Amazon About To Hire Over 3,600 New Employees In The Carolinas

Charlotte Stories
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Amazon About To Hire Over 3,600 New Employees In The Carolinas

Amazon just announced new plans to hire over 120,000 new workers across the country for the upcoming holiday shopping season, according to their recent press release.

They’ll be hiring new employees in a variety of positions at their fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites, and the company typically transitions many of these holiday positions into long-term employment.

“We prepare year-round for the holidays and we’re excited to hire for over 120,000 positions this season to help delight our customers,” saidDave Clark, Amazon Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment. “We look forward to welcoming back holiday employees who return year-after-year to Amazon and welcome new faces to the team, many of whom will continue on with regular, full-time roles with the company after the holidays.”

The company said they plan on hiring about 3,000 new employees in South Carolina and about 600 in North Carolina.

If you’re interested in learning more or applying to any of the new seasonal positions, go to www.amazon.com/peakjobs.

Charlotte Rescue Mission Needs Help Giving Out Hundreds of Thanksgiving Meals To Needy Families

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Rescue Mission Needs Help Giving Out Hundreds of Thanksgiving Meals To Needy Families

The Charlotte Rescue Mission is now asking for help with their annual Thanksgiving Food Box Drive. Every year the mission gives out hundreds of “Thanksgivings-in-a-box” to needy families all across our city.

It will run from Nov. 6th – Nov. 23 with dozens of volunteers needed for a variety of tasks.

“from providing Thanksgiving Food Boxes to serving on our campus for our Thanksgiving Community Meal” (you can see all the needed positions here).

“Packing these food boxes does more than allow another family in Charlotte to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal,” Charlotte Rescue Mission Director Tony Marciano said in a statement. “It creates an opportunity for a family to sit around their table to make memories that last a lifetime.”

If you’d like to donate a box, the Rescue Mission asks that you include the following items;

Green beans (38 ounce can); whole kernel corn (29 ounce can); cut sweet yams (40 ounce can); cranberry sauce (14 ounce can); Stove Top stuffing (6 ounce box); turkey or brown gravy mix package; Spice Cake Mix (1 box) and canned pumpkin — not pie filling (15 ounce can). They also ask donors to supply a 9″x13″ baking pan.

Meal donations can be dropped off at the Charlotte Rescue Mission’s Rebound Campus (907 W. 1st Street) on Nov. 17th and 18th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gardner-Webb Graduate Who Was Shot In Las Vegas Has Just Woke Up From Coma

Steve
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Gardner-Webb Graduate Who Was Shot In Las Vegas Has Just Woke Up From Coma

A graduate of Gardner-Webb University, who was shot in the head during the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas, has just woken up from her coma.

Tina Frost was one of the 500+ victims of Stephen Paddock’s mass shooting – the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

According to Dr. Keith Blum, Tina’s survival has been “miraculous.”

“I was told 90 percent of those shot as she was die,” he said. “Well, it looks like she’s in the 10 percent. … Slowly but surely she’s making progress.”

During her initial surgery, Blum removed her right eye and as many bullet fragments and shrapnel from her skull as possible. Her brain then began to swell and she went into a coma.

On the last campaign update, her mother, Mary Watson Moreland said that Frost is showing miraculous signs of recovery;

“She is now waking up! She opens her left eye just a lil and looks all around the room at us, taps her feet whenever music is playing, continues to squeeze our hands, and even gives Austin a thumbs up when asked. She sometimes taps to music and also took her first steps today with the assistance of the nurses – 3 steps to the chair and 3 steps back to the bed. She’s obviously anxious to get her wobble back on. She also breathed on her own for a full 6 hours!”

Her gofundme page was initially set up to raise $50,000 for Tina’s medical expenses and family travel costs, but that goal has since been exceeded by over 1,000%. So far, 9,488 people from around the world have given $555,327 to the campaign and counting.

Please continue praying for Tina, her family, and all the other victims of the Las Vegas shooting. 

It’s Now Unlikely Luke Kuechly Suffered A Concussion – May Be Cleared To Play on Sunday

Charlotte Stories
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It’s Now Unlikely Luke Kuechly Suffered A Concussion – May Be Cleared To Play on Sunday

Good news for Carolina Panthers fans!

According to ESPN, the Panthers’ staff don’t believe that Luke Kuechly suffered his 3rd concussion on Thursday.

Even though the Panthers publically announced yesterday that Luke is still on the concussion protocol (meaning he’ll have to pass five levels of tests before he is cleared);

None of the tests that have been performed since Thursday night have revealed any signs of another concussion.

On Friday, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks told reporters that Luke appeared to be doing very well;

“It’s always encouraging, not just from a standpoint of Luke getting back on the field, but with his health. It’s good to know he was feeling a lot better today, in good spirits and being his old self. I’m excited about that.”

There’s no guarantee that Luke will be able to play next Sunday against the Chicago Bears, but at this point, the Panthers are assuming he’ll be cleared, according to inside sources.

Since he has already had two confirmed concussions in the past two years, the Panthers don’t seem to be taking any chances.

State-Wide Silver Alert Issued For Missing Endangered Man

Steve
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State-Wide Silver Alert Issued For Missing Endangered Man

The N.C. Center for Missing Persons has just issued a state-wide Silver Alert for a missing endangered man, 52-year-old James Nelson Abernathy.

James was last seen walking out of his home on Reed St. in Morganton, NC wearing a grey hoodie, blue shorts, and brown bedroom shoes.

He is 6′ tall, weighs about 215lbs, with brown hair, blue eyes, and is believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

If you have any information about James’ whereabouts, please call Chief C. Treadway at the Drexel Police Department at 828-437-1911 or 911.

Charlotte Was Just Ranked As One of America’s Best Cities To Live In

Steve
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Charlotte Was Just Ranked As One of America’s Best Cities To Live In

The Queen City was just ranked on 24/7 Wall St.’s list of 50 best cities to live in.

We were officially ranked as the 26th best city in America, but given the fact that we are the only major city featured on the list, you could say that we’re ranked as the #1 best major city in America (most cities on the list have a population of under 100,000 – the only other large cities were #30 Lexington, KY and #10 Raleigh, NC)

According to the official report, “24/7 Wall St. considered roughly 590 cities the U.S. Census Bureau reported as having populations of more than 65,000 in 2016. Only the top performing city in each county was considered in our ranking. Data were collected in nine major categories: crime, demography, economy, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.”

The Top 5 on the list include three small cities from Colorado, one from Georgia and one from Indiana, all will populations of less than 120,000.

Here’s what they had to say about the #26 city, Charlotte, NC:

“> Population: 842,029
> Median home value: $201,500
> Poverty rate: 13.4%
> Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 44.1% (top 25%)

Charlotte is one of two cities in North Carolina with populations expanding at a near nation-leading pace and are among the 50 best places to live. Charlotte’s population increased by 24.7% over the past 10 years, more than three times the U.S. growth rate and the most of any city in North Carolina other than Raleigh or Cary.

Charlotte’s rapid growth is largely supported by a prosperous economy. North Carolina was one of the first states to allow banks to operate multiple branches within a single state, a regulation that led to banks rapidly expanding throughout Charlotte and the surrounding region. Today, Charlotte is home to the headquarters of Bank of America and the East Coast operations of Wells Fargo. Financial services is one of many sectors leading employment growth in the city, which was more than double the U.S. employment growth rate from 2014 to 2016. Charlotte is also home to numerous entertainment amenities including an NFL team, an NBA team, and the Carowinds amusement park.”

You can find out more about the ranking and their full methodology on their online report here.

Financial Protection Company Adding 550 Jobs in Charlotte w/ Average Salary of Over $100k

Steve
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Financial Protection Company Adding 550 Jobs in Charlotte w/ Average Salary of Over $100k

axa-innovation-park-charlotteOne of the largest financial protection companies in the country, AXA, has recently announced a major expansion in Mecklenburg County, that will add 550 new jobs over the next five years, almost doubling their Charlotte-based workforce.

They will also invest about $18 million into facility upgrades at their University City location – making it their largest location in the U.S. (although their Corporate Headquarters will remain in New York City).

“AXA is just the kind of financial services company with a global customer base that fits well with the diverse and talented workforce located in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “We work hard to ensure that North Carolina-based companies strongly consider staying close to home when they are ready to expand.”

The new AXA jobs will include a variety of positions, including; IT, finance, legal, accounting, customer service, and HR and other functions that will support growth of the company’s business. Salaries will vary by position, but the annual payroll for the new jobs will exceed $60 million, meaning the average salary for the new jobs will exceed $100,000.

“AXA looks forward to growing in Charlotte, and we appreciate the support from the state of North Carolina, the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County,” said Mark Pearson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AXA US. “We know from our experience that Charlotte is a great place to attract a talented workforce, allowing us to grow our business and better serve our customers.”

AXA was founded in 1859 and has provided life insurance, annuity and financial products and services ever since. They now have approximately 107 million clients in 64 countries around the world. AXA currently employs about 575 people at its Charlotte operations center.

They will be progressively adding the new Charlotte positions over the next 5 years. You can browse all available positions for AXA Advisers on Monster Jobs here, or on AXA’s website here.

North Carolina Teenage Girl Rescued During Human Trafficking Sting in Tennessee

Charlotte Stories
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North Carolina Teenage Girl Rescued During Human Trafficking Sting in Tennessee

A North Carolina teenage girl that was missing for over a month was just discovered during a prostitution sting at a Holiday Inn in Knoxville, TN this past week.

Three people were arrested during the operation – Timothy King, 27 and Jesse McMinn, 20 of Hickory and Tabitha Banks, 20, of Asheville

According to the arrest warrant, Knox County sheriff’s deputies responded to an ad on Backpage.com under the “women seeking men” category.

They made an appointment for the “two girl special,” then an undercover deputy went to the Holiday Inn, where he was invited to room 358. He made a deal with two of the suspects — McMinn and Banks — for an hour of full-service sex for $340.

Timothy King had registered the room and acted as security during the sting. Police found over $2,700 in cash on him.

Rian O’Quinn, 25, of Knoxville was charged with prostitution and simple possession, Kayla Inmate, 25, of Rockwood, Tenn., was charged with prostitution.

The missing 16-year-old girl (name omitted to protect her identity), who was being used as a sex slave, was reunited with her family in Asheville, according to officials.

“Usually, the age of entry is between 12 and 14, but we’ve had a couple of kids in our program that we knew were trafficking survivors and the youngest we had was 10,” said Karen Cowan with the Brandi Nichole Family Enrichment Center. “Some guys that will beat you into submission and you’re scared to death.”

Human trafficking continues to be a major problem in North Carolina. Our state saw a 62% increase in cases last year, and Charlotte continues to be a trafficking hub due to its size, major highways, and central location.

Charlotte Housing Monthly Review – September 2017

Leonard Brecken
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Charlotte Housing Monthly Review – September 2017

·       KEY HIGHLIGHTS. After a pause price appreciation wise September Average Selling Prices for the Charlotte MSA* rose 4.6% year after year after stalling in August.  However, the trend month to month continues to trend DOWN as prices fell sequentially at an accelerated pace at 6.9% from peak levels and 1.3% from August.  Thus, as mentioned earlier affordability is now weighing on price appreciation.

·       CUMMULATIVE DAYS ON MARKET.  This figure now stands at 43 holding steady from August and down from 49 a year ago.  This figure has been rising since bottoming in May vs hitting 50 in January.

·       AVERAGE SALES PRICE.  This figure remains below record levels at $270,959 vs $290,067 in June when it peaked, falling 6.9% from then.  Prices rose strongly 4.6% year over year and FELL from August’s $274,574.  The year to date average stood at 6.2% higher vs 2016.  The trend in housing prices appreciating in South Charlotte vs North mitigated some as many areas in North counties fell vs South, but areas like Lake Norman showed a nice rebound in September.

·       CLOSED SALES.  This figure fell 4.5% year over year while year to date rose 6.2%.  Closed sales also fell last month.

·       PENDING SALES. This figure remained very strong rising 15.6% year over year while year to date rose 6.8%.  Sequentially, they fell about 10% vs August with seasonal factors in play.

·       MONTHS OF SUPPLY OF HOMES.  This figure held steady from last month at 2.2, but fell year over year by 24.1% from 2.9.  The figure remains near the 2017 low – set in January at 1.9.  Of note areas in northern Charlotte maintain 2-3X higher Months of Supply vs southern regions which explains most of the pricing trends north to south.

·       COMMENTARY.  The declines in Average Selling Prices from the peak set earlier in the year locally here in Charlotte must be looked at in context of nationwide data.  Further, the month to month declines indicate that as comps get more difficult in 2018 year over year growth could slow.  New home sales, pending home sales and existing home sales all are down from levels set earlier in the year despite mortgage rates declining vs earlier in year… a disturbing trend.  Higher rates explain these trends which impacts affordability.  Home prices outstripping wage growth also has played a role.

 

Considering Buying a New Home?  Please follow us on Linkedin by searching “Charlotte Consultant Services” for more insight on housing.  We provide contract review consulting services for new construction clientele.  For small business owners we provide business planning consulting services.  Please contact us for further detail or complimentary consultation.

 

Data Source:  Charlotte REALTOR Association. 

*Charlotte MSA is the Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Gov. Cooper Signed Legislation For Permanent Film Incentives – Could NC Become Hollywood East?

Steve
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Gov. Cooper Signed Legislation For Permanent Film Incentives – Could NC Become Hollywood East?

North Carolina’s film industry got a shot in the arm this past week when Governor Roy Cooper signed new legislation to extend our state’s film grant program indefinitely.

On Monday, Senate Bill 582 was signed into law which, among other things, eliminated the film grant program’s sunset date of Jan. 1, 2020. Many filmmakers have been hesitant to start any new productions, knowing their grant could expire before they were done with production.

The bill also allocates an additional $31 million in film grant money for next year. This funding, along with the elimination of the program’s sunset date, significantly boosts North Carolina’s attractiveness to both movie makers and producers of TV series.

In a statement, Gov. Cooper said, “The film industry creates jobs in North Carolina and we need to do more to bring certainty for the companies that come to our state.”

North Carolina has a long history of producing hit tv series, including One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek, and Under the Dome, and many legendary movies, such as Talladega Nights, Dirty Dancing, and The Hunger Games. (check out our list of the Top 10 Most Famous Movies Filmed Around Charlotte).

 

There are currently no major productions being filmed in our state, but with permanent incentives back, it shouldn’t be long before we start seeing new productions start.

 

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