Belmont Bi-Lo Is Closing This Month – Most Items Are Now 30-40% Off

Steve
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Belmont Bi-Lo Is Closing This Month – Most Items Are Now 30-40% Off

I just stumbled on yet another Charlotte-area Bi-Lo store closing its doors. Last week, the Belmont Bi-Lo (6507 Wilkinson Blvd) announced they would be shutting down at the end of this month.

The manager told me the store was shutting down due to the landlord negotiating a better lease for the property with Food Lion.

Last week, most items were reduced by 15%…not very exciting, but I returned yesterday to discover that almost everything is reduced by 30-40%, including;

  • all medical and health items discounted by 40%

  • all frozen products discounted by 30%

  • most general grocery items discounted by 30%

  • and best of all… 20% off bacon (one of the few items reduced by less than 30%)

This new closing comes about a year after Bi-Lo announced they would be closing 94 underperforming stores across the country as part of a limited bankruptcy filing – including 9 stores around the Charlotte region.

Have you seen any other stores going out of business around the Charlotte?

Every Single CMS School Has Officially Become A ‘Safe Place’

Steve
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Every Single CMS School Has Officially Become A ‘Safe Place’

safe-place-in-charlotteThe Relatives and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools recently announced that all 168 of the district’s schools have been designated Safe Places for young people in crisis to get help. Each school will receive Safe Place signs and site training for all employees.

The Relatives is the Safe Place agency for Mecklenburg County and has partnered with National Safe Place since 1988 to create a local network of schools, businesses, churches, transportation services and community locations willing to become Safe Places. Any child or teen can seek help at a Safe Place location and will be connected to the Youth Crisis Center.

I recently attended on of the Relative’s open houses to find out more:

“The Relatives is elated that all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are now Safe Place locations,” said Trish Hobson, executive director of The Relatives. “CMS is a powerful addition to our local Safe Place network and will elevate awareness in the community about where kids in crisis can turn for help.”

In addition to signs and training, schools will receive door and window decals, laminated procedures sheets and TXT4Help cards. When a child or teen enters a Safe Place and asks for help, it triggers a process that includes finding a comfortable place for the child or teen to wait while the Safe Place employee calls the local Safe Place agency, which in Mecklenburg County is The Relatives. A qualified volunteer or agency staff member will arrive in 30 minutes or less to arrange the necessary help and professional services.

National Safe Place is a nonprofit organization based in Louisville, Ky. It began in 1983 as a local initiative and has grown into a national network with almost 20,000 locations in the U.S. designated Safe Places. In 2009, the network introduced TXT4HELP, which gives children and teens immediate access to help and resources through texting, including the Safe Place nearest to them.

In Mecklenburg County, Safe Place has nearly 30 partners in addition to CMS. The YMCA, the Charlotte Transit System, several churches, the Charlotte Fire Department, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and several restaurants are among the partners. Annual dues to participate are $100 for each non-profit location and $200 for each for-profit location. The funding for the annual CMS dues of $16,800 will be provided by the Student Services department.

“We are so pleased to be part of this network,” said Dr. Marion R. Bish, executive director of Student Services. “This is an item that has been a priority for me given that every QT gas station in the country is a Safe Place and our schools were not! We have trained schools previously in anticipation of this, and are doing another round of training in February.”

To learn more about Safe Place and The Relatives, click here.

Community Link To Provide Charlotte Residents With Free Tax Preparation This Saturday

Charlotte Stories
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Community Link To Provide Charlotte Residents With Free Tax Preparation This Saturday

Community Link, a nonprofit that helps people find affordable housing has just announced that they will be providing Charlotte residents with free tax preparation this weekend.

If your family earned $55,000 or less last year you are eligible to have your taxes done for free, but this weekend’s event is first-come, first-serve.

The free tax prep event will take place tomorrow, March 9th from 9am-3pm at Charlotte’s Community Link Headquarters (601 East 5th St.)

Charlotte’s Historic Music Venue Amos’ Southend Has Just Been Resurrected

Steve
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Charlotte’s Historic Music Venue Amos’ Southend Has Just Been Resurrected

Great news for Charlotte’s local music scene – one of our most historic venues has just been revived – Amos’ Southend

The historic music venue originally closed after the parking lot across the street was sold and set to be redeveloped. Owner John Ellison felt that there wouldn’t be enough parking for a venue the size of Amos’ Southend to continue to pack out shows.

The news came as a shock to local music fans, as Amos’ frequently hosted legendary acts from more unique genres around the world.

We made this tribute video when the venue closed, showing some of the biggest acts they brought to Charlotte;

Now, 2 years later, Ellison is opening a smaller version of Amos’ which will hold 600 people, as opposed to the prior Amos’, which held around 1,300 people. He is hoping the new RailYard development across the street, increased light rail usage, and decreased capacity will make up for the loss of the parking lot.

Ellison can also offset much of the building’s costs with his upgraded Gin Mill bar and restaurant, which now includes a large chunk of the old Amos venue, with a full bar, restaurant, a small stage.

The smaller new Amos’ Southend venue officially reopened this past Tuesday night with a lively performance by the Black Queens. Tonight the Killakoi will take the stage and Sunday night the space will host the band ‘Nothing‘.

They now have shows scheduled through this coming December. You can check out all the upcoming shows and buy tickets here.

Family Dollar Announces Plans To Close 390 Stores

Charlotte Stories
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Family Dollar Announces Plans To Close 390 Stores

Family Dollar has just announced plans to close 390 stores across the country as part of a plan to correct its downward course.

The discount chain was purchased by Dollar Tree in 2015 for $8.5 billion in the hopes that the combined company would be better positioned to compete against their larger competitors Dollar General and Walmart.

The almost 400 new closings this year will be in addition to the more than 120 it closed last year. The parent company will also re-brand roughly 200 Family Dollar stores into Dollar Tree stores this year.

In a press release, Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin commented, “we are confident we are taking the appropriate steps to reposition our Family Dollar brand.”

The company has not released the locations of which stores they will be closing.

There are currently 20 Family Dollar stores around the Charlotte region, with most of them being on Charlotte’s West Side and in Gaston County;

Now parent company Dollar Tree recently closed the Family Dollar headquarters in Matthews, NC, consolidating the 700 jobs into the Dollar Tree headquarters in Chesapeake, VA.

In-Home Senior Care and Why You May Need To Consider It

Steve
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In-Home Senior Care and Why You May Need To Consider It

Old age is the inevitable and final stage of life. Sadly, not everyone is ready to welcome it with an open mind. Some people are too attached to youthfulness and would resort to many anti-aging products and procedures. Others have a genuine fear of being sent away to a senior care facility and parted from their loved ones. However, choosing in-home senior care is a viable option.

What is In-Home Senior Care?

Senior care is usually associated with nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When a person reaches a ripe old age and starts to need assistance and medical attention, the usual options almost immediately include cities that are good for retirement which have these kinds of facilities. However, senior care doesn’t necessarily have to be given outside of the home, and this is what in-home senior care is about. Senior care services are readily available as caregivers will come to your home. In-home senior care usually entails:

  • Menu preparation
  • Physical therapy, if needed
  • Administration of medicines on time
  • Shopping for groceries and supplies
  • Personal care and hygiene like assistance in the bath and toilet
  • Assistance on outside activities like strolls and personal appointments

Why Consider In-Home Senior Care?

If you need more compelling reasons to consider going for in-home senior care, here are some to consider:

  1. Saves from Costs – Nursing homes and assisted living facilities will require periodic fees. You’ll have to pay for supplies, service fees, and facility maintenance. With in-home care, you can avoid paying for facility-related charges and other hidden fees. You can also opt to pay the caregiver per hour and then limit the hours the service is rendered. Designating rest days means you’ll only pay during days when the caregiver comes.
  2. Comfort – Since senior care services are done in the home, you or your elderly family member can live comfortably. The caregiver will also have fewer struggles in terms of cooperation as comfort comes with trust. And when other family members are around, they can also offer help or monitor the services given if it’s done properly or not.
  3. Safety – When a senior moves into a nursing home or a senior care center, they have to familiarize themselves with the new surroundings again. This could cause numerous incidents of slipping, losing balance, and other accidents as elderly patients would have to grope their way through the area, especially around home care Houston. Staying at home will spare your elderly loved one from such accidents as they’re already familiar with the place.
  4. Family Relationship – When you have close family ties, being away for just a day can already feel like a lifetime. If you have to live in a nursing home or senior care facility, you’ll have to live miles away from your family and face a life of loneliness. Meeting new friends at the facility could somehow compensate for this, but they can never replace your family. Many elderly patients fear not seeing their family anymore either due to an early passing or being abandoned. In-home senior care offers a life lived with the people you care about the most. You’re able to make the best out of your old age and lead a happy life.
  5. Freedom of Mobility – Aging can indeed slow down your ability to move as it can be painful and heavy. That’s why a wheelchair can become your friend. Nursing homes and assisted living centers are equipped with these things, but you’ll more likely be required to rely upon the staff to move about. An in-home senior caregiver can also assist you as you walk around, but you can have the opportunity to move about freely and independently with proper slip and injury proofing that can be done in the house.
  6. Preserves Dignity – People can become very private, especially in old age. Ironically, when you’re at a nursing home or senior facility, you’ll have to give up a good part of your privacy. You’ll be bathing and going to the comfort room with different strangers as these facilities can have multiple staff to attend to you. In-home care service allows you to choose your caregiver and have one permanently.
  7. Receiving Specialized Care – A nursing home will have generic services provided to all patients in their facility. It could vary with the specific medical treatment for specific issues. But you can expect the daily routine to be the same. The monotony can make you feel older. With in-home care services, your personal caregiver can tailor-fit a care and treatment routine that’s especially for you. Your requests can also be addressed immediately as you won’t have to compete for attention with other patients.

In-home senior care services should be administered the best way as possible, but for extreme cases of emergencies, it will call for professional medical attention. When you’re near the sunset of your life, you’d only want it to be free of stress. Aging takes a toll on your body and mind, but your daily life doesn’t have to be cumbersome.

CMPD Asking For Help In Finding Serial Power Tool Shoplifter

Steve
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CMPD Asking For Help In Finding Serial Power Tool Shoplifter

Charlotte police are now asking for the public’s help in finding a serial shoplifter who has been using a toddler as her accomplice.

This morning CMPD sent out the following tweet, asking if anyone can ID the woman pictured, adding that “She’s been stealing power tools from several hardware stores and has brought a toddler along on her crime spree.”

If you have any information, please call Charlotte Crimestoppers at 704-334-1600.

David Chadwick, Senior Pastor of Charlotte’s Forest Hill Church, Just Announced His Resignation

Steve
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David Chadwick, Senior Pastor of Charlotte’s Forest Hill Church, Just Announced His Resignation

David Chadwick, the senior pastor of one of Charlotte’s biggest churches, has just announced that he will be resigning from his position at Forest Hill Church after leading the church for over 39 years.

The announcement was sent out this morning to over 4,000 congregation members of the multi-site church’s 6 campuses around Charlotte, Waxhaw, and Fort Mill.

In the Email, Chadwick said that he will be leaving by choice so that he can pursue other things, including his ‘Moments of Hope’ outreach, writing more books, and other ministry opportunities.

David Chadwick is the author of 9 books, including, Hearing the Voice of God, Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Wife, and The 12 Leadership Principles of Dean Smith (David attended UNC where he played basketball for Coach Dean Smith). His wife  Marilynn has also written several books, including; Sometimes He Whispers Sometimes He Roars, Woman of Valor, and Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Husband.

David’s last sermon as Senior Pastor of Forest Hill will be on March 17th, after which his Sunday mornings will be freed up to do more guest speaking at conferences and other churches around our region.

He is already confirmed as the main speaker of the 95th Annual Singing on the Mountain conference in MacRae Meadows Sunday, June 23;

No announcement has yet been made about who will replace Chadwick at the Senior Pastor position of the multi-site ministry.

Estate Planning for Your Family Future: What to Know

Suzanna Vanderbilt
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Estate Planning for Your Family Future: What to Know

Estate planning refers to the distribution of your pension, assets, and wealth to your heirs when you pass away. It helps prevent family conflicts by resolving finance matters ahead while you still can. Through estate planning, you can draw a blueprint on how your wealth will be distributed to safeguard your family’s future.   

Here are the things you need to know about estate planning:  

Estate Planning Is Not Just for the Rich

Many people think that creating an estate plan is expensive and requires too much time. In reality, estate planning is not time consuming and significantly less costly than what your family needs to pay for taxes and resolving your estate without proper planning. Consult a trusted and reputable estate planner, such as Brian Douglas, for more information about the cost of an estate plan.

Estate Planning – the Earlier the Better

Creating an estate plan should be done as soon as possible, even if you’re still young, active, healthy, and strong, as nobody knows when a person will die. To secure the future of your children, you need to draft your estate plan as soon as possible.

Here are the benefits of creating an estate plan early:

  • You’ll ensure that your properties, money, and other assets will go to the right people, like your children, spouse, relatives, trusts beneficiaries, and charities. Without an estate plan, the court will decide the distribution of your wealth based on state laws or what is called “intestacy laws.”
  • Estate planning minimizes estate taxes owed to the state and federal governments.
  • Estate planning avoids delay and cost of probate by titling properties jointly or using living trusts.
  • You can make provisions for your children’s guardianship. Appoint a person you can trust to take good care of your children while they’re still young, which is helpful if you’re a single parent.
  • You have full control of your assets while you’re still alive.
  • You can manage trust trustees if you have special children through an estate plan.
  • You can designate a trusted person who will be in charge of your estate.

Estate Planning Protects Your Children Through Trusts

Proper estate planning protects your children from lawsuits and creditors in the event of death. If your property is inherited by your children via intestacy laws, it’ll be highly vulnerable to creditors because it’s treated as your children’s other property and earnings. The property can be lost to lawsuits and creditors. That’s why it’s important to leave your assets to your children in the form of a trust to ensure your children’s future.

A trust legally protects your assets, businesses, and investments. Estate planning facilitates the transfer of assets to your heirs or trustees, reducing tax liability and protecting properties from bankruptcy and lawsuits.

Here are the types of trusts:

  • Revocable Trusts: The trustor or you maintain the control and legal ownership of your assets, so you’re responsible for paying estate taxes.
  • Irrevocable Trusts: The trustor or you transfer the legal ownership of your assets to your trustees, which lowers the taxable portion of the estate. When mending a trust agreement, the trustor relinquishes certain rights. It means that you can’t change your beneficiaries if they’ve been established.

Living Trusts Can Be Transferred Anytime

While you can create trust anytime, you can also transfer living trusts during your lifetime. You can open accounts in trusts with banks to help fund your children’s college education. Your children can’t spend the income from the trust fund or won’t have complete access to the funds until they reach a certain age but can manage the assets to fund their college expenses.

Here are the benefits of estate planning to your children:

  • Avoid your children from overspending or developing bad habits by appointing a trusted person to make decisions while they’re still young.
  • Estate planning protects your children from losing their inheritance because of poor decision making.

Estate Planning Helps You Give More to Charity

You probably have a big heart for charitable institutions and you can to help by giving an amount of money when you pass away, as a way of giving back to your community and the people who inspire you. If you want that a part of your wealth will go to your favorite charity, you can give generously through estate planning.  Intestacy laws don’t have a room for dividing assets to charitable contributions, so you have to create an estate plan.

Conclusion

Estate planning saves you and your loved ones from the stress and hassle of managing assets. You’ll have a peace of mind that you secure your family’s future according to your preference, and estate planning reduces or eliminates doubts, questions, and conflicts. Also, it fosters a healthier and happier family relationship because everything is set and taken care of.

Chick-fil-A Now Selling Fish Sandwiches

Steve
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Chick-fil-A Now Selling Fish Sandwiches

The legendary fried chicken sandwich eatery has just announced an expansion into a brand new type of meat.

Starting today, select Chick-fil-A restaurants will begin selling fish in honor of Lent.

According to a press release from the company, “The Fish Sandwich will join the Chick-fil-A menu, along with the Deluxe Fish Sandwich and boxed 2- and 3-count fish entrees and meals, served with Waffle Potato Fries. The sandwiches are 370 and 430 calories, while the 2- and 3-count boxes are 190 and 280 calories, respectively.”

At this point, they will try out the new fish items for a limited time between Wednesday, March 6 and Saturday, April 20 to see how well they sell.

You can find out if your local Chick-fil-A is participating here.

What do you think about the new fish sandwiches? 

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