An earthquake struck the North Carolina rainforest this morning at 9:35 AM, 7 km SE of Brevard, NC.

This morning’s quake had a magnitude of 2.3 and a 9.4 km depth, according to USGS.

This brings the total so far this year to 15 quakes in and around the area of the NC rainforest, with the largest being a magnitude 2.7 quake from back in March.

If you don’t yet know about the NC rainforest, here’s a great video explaining where it is and what is unique about it.

Earthquakes have been increasing in frequency around the Charlotte region over the past few years. Last year, we experienced the largest earthquake in over 100 years when a 5.1 magnitude quake hit Sparta, NC, and since then, dozens of aftershocks have continued to rattle our state.

According to USGS.gov, “Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.”

Have you felt any of the quakes?

Despite intense opposition from residents, Charlotte City Council reversed course Monday and restored support for the controversial I-77 South toll lanes.

Council voted 7-4 following an hours-long special meeting packed with opponents. Chants of “No More Tolls” eventually led officials to remove several people.

Councilmembers Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo provided the key votes needed for the reversal. Both had voted in May to withdraw Charlotte’s support for the project.

The proposed project would add roughly 11 miles of toll lanes between Uptown and the South Carolina state line.

Supporters say the lanes could provide more reliable travel as Charlotte continues growing. Opponents have raised concerns about tolling, displacement and impacts on west Charlotte neighborhoods.

However, the political stakes changed after Charlotte withdrew its support. State lawmakers passed legislation requiring local governments to repay certain NCDOT costs if the project remained blocked. NCDOT has identified nearly $70 million in expenses tied to the project.

State officials also offered up to $300 million in community investments along the corridor. Those benefits could include infrastructure, neighborhood improvements and relocation assistance.

Graham and Mayo had pushed for legally enforceable commitments surrounding those benefits before changing their positions.

Questions about the financial pressure also surfaced before Monday’s vote.

A legal memo released through Sustain Charlotte challenged several assumptions presented to council. Attorney Megan Kimball argued Charlotte might not be responsible for the entire $70 million.

She calculated Charlotte’s potential share at roughly $29.3 million based on its weighted CRTPO voting percentage. The memo also questioned whether transportation sales-tax revenue could cover those costs.

Sustain Charlotte strongly criticized Monday’s reversal afterward. The group said council had yielded to pressure from state lawmakers and interests supporting the project.

Renee Johnson, J.D. Mazuera Arias, LaWana Mayfield and Victoria Watlington voted against restoring support.

The decision now moves the fight back to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

CRTPO is scheduled to vote Wednesday, with Charlotte’s representative supporting the project.

Wegmans is already looking toward a second Charlotte-area location before opening its first store next month. This time, the popular grocer is targeting the Lake Norman area.

The company now has an agreement with Atrium Health to purchase property in Cornelius which sits next to the Atrium Health Lake Norman hospital complex at the southwest corner of Westmoreland Road and Statesville Road.

The company says it is evaluating the site for a future grocery store and other possible uses. If approved, it would become Wegmans’ second location in Mecklenburg County.

Wegmans is quickly preparing to open its highly anticipated first Charlotte location in Ballantyne on October 14.

The 110,000-square-foot supermarket at 11550 North Community House Rd will feature full-sized produce, seafood, meat, bakery, deli, cheese, and alcohol sections, as well as a market café and indoor and outdoor seating areas. Wegmans expects to employ approximately 450 people at the Ballantyne location.

The Ballantyne store will become Wegmans’ fifth supermarket in North Carolina. Wegmans currently operates stores in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, West Cary and Wake Forest. The Rochester-based chain first entered North Carolina in 2019.

The Cornelius agreement signals that Wegmans may be moving quickly to expand across the Charlotte market. Earlier reports indicated the company has considered multiple locations throughout the region.

One of Charlotte’s biggest transportation fights returns to City Council tonight, four months after leaders voted to halt the project. Council members are expected to reconsider the controversial I-77 South Toll Lanes proposal during a special meeting.

In May, council voted 6-5 to withdraw support for the project’s public-private partnership funding model. Since then, the debate has shifted toward the financial consequences of stopping the project.

Charlotte could face a state repayment claim of about $70 million for preliminary project costs already incurred. That potential bill has become a major factor as council members reconsider their earlier position.

At the same time, NCDOT has offered potential community benefits along the I-77 corridor. Those could include bridge improvements, sidewalks, bike connections, relocation assistance and other neighborhood investments.

Some communities see those improvements as a chance to address damage caused by earlier highway construction. However, critics remain concerned about private tolling, neighborhood impacts and the overall project model.

Another controversy surfaced just one day before the vote. Sustain Charlotte released a public-records review examining NCDOT’s relationship with engineering firm HNTB.

NCDOT identifies HNTB as the project’s Program Manager and Commercial Advisor. Sustain Charlotte found several former senior NCDOT officials later joined HNTB.

Some of those former officials later worked on transportation projects involving the agency. However, Sustain Charlotte did not accuse anyone of violating laws or ethics rules.

Instead, the organization called for more disclosure about post-employment safeguards and HNTB’s financial role. It also highlighted HNTB’s relationship with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

The Alliance has supported the toll-lane proposal. Public records reviewed by Sustain Charlotte show HNTB and Cintra financially supported the organization in 2023.

Cintra is also connected to one team shortlisted to compete for the I-77 South concession. Sustain Charlotte argues those relationships deserve greater public scrutiny before another major vote.

Tonight’s decision could determine Charlotte’s position before another important regional vote later this week. Council members now face potential financial penalties, possible infrastructure investments and continued public opposition.

The outcome could again reshape the future of I-77 through Charlotte.