This Charlotte Road Was Ranked As One Of The Deadliest In America

Steve
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This Charlotte Road Was Ranked As One Of The Deadliest In America

An especially busy stretch of one of Charlotte’s main highways was recently ranked 15th deadliest in America.

Out of the 164,000 miles of highways in America, the stretch of I-85 that runs through Charlotte has seen one of the highest levels of deaths-per-mile, according to a report by Teletrac Navman, maker of GPS tracking devices for vehicles.

Between 2011 and 2015, there were a total of 378 deaths along a 666 mile stretch of I-85, with the highest concentration of those deaths being in Charlotte;

The report also states that the most dangerous time and day to travel on I-85 through Charlotte is between 3-4pm on October 6th, and it lists ‘motor vehicles in transport’, pedestrians, and trees as the highest causes of death;

I-17 in Myrtle Beach also made the Top 25 list, coming in at #20 with a total of 521 deaths along a 1,206 mile stretch of the highway.

I-4 from Tampa to Daytona Beach was ranked as the #1 most deadly highway in America, with a total of 165 deaths along a 132 mile stretch of the highway.

You can see the entire report by Teletrac Navman here.

New Panthers Owner To Build Giant Bubble Over Practice Field

Steve Peters
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New Panthers Owner To Build Giant Bubble Over Practice Field

Next year, the Carolina Panthers are expected to have a brand new indoor practice facility, called the Bubble, which should be finished before the start of preseason.

In a letter sent out to all season ticket holders, new Panthers owner David Tepper talked about the new ‘bubble’ facility as well as additional changes to the Panthers Stadium.

“At this point, given our practice field and what other people have in the league, we’re falling behind a little bit,” noted Tepper. “The Bubble is our first of several planned infrastructure projects and will be followed by enhancements to Bank of America Stadium and a new permanent practice facility and campus in the future.”

Last year the Panthers had to practice in all kinds of negative conditions, from soggy fields, to snow, to freezing rain. The rainfall before Christmas was so bad that the team was forced to practice in an open event space inside the Charlotte Convention Center.

The Bubble will be a short term solution to the Panthers indoor practice facility needs. No word yet about any new permanent facility.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission Approves 43 Rule Changes For 2019

Steve
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NC Wildlife Resources Commission Approves 43 Rule Changes For 2019

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has just voted to approve 43 out of the 44 proposed rule changes related to wildlife management, fisheries, game lands and law enforcement that will go into effect on August 1st, 2019.

The ratified new rules will be available in the N.C. Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest for 2019–2020, which will become available on August 1,
2019 from your licensing agent and on eregulations.com/northcarolina.

A few of the new rule changes include;

  • F17. Prohibit the possession or take of Grass Carp on the North Carolina portion of
    John H. Kerr Reservoir and Lake Norman except for scientific study by permit issued
    by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
  • H3. Open fox squirrel hunting in all 100 counties (versus 27 counties currently open) and extend the season to close on January 31, instead of December 31.
  • H5. Modify the rule specifying allowed archery equipment to: a) define archery
    equipment, b) specify allowed uses for archery equipment utilizing an elastic
    string, c) add elk, alligators, and feral swine to broadhead and minimum pull
    requirements, and d) eliminate the prohibition of barbed arrowheads.

The only rule change not approved was F10 – which would have removed the crappie in the B. Everett Jordan Reservoir by reducing the minimum size limit from 10″ down to 8″.

You can read the full text of all proposed regulations here – 2019-2020 Public Hearings booklet.

What do you think about the new rules?

Charlotte Ranked As Having The 9th Fastest Growing Rental Rate In America

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Ranked As Having The 9th Fastest Growing Rental Rate In America
Rental website ApartmentList.com just released their March 2019 rental report, with good news for apartment developers and bad news for renters.
The report ranked Charlotte as having as having the 9th fastest growing rental rates in America among large cities;
Over the past month, rents in the Queen City have shown an increase of 0.2%, and 3.0% compared to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Charlotte stand at $970 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,130 for a two-bedroom. This is now the 4th straight month that we’ve seen rent increases after a decline in October of last year. Charlotte’s year-over-year rent growth leads the state average of 2.6%, as well as the national average of 0.9%.
Some additional highlights from the report include:
  • Rents in Charlotte are up 3.0% over the past year compared to our national rent index growth of 0.9% over the past year.
  • Since 2014, rents in Charlotte have grown by 20.3%, outpacing the national average of 13.0%.
  • The median rent for a 2BR apartment in Charlotte is currently $1,128 compared to the national average of $1,174.

What are your thoughts on Charlotte’s rental prices?

NC Natural Gas Customers Will Soon See a Decrease In Their Bills

Steve Peters
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NC Natural Gas Customers Will Soon See a Decrease In Their Bills

Natural gas users in North Carolina are about to see their bills decrease after the NC Utilities Commission approved Piedmont Natural Gas’s recent request to reduce the company’s benchmark gas price.

Their Feb. 15th petition requested a reduction of the benchmark price from $3.75 down to $2.75 per dekatherm.

According to a statement from the company, residential customers in our state can expect to see a bill reduction of $5 per month, on average.

The savings won’t last long, however, as Piedmont also petitioned for a general rate increase on their delivery charges, which have also been approved and are set to go in effect later this year.

After the benchmark decrease and rate increase, North Carolina customers will likely see marginally higher bills next winter.

New NC Bill Would Allow Teachers To Use Handguns To ‘Respond To A Threat of Violence’

Charlotte Stories
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New NC Bill Would Allow Teachers To Use Handguns To ‘Respond To A Threat of Violence’

A new bill is now making its way through the North Carolina legislature that would essentially make it legal for teachers to bring firearms into their classrooms.

House Bill 216, or the ‘School Self-Defense Act’, has just passed its first reading in the NC House.

If approved by both the House and Senate, the new law would;

“AUTHORIZE CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY OR STAFF OF A SCHOOL TO CARRY A HANDGUN ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS TO RESPOND TO ACTS OF VIOLENCE OR AN IMMINENT THREAT OF VIOLENCE”

The bill would require school staff to have obtained their concealed weapons permit and undergo routine drug testing.

The bill’s primary sponsors are Cabarrus County’s Republican representative Larry Pittman, and Craven County’s Republican representative Michael Speciale.

“I am sick and tired of students and school personnel being defenseless, sitting ducks for people who want to come into gun free zones and attack them,” Pittman replied to NBC Charlotte in a statement. “There are teachers who have concealed carry permits who are willing to get further training to be the first line of defense if necessary or the second line of defense if the SRO goes down. Their right to life dictates their right to self-defense. We are not talking about making anyone be armed if they do not wish to do so; but those who are willing and capable to defend themselves and the children while waiting for police to arrive have the right to do so, and that right should not be hindered or infringed.”

What do you think about the new bill?

 

Panthers Coach Says He May Sign A New Quarterback In The Draft – Not A Free Agent

Charlotte Stories
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Panthers Coach Says He May Sign A New Quarterback In The Draft – Not A Free Agent

The head coach for the Panthers just stated he will be placing all his bets on Cam Newton returning with a healed shoulder next season, despite Cam’s worsening pain on his throwing shoulder toward the end of this season.

Recently, there has been a lot of speculation about the team adding a big name QB from free agency in case Cam doesn’t return next season in full force. One of the most talked about potential free agents considered for the Panthers is Colin Kaepernick, who many believe have similar physical and dynamic characteristics to Cam.

Coach Rivera, however, just dispelled many of those speculations yesterday by announcing he has no plans to acquire a new QB from free agency;

Although Rivera may not want to make such a decision, other team leaders could overrule his opinion and sign a free agent. Several new contenders are about to arrive on the market, including Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater as well as veterans like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Schaub, and Colin Kaepernick.

If the Panthers do pass on a new free agent QB, they will be essentially rolling the dice on Cam coming back with full strength next season. If he sits for any significant amount of time because of his injured shoulder, the organization could seriously regret the decision.

Charlotte Leaders Approve Plan For Light Rail Line Between Gaston County and Matthews

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Leaders Approve Plan For Light Rail Line Between Gaston County and Matthews

Charlotte City Leaders have just approved a new plan to significantly expanded the new Lynx ‘Silver Line’, extending it from Matthews into Gaston County.

The Metropolitan Transit Commission voted unanimously last night to move forward with plans to merge the West Corridor with the Lynx Silver Line.

The new Silver Line is now proposed to run from the intersection of Park Street and Highway 75 in Belmont to the CPCC Levine in Matthews with 26 stops along the way;

According to Belmont city manager Adrian Miller, there are now 65,000 vehicles traveling between Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties every day, which often results in traffic backups on I-85.

Jason Lawrence, a project manager with CATS said the entire Silver Line from Matthews to Gaston County would likely take 10 to 12 years to build. He also noted that financing hasn’t yet been identified. The several billions of dollars in funding would likely come from a combination of local, state and federal taxes.

In addition to the updated plans for the Silver Line, the MTC also approved studies into extending the Blue Line south into Pineville and Ballantyne, as well as the possibility of moving the Silver Line further west toward Gastonia.

What are your thoughts about a light rail line plans?

NC Lawmakers Considering Reducing ‘F’ Grade To 39% To Help Under-performing Students

Steve
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NC Lawmakers Considering Reducing ‘F’ Grade To 39% To Help Under-performing Students

Some major changes could be coming to North Carolina school’s grading system if House Bill 145 is ratified by Congress.

HB145 would essentially shift all of the current letter grades down the percentage scale, such that a ‘A’ would become above 85% (currently above 90%), a ‘B’ would become 70-84% (currently 80-89%), a ‘C’ would become 55-69% (currently 70-79%), a ‘D’ would become 40-54% (currently 60-69%), and an ‘F’ would become 0-39% (currently 0-59%).

The new law would also remove the ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ from letter grades;

The bill is currently being sponsored by 20 members of Congress, including;

The new bill will mostly be aimed at helping students who are currently underperforming in school, allowing those who are now failing to continue to progress.

What do you think of the new bill? 

How Well Do You Know The Parks of Charlotte?

Steve
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How Well Do You Know The Parks of Charlotte?

Charlotte is home to 210 parks with over 17,600 total acres of park land – including some of the most beautiful in America.

We’ve built a quiz featuring 10 of the most popular and unique parks in the Queen City – how well do you know the parks of Charlotte?

Choose The Correct Name For The Following Parks:

[viralQuiz id=2]

Please share;

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