Over 100,000 NC Residents Have Submitted Absentee Ballots – Here’s How You Can Submit Yours

Charlotte Stories
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Over 100,000 NC Residents Have Submitted Absentee Ballots – Here’s How You Can Submit Yours

As the Covid-19 virus continues to spread, an increasing number of North Carolina residents are deciding to follow in the footsteps of President Trump and vote absentee from home instead of voting in person in potentially crowded lines and packed hallways.

As of this past Friday, over 100,000 absentee ballots were already accepted by the N.C. State Board of Elections:

The process of requesting and submitting an absentee ballot in our state is fairly straightforward.

Any registered voter in the state has the ability to request a mail-in absentee ballot for the upcoming November 2020 election without any particular reason is needed.

To request one, you can fill out the NC absentee ballot request form here, before Tuesday, October 27 at 5 p.m.

To fill out the ballot, you must include your date of birth and either your driver’s license number or your last four digits of your SSN.

You must also have at least 1 witness present who must sign the absentee return envelope, certifying that the voter marked their ballot and is the registered voter submitting the ballot.

To be counted, your absentee ballot must be returned to the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2020.

You can find out more about how to fill out and submit your absentee ballot here.

South Carolina Teacher Fired Over ‘Inexcusable’ Facebook Post

Charlotte Stories
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South Carolina Teacher Fired Over ‘Inexcusable’ Facebook Post

A South Carolina teacher has just been fired for posting an ‘inexcusable’ Facebook post.

According to Florence 1 school’s Superintendent Richard O’Malley, Mardrette Kemp is ‘no longer employed by the school district’.

“Upon learning about this post, administrators took immediate action,” O’Malley said in a statement. “I am disgusted and disappointed by the content of this post, especially one made by an educator.”

Mardrette Kemp’s post included her commenting, “Hahahahahahaha” over a photo of a vulgar sign read “f*** George Floyd and f**** Jacob Blake too! f**** Black Lives Matter!”

She also has a history of sharing controversial posts, including a meme that read, “Wonder if BLM is headed to Louisiana to help Blacks affected by Hurricane Laura?”

and a post about the Democrat’s president and vice president nominees:

Panthers’ WR Muhsin Muhammad Helps Open Charlotte Region’s Only Back Yard Burgers

Charlotte Stories
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Panthers’ WR Muhsin Muhammad Helps Open Charlotte Region’s Only Back Yard Burgers

Legendary Panthers’ WR Muhsin Muhammad has just helped to open a new burger restaurant in Gastonia – Back Yard Burgers.

Muhammad (aka ‘Moose’) spent 11 years pulling in catches for the Carolina Panthers and is now a managing partner with Axum Capital Partners, an investment firm that owns the national burger chain.

This week, the firm announced the opening of the only Back Yard Burgers in the Charlotte region (other locations had been open around the Charlotte region, but all closed over the past 20 years).

Back Yard Burger’s new Gastonia location is located at 3415 E Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia. It’s the first location in the Charlotte region and the 45th in the country.

Have you tried Back Yard Burgers yet?

US Department of Labor Finds NC Peanut Manufacturer Violated Child Labor Laws

Charlotte Stories
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US Department of Labor Finds NC Peanut Manufacturer Violated Child Labor Laws

After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Severn Peanut Co. Inc. – a peanut manufacturer based in Severn, North Carolina – has paid $82,820 in back wages and liquidated damages to 100 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer also paid a civil penalty of $3,619 for federal child labor violations.

WHD found Severn Peanut Co. Inc. failed to pay employees for work they performed before or after their scheduled shifts after the employer adjusted the time records to reflect scheduled shift start and stop times, regardless of when employees actually began or stopped working. This practice resulted in overtime violations when this unpaid pre- and post-shift work time moved employees past 40 hours in the workweek, and overtime was not paid. By altering time records, the employer failed to maintain an accurate record of the number of hours employees had actually worked which led to recordkeeping violations.

In addition, WHD found that Severn Peanut Co. Inc. allowed two minor employees to engage in a prohibited hazardous occupation when they cleaned parts in various plant machinery, a violation of FLSA child labor requirements.

“Child labor laws exist to strike a balance between providing meaningful work experience for young people and keeping them safe on the job,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Richard Blaylock, in Raleigh, North Carolina. “The U.S. Department of Labor encourages all employers to review their employment obligations and to contact us for compliance assistance. Violations like the wage issues as well as the child labor violations found in this investigation can be avoided.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/whd.

How To Sell A House With Tenants That Aren’t Paying Rent

Christine Taylor
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How To Sell A House With Tenants That Aren’t Paying Rent

When you decide to sell your property, it’s important that you understand how to do it properly. First of all, you should never ignore the fact that selling your home will require some extra efforts on your part. The problem that many people have with selling their property is that they think that this will not be a big deal and that it can be easily accomplished. However, there are certain things that need to be considered when selling your property. 

Some sellers tend to ignore the fact that they might have some problems when they try to sell the house to the right buyer. Adding tenants or renters to the mix only makes things more complicated. Fortunately, there are lots of companies, like Fair Cash Deal, that help you sell your house fast since you don’t have to list your property.

This article is going to give you some tips that’ll help sell your property quickly and easily. By following these tips, you’ll be able to sell your property without too much effort.

Make Use Of We-buy-houses Companies

When it comes to selling your property that still has some tenants, there are some things that need to keep in mind. You should only list your property if you can prove that you’re the right owner. This means that you have to prove that you’re the person who should be taking the rent from the tenant. 

If you’re not able to prove it, then it’s better for you not to list your property on the market. If this is the case for you, you can find a company, like Element Home Buyers, to help you sell your home quickly even without listing it.

Consult A Real Estate Lawyer

A “lease cancellation for sale” clause may also stipulate that the tenant must first pay the late rent payment in full.  In order to determine whether or not your lease cancels out, it is best to consult with a real estate lawyer to see whether or not you’re getting a good deal. 

A real estate lawyer knows the ins and outs of leasing and can help sell your house fast. Once you’ve determined that you’re getting a good deal on your sale, it’ll be a good idea to talk to a local real estate agent in your area about selling your property. 

Although most agents charge a fee for letting a client know when they’re selling a rental property, it’s much less than if you had an attorney to handle your case.

Know Your Tenant’s Rights

It’s important to know your tenants’ rights because this will help you get what you need in terms of profit from your property. If you don’t follow these laws, you could end up with a negative effect on your rental unit and in legal trouble. 

Some landlords will allow their tenants to stay in their rental units until they are sold and they do not have to pay anything until they actually leave. Even though the property belongs to you, you have to make sure you go about selling the property the right way, if not it can cost you a lot of time, money, and headaches.

Read All Clauses On Your Lease Agreement

Most lease agreements come with clauses stating that any tenant who doesn’t pay their rent in full within the specified time period (usually one to two weeks) has to either pay any late fees and rent or leave the premises. This can save a landlord a lot of money because it means they don’t have to pay expensive legal fees that would otherwise have to be paid if these clauses were not included in the contract. 

Usually, a ‘lease cancellation for sale’ clause provides renters with at least a few days of notice before their ‘rights to cancel’ are enforced. In some cases, it may even allow renters to leave voluntarily even if their lease isn’t over. 

This type of clause usually only applies to apartment complexes and multi-unit residential buildings, but there are some exceptions to the rule.

Conclusion

There are many different things that you can do when it comes to selling your rental property. It’s up to you to decide which options will work best for you. 

Although selling your house while people are still living there might seem difficult, remember there are plenty of ways you can go about this. Tenants living in a property and avoiding to pay rent can not only be stressful but can cost you money in the long run. 

If you have complications because of a tenant, it’s always best if you contact a real estate lawyer as they can help you with the hard work.

A Closer Look at Charlotte’s New MLS Team

Robert Tilman
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A Closer Look at Charlotte’s New MLS Team

When they begin to play in 2022, Charlotte FC (a franchise owned by David Tepper) will be the first MLS team in the Carolinas. The news was exciting for soccer fans in Charlotte – even more so than playing online keno – and with a potential to play in front of 40,000 fans at the Bank of America stadium, joining Charlotte is an attractive proposition for many soccer players. 

Who created Charlotte’s new MLS team…and who’s in charge?

Charlotte FC were created soon after self-made billionaire David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers NFL team in 2018. He hired Tom Glick from Manchester City FC in the UK as the new team president, but also tasked him with looking into a potential MLS franchise deal for a team in the Carolinas. 

There were already a few lower level soccer teams in North and South Carolina, but none had the potential to necessarily become a professional MLS side. However, there was clear soccer potential in Charlotte due to the popularity of the sport in the area and the Bank of America Stadium’s suitability for hosting soccer matches – it had already done so on a number of occasions. 

Between July 2019 and July 2020, Tepper secured funding for the project from the Charlotte City Council and financed redevelopment for the Bank of America Stadium to become soccer friendly. An expansion fee of $325 million was the reported figure that Tepper had to part with in order to finalise the deal. Charlotte FC were officially announced as the expansion team in December 2019. 

At this moment in time, the team do not have a head coach, and only have the one player – Sergio Ruiz who signed from Racing Santander in July 2020. The team were supposed to begin playing in 2021, but this has been pushed back to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Looking to the future: the academy, transfers, and coaches

The new Charlotte team has been quick to establish an academy side for the club, with Dan Lock appointed as the Academy Manager in late February of this year. Sporting Director Zoran Krneta has already spoken of his intentions to pump the first team full of young, American talent, and with Lock’s experience both in the MLS and abroad in England with the FA, Charlotte’s future soccer scene looks bright.

One of the biggest decisions that Krneta and Tepper will have to make is the head coach appointment. The Sporting Director has already made it clear that the club want a head coach, rather than a manager, and that the ideal candidate needs to be ‘attacking oriented, and possibly very pressing oriented’. 

The club have a shortlist of coaches they’re considering for the position, and are reportedly pleased with the candidates that they’ve whittled it down to. Earlier in the year, ex Atlanta-United boss Tata Martino tipped Charlotte to look at US boss Gregg Berhalter, and the coach of Sporting Kansas City, Peter Vermes, but it is unclear whether either of these candidates were contacted.

Soccer fans in the Carolinas will have to wait until 2021 to see a professional MLS team play locally. However, Charlotte FC is an exciting project, and could be the next big thing in the MLS…

 

Needs City Funding: Charlotte Music Scene is Down and Out

Robert Tilman
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Needs City Funding: Charlotte Music Scene is Down and Out

Venue owners in Charlotte are saying that they are almost at breaking point because they have been unable to open their businesses for nearly six months, due to the current and former COVID restrictions.

On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper made a shift to move Charlotte into Phase 2.5 reopening, which included museums, bowling alleys, and gyms. The move went into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday. However, the latest order doesn’t include entertainment facilities that hold events indoors, as well as bars and nightclubs.

Joe Kuhlmann, who owns The Evening Muse, says that the music industry has taken a huge hit and is going to need some serious help if they are to survive the pandemic. He continued by explaining that even if music venues like his own were able to open and have up to 25 people inside, which is the current maximum, this wouldn’t be enough to keep the doors open.

City Council Needs to Step In

The Independent Venue Alliance of Charlotte says that the City Council needs to be doing a lot more than they are to help fund businesses in the music industry to stay afloat. They are going to need access to millions of federal funding dollars in order to avoid completely collapsing.

With music venues everywhere in the states suffering a unique blow as a result of the current epidemic, people have no choice but to close the doors of their business for good. To bridge the gap, consider a personal or title loan. Google ‘instant online title loan’ to learn more about additional business funding options.

The Venue Alliance says that they have officially arrived at breaking point, and if music venues in the Charlotte area don’t get the help that they need soon, there aren’t going to be any of them left when the pandemic officially passes.

Meager Amount of Help for Small Businesses

Cory Burkarth, the spokesman for the city, says that there is help available for businesses that are either medium-sized or small, and this includes music venues. The city has begun to hand out $30 million from the federal CAREs Act to help provide financial aid to small businesses.

This financial relief program includes businesses that have already received help through the Paycheck Protection Program. Burkarth says that they understand the plight of businesses both big and small and that they’re working hard to try and support businesses, from the owners to the employees. 

The Charlotte Alliance, which was originally formed to share information about reopening restrictions and guidelines, includes 13 venues in the Charlotte area. Included in this are music venues like Skylark Social Club, The Tipsy Burro, and The Thirsty Beaver.

The wider Independent Venue Association includes as many as 2,400 members around the country. The group has talked about how restaurants can offer takeout options, and breweries have outdoor settings where they can hold more patrons, while music venues have no choice but to remain closed and watch as the bills pile up.

How to Choose a Photobook Maker

Robert Tilman
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How to Choose a Photobook Maker

A photobook can take your holiday or every day photos and turn them into a professionally looking book of pictures. To make the best photobook you will have to use the best photo book maker.

There are dozens of sites online where you can make a photobook to either send digitally or print into physical form. It makes it quite difficult to select a photobook maker to use.

The following are things you should consider to help you make the right choice:

Range of Services

A site that offers photobook making services should offer many different services. The more services they can perform the better, as it assures you that they will come through with the services you need.

There should be a wide variety of options as far as the book’s paper types, layouts, and formats. That way you are allowed to be as creative as you desire when creating your photobook.

A service might be limited to a certain size which is a huge red flag. You want a photo book maker who can perform their services on any size of photobook. That includes printing, binding, and customization.

Creative Control

You also want a photobook maker that gives you as much creative control as you need. The features and range of services will allude to the amount of creative control that is possible for you to have.

The more flexible and versatile the photobook maker is, the better the photobook that you can produce. You will most likely make a lot of changes when designing and creating your photobook, so a photobook maker should accommodate any changes you might want.

It should be as easy as possible for you to change designs as well as rectify mistakes. The site should have adequate features to accommodate all of your design specifications.

Accountability

When selecting a photo book maker, you should choose one that you can hold accountable in case of any mishaps. Such disputes should be able to be resolved quickly and without going to court.

Printing issues come up occasionally. Issues that can arise include printing too little or excess pages, lack of inventory, and delivery issues.

When such issues arise, you want to be able to have the ability to hold the photo book maker accountable for their actions and receive your due diligence.

Costs

Finally, you will have to consider the cost of printing or making photobooks with a certain maker. It is especially important to consider the cost if you are printing the book yourself so as to sell to others.

A good photo book maker will charge you for each page in the book. Though a difference of a dollar a page may not seem like much, when printing a thousand books with a hundred pages each, it becomes a serious issue.

You should always go for affordability of the photobook. However, never spare expenses at the cost of quality or you will regret it.

A Guide on How to Measure Windows and Doors

Robert Tilman
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A Guide on How to Measure Windows and Doors

If you are planning to embark on updating your Oakville windows or doors in your house, understanding how to measure windows and doors will come in handy. This offers you strong grounds when it comes to your conversation with a door and window conversation and it is a good starting point when shopping for the new windows for your project.

It doesn’t matter the reason why you are considering new doors or windows-the measuring step should be gotten right from the start, rest you could end up with wrong measurements and hence oversize or undersize windows. This could turn out to be costly, especially where you have to resize the windows. It is also time-consuming. So, to make the process of taking measurements for the Oakville windows and doors, here at Total Home Oakville, we have compiled this guide to help you throughout the process. Take a sneaky peek below.

  • 3 Simple Steps for Measuring Patio Oakville Windows and Doors

When measuring your Oakville windows and doors, have a recording material for the measurements. You can use online software to help you keep the readings, or you can use a notebook for the same (whichever works best for you). What is important is ensuring you keep the records safe so you can present them when needed. 

Measure the height and the width, and then note them down. For precision, repeat the measurement and see if you will notice any difference between the two measurements.

Because Oakville windows and doors come in different styles and designs, use the following guidelines for accuracy:

  • Awning and Casement Windows
  • Use the base to measure the width of these types of windows. Your tape measure should touch jamb to jamb or trim to trim while running horizontally.
  • Their heights are measured by running the tape measure from header to sill horizontally, or from drywall to sill.
  • Put these measurements on your recording material so that you do not forget.
  • Sliding, Double or Single-Hung Windows
  • The width of these windows is taken from the center. To determine the mid-point of the windows, check where the sashes meet. There you have it. Your tape measure should touch jamb to jamb horizontally or from trim to trim.
  • Use your tape measure vertically to measure the height of your Oakville windows. It should touch the header to sill or drywall to the sill.
  • Note down the measurements after you are done on each side.
  • Hinged French Patio or Sliding Doors
  • These doors are best measured from the outside. So, you have to get outside your home so you can be facing your door from this side.
  • The width measurement is taken from the middle point of the door. Since these doors are fitted in different home designs, measure them from siding to siding horizontally from the center. Other ends include from stucco to stucco or from brick to brick.
  • The horizontal measurements record the height of your door. They can be from siding to the door sill’s bottom, edge of stucco to the door sill’s bottom, or header to the door sill’s bottom.
  • The most important step of the measuring process is to record the height and width measurements.
  • Measuring Entry Doors
  • Position your tape measure at the center of your door and measure its width horizontally from this point. Let your tape measure touch your door panel from end to end.
  • The vertical measurements from your panel’s end to end help you collect the height of your door. 
  • Note down these measurements properly on your recording material for future reference. 

Once you are done measuring your units, it is time to go shopping. With the right dimensions and a manufacturing style in mind, you can approach several reputable suppliers for the purchase and installation. Slow down while selecting a match so you don’t end with the most expensive supplier in the market offering the same products and services as fellow competitors. 

 

New Images of The New $273 Million Casino 30 Miles West of Charlotte

Charlotte Stories
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New Images of The New $273 Million Casino 30 Miles West of Charlotte

Amid the pandemic, the Catawba Indian Tribe and several area developers have continued to progress on the new $273 million casino just west of Charlotte.

The massive facility will include a 195,000-square-foot casino with 1,796 electronic gaming devices and 54 table games, as well as a 1,500 room hotel, several restaurants with seating for 940 people, and a full concert and event venue.

Here are some newly released images of what will soon be the closest casino to Charlotte:

rendering of back of casino
rendering of front of casino
companies partnered to develop and manage the casino

The facility will be located at northwestern quadrant of the intersection of Kings Mountain Blvd. and I-85 (Exit 5) in Kings Mountain, about 30 miles west of Charlotte:

What do you think about the new casino?

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