I-77 Toll Lanes Now Set To Open Ahead Of Schedule

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Cintra has just announced new dates for opening the first sections of the highly controversial I-77 Toll Lanes.

The northern part of the project from Exit 36 to just above Hambright Rd. will now open in the first quarter of 2019, with the remainder set to open sometime in the summer.

In a statement, Javier Tamargo, CEO of I-77 Mobility Partners commented;

“We are proud that the express lanes project will still be delivered much faster than traditional road construction and financing would have allowed.”

The project’s contractual deadline with the NCDOT is set at October 2019.

Cintra also recently released the final costs of the tolls once they open.

According to their website, they will initially charge $6.55 to drive 1-way along the entire length of a toll lane during rush hour for the first 6 months of operation and $9.40 for that same trip thereafter.

This means that after 6 months, driving round trip from Mooresville to Uptown Charlotte during rush hour times will cost motorists a total of $18.80 per day.

Most drivers will end up paying for segment changes (totaling up the individual sections they drive and at what time). For example, driving on the toll section from 277 to I-85 will cost $2.62 during rush hour and $1.46 at 1am on Tuesday morning.

What are your thoughts on the new I-77 toll lanes? 

CMPD Offering Cash Reward For Help In Finding Armed Robbers

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Charlotte police are now offering a cash reward to anywho who can assist in helping them find 2 men who robbed a north Charlotte Family Dollar store at gunpoint last night.

They released the following photos and statement about the robbery;

According to the statement;

“Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Armed Robbery Unit are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects in the photographs below who are responsible for a business robbery.

On Tuesday, December 18, 2018, at 6:13 p.m., the suspects entered the Family Dollar, located at 3618 Beatties Ford Road in the Metro Division. The suspects brandished firearms and demanded property from the victim business. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction of travel. (CMPD report number 20181218-1813-03)

The first suspect is described as a black male. approximately 30 years.old. and was last seen wearing a blue work style coveralls. The second suspect is described as a black male. and was last seen wearing a black/gray winter jacket and black pants.
Anyone with information concerning this case or the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.”

Police also noted that CMPD’s K-9 unit was sent out in search of the assailant immediately after the incident, but did not find any solid leads.

Please help spread the word.

NASCAR Hall of Fame partners with Richard Childress Racing on 50th anniversary exhibit

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During the Richard Childress Racing 50th Anniversary Fireside Chat with Richard Childress, Austin Dillon and Daniel Hemric at the NASCAR Hall of Fame today, the team and Hall of Fame announced plans to co-create and launch a special exhibit—“RCR 50: Only in America”—in May 2019 in honor of this significant milestone.

“Who would have thought that a $20 investment more than 50 years ago would have grown into the organization that RCR is today,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing.

“I’m very proud of RCR’s accomplishments, from race wins to championships and the many drivers, employees and partners who have been associated with our race team along the way,” he said. “I’m most proud of the relationships we’ve formed and the many race fans who support us each weekend.”

Throughout 2019, Richard Childress Racing will celebrate its 50th anniversary with special paint schemes, at-track events, social media initiatives and a variety of other fan engagement opportunities including the special exhibit at the Hall of Fame.

Through a combination of artifacts, cars, images and audio/video displays, this limited-time exhibit will demonstrate the timeline and breadth of Richard Childress Racing, celebrating the long and successful history of the team and honoring the accomplishments of 2017 Hall of Famer Richard Childress as well as the many people who contributed to the team’s success.

“Richard Childress Racing has an incredible 50-year history and many stories to share,” said Hall of Fame Director of Exhibits Kevin Schlesier. “Mr. Childress’ career path from selling popcorn at the track to becoming an independent driver and then championship owner fuels an entrepreneurial story, which he proudly describes as one that could happen ‘Only in America.’”

More details about the exhibit will be announced closer to its opening in May 2019. Follow #RCR50 on social media for more information about Richard Childress Racing’s 50th anniversary celebration activities.

General admission tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased online at nascarhall.com or via Ticketmaster by calling 877-231-2010. Admission is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors with ID, $18 for military with ID, $18 for youth 8-12, $12 for youth 3-7, and free for members and children younger than 3.

North Carolina Launches New Broadband Grant Program For Rural Communities

Eric Boyette, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (DIT) and State Chief Information Officer, announced today the launch of the state’s new Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant Program.

The GREAT Grant Program is a $10 million grant program authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly and administered by NC DIT’s Broadband Infrastructure Office. The program allows internet service providers and electric membership cooperatives to compete for funding to lower financial barriers that prevent broadband expansion in rural communities.

“We are excited about what this can do for Tier One counties in North Carolina,” said Secretary Boyette. “We expect to see some great ideas for meaningful broadband expansion in these areas. This is an important step toward ensuring that our children are equipped to complete homework assignments and that small business owners are poised for growth.”

The GREAT Grant Program was established by Session Law 2018-5. Eligible areas are census blocks or portions of census blocks in Tier One counties that lack access to a service providing a minimum of 10 Megabits per second download and 1 Megabit per second upload speeds. The state classifies the 40 most economically distressed counties in the state as Tier One counties.

To learn more, visit the GREAT Grant Program webpage.

Charlotte Soccer Club Becomes One Of US Club Soccer’s First-Ever Licensed Clubs

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US Club Soccer – a prominent member of the U.S. Soccer Federation and leading organization developing soccer clubs across America – announces the first-ever group of Player First-licensed clubs, which includes the Barca Academy Charlotte.

Featuring 46 clubs from 19 states around the country, these organizations have proven their commitment to providing a holistic club soccer experience for parents and players, which emphasizes the development of each individual to his or her full potential, and helps parents make better choices about where their children should play. As youth soccer’s “Good Housekeeping Seal,” they immediately take this newfound recognition into their communities and nationally, standing out as pioneers in improving the club soccer experience.

In addition to the Barca Academy Charlotte, these exemplary clubs have met the rigorous Players First standards of offering comprehensive Club Development, Coaching Development, Player Development, Parent Engagement & Education and Player Health & Safety:

“We believe this to be the most rigorous and comprehensive attempt in U.S. Soccer history to identify those clubs that have demonstrated a commitment to creating the kind of infrastructure and culture necessary to provide the best overall environment for players,” says Kevin Payne, CEO of US Club Soccer. “Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of Players First-licensed clubs.”
These 46 clubs enjoy Players First licensing status through Dec. 31, 2020, at which time there will be a renewal opportunity. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and approved clubs will be announced quarterly. Entities not meeting the standards and requirements will receive a detailed letter explaining deficiencies with suggestions and resources to correct those.

The application includes seven sections, in which clubs must demonstrate their commitment to the Players First pillars:

  • Club and Applicant Information
  • Club Leadership Expertise and Development
  • Staff Education and Development
  • Player Health and Safety
  • Training and Competition Structure
  • Staffing Structure
  • Parent Education and Engagement
US Club Soccer prides itself on fostering the safest environment for players in youth sports. They’ve implemented best-in-class background checks for all registered staff, and require personnel to complete a Sideline Sports Doc/US Club Soccer online injury recognition course, as well as SafeSport online training.

Rare ‘Polar Vortex’ Could Give Charlotte A White Christmas This Year

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Climate researchers have recently detected a weather anomaly in the North Pole that could turn into a powerful ‘polar vortex’, potentially causing one of the harshest winters in years, The Washington Post reports.

A polar vortex occurs when there’s a disruption in the stratosphere that causes warming winds to decrease or change direction. The vortex then splits apart and dumps cold air into the middle atmosphere.

Judah Cohen with Atmospheric and Environmental Research released a series of reports which indicate a high probability of a vortex hitting us sometime between next week and early January.

“Confidence is growing in a significant PolarVortex disruption in the coming weeks. This could be the single most important determinant of the weather this winter across the Northern Hemisphere,” Cohen noted in his report.

Cohen also points out that the GFS is predicting the chance of snow extending into the Deep South for the holidays;

The Weather Channel is currently predicting a 40% chance of rain in Charlotte on Christmas Day, meaning that if the polar vortex does indeed spin off early next week, the temperature could plummet and that rain could turn into snow;

While the potential vortex does increase the chance of a white Christmas in Charlotte, the chance is still slim, especially given that the primarily American models and European models have different conclusions on when exactly the disruption might occur.

Amy Butler, a scientist with the NOAA, tweeted that even though all models aren’t on board, there’s still reason to be cautious;

Would you like to see snow in Charlotte next week?

The Average Charlottean Is Now Expected To Spend $700 For Christmas This Year

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The financial data site WalletHub recently compared 570 cities across America to see what the average consumer is likely to spend on Christmas shopping this year.

The site noted, “our analysts used five key metrics to estimate and compare the maximum holiday budgets for each of 570 U.S. cities, giving consumers a better sense of their spending range relative to where they live.”

The five key metrics they used were; 1) Income, 2) Age, 3) Debt-to-Income Ratio, 4) Monthly Income-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio and 5) Savings-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio.

According to the site, here is the “Average Consumer Profile of a Charlottean”:

Monthly Income: $4,493
Monthly Expenses: $3,536
Savings: $6,104
Age: 34.3
Debt-to-Income Ratio: 46.4%
Monthly Income-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio: 1.27
Savings-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio: 1.73
Charlotte’s Average Holiday Budget for 2018: $700 (up from $629 in 2017)

Santa is here! Santa is here! 🎅#ConcordMills #happyholidays

A photo posted by Concord Mills Mall (@concordmillsnc) on

Charlotte now ranks number 224rd in America (up from 263rd last year) for estimated holiday spending – pretty much right in the middle.

How much do you plan on spending this holiday season?

Why Charlotte Students Need Custom Writing Help Once in a While

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Using online custom writing service might never have occurred in your academic life before. Who knows, maybe you believe that it’s not right to buy essay cheap – but all of a sudden, you find yourself in the middle of the kingdom of writing assignments each set with a tight deadline. Or you simply have not the slightest idea of how to deal with the given topic or the kind of paper you’ve been assigned. Then one of your college mates tells you about online writing services and how the experts working there can help you. And you start thinking if using custom writing help makes sense. The reality is that student life is much harder than you may think, and sometimes you feel overburdened.  

Buy Quality Instead of Wasting Money

When you order custom written pieces on the web, you’re guaranteed a range of benefits. Your essay, term paper or dissertation will be of the finest quality, even if you purchase the cheaper packages. Each custom writing specialist is extremely capable and will work in accordance with the requirements that your tutor provides. To add more, custom writers produce unique papers (many less honest companies tend to sell pre-written pieces and recommend passing it off as your own, be careful). Should you be dissatisfied in any way with the product you have bought, online helpers will be there to revise your book report, essay or term paper to ensure it is free from errors of any sort until you’re 100% happy with it.

Who Creates Your Custom Papers?  

Probably, the first question that comes to your mind – “What kind of writing virtuoso are going to create a paper for me?” The point is that they have something that students cannot boast of – PhD or Master’s degree. With that level of professionalism in the custom writing industry, they know how to accomplish an essay, a research paper or a book review in strict accordance with your instructions. They have already accomplished dozens of college assignments for the students like you, so it comes naturally to them, no matter how tough the assignment is. If you happen to be lost at some point of the writing process and wondering where to go with your prose, ensure to approach our writers, who know where to conduct the relevant research and how to structure the paper.

Ordering Papers from Custom Writing Services Is Easy

It really couldn’t be easier to purchase an essay or two from online writing agency. College students approaching writing sources are already stressed. For that reason, they don’t want to waste their precious time trying to figure out how to fill in a complicated order form. In other words, the essay writing service order form is designed to provide you with an opportunity to get and comprehend all the necessary information easily and quickly. Then online managers will choose the most suitable writer ready to work on your assignment, provide him/her with the paper instructions, and the selected person will get to work immediately. Thus, you have plenty of time to work on the other projects or sleep. When the job is done, you will be notified by email and can download the piece directly to your computer.

Writing Services in Your Budget Range

When you’re on the lookout for quality custom writing, you prefer the websites that you can afford. You will find that online writing companies are pleasantly affordable for the student with a typically limited budget. The rule is simple: the earlier you post your order, the better, as custom written pieces are even cheaper if you set extended deadline. What is more, you may also take advantage of generous online discounts that online services provide for their customers, whether it’s the first time they use the services or place regular orders. More students than ever consider custom writing companies a worthwhile investment since such cooperation saves them a lot of time and stress – and they also learn a lot from custom written works about how to write a great paper.

How Students Use Online Essay Writing Services

The reasons that college and university students use custom writing options online can vary greatly. It is possible that you simply have too many home assignments and need to outsource some of the work. Students who don’t produce high-quality prose approach these services on a regular basis. Many ESL students whose English level leaves a lot to be desired may also be on the lookout for this kind of services.

If you’re searching for possible ways that will help you manage and cope with academic stress, hiring a competent freelance writer may save the day when you feel helpless and just don’t feel like writing.

Custom writing companies are also very popular among the students who represent the STEM field of study. Just imagine that you are a math, physics or engineering undergrad who is required to produce a 6 000-word research paper on Jane Austen’s early works for an English Literature class. How seriously would he/she take this kind of academic assignment? If you fail to submit the essay or term paper, chances are you’re going to destroy your GPA. On the other hand, you simply don’t care enough about Jane Austen to write a huge paper about this woman. In other words, there are specific groups of high school, college and university students that are more likely to co-work with online helpers to do their writing assignments for them. Usually, they include students who aren’t interested in writing and do not associate their future career with it in any way. So, what’s wrong with college students hiring an essay author for a complex assignment?

Without a doubt, learning how to write a good essay or research paper for college is important if you wish to succeed academically. Students shouldn’t be in a predicament when they happen to need online essay writing assistance. College tutors should first address the problems that make their students co-work with custom writing companies. When that happens, these services may no longer be used by students.

 

Charlotte’s Joedance Film Festival Announces Two Major Expansions

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Joedance Film Festival, which is riding a wave of expansion in Year 10, will add a third night of film showings and has expanded the film submission territory beyond Charlotte’s borders to include both North Carolina and South Carolina.

The 10th annual Joedance Film Festival will run Thursday-Saturday nights, August 1-3, 2019 at Charlotte Ballet, which will host the event for the second consecutive year. Joedance has been traditionally held Friday and Saturday nights. The expansion positions Joedance to participate in the North Tryon Street renaissance and contribute to Uptown Charlotte’s continued growth.

Thursday night will be the Cultural Arts Evening Showcasing Arts+, a non-profit organization that serves 4,500 students in the region, half of whom receive free or reduced programs.

The territory expansion is designed as a first step to position Joedance as a major film festival in the Mid-Atlantic region, and to mirror the service footprint of the organization it benefits, Atrium Health and Levine Children’s Hosptial.

Diane Restaino, Joedance Film Festival Founder and President, looks forward to the double expansion.

“We believe that using a multicultural festival incorporating the power of cinema and performing arts to raise funds for pediatric cancer research at Atrium Health Levine Children’s not only supports our mission, but also the artistic talents of communities throughout North and South Carolina,” Restaino said.

Joedance Film Festival, including related events year-round, honors the late Joe Restaino by raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research at Atrium Health Levine Children’s through an annual film festival featuring directors, producers, writers and actors who share a North Carolina or South Carolina connection. Joedance supports research and clinical trials for pediatric sarcomas, blastomas and brain tumors.

Joedance is also committed to raising awareness of the regional film industry by showcasing films from North and South Carolina. The family chose a film festival to honor their son because of his love of movies.

To date, Joedance has donated more than $170,000 for Atrium Health Levine Children’s in nine years, including $20,000 in 2018.

Joedance ushered in a new era in 2018 with a larger venue and new event management consultant, giving Joedance an opportunity to double attendance and ensure the organization’s future and legacy.

In addition, Joedance contracted with Third Rock Events to manage the Film Festival and move beyond a mostly volunteer Festival operation. One of Third Rock’s specialties is non-profit event turnkey management.

Said Shawn Cosner, Founder and President of Third Rock Events: “2018 was an exciting year for Joedance as they were welcomed into their new home at the Charlotte Ballet. We here at Third Rock Events were moved by the talent of the filmmakers and by the passion of those who support the mission of Joedance. 2019 will be another exciting year for the festival with the addition of a third festival evening along with an expanded film submission footprint.”

Joedance Film Festival Submissions

Joedance Film Festival annually showcases short and feature-length films. Eligible filmmakers have to:

*reside in North Carolina or South Carolina;

*be originally from North or South Carolina

or

*be connected to North or South Carolina (films, cast or crew)

To submit a film, follow the link, https://joedance.org/film-submissions/.

Panthers Lose To Saints During Monday Night Football, Leaving Narrow Hope For Playoffs

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Last night the Panthers took on the Saints in what was most likely their last chance at making it to the playoffs this season.

Although they were ahead by a score of 7-6 through the 3rd quarter, the Saints rushed the ball into the end zone and went for a 2 point conversion attempt. Cornerback Donte Jackson intercepted Brees’ throw and ran the entire length of the field into the Panthers’ end zone, giving Carolina the 2 points.

With under a minute to go, the Panthers forced a fumble in the red zone on the Saint’s 4th down, resulting in a touchback. The cardiac cats then had 1 last attempt from the 20-yard line with less than a minute left on the clock.

Our struggling offense failed to deliver a miracle drive and the Saints ended the game on top with a 12-9 victory.

Here is a quick recap of some of last night’s highlights;

All hope is still, not technically, lost…

The Panthers are now 6-8 and are still in 9th place in the NFC.

After this weekend, the top 8 teams are (only 6 NFC teams go to the playoffs);

Saints @ 12-2
Rams @ 11-3
Bears @ 10-4
Cowboys @ 8-6
Seahawks @ 8-6
Vikings @ 7-6-1
Redskins @ 7-7
Eagles @ 7-7

If the Vikings lose their next 2 games (to the Lions (5-9) and Bears (10-4)), and the Panthers win their next 2 games (to the Saints (12-2) and Falcons (5-9)), and the Eagles and Redskins both lose next week’s game and the Eagles beat the Redskins in their final game, it would give both the Panthers and Eagles an 8-8 record, tied for 6th, and since we beat the Eagles on 10/21, we would end up making to the playoffs.

Keep Pounding Panthers – we believe in you!