Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of dental products and technologies, is once again organizing a free dental clinic in partnership with TeamSmile, the Carolina Panthers and the Rho Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to help ensure that underprivileged Charlotte youth have access to much-needed dental care.

The free dental clinic will provide youth no-cost dental care while offering exciting activities such as meet-and-greets with professional athletes, mascots, cheerleaders, and a lively DJ. Face painters and Dentsply Sirona employees volunteering onsite will ensure a memorable experience for all attendees. Organizers are expecting over 200 youth to attend this year, where they’ll receive free dental check-ups, treatments, and oral health education. The need for such program is clear: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children aged 5 to 19 from low-income families are twice as likely (25%) to have cavities compared to children from higher-income households (11%).

WHAT: Dentsply Sirona to partner with TeamSmile and the Carolina Panthers for a free dental clinic to benefit Charlotte youth.

WHO:

Andrea Frohning, SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer at Dentsply Sirona

Carolina Panthers team members and representatives

TeamSmile representatives

Rho Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Charlotte youth

WHEN:

Friday, January 31

9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 WHERE:

Druid Hills Academy, Auxiliary Gym

2801 Lucena Street

Charlotte, NC 28206

 Further information about TeamSmile is available at https://teamsmile.org/

Nationwide, rents fell another 0.2% in January – the sixth consecutive month of decline, according to the latest report from ApartmentList. January typically marks the “bottom” of the rental market each year, before rents start to rise in the spring.

• Rents in Charlotte fell 0.1% in January, compared to a 0.2% decrease nationwide.
• Year-over-year rent growth in Charlotte now stands at -2.8%, down from -2.5% one year ago.
• Today the median rent in Charlotte is $1,270 for a one-bedroom unit and $1,385 for a two-bedroom unit. And the citywide apartment vacancy rate stands at 8.4%, up 0.6 percentage points from this time last year.

North Carolina-based Boom Supersonic has successfully conducted a supersonic test flight, reinforcing the state’s reputation as “First in Flight.” On Tuesday, the company’s XB-1 aircraft became the first privately funded airplane to break the sound barrier.

Flying at approximately 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) over the Mojave Desert, the pilot accelerated the XB-1 to Mach 1.1, or about 845 mph (1,360 kph), shattering the speed of sound.

Boom Supersonic’s Overture is designed to carry 64-80 passengers across the Atlantic in approximately 3.5 hours. The company has already secured 130 orders and pre-orders from major airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

Last year, Boom Supersonic completed construction of its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it plans to build 66 Overture aircraft annually. This advancement brings supersonic commercial travel closer to reality.

Charlotte has just awarded $3.8 million by the NCDOT to repair numerous sections of overly pot-holed roads around our city.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation awarded the contract to Blythe Brothers Asphalt Co., LLC, to improve just over nine miles of roadway.

The project includes milling, resurfacing, shoulder reconstruction, curb ramps, driveways, and pavement markings. Work will take place on sections of N.C. 115/Old Statesville Road, including:

• Cornelius St. near the Iredell County line to Cornelius Street
• Hambright Rd to Independence Hill Dr.
• Hambright Rd to Damson Dr.
• Vance Davis Dr. to Solstice Way

The total improvements will also include parts of Charlotte’s Asbury Chapel Road, Riverside Drive, and Washam Potts Road.

Work is currently slated to start in mid-February and finish by summer 2026.

North Carolina’s first full-service postpartum retreat will open to the public this week.

Ziva Postpartum Retreat is located inside of the Le Meridien Hotel Charlotte at 555 S McDowell St. Tower. The retreat will offer new moms around-the-clock nursery access, lactation consultants, postpartum doula care, meditation and yoga classes, a mother’s lounge, meals and snacks, and add-on services such as postnatal massages, pedicures and manicures.

The retreat is also accepting bookings for new and expectant mothers, and the soft opening will include refreshments and beverages, music, and tours of the retreat.

Founded by entrepreneurs Selena Williams and Lauren Hall, the retreat’s soft opening comes ahead of its grand opening to the public on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.