Charlotte’s Workforce Ranked Among The 10 Least Happy in the US

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Charlotte’s Workforce Ranked Among The 10 Least Happy in the US

Workplace insights platform kununu has released a study revealing the best cities for employment happiness, based on over 87,000 workplace reviews from the last year.

Since 2007, Kununu has been helping potential employees to gain insights on companies, so they know first-hand that happy employees are what make companies thrive. The platform wanted to find out if your geographical location has an effect on your career happiness, so they conducted a deep-dive investigation into employee contentment, looking at four key factors: company culture, teamwork, autonomy, and support from management.

The results reveal that Miami has the happiest employees, while New York City has the least happy employees.

How the study was conducted:

The study is based on 8,327 employee reviews conducted within the last 12 months for companies located in the 50 most populous United States cities. On a scale from 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (satisfied) kununu users rated:

  • How happy they are with their employers
  • How co-workers are interacting and working together
  • If leadership sets realistic expectations and involves employees in the decision-making process
  • To what extent they are trusted to work independently
  • How they rate the overall company culture

The table below shows the top 10 cities in the United States for employee happiness:

Rank
City
Happiness Score
1
Miami, Florida
3.99
2
Los Angeles, California
3.95
3
Raleigh, North Carolina
3.90
4
Louisville, Kentucky
3.88
5
Omaha, Nebraska
3.86
6
San Jose, California
3.85
7
Sacramento, California
3.85
8
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
3.84
9
Seattle, Washington
3.83
10
Fresno, California
3.82

Source: kununu.com/us, 87,327 reviews, November 1st 2017 – October 31st 2018;
Scale: 1 (dissatisfied) – 5 (satisfied).

The table below shows the bottom 10 cities in the United States for employee happiness:

Rank
City
Happiness Score
50
New York City, New York
3.53
49
Oakland, California
3.60
48
Memphis, Tennessee
3.63
47
Houston, Texas
3.64
46
Dallas, Texas
3.67
45
El Paso, Texas
3.67
44
Colorado Springs, Colorado
3.70
43
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
3.70
42
Albuquerque, New Mexico
3.71
41
Charlotte, North Carolina
3.71

Source: kununu.com/us, 87,327 reviews, November 1st 2017 – October 31st 2018; 
Scale: 1 (dissatisfied) – 5 (satisfied). 

Do you agree with our ranking?

How happy are you working in Charlotte?

Uptown Charlotte’s Ink N Ivy Just Received ‘C’ Health Grade – The Worst in Mecklenburg County

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Uptown Charlotte’s Ink N Ivy Just Received ‘C’ Health Grade – The Worst in Mecklenburg County

One of the most popular bars in Uptown Charlotte has just received the worst health grade possible in Mecklenburg County for over a dozen items ranging from raw food to dirty dishes to cockroaches.

Scoring a ‘C’ on a health inspection in Charlotte is exceptionally rare. Out of a total of 2,573 restaurant inspections performed over the past 12 months in Mecklenburg County, only 7 ‘C’s were given.

The only Mecklenburg County restaurants to score a C in the past 12 months were;

5/24/2018 – La Romero Taqueria and Juice Bar – 76.50 C

6/28/2018 – Flamin Kitchen – 75.50 C

11/7/2018 – Cheddar’s (University City) – 71.50 C

11/19/2018 – Stoke Restaurant and Bar – 76 C

11/21/2018 – Pudina – 74.50 C

12/4/2018 – Cottage – 77.50 C

1/9/2019 – Ink n Ivy – 78 C

Some of the worst things the health inspector found at Ink N Ivy included;

  • Observed bartenders repeatedly bus eating areas/cups/plates/utensils and then load and unload dishwashers with no handwash
  • Observed bar tenders bare hand fruit into customer drinks.
  • Observed raw shrimp out of commercial packaging stored over ready to eat foods in reach in freezer.
  • Observed raw bacon over ready to eat foods in walk-in cooler.
  • Observed raw shell eggs, and raw pooled eggs stored over butter in walk-in cooler.
  • During inspection, large kitchen dish machine had no chlorine connected.
  • Observed many dishes stored as clean with heavy food debris, pooled water with food debris in it on food contact surfaces, dishes with greasy films on them, and dishes with plastic remaining on them from being wrapped and baked with a cover.
  • Observed many dead cockroaches in liquor room.
  • Observed some items such as Lobseter dip with no date mark in prep top, but two batches in the walk in, making it unclear which batch product is from.
  • Observed several pans and bulk batches of food in walk in cooler with no cover. Racks above had raw products, chipping paint, rust, and pans with residue on the outside.
  • Observed food debris build up in gaskets on reach in doors.
  • Observed insides of some coolers with food build up.

You can read Ink N Ivy’s full health review here.

Hootie and The Blowfish Are Coming To Charlotte With Barenaked Ladies

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Hootie and The Blowfish Are Coming To Charlotte With Barenaked Ladies

90s rock legends Hootie & the Blowfish are about to perform live in Charlotte for the first time in over 10 years.

“One Week” favorite Barenaked Ladies will be joining them as the opening act. The ‘Group Therapy Tour’ will start May 10th in Virginia Beach and run through Sept. 13 in South Carolina.

Hootie and The Blowfish is an acoustic rock four-piece featuring Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld. They earned major radio and touring success in the 1990s and 2000s with legendary ballads like “Let Her Cry,” “Only Wanna Be With You,” and “Time”. They won two Grammy Awards in 96 for “Cracked Rear View,” which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of the 90s.

Tickets for the “Group Therapy Tour” at the PNC Arena are now on sale to the general public via Stubhub and Live Nation, and tickets can also be purchased between now and the time of the show at the PNC box office.

Pink Floyd Tribute Show, Brit Floyd Coming to Ovens Auditorium April 25, 2019

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Pink Floyd Tribute Show, Brit Floyd Coming to Ovens Auditorium April 25, 2019

The Ovens Auditorium is about to host the Pink Floyd tribute show, Brit Floyd, for a very special 40th Anniversary celebration of Pink Floyd’s iconic rock opera, “The Wall” on Thursday, April 25, 2019, at 8 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at StubHub.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, or at the Bojangles’ Coliseum Box Office located at 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

Released in November 1979, a semi-autobiographical concept album from the mind of Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters, “The Wall” remains one of the biggest selling albums of all time, and a major moment in rock music history.

As well as performing highlights from “The Wall”, the new Brit Floyd production will include songs from Pink Floyd’s classic albums, “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Animals,” “The Division Bell” and much more.

Brit Floyd has truly become a phenomenon, widely regarded as the world’s greatest live tribute to Pink Floyd. Faithfully recreating the scale and pomp of the final 1994 Division Bell tour, complete with a stunning multi-million dollar light show, large circular screen and arch plus projection, lasers, inflatables and theatrics. A Brit Floyd show really is as close as fans will get to experiencing the magnificence of the original Pink Floyd live shows.

For more information or for tickets click here.

“Moorish Nation” Couple Arrested For Illegally Squatting in $2,000,000 Davidson Home

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“Moorish Nation” Couple Arrested For Illegally Squatting in $2,000,000 Davidson Home

Two people who claim allegiance to the ‘Moorish Nation’ were just arrested in Davidson for illegally squatting in the Knox Family’s historic $2,000,000 home.

A member of the Knox family discovered the couple living in the home this week and immediately called the Davidson police. When police arrived, the couple would not let them in. Officers then obtained a key and permission from the Knox family to enter the home.

Police entered the home and arrested 30-year-old Turmaine Thorne and 35-year-old Taqiyah Barber for trespassing.

According to the police report, the couple used a hide-a-key to illegally enter the home on Jan. 4, then unloaded a 26-foot U-Haul truck full of belongings and furniture and parked their car in the garage.

The couple then filed a quit claim deed with the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds and claimed that they have legal cause and ownership of the property.

The investigation is still ongoing.

North Carolina has recently become a real hot spot for the Moorish Nation, a group that doesn’t recognize federal, state and local laws, and believes heavily in “squatters rights”.

Back in 2016, a self-described Moorish National group, led by Ninti el Bey, was arrested for squatting in an $800,000 home in the South Charlotte neighborhood of Piper Glen. Police eventually arrested them after they were warned by neighbors, realtors, the HOA, and even evicted more than once by CMPD.

Other notable instances include; when a Moorish Nation murder defendant debated with a judge regarding the court’s legal authority to charge him, when a Moorish Nation Charlotte man was charged with the fatal beating of his infant daughter plans to represent himself at his murder trial, and when a Moorish Nation man, who referred to himself as ‘Emporer’, called into the WSOCTV newsroom demanding thousands of dollars every time the news station mentioned the Moorish Nation name.

Carolina’s All-Time Tackle Leader Just Announced His Departure From The Panthers

Steve
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Carolina’s All-Time Tackle Leader Just Announced His Departure From The Panthers

Panthers’ career linebacker Thomas Davis has just announced that he has been released from the Panthers and is now an unrestricted free agent.

Davis has spent his entire professional career with the Panthers after being picked in the 1st round of the 2005 draft. Over the past 13 years, he has become the Panthers’ all-time tackle leader with 1,258 total tackles, including 30 sacks, in 176 regular season games and 11 playoff games.

In 2012, he became the first professional athlete in American history to return to play in his top sporting league after 3 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and in 2014, he won the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Last night, Davis posted the following video on Twitter, announcing his departure from the Panthers;

“I just want to thank the Carolina Panthers,” Davis said. “I want to thank my teammates – you guys have been amazing. Fourteen very special years that I will always remember, that I will always cherish. To Panther nation, I cannot thank you guys enough for the love and support.”

What are your thoughts on Thomas Davis’ departure?

Local Hunters Organizing North Carolina’s 6th Annual Coyote Hunting Tournament

Steve
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Local Hunters Organizing North Carolina’s 6th Annual Coyote Hunting Tournament

carolina-coyote-classic-tournament-winnersA group of Charlotte-area hunters have created their own method to solve our region’s growing coyote problem – a statewide coyote hunting tournament.

Over the past couple years, coyote sightings have been increasing around South Charlotte neighborhoods, with reports of pets being snatched, and many parents fearing for their children’s safety.

The town of Tega Cay near Rock Hill has even hired a professional company to come in and set traps to try to deal with their coyote problem, although so far, they’ve only been able to catch 4 coyotes.

43-officially-weighed-coyotesLocal sportsman and owner of 704Outdoors.tv thinks he has the best solution to the problem – a statewide coyote tournament. Next month he will be organizing the 6th annual Carolina Coyote Classic tournament.

The tournament will take place from February 8th-10th and will be held at the Albemarle American Legion. It is open to all 100 counties around North Carolina.

The Grand Prize winner of the 6th annual Carolina Coyote Classic will take home $3,000 in cash and the winner of the Biggest Coyote will be awarded a Predator Hunting Rifle Package with a Sniper Hog Lights Rifle Light Package!

To find out more or to register click here.

What do you think about our local Coyote tournament?

Do you think there is something else that should be done about the growing Coyote population? 

US Open Fat Bike Beach Race Doubling in Size On North Carolina’s Coast in 2019

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US Open Fat Bike Beach Race Doubling in Size On North Carolina’s Coast in 2019
Already the largest fat bike beach race on the East coast and named one of the Top-20 festivals and events in 2018 by the Southeast Tourism Society, the US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship is doubling in size in 2019.
“For the past two years the race has been limited to 100-participants,” said Shawn Spencer, Race Director. “We’re expecting a larger field in 2019 and had to raise the cap to two hundred.”
To accommodate the increase, Spencer plans to have two race times, segmenting the elite category from the intermediate and beginner groups, limiting each race to 100-bikers. “The elite racers will have the track alone for the first time,” said Spencer. “The elite, intermediate and beginner races will be more exciting with less congestion on the track.”
The 5th annual US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship will be held March 22-24, 2019, with activities and races based at host hotel Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach. Blockade Runner is expected to reopen in early Spring following extensive repairs due to damages from Hurricane Florence.
“We’ll have some cash prizes this year thanks to our presenting sponsor Alpha Mortgage,” said Spencer. “This will attract a higher number of elite racers.”
“The elite race requires conditioning beyond any other type of sport, plus the mental fortitude not to quit regardless of your suffering. It’s just hard,” said Spencer. “Skill is also needed to manage a fat bike through obstacles and tough terrain.”
“With two months to go, we already have 73 bikers signed up for the races,” said Spencer. “These athletes represent 39 communities in seven states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.” Spencer expects a full slate of 200 bikers in 2019, and is awaiting registrations from Georgia, Florida, Michigan, and California.
2018 Women’s Elite Champion Philicia Marion – Courtesy Karen Pennington
“The return of the last three champions is creating excitement surrounding the 2019 women’s elite race,” said Spencer. Mount Airy’s Philicia Marion (Cycleworks Xpedo Professional Mountain Bike Team presented by Vittoria), will defend her 2018 championship against 2017 winner Zdenka ‘Zoe’ Worsham (Crank Arm Brewing Professional Team of Raleigh), and 2016 champ and “fat bike aficionado” Jesse Piersol of Downington, PA.
The field of women in the US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship has increased from near zero to sixteen-percent over the past four years. The growth rate is expected to continue in 2019.
The competition will be equally fierce in the men’s division with a deep lineup of elite bikers seeking the top-spot. A top contender to watch is 2016 champion Robert “Fear the Beard” Marion of Mount Airy (Cycleworks Xpedo Professional Mountain Bike Team), recovering from a 2017 bike injury.
“Athletes check-in Friday at Blockade Runner Beach Resort to inspect the race conditions,” said Spencer. “Saturday there will be a bike expo on the beach lawn before and after the races, followed by the awards ceremony. Competition includes a two-hour elite race; a 90-minute intermediate event; and a 60-minute race for beginners. Popular obstacles will be on the course this year with fresh surprises to challenge the bikers.”
Sunday features an optional 18-mile social bike ride on the beach from Fort Fisher to Bald Head Island and back.
“It’s amazing and very exciting to see so many people coming together to support the races and our community following Hurricane Florence. We are very grateful,” said Spencer.
The US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship will benefit the Wrightsville Beach Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public parks and amenities for residents and the island’s many visitors each year.

Smoking Costs the Average North Carolina Smoker $1,421,995 Over a Lifetime

Steve
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Smoking Costs the Average North Carolina Smoker $1,421,995 Over a Lifetime

With the economic and societal costs of smoking totaling more than $300 billion a year and rising, the personal-finance website WalletHub just released its report on The Real Cost of Smoking by State.

The new report calculates the potential monetary losses — including the lifetime and annual costs of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

North Carolina was ranked as the 3rd most expensive state in America to be a smoker;

Source: WalletHub

The Financial Cost of Smoking in North Carolina (1=Lowest, 25=Avg.):

  • Out-of-Pocket Cost per Smoker – $88,235 (Rank: 3rd)
  • Financial-Opportunity Cost per Smoker – $971,032 (Rank: 3rd)
  • Health-Care Cost per Smoker – $145,527 (Rank: 14th)
  • Income Loss per Smoker – $205,306 (Rank: 11th)
  • Other Costs per Smoker – $11,895 (Rank: 25th)
  • Total Cost Over Lifetime per Smoker: $1,421,995
  • Total Cost per Year per Smoker: $27,882

For more info, you can read the full report here.

The Top 10 Charlotte Zip Codes To Invest In

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The Top 10 Charlotte Zip Codes To Invest In

According to the Carolina MLS (multiple listing service), Mecklenburg County saw home values increase by 5.3% over the past year.

While some zip codes saw a decrease in home values (28206 saw a 45% drop in home prices), most neighborhoods saw solid gains.

The following is a list of the top 10 zip codes with the highest price increases over the past year;

hickory grove neighborhood#10 28215 (Eastway – Hickory Grove)

This area saw a 10.70% price increase with medium home prices at $128k at the end of the year.

Neighborhoods in this zip code didn’t see too much redevelopment, but several new home neighborhoods were constructed just east of Hickory Grove on either side of 485.

#9 28213 (Hidden Valley – University City South)

Growth in this sector could largely be due to the new light rail, as the Lynx Blue Line Extension cuts through the heart of 28213 on its way up to UNCC.

Home prices here grew by 14.2% year over year with the medium price increased to $165k.

steele creek homes#8 28278 (Steele Creek)

The Steele Creek area (from the South Carolina line up to the Airport all along Lake Wylie) saw impressive growth numbers of 15.3% considering the higher price points.

The area ended the year with a medium home price of $265,246.

#7 28209 (Sedgefield – Park Rd. Shopping Center)

This region has some drastically different neighborhoods – some homes in the Collinswood neighborhood (southwest corner of 28209) are in the high $100s, while several new pocket communities around Freedom Park are priced into the millions.

The third highest price area on our list saw an increase of 16.2% and an overall year-end median price of $290,500.

#6 28262 (Mallard Creek – University City North)

home prices in CharlotteThis is true Charlotte suburbia, including many of the neighborhoods just north of UNCC.

This zip code saw a home price increase of 16.9% with a medium price of $156,000 at the end of the year.

#5 28211 (Cotswold – Foxcroft)

The highest price zip code on our list saw an average price increase of 22%. With an ending median home price of $430,000, prices in this area increased by almost $100,000 in just 12 months.

#4 28205 (NoDa – Plaza Midwood)

home prices in Charlotte nodaPerhaps our most visited zip code on the list, this region includes Amelie’s French Bakery in the Villa Heights neighborhood, NoDa’s eclectic arts district, and the equally funky Plaza Midwood, as well as the Charlotte Country Club and the Bojangles’ Coliseum.

Prices here increased by an average of 23.8% to a median price of $216,700 (this number would be much higher if the zip code only included Plaza Midwood and Noda).

#3 28217 (Yorkmont – Renaissance Park)

The major attractions of this zip code include the Billy Graham Library and the world-renowned  Renaissance Park disc golf course.

Home prices saw an impressive 26.3% increase to finish the year at $111,000.

home prices in Charlotte elizabeth#2 28204 (Elizabeth – Cherry)

Did you know there’s a neighborhood in Charlotte called ‘Cherry’? If you’ve ever been to the midtown Trader Joes, chances are you’ve been there – it’s that little neighborhood on the other side of Kings Dr.

Prices here increased 28.5% to an even $300,000 – perhaps the streetcar did some good after all?

#1 28208 (West Blvd. – Freedom Dr.)

This zip code is by far one of the most diverse with home prices ranging from under $30k to over $500k – prices in this sector are almost directly correlated to the distance from Center City.

In just 12 months, this zip code saw a median price increase of 70% to finish the year at $110,500.

What zip code do you think would be the best to invest in?

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