F, raw chicken at 52 degrees F, Gyro meat at 47 degrees F, hamburger meat at 52 degrees F on bottom of prep refrigerator. Operator stated foods were recently placed in unit and foods relocated to walk in unit. Ambient air temperature measured 50 degrees F as indicated by thermocouple.
  • Observed container of garlic/oil with a preparation date of 9/3 under sticker that was relabeled.
  • Observed 1 spray bottle of Windex stored with single-service towels near pass through window.

#6 Libretto’s Pizzeria Ballantyne 

Beef souvlaki! So damn delicious!!

A post shared by All Paul (@paulcressend) on

15205 John J. Delaney Dr., Charlotte, NC
Scored 85.5 (B) on 9/15/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed several food employees being stored on food preparation counters at time of inspection.
  • Observed food employee going from dirty to clean without washing hands.
  • Observed food employee touching trash can and then proceed to continue with food preparation.
  • Observed mushrooms (unwashed) being stored over pasta sauce.
  • Observed food uncovered in reach in units with significant food debris on shelving.
  • Observed both dish machine at bar and back not reading any sanitizer at time of inspection. Back dish machine was in progress.
  • Observed significant debris in ice machine.
  • Observed pasta sauce prepared yesterday that was still above 45 degrees.
  • Observed potatoes dated for 9/10 reading 45 degrees.
  • Observed employee medicine being stored above prep line.

#5 Monsoon Thai Cuisine

If you’re ever in Charlotte, NC you must go here! #Curry #Thai #SoAmazing #Tofu #Vegan

A post shared by Brianna (@lovebrimichelle) on

2801 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 85 (B) on 9/19/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed PIC did not have proper oversight of kitchen. No systems or controls were implemented.
  • Observed employee drink cup and food on back prep table.
  • Observed employee food stored inside 3-door cooler with restaurant food items.
  • Observed several employees turning off faucet with bare hands after washing.
  • Observed employee handling raw meat then wiping gloved hand off with wiping cloth.
  • Observed another employee handling raw meat then rinsing gloved hand off at prewash sink at dish machine.
  • Observed a packet of tofu stored inside back handsink.
  • Observed several raw meats inside prep cooler reading above 45F (see temp chart for specific temps).
  • Observed a bottle of fish sauce that stated on label ” Refrigerate After Opening” stored at room temperature on back prep table.

#4 Dilworth Neighborhood Grill

911 E. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC
Scored 85 (B) on 9/28/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed an employee don gloves without washing hands. Also observed employees handle soiled equipment and then attempt to work with food after a glove change.
  • Observed an employee handle raw chicken and then handle ready to eat chicken with the same gloved hand. Observed an employee cut a quesadilla with a knife that was used for opening a sealed raw tuna package. Through conversation an employee stated the knife is used for both activities frequently. EHS also observed packaged cheese stored on top of packaged raw fish.
  • Observed the bottom of a soiled bowl stored on top of spring mix in a flip top unit.
  • Observed an employee activity using sanitizer at 50 ppm QUAT.
  • Observed black build up on the bar ice machine. Also observed tea spouts in need of cleaning do to a brown build up.
  • Observed roast beef cooked and dated for 9/27 and still at 67F. Head chef stated the item had not been removed from the cooler since it was placed in the cooler. This item did not cool to 45F in six hours. Also observed mac n cheese cooling in the walk-in at 112F. After 120 minutes the mac n cheese was at 72-75F. At this rate the first parameter was missed.
  • Observed chicken at 110F and pork at 112F.
  • Observed noodles at 43F and dated for 9/23. At this temperature TCS foods may only be kept for 4 days. Observed corn dated for 9/19. Also observed several pans of chicken and pork with two different dates, improperly labeled.

#3 House of Leng

💂🏼

A post shared by Amy Powell Gorlinsky (@surfsideamy) on

2701 W. Mallard Creek Church Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 84.5 (B) on 9/27/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed an employee wash his hands in the prep sink.
  • Observed an employee rinse hands for 5 seconds without soap and then turn off the faucet with bare hands.
  • Observed 2 employees cutting green beans with bare hands.
  • Observed an employee cutting ginger with gloves, then touch his cell phone for about 5 minutes, then continue cutting the ginger with the same gloves.
  • Observed unwashed produce stored above washed and ready to eat produce.
  • Observed a tub of rice at 53F in the walk in cooler.
  • Observed chicken on the counter at 74F.
  • Observed egg rolls stored under the steam table at 130F.
  • Observed pork and egg rolls without dates.

#2 Sithara 

💂🏼

A post shared by Amy Powell Gorlinsky (@surfsideamy) on

9609 N. Tryon St. Suite 1, Charlotte, NC
Scored 84 (B) on 9/14/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed employees washing hands without soap and turning off faucet handle with bare hands.
  • Observed employee dry hands on soiled cloth after incorrectly washing hands.
  • Observed employees returning from outside the establishment and starting food prep without washing hands.
  • Observed employee handling soiled cloth and not washing hands before food handling.
  • Observed employees changing gloves without washing hands.
  • Observed handsink wihout hand towels in kitchen.
  • Observed handsink in front service area without hand soap. CDI added hand soap.
  • Observed several food items in walk-in cooler and upright cooler wihout proper cover.
  • Observed raw eggs stored over uncovered ready-to-eat foods in walk-in.
  • Observed raw chicken stored over sauce.
  • Observed dish machine operating without sanitizer, testing 0ppm. Sanitizer container was empty.
  • Observed raw goat meat and raw chicken sitting on prep tables off of temperture control > 45F.
  • Observed several ready-to-eat foods in walk-in cooler without date mark, improperly date marked.

#1 Jade Villa Asian Bistro 

The seafood curry at Jade Asian Fusion is 💣

A post shared by NotYourOrdinaryFitnessTrainer (@brewfitnesslifestyle) on

14815 Ballantyne Village Way Suite 250, Charlotte, NC
Scored 83.5 (B) on 9/22/2017

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed issues with employee hand washing and employees properly cooking PHF twice for same order.
  • Observed food employee beverages being stored on food preparation counters without a lid and over food.
  • Observed food employee not washing hands for 20 seconds or using soap.
  • Observed food employee at ware washing going from dirty to clean without washing hands.
  • Observed food employee dumping employee drink into hand sink.
  • Observed raw shrimp overstacked in flip top unit and touching ready to eat cooked peas and carrots.
  • Observed build-up on ice chute and nails rusting holding ice plate.
  • Observed steak coming off 97-104 degrees.
  • Observed 12 containers of shrimp hot holding below 135 degrees.
  • Observed raw eggs cold holding on counter above 45 degrees.
  • Observed two containers of mushrooms dated 9/12.
  • Observed rice not marked at sushi station.
  • Observed sanitizer reading less than 50 ppm for quat ammonium.

As of October 3rd, the above scores have not changed, but they can be increased (or decreased) at any time, as soon as they have a re-inspection.

If you’d like to monitor heath scores, or do a quick search for a restaurant you’re about to eat at, check out North Carolina’s health inspection database here.

Charlotte Ranked The 5th Best City in America for “Spending Within Their Means”

Steve
-
0
Charlotte Ranked The 5th Best City in America for “Spending Within Their Means”

LendingTree just released their findings from a new study on how well residents in the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas are spending within their means – or not.

The company analyzed the average number of credit inquiries, use of revolving credit, non-housing debt balances as a percentage of income and mortgage balances (also as a percentage of income). The study then combined these factors to create a “Spending Within Your Means Score” of 0 to 100, with a higher score designating the cities where residents are more likely to be living within their means.

Greenville, SC took the top score, despite having the second-lowest average income among the 50 cities ranked at $65,503 per household. Greensboro, NC, came in at the #2, Charlotte came in at #5, and Raleigh was ranked #10 – proving that Carolina residents are by far the wisest credit users in the country; 

lending-tree-spending-within-means

Among the 50 ranked metro areas, residents are, on average, using 30 percent of their revolving credit lines — such as credit cards and home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs. They also have mortgage balances averaging 79 percent of their annual income and non-housing debt balances averaging 44 percent of annual income, and have had five credit inquiries in the last two years.

Rank Metro Spending Within Their Means Score Inquiries (last 2 years) Revolving Credit Utilization Non-Housing Debt % of Income Mortgage Debt % of Income
1 Greenville, SC 71 4.0 27.6% 47.3% 61.6%
2 Greensboro, NC 65 3.8 28.9% 48.5% 63.9%
3 Kansas City, MO 64 5.9 28.4% 42.8% 65.0%
4 Buffalo, NY 64 4.0 29.0% 50.5% 55.2%
5 Charlotte, NC 64 3.8 28.2% 43.2% 84.9%
6 Milwaukee, WI 64 7.1 28.4% 39.7% 65.8%
7 San Francisco, CA 63 3.9 28.9% 28.4% 109.1%
8 Boston, MA 62 4.6 29.0% 35.7% 86.9%
9 New York, NY 62 4.4 30.5% 34.7% 77.6%
10 Raleigh, NC 61 3.8 27.6% 45.2% 85.6%
11 Pittsburgh, PA 60 5.1 28.0% 51.2% 49.3%
12 Nashville, TN 59 4.4 27.8% 43.9% 80.4%
13 Hartford, CT 58 5.5 30.0% 38.1% 76.8%
14 Oklahoma City, OK 58 6.0 28.3% 47.8% 60.7%
15 Portland 56 3.5 30.0% 40.2% 90.8%
16 Grand Rapids, MI 56 6.8 29.4% 43.3% 59.8%
17 Detroit, MI 56 5.9 30.1% 41.0% 65.0%
18 Louisville, KY 56 6.8 28.3% 43.0% 68.4%
19 Washington, DC 55 4.0 30.1% 37.1% 102.8%
20 Richmond, VA 55 4.0 29.8% 41.2% 87.5%
21 Denver, CO 55 3.1 29.2% 39.9% 108.0%
22 St. Louis, MO 53 7.7 29.0% 42.8% 67.0%
23 Philadelphia, PA 53 5.6 28.9% 43.0% 79.4%
24 Minneapolis, MN 53 4.3 30.5% 39.5% 83.6%
25 Birmingham, AL 53 5.6 29.2% 47.3% 62.5%
26 Cincinnati, OH 53 5.7 29.1% 44.9% 68.0%
27 Cleveland, OH 52 6.6 28.9% 49.4% 58.9%
28 Austin, TX 52 4.9 30.0% 42.5% 78.2%
29 Dallas – Fort Worth, TX 52 5.1 29.5% 44.3% 69.9%
30 Indianapolis, IN 51 6.6 28.4% 46.1% 68.3%
31 Atlanta, GA 51 4.3 29.2% 45.0% 81.2%
32 Columbus, OH 49 6.2 30.6% 45.9% 57.4%
33 Salt Lake City, UT 48 4.2 30.2% 39.7% 98.2%
34 Chicago, IL 46 7.2 30.1% 39.5% 80.1%
35 Seattle, WA 46 4.6 30.6% 37.6% 98.7%
36 Memphis, TN 45 5.1 29.7% 51.2% 64.9%
37 New Orleans, LA 43 4.2 30.8% 50.8% 66.9%
38 Miami, FL 43 4.1 29.0% 48.7% 89.5%
39 Harrisburg, PA 42 6.2 29.1% 47.8% 70.1%
40 Sacramento, CA 42 4.4 32.0% 38.5% 103.2%
41 San Diego, CA 41 4.3 32.8% 37.2% 118.2%
42 Los Angeles, CA 39 4.6 32.0% 38.6% 108.3%
43 Houston, TX 39 5.3 31.4% 46.8% 70.3%
44 Tampa, FL 38 4.2 29.9% 51.6% 80.7%
45 Virginia Beach, VA 36 3.8 33.2% 46.8% 95.4%
46 Orlando, FL 31 4.3 30.7% 51.0% 82.1%
47 Jacksonville, FL 25 4.1 32.3% 51.8% 87.9%
48 Phoenix, AZ 25 5.1 30.4% 48.1% 102.7%
49 Las Vegas, NV 20 5.1 31.8% 50.6% 96.6%
50 San Antonio, TX 19 7.3 32.1% 54.7% 72.2%

 

For more information on the study visit www.lendingtree.com/finance/cities-spending-within-their-means.

Charlotte Fire Rescues Billboard Worker Moments Before Potentially Fatal Fall (Video)

Katherine Miele
-
0
Charlotte Fire Rescues Billboard Worker Moments Before Potentially Fatal Fall (Video)

Charlotte Firefighters were called out to Texland Blvd. yesterday morning for a terrifying situation.

A man was being held over 50 feet in the air by his coworkers who did not have the strength to pull him back up and knew they would soon lose their grip.

Within 20 minutes of Charlotte Fire arriving on the scene, they were able to attach a longer harness onto the man and winch him down with the help of their ladder:

The man was quickly transported to a local hospital for to be checked out, according to Charlotte Fire.

This was the second high-altitude rescue Charlotte Fire has performed in the past week – the first one was over 130 feet up:

FedEx Just Cut The Ribbon On Their New 343,000 SqFt ‘Ground Station’ in Concord

Charlotte Stories
-
0
FedEx Just Cut The Ribbon On Their New 343,000 SqFt ‘Ground Station’ in Concord

concord-fedex-facilityThis afternoon FedEx officially opened their new ‘Ground Station’ facility in Concord, which will become their new primary distribution hub for the Southeast, according to a recent press release.

The sprawling new 343,000 sqft building is now able to handle over 15,000 packages per hour. They’ve already hired 250 employees for the new facility and they are planning to hire another 100 employees over the next few weeks for the holiday season.

“And as we grow exponentially, this facility allows us to continue to be faster,” commented Bob Holcombe, the vice president of FedEx Ground’s Southern Region. “You have access to the highways and the employee population base is fantastic.”

Cabarrus County is becoming a major distribution hub for the greater Charlotte region, and it still has plenty of room to grow along I-85. There are even currently 5 large-scale shell buildings in industrial parks along the interstate now available for lease, with over a dozen more in various stages of development and planning.

 

 

Atlanta’s Varsity Chain Sued Kannapolis’s 20-Yr-Old ‘Varsity Bar-B-Q & Creamery’ To Change Name

Charlotte Stories
-
0
Atlanta’s Varsity Chain Sued Kannapolis’s 20-Yr-Old ‘Varsity Bar-B-Q & Creamery’ To Change Name

varsity-bbq-and-ice-creamOne of Kannapolis’s oldest restaurants, “Varsity Bar-B-Q & Creamery” was recently forced to change its name after Atlanta’s popular “The Varsity” burger chain sued them for having ‘Varsity’ in their name.

The Independent Tribute interviewed owner Conard Haywood after he announced they were going to change their name to ‘Field House Bar-B-Que‘, “We had that name for 20 years. We’ve been here since 1998 and everybody in Kannapolis knows us,” Haywood commented.

“It was crazy. They are about five hours away. They sent me a letter and I ignored it the first several times, then he sent me a certified letter and I got a lawyer.”

The Atlanta chain said that since Varsity Bar-B-Q & Creamery contained the word “varsity”, people were confusing the two. They noted that people were leaving good reviews on Atlanta’s The Varsity Yelp and Facebook pages after visiting Kannapolis’s Varsity Bar-B-Q & Creamery…even though the nearest ‘The Varsity’ restaurant is over 200 miles away;

varsity-bbq-and-ice-cream-kannapolis

After over 7 months of back and forth conversations, Haywood’s attorney advised him that it would end up being easier and much cheaper to simply change the name than have to go to court, especially given the fact that Atlanta’s ‘The Varsity’ has a much higher budget for an expert legal team.

Last month he finally made the decision to bite the bullet and change their name after over 20 years of building their local brand loyalty.

The newly rebranded ‘Fieldhouse BBQ’ is now trying to tell all their customers that even though their name has changed, they are still serving the same classic food;

For many customers, however, they will always be Varsity BBQ:

What do you think about the lawsuit and name change? 

 

Sustain Charlotte and City Partner on Protected Bike Lane Across Uptown

Casey Wilson
-
0
Sustain Charlotte and City Partner on Protected Bike Lane Across Uptown

protected bike lanes charlotteSustain Charlotte is excited to announce that they are partnering with Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP), Mecklenburg County Park and Rec, and dozens of citizen volunteers to install a two-mile protected bicycle lane spanning all of Uptown on the morning of October 22nd.

The lane, which will run along all of 6th Street and part of 5th Street, will be open for public use at noon, just in time for Sustain Charlotte’s Biketoberfest, and remain in place for one week — until October 29th.

During the demonstration, CDOT will collect data and feedback from users to inform the design of a permanently protected bicycle lane on these streets.In March of 2016, Sustain Charlotte launched a campaign to show public support for safer, and more connected bike facilities so people of all ages and abilities can get where they need to go by bike. To get started, they created a petition asking the City for a protected bike lane through Uptown Charlotte, connecting Irwin Creek Greenway and Little Sugar Creek Greenway.  Community support was swift, with more than 4,000 people signing the petition in the two months.  This reflects the fact that 77% of Charlotteans worry about getting hit by a vehicle while biking according to a 2016 survey by The Urban Land Institute.

At around the same time, CDOT and CCCP hired a consultant to study how to make Uptown safer and more accessible for people on bikes.  One of the consultant’s primary recommendations was a protected bike lane on 6th Street and part of 5th Street to connect the two greenways, which confirmed that this lane, as requested in Sustain Charlotte’s petition, was both feasible and needed.

Sustain Charlotte is seeking volunteers to help install and paint the protected bike lane the morning of October 22. The installation will include creating a physical barrier between the bike lane and other travel lanes using planters, hay bales, and cones.  Volunteers will also help paint the lane with colorful designs near intersections and driveways to increase its visibility and to make the street itself more attractive and vibrant.  To sign up to volunteer and learn more about the project, visit sustaincharlotte.org/biketoberfest.

Cam Newton Broke 3 Records During Yesterday’s Sweet Victory Over The Superbowl Champs

Steve
-
0
Cam Newton Broke 3 Records During Yesterday’s Sweet Victory Over The Superbowl Champs

Superman is back!

Yesterday’s sweet, sweet victory against the New England Patriots (reigning Superbowl Champions) may have marked a turning point for the Carolina Panther’s 2017 season.

cam-newtown-record-breakerWhile our defense still needs some refinement, our offense truly shined.

Cam Newton’s 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Panthers a 30-16 lead over New England. The Patriots then rallied back to tie Sunday’s game 30-30, but after one last Panthers drive, Graham Gano kicked a 48-year field goal with 4 seconds on the clock to win the game 33-30.

Even without Greg Olsen, Newton still threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. He finished with 44 yards rushing and 350 yards of the team’s 444 yards of offense, many of which came after Patriots mistakes in the secondary (we didn’t even see our first punt until half-way through the 4th quarter).

Yesterday Cam Newton officially became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 50 career touchdowns.

He also became the 6th quarterback in NFL history to make three TD passes and a scoring run in a game six times, tying Drew Brees, Jack Kemp, Tobin Rote, Billy Wade and Steve Young.

The victory was also the 54th regular season win for Newton as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, breaking his tie with Jake Delhomme for the most wins by a starting quarterback in Carolina Panthers’ history.

Congrats Cam and way to go Panthers!

Let’s take it all the way this year!

Japanese Film Crew Travels To Charlotte To Search For The Lake Norman Monster

Steve
-
0
Japanese Film Crew Travels To Charlotte To Search For The Lake Norman Monster

A Japanese film crew traveled to the Charlotte area to attempt to find the elusive Lake Norman Monster, AKA ‘Normie’.

The crew from “WHAT’S THIS – MYSTERIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD” hooked up with Captain Gus Gustafson, a local expert on the creature, and Matt Myers, the creator of LakeNormanMonster.com to search the lake.

The team spent 3 days searching the lake using sonar and deep sea fishing gear:

According to The Herald Weekly, the team spent the first day digging through old footage of the creature and fishing for ‘Normie bait’, including catfish and spotted bass.

Day 1 was used to familiarize the film crew with the lake, plus record footage describing Normie’s background and various locations where he has been spotted. We spent some time catching bait in my cast net and fishing for larger “Normie snacks” in the forms of spotted bass and catfish.

Day 2 was spent fishing for ‘Normie’ down the center of Lake Norman with live fish and whole chickens. At one point, Captain Gus something massive with one of the chickens, and after a lengthy fight, his 250lb line suddenly snapped – everyone onboard agreed that whatever was on the line was much larger than any lake fish they’ve ever heard of.

Day 3 was spent using sonar and scuba equipment searching the bottom of the lake for signs of Normie, with the help of a Catawba County Sheriff’s office investigator. At one point, Captain Gus recorded an unusually large signal on his sonar, but due to the murkiness of the water, the diving crew was never able to spot anything underwater.

Unfortunately, the team did not find any conclusive proof of Normie this time, but the film crew did capture some very interesting moments for their show.

If you’d like to search for Normie yourself, you can read about all the Normie sightings here.

Missing Virginia 19-Year-Old Found Dead Behind A Charlotte Church

Charlotte Stories
-
0
Missing Virginia 19-Year-Old Found Dead Behind A Charlotte Church

ashanti-billie-missing-virginia-teenYesterday afternoon, a medical examiner with Mecklenburg County confirmed that a body discovered on Friday behind East Stonewall AME Zion Church in North Charlotte Friday is 19-year-old Ashanti Billie.

Virginia’s FBI division had been searching desperately for Ashanti since she was first reported missing on September 18th (they even offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who might have information about her wherabouts).

“It is with deep regret that I inform the community that Ashanti Billie has been located, deceased, in Charlotte, North Carolina,” commented Martin Culbreth, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk division. “I, along with the entire investigative team, offer our most sincere condolences to the Billie family, especially Ashanti’s parents Brandy and Tony. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

Ashanti’s family held a press conference yesterday soon after they heard the news:

Local and federal authorities in both Charlotte and Virginia are now vowing to continue the investigation until justice is served.

“Our community should know that our work does not end here. Now our mission is to bring justice for Ashanti, and we will be relentless in our efforts to find who did this to her,” commented Culbreth. “We will not rest until the person who robbed Ashanti of her life, her promise and her future is held fully accountable under the law.”

If you have any information about what happened to Ashanti, please call the Virignia’s FBI division at (757) 455-0100.

Charlotte’s 4th Major ‘Open Streets 704’ Is Almost Here

Steve
-
0
Charlotte’s 4th Major ‘Open Streets 704’ Is Almost Here

In exactly 2 weeks, Charlotte will host its 4th major ‘Open Streets 704’ – an event that shuts down several miles of streets to vehicles and organizes dozens of artisans, street vendors, and classes for pedestrians and bicyclists to freely explore.

The first three Open Streets 704 events saw over 25,000 people ditch their cars to walk, ride, skate, and skip down the middle of our city streets.

According to surveys filled out after the event, participants overwhelmingly agreed that Open Streets improved their overall image of Charlotte, and strengthened our community.

Given the growing popularity of the last two Open Streets, this will undoubtedly be the biggest and most active one yet.

open-streets-charlotte-stories
Second Open Streets through Uptown and South End
open streets 704 charlotte stories
First Open Streets 704 in NoDa and Uptown

Our 4th Open Streets event will be taking over several streets around “LoSo” (Lower South End), and the Park Rd. Shopping Center area. The 5.5 mile route will start at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and end around the Park Rd. Shopping Center and Little Sugar Creek Greenway;

open-streets-704-map

The colors on the above route correspond to ‘zones’ or sections set up for specific focuses, which include;

Arts and Science: (Highlighted in RED)  Opportunities abound to explore your creative side. Musical performances, artist demonstrations, interactive maker spaces, and dance ensembles of all ages will engage with Open Street 704.

 Family Zone: (Highlighted in YELLOW) Fun for the whole family! From bean bag toss to a pop up dog park – be prepared to get active. Activities will include: street soccer, bicycling demonstrations, pet crafts,  life-size jenga, and more!

 Green Zone: (Highlighted in GREEN) Be prepared to learn about the nature all around you, plants and trees in your community, or lend a helping hand in the garden, and find out about local wildlife!

 Wellness Zone: (Highlighted in BLUE) Explore a fitter, healthier version of you! Cooking demonstrations, yoga classes, Zumba, and healthy heart initiatives will fill this zone with fun!

Charlotte’s 4th Open Streets 704 will take place on October 15th, from 1pm – 5pm

You can find more information on Open Street’s website here.

1...1,1591,1601,161...1,315Page 1,160 of 1,315