The Eclipse Will Turn I-77 Into A Parking Lot As Up To 2.1 Million People Leave South Carolina

Steve
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The Eclipse Will Turn I-77 Into A Parking Lot As Up To 2.1 Million People Leave South Carolina

i77 toll lane petitionMonday may become the worst day in history for traffic around the Charlotte region, with a potential 2.1 million people traveling out of South Carolina after the ‘Great American Eclipse‘.

South Carolina is the last state on the path of the Eclipse, and since there are an estimated 94 million people who live within 200 miles from the state’s path of totality, officials are now expecting that between half a million and 2.2 million people will travel to the state to witness the historic event – and a large percentage of those people will be traveling down I-77 from big cities in the Midwest and Northeast.

eclipse-visitation-estimates

Since most people will be traveling to their viewing destination this weekend, the heaviest traffic will be right after the eclipse from Monday afternoon through Monday night.

NCDOT has already started issuing warnings to drivers to anticipate unprecedented levels of traffic on Monday;

They’ve installed a total of 42 message boards at strategic locations across 7 counties with eclipse-related messages. Three new closed-circuit cameras have also been along I-77 which will be continually monitored for accidents and other traffic issues.

NCDOT also plans on suspending all road work and lane closures starting Friday evening and ending Tuesday afternoon. IMAP trucks will be stationed along I-77, I-26, and I-40 with employees ready to help stranded drivers with emergency tools, gas cans and towing chains at a moments notice.

If you normally travel on I-77, it would be wise to work from home on Monday and watch the eclipse from your back yard – just made sure you have your ISO 12312-2 Certified “Eclipse Glasses”.

To find out more about Monday’s eclipse, check out our comprehensive ‘Great American Eclipse’ guide here.

Please spread the word!

Charlotte Stories Is Giving Away 2 Free Tickets To Next Week’s Michelin GT Challenge

Steve
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Charlotte Stories Is Giving Away 2 Free Tickets To Next Week’s Michelin GT Challenge

gt race giveawayVirginia International Raceway is welcoming NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner, Richard Petty, to serve as Grand Marshal for the Michelin GT Challenge, the track’s largest race of the year taking place Sunday, Aug. 27 during the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship weekend. Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR, with a record number 200 career wins and seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championships.

At the Michelin GT Challenge, Petty will deliver the iconic command, “Drivers, start your engines!” as the competitors prepare to top speeds of 190 miles per hour during the nearly three-hour race on the track’s historic 3.27-mile full course. Petty will also be available for fan meet and greets, autograph signings and photo opportunities throughout the day.

“I am thrilled to serve as Grand Marshal for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR,” said Richard Petty, owner of Richard Petty Motorsports and Petty’s Garage high performance speed shop. “I couldn’t think of a better occasion to be back on a track than at the only mid-Atlantic stop of this premier North American sports car racing series. VIR is an amazing road course and I’m looking forward to kicking off the big event – it’s going to be a day full of excitement!”

“It is an incredible honor to have ‘The King’ at VIR to kick off our largest and most exciting race of the season,” said Connie Nyholm, VIR owner and CEO. “Richard Petty is one of the most accomplished and respected figures in motorsports, and our fans and drivers are in for a race day they will truly never forget. We can’t wait to share this amazing experience with everyone in August!”

Charlotte Stories is now giving away 2 free tickets to next Sunday’s race. We will announce the winner tomorrow (Sunday, August 20th) night at 8pm via our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds.

Simply enter your name and email in the form below before 7pm tomorrow evening for a chance to win:

Advanced tickets for the Michelin GT Challenge race weekend are $40 for Friday-only, $45 for Saturday-only, $55 for Sunday-only, $65 for a two-day Saturday and Sunday ticket, and $75 for a three-day ticket. All tickets will be an additional $10 if purchased at the gate. Children 16 and under are admitted free of charge with a paying adult and parking is also free. Active military are admitted free of charge and veterans receive a 50 percent discount with valid military ID. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.virnow.com or call (434) 822-TIKS.

UNC Charlotte Early College High School Trains a New Generation of Charlotte Teachers

Bryant Carter
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UNC Charlotte Early College High School Trains a New Generation of Charlotte Teachers

 

chancellor-welcome-ctec-600px UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip L. Dubois welcomes Charlotte Teacher Early College’s first students.

This fall, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are partnering to launch an early college high school program that prepares Charlotte students to be the city’s next wave of teachers.

On Aug. 7, 50 students were welcomed into the inaugural class of Charlotte Teacher Early College. This five-year program offers a mix of high school and college courses for students interested in education careers.

All CMS high school freshman are eligible for the program. According to UNC Charlotte, CTEC students will complete two years of high school classes, then take free college courses for their intended field. During their study, students will get hands-on training interning at urban high schools.

CTEC students will graduate with a high school diploma, a Certificate of Advanced Standing in Education and a minimum of 60 hours of course credits towards any North Carolina public college.

The Early college is a part of a growing trend of specialized programs showing up across the country. It was designed to fill North Carolina’s need for well-trained teachers. The Charlotte Observer reported that days before the Aug. 28 start of school, there were still teacher vacancies to fill, though that has improved since last year.

The program comes after the success of Charlotte Engineering Early College, another early school which opened in 2014. CEEC provides STEM classes for students entering engineering, and energy and sustainability jobs. Last semester, 75 junior CEEC students averaged a G.P.A of 3.2. Both programs are held in the Cato College of Education.

Although early in development, UNC Charlotte plans to build a CMS high school on the main campus using private and state funding. The new school would house the programs at a facility close to the campus football stadium.

For more information visit Charlotte Teacher Early College’s website, or got to  Charlotte Engineering Early College’s   site to learn about their classes.

Charlotte-area Duck Donuts Celebrating Great American Eclipse With Limited Edition Release

Steve
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Charlotte-area Duck Donuts Celebrating Great American Eclipse With Limited Edition Release

In honor of the Great American Eclipse coming to Charlotte this coming Monday (our region isn’t in the ‘band of totality‘, but we’ll still witness the sun darken by over 90%), Duck Donuts is now making a specially-themed assortment of donuts.

The total solar eclipse donuts feature warm, made-to-order doughnuts including; chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles, vanilla icing with Oreo and hot fudge drizzle, and chocolate icing topped with a marshmallow drizzle.

duck-donuts-eclipse-donuts

They will be available starting today, Aug. 19 through Monday, Aug. 21. You can buy them in half dozen, dozen and bucket assortments.

“Solar eclipse events are being planned across the country and we’re here to help bring an extra themed treat to the viewing party,” commented Russ DiGilio, founder and CEO of Duck Donuts, in a statement.

Both of the Charlotte-area Duck Donut locations (Dilworth and Huntersville) will be participating in the promotion.

$200 Million Bridge Between Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties Receives New Life This Week

Steve
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$200 Million Bridge Between Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties Receives New Life This Week

At this past Wednesday’s meeting of the CRTPO (Charlotte Regional Transportation Organization), the highly anticipated ‘Catawba River Crossing Corridor’ was officially approved and numbered as an NC road – an important step in the eventual planning, funding, and construction of a third bridge joining Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties.

The cost of the project is currently estimated to be around $200 million. The Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) of Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland counties would pay around 60%, and the CRTPO of Mecklenburg, Union, and Iredell counties would be responsible for funding about 40% of the project.

This past week’s decision includes a modification of the original ‘Garden Parkway’ plans to account for the massive new River District development;

catawba-crossing-project

Here is a map of the original plans for the Garden Parkway, which the final plans for the ‘Catawba River Crossing Corridor’ will most likely be based on;

new-bridge-over-the-catawba-crossing

Currently, there are only really two main roads that connect Charlotte with Gaston County – I-85 and 74 (Wilkinson Blvd.), which will usually both become backed up for miles during rush hour.

According to the Gaston Cleveland Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization, the total population of Gaston County grew by 3.2% between April 2010 and July 2015 (now estimated to be at 212,636 residents). The N.C. Office of State Budget and Management now expects that number to increase to 9.1% between 2020 and 2030.

What are your thoughts about the new bridge and Catawba River Crossing Corridor? 

Concord’s Alevo Corp. Filing For Bankruptcy – Laying Off All 290 Employees

Steve
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Concord’s Alevo Corp. Filing For Bankruptcy – Laying Off All 290 Employees

philip-morris-plant-concord-ncAlevo, the Swiss battery maker that took over the massive 2,100 acre Philip Morris cigarette factory in Concord has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said they will be laying off all 290 Concord workers.

They first purchased the old factory in 2014, promising millions of dollars in local economic development and hundreds of jobs for the city, but their global sales have fallen far short of their projections.

According to a statement released by the company, the succeeded in producing some truly “groundbreaking battery technology” at the Concord site, but production challenges left it short on financing, and although they’ve been actively seeking new funding, they weren’t able to find enough in time.

“This decision was driven by the formidable challenges of bringing a new technology into commercial production and lacking the financial wherewithal to continue on through repeated manufacturing delays,” Alevo Chief Financial Officer Peter Heintzelman said in a statement. “It is a sad day for our dedicated employees and partners, as well as for the promise of Alevo’s technology.”

The company just laid off 245 employees today and will be laying off the remaining 45 by this coming Sept. 30th. They’ve also begun the process of selling all their assets, as well as the old Phillip Morris Factory.

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Monday’s ‘Great American Eclipse’

Charlotte Stories
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Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Monday’s ‘Great American Eclipse’

everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-great-american-eclipseThe ‘Great American Eclipse’ will be rolling through the Carolinas this coming Monday afternoon (Aug. 21), starting at about 1pm EST.

It will be the first total eclipse to be seen by the entire country, from sea to shining sea, since 1918 (and the first total solar eclipse seen by anyone in the United States since 1979).

Because of this historic nature of this ‘American eclipse’, people from all over the country will be traveling to the ‘viewing band’ on Monday – millions will be traveling to the Carolinas from the big cities in the Northeast and Florida and both Carolina have already started prepping emergency crews and warning drivers of delays on the road.

Who will be able to see the ‘Great American Eclipse’?

The US Census Bureau, estimates that there are about 20 million people living in eclipses’ ‘path of totality’, including portions of 14 states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Government officials now think that that number could swell to over 100 million as Americans from every part of the country travel to the ‘path of totality’ over the weekend.

The following video fly’s over the eclipse’s totality band, starting in Salem, OR and ending in Charleston, SC:

What time does the eclipse begin and end?

The eclipse will gradually sweep across the country, starting at about 12pm EST in Salem, OR (9am PST) and ending at about 4:15pm EST in Charleston, SC.

Along the path of totality, the sun will be completely darkened for approximately 2 minutes.

Here’s a chart showing the times the eclipse will be visible in major cities across the country:

solar-eclipse-in-charlotte

What happens during an eclipse?

The sky will darken, temperatures will drop, stars will appear, animals will exhibit strange behavior, and the moon will become a total black orb, cutting across the face of the sun. Once the sun is darkened, you’ll be able to see. You will also be able to observe Baily’s Beads (specks of sunlight around the lunar crust).

At totality, you’ll also be able to see the sun’s corona – an extremely hot ring of solar flares and burning plasma.

Here’s what the total solar eclipse will look like from Earth:

Do I need eclipse glasses to view the eclipse?

Yes (unless you only open your eyes during the 1-2 minutes of eclipse totality, which is almost impossible) – even if 99% of the sun is covered during the eclipse, the remaining 1% of the sun’s rays is dangerous enough to cause serious eye damage or blindness.

Many locations across the Carolinas have already ran out of stock on solar eclipse glasses, but you can still buy them on Amazon and select 1-2 day shipping to receive them before Monday.

The American Astronomical Society has identified four manufacturers that are selling eclipse glasses that meet the international safety standard: American Paper Optics, Rainbow Symphony, and TSE 17. Safe glasses should have a reference number of ISO 12312-2 on the front or sides of the frame.

Make sure your glasses aren’t scratched or damaged before using them!

Can I use a smartphone to photograph the eclipse?

Yes, you’ll be able to take pictures of both a partial and total solar eclipse without a solar filter using your smartphone. NASA says the lens in many smartphones is too small to be damaged by the sun’s rays.

What if it’s cloudy?

Even if the weather is overcast on Monday, the sky will still darken during totality, and animals will still act strangely.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Clemson, South Carolina will be one of the best places to view the total solar eclipse on the East Coast with a 75% chance of viewable conditions on Aug. 21. Charleston has a 53% chance of viewable conditions, and Columbia has a 44% chance.

CMPD Has Increased Patrols Around Charlotte’s Confederate Monuments

Steve
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CMPD Has Increased Patrols Around Charlotte’s Confederate Monuments

main-pillarIn light of this past weekend’s White Supremacy rally in Charlottesville and the illegal removal of a Confederate statue in Durham, the CMPD announced this week that they will be heightening security at Charlotte’s 2 Confederate memorials in Elmwood Cemetary and CPCC’s Central Campus.

Officers are being instructed to perform periodic checks of the memorials and to monitor activity around the sites.

Charlotte’s largest confederate monument sits in Elmwood Cemetery in the Northwest corner of Uptown. It includes several large markers around the perimeter;

remeberance-statue

This one was moved from Old City Hall on Trade Street after it was vandalized in 2015;

confederate-stone-in-uptown-charlotte-cemetary

The memorial features one of the largest obelisks in Charlotte in its center (which reads: To The Confederate Soldiers of Mecklenburg County – Erected by The Women of Charlotte 1887);

confederate-memorial-pillar-in-uptown-charlotte

And over 250 grave markers for Confederate soldiers surrounding the center obelisk;

rows-of-confederate-monuments

Charlotte’s second Confederate monument stands in front of Memorial Stadium on the campus of CPCC Central. It commemorates a reunion of Confederate veterans in Charlotte in June of 1929, and includes an inscription that reads; “they preserved the Anglo-Saxon civilization of the South.”

cpcc-confederate-statue

Although Governor Cooper just announced that he will be taking steps to remove all confederate monuments in North Carolina, there’s no telling when or if the monuments here in Charlotte would ever be removed.

The governor would have to change the currently standing law that prevents any historical monuments from being moved or taken down, and he is going to have an uphill battle against the Republicans, who still have a super majority in the North Carolina General Assembly.

It’s also unclear what monuments Governor Cooper was referring to when he made his announcement – does he just want to remove confederate statues, or all monuments, including grave markers?

What are your thoughts about the Confederate monuments in Charlotte?

Do you think they should be removed?

New Mixed-Use Development Would Be The Largest Charlotte Has Seen In Decades

Steve
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New Mixed-Use Development Would Be The Largest Charlotte Has Seen In Decades

new-north-charlotte-projectNew York Based ATCO Properties recently purchased 75 acres of historic warehouse space, just north of Center City. The firm has now submitted a rezoning petition for would be the largest mixed-use development our city has seen in decades.

Their development proposal includes 1.5 million square feet of office space (Duke Energy’s “handlebar” skyscraper is about 1.3 million square feet); 1,500 apartments (The Vue has 409 apartments); 200,000 square feet of retail (Atherton Mills has about 100,000 square feet of retail); 80,000 square feet of eating, drinking and entertainment establishments (enough for about 12 new restaurants and bars); and 65,000 square feet of light industrial uses.

The family-owned ATCO Properties & Management Company has quietly purchased large deeds of land between Statesville Rd and N. Graham St. over the past year, including; 1701 N. Graham St., 1801 Statesville Ave., 901 Woodward St. and 9210 Woodward St., 1776 Statesville Ave. for a total of $16.9 million, according to Mecklenburg County tax records:

new-development-in-north-charlotte

The properties currently sit in Charlotte’s ‘applied innovation corridor’, according to its 2020 Vision Plan, identifying that part of town to be focused on tech firms and new startup companies.

ATCO has called the new development ‘Camp North End’, and in keeping with the city’s 2020 plan, the development will include dedicated space for tech start-ups and many adaptive-use aspects.

What do you think about the new ‘Camp North End’ development?

“Crowds on Demand” Posts Charlotte Craigslist Ad Offering $25/Hr For Paid Protesters

Steve
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“Crowds on Demand” Posts Charlotte Craigslist Ad Offering $25/Hr For Paid Protesters

“Crowds on Demand” claims to be “Your home for protests, rallies, audiences, PR stunts, and celebrity events” according to their website.

10 Days ago they posted an ad in the tv/film/video/radio job section of Charlotte’s Craigslist asking for, “enthusiastic actors and photographers in the Charlotte, NC area to participate in…everything from rallies to protests to corporate PR stunts to celebrity scenes.”

paid-protestor-ad-in-charlotte

Ever since the ad was posted on August 6th, forums and chat rooms on 4chan and Reddit have blown up with speculations of what ‘rallies’ or ‘protests’ respondents to this ad might have participated in. Some have suggested that the White Supremacists in Charlottesville were hired by this company, and others suggested the BLM and counter-protesters in Charlottesville were paid. Some have even suggested that the ‘Vigil for Charlottesville‘ held in Uptown Charlotte’s Marshall Park on Sunday evening was organized by paid protesters.

There’s been such an uproar that Snopes.com decided to investigate. They contacted the organization and asked them specifically if they were involved with the Charlottesville protests. ‘Crowds on Demand’ CEO Adam Swart replied in a written statement:

“We were not involved in any capacity with the recent tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those impacted by the violence.”

Snopes then decided to call the organization to find out more. During their conversation, Swart told them that while Crowds on Demand is not a politically partisan company, and provides its services to any political party, they “don’t work with hate groups.” When asked if the company would provide actors for protests against hate groups, Swart did not give a direct answer — but did say they do not put actors into situations that might prove dangerous for them.

charlotte-skyline-at-vigil-small

Sunday night’s ‘Vigil for Charlottesville’ in Uptown Charlotte was organized by a local organization called Indivisible Charlotte, and since the group sent out their first invite just 24 hours before the meeting itself, it seems highly unlikely that ‘Crowds on Demand’ could have organized something in such a short amount of time.

‘Crowds on Demand’ has not released any additional information about what, if any, events they have been involved with or who is funding their organization.

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