Charlotte Man Tries Virtual Reality Dating For The First Time

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charlotte-man-tries-virtual-reality-datingFacebook’s new video platform Watch just debuted their first official series: a virtual reality dating show called ‘Virtually Dating‘.

The show sets people up on blind dates that take place in virtual reality worlds, with crazy backdrops that range from bars, to spaceships, to the moon. At the end of the VR date, each person is asked if they want to see the other again, this time in real reality.

The new show’s first episode features Shelby, an office administrator from Atlanta, and John Pope, a soccer coach from Charlotte, NC;

The show highlights Facebook’s commitment to advancing VR technology after diving into the field in 2014 with the $2 billion purchase of VR company Oculus.

Facebook also recently launched “Facebook Spaces,” a new feature that provides virtual chat rooms for people to hang out in VR. While it’s currently still in beta, it is showing promise.

What do you think of VR dating? 

Would you ever try it? 

UNCC Student Arrested With 4+ Lbs of Marijuana and Guns After Violent Drug Deal

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man-arrested-after-drug-deal-went-wrong20-year-old Blaise Bennett, a UNCC student, was arrested at his home Thursday afternoon after another student was shot in the chest during a drug deal turned robbery.

CMPD first responded to a shooting around 1:15 p.m. Thursday. Upon arrival, police said they found a UNCC student shot in the chest, who was quickly transported to the hospital. Authorities said Friday he was in stable but serious condition.

“As far as I know they have not been able to remove the bullet from him,” CMPD commented at Friday’s press conference.

During the investigation, police discovered that the student was shot after being robbed of a handgun and cash. After obtaining a search warrant for the home, they discovered 4 1/2 pounds of marijuana as well as three rifles and two shotguns.

Blaise Bennett was inside the home at the time of the search, he was arrested and has now been charged with two counts of felony possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

The shooting suspects were seen fleeing the scene in a Grand Nissan, heading east of Old Concord Road, away from UNCC.

The investigation is still ongoing and police are expecting to make more arrests.

Charlotte Resident Bought A Boat And Drove To Houston To Rescue Flood Victims (Videos)

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After watching all the devastation from Hurricane Harvey online and on TV, Charlotte’s own John Gallagher decided to risk everything to travel into the heart of the storm to help.

John started his journey by buying a brand new boat from Bass Pro Shops, when he told them he was going to use it to rescue flood victims, they gave him a 40% discount;

One his way down to Houston, he loaded up with supplies with the help of dozens of generous people along the way;

Here’s one of John’s first rescues in the Houston area;

 

Once his boat fills up, he has to drop everyone off at a shelter before returning to rescue more people;

 

John said that due to the overwhelming number of boats, the military is now turning away people traveling to the flooded areas with new boats. He also mentioned there is a significant need for volunteers at the rescue shelters, and for “bless bags” with all the essentials a flood victim might need:

If you’d like to come down to help, please download the FEMA app and drive to one of the blue dots where you can volunteer at one of the shelters.

You can follow John’s continued rescue efforts in the Houston area on his Facebook profile here!

If you’d like to financially support John’s rescue efforts, you donate on his GoFundMe page here.

Please help spread the word!

Top 50 Places To Eat in Charlotte

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Yelp Charlotte recently put together it’s list of the top 50 places to eat in Charlotte, and having to been to most of them, I gotta say, it’s pretty solid.

To create this list, Yelp ranked local, non-chain businesses throughout the greater Charlotte region based on the number of reviews on their website, and on each restaurant’s overall star rating.

According to Yelp users and Charlotte foodies, these are the top 50 places to eat in the Queen City:

#50 Due Amici Pizza (Highland Creek)

#49 Brooks Sandwich House (NoDa)

#48 Heritage Food and Drink (Waxhaw)

Crispy crust tender organic chicken in stemmed bun, cilantro, sweet chili sauce

A photo posted by Ian Kittichai (@iankittichai) on

#47 Sandwich Max (Elizabeth)

#46 Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill (Dilworth)

#45 Alexander Michael’s (Uptown)

#44 Heirloom Restaurant (Coulwood/Mountain Island Lake)

#43 Earl’s Grocery (Elizabeth)

Introduced Broho to @earlsgrocery today. He loved it. And his grit bowl. 🥓🥓🥓

A photo posted by Smasheton (@smasheatsalot) on

#42 Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano (South End)

the beast 😔🍴🍝 #callahanryan 11.13.16

A photo posted by Katrina Hutchins Events (@katrinahutchinsevents) on

#41 The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar (SouthPark)

About to get fat girl wasted with @hannahstutts

A photo posted by Nathan Smith (@nbsmith77) on

#40 Dogwood Southern Table & Bar (SouthPark)

Crab eggs Benedict? Yes please 😛🦀

A photo posted by Alex Sayer (@alex.sayer) on

#39 Crispy Banh Mi (South Blvd)

#38 Mr Tokyo Japanese Restaurant (Pineville-Matthews Road)

#small #sushi #maki #lunch #berttakestheworld #allyoucaneat

A photo posted by Bertram Minion, Esquire (@berttakestheworld) on

#37 VBGB Beer Hall and Garden (Uptown)

Yummy grilled wings!

A photo posted by chubby_girl_problems (@chubby_girl_problems) on

#36 Inizio Pizza Napoletana (Providence Commons)

i wish instead of having a pizza face rn, i just had this pizza IN MY face again

A photo posted by carter 🍭 (@sugarcoatedcarter) on

#35 Midwood Smokehouse (Plaza Midwood)

#34 Lumiere French Kitchen (Myers Park)

#33 Luna’s Living Kitchen (South End)

#32 Deep Sea Seafood Market (Sardis Woods)

#31 Sangam Indian Cuisine (Cornelius)

#30 La Shish Kabob (Sheffield Park)

🍖🍗🐑

A photo posted by Van (@vdang614) on

#29 Euro Grill & Cafe (Plaza Midwood)

#28 Kindred Restaurant (Davidson)

Every day should taste this good.

A photo posted by Kenzie Kramer (@kenziekramer) on

#27 Yafo Kitchen (SouthPark)

#26 Taste Of Europe (Matthews)

#pierogi #tasteofeuropepolishcuisine

A photo posted by 👑Rodrigues (@eljustus) on

#25 Rhino Market & Deli (Wesley Heights)

#24 Las Lupitas (Eastway)

Authentic Mexican food at Ms. Lupitas restaurant! 👌😭

A photo posted by parker leclaire (@parkeramesboy) on

#23 Sabor Latin Street Grill (Elizabeth)

Answer: @saborlatingrill Question: Where do you go when you have no food in your fridge due to holiday travel?

A photo posted by Aaron J. Hewitt (@aaron_hewitt) on

#22 The Common Market (Plaza Midwood)

We discovered the best place in North Carolina this weekend

A photo posted by Nathan (@orange.teal) on

#21 Bang Bang Burgers (Elizabeth)

#foodporn

A photo posted by rajan (@rajantechie) on

#20 Papi Queso (Mobile)

#19 Murphy’s Kitchen & Tap (Uptown)

#18 Jasmine Grill (Madison Park)

Best Chicken kebob & hummus in Charlotte! #kebobs #jasminegrill

A photo posted by Bunbeezyy (@omgbuns) on

#17 FūD at Salud (NoDa)

waffles all day because it’s #WaffleWednesday thank you @puppiesandbrunch #feedyoursoull

A photo posted by #feedyoursoull (@feedyoursoull) on

#16 Soul Central (Plaza Midwood)

SOUL FOOD 101 🍴📕 This Sweet Seoul got her soul on today for lunch at a new place called Soul Central in Plaza Midwood! Y’all, when I say, this place hits the spot of comfort meals…This place is awesome!!! From the staff, the friendliness, to the food! Omg!!! My new favorite lil hole in the wall! Here is the Baked Chicken w/ stuffing • mac n cheese • collards • and jalapeño cornbread with OF COURSE sweet tea!!! Joe and Susie are so friendly and welcoming! Y’all go check it out and eat local y’all!!! IT’S DELICIOUS!!! I’m in SEOUL FOOD HEAVEN!!! 😍😍😍 #eatlocal #supportlocal #soulfood #foodforthesoul #cookingwithlove #deliciousness #soulcentral #amazing #macncheese #cornbread #collards #stuffing #sweettea

A photo posted by Jessica (@sweet_seoul_in_charlotte) on

#15 Good Food on Montford (Montford Drive)

#14 The Fig Tree Restaurant (Elizabeth)

Sunday dinner done right #thetomahawk

A photo posted by Ah Jota (@aj_haller) on

#13 Royal Cafe & Creperie (Matthews)

Breakfast with mom = dessert for breakfast.

A photo posted by Dara Fazelnia (@dfaz173) on

#12 Greco Fresh Grille (Ballantyne)

When my friends go to Five Guys next door I eat here instead. Chicken gyro and spicy fries

A photo posted by Alex Lam (@inst_alam) on

#11 Hazelnuts Creperie (Uptown)

#10 Kung Foo Noodle (Huntersville)

#9 NoDa Bodega (NoDa)

Antipasto Grilled Cheese!

A photo posted by noda bodega (@nodabodega) on

#8 Fresh Chef Kitchen (Cornelius)

#7 Little Village Grill (Uptown)

#6 Viva Chicken (Elizabeth)

Yum! Thanks for hanging with me, Andrew! #FoodSnob

A photo posted by Ashley (@ashsmallz) on

#5 Tamarind Fine Cuisine Of India (Matthews)

#4 Zablong (Uptown)

Just grabbin’ a quick pizza at @zablong yummmm! #cltfoodie

A photo posted by CLT Foodie (@cltfoodie) on

#3 Le’s Sandwiches & Cafe (North Tryon/Sugar Creek)

Our Saturday morning tradition. #bahnmiforbreakfast #saturday #charlotte #eat #weekend #goodmorning

A photo posted by Elspeth Warstler (@ellienw) on

#2 Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille (Matthews)

 

And the number 1 spot…

 

is….

 

drum roll please….

 

 

 

 

the best food…

 

in the Greater Charlotte Region….

 

can be found at…

 

 

 

a hot dog cart!

 

#1 The Chili Man (Uptown)

I had the incredible honor of being there for the beginning of Vic’s 2016 hot dog season…here’s what we captured…


Do you agree with this list?

What’s your favorite place to get food in Charlotte?

Let us know in the comments below!

South Carolina Governor Signs Order To Cut State Funding From All Abortion Providers

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governor-mcmastersThis past April, President Trump signed a new law that would let states deny funding to abortion providers including Planned Parenthood. The law essentially reversed President Obama’s rule that explicitly stopped states from denying federal funds to clinics providing abortion services.
South Carolina’s Governor Henry McMaster took advantage of the change by issuing Executive Order 2017-15 earlier this week – essentially prohibiting public funds from going to any agency that engages in abortion related services.
According to the official press release; “Governor McMaster has directed state agencies to cease providing state or local funds, whether via grant, contract, state-administered federal funds, or any other form, to any physician or professional medical practice affiliated with an abortion clinic and operating concurrently with – and in the same physical, geographic location or footprint as – an abortion clinic.”
You can read the entire executive order on the governor’s website here.

The governor also directed the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to research and distribute lists of all qualified non-abortion women’s health and family planning providers operating within a twenty-five mile radius of all abortion clinics throughout the state.

“There are a variety of agencies, clinics, and medical entities in South Carolina that receive taxpayer funding to offer important women’s health and family planning services without performing abortions,” said Governor McMaster. “Taxpayer dollars must not directly or indirectly subsidize abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.”

Governor Cooper Declares State of Emergency For North Carolina Over Gas Shortages

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charlotte-gas-shortage3North Carolina Governor Cooper has just declared a temporary state of emergency for the state of North Carolina after Hurricane Harvey shut down major gas pipelines coming out of Texas.

The temporary state of emergency was declared through Executive Order No. 19, which essentially waved the cap on maximum hours of service restrictions for fuel vehicles traveling in and through North Carolina – helping to maintain a steady supply of gas to our state.

“Hurricane Harvey’s damage to refineries in Texas and Louisiana could ripple throughout the southeast, causing gasoline shortages and rising prices,” Governor Cooper commented. “I’m taking action to make it easier to get gasoline into our state so North Carolinians who need gas can get it.”

The Governor’s Executive Order also helps support disaster response efforts by making it easier for vehicles transporting emergency relief supplies to travel through North Carolina.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those suffering from Harvey and its aftermath, and North Carolina is doing everything we can to help,” said Governor Cooper. “This executive order will help essential supplies get to flood victims as soon as possible, while also keeping fuel flowing here in North Carolina.”

The executive order also mandates a price gouging law against overcharging for the next 45 days.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein released a statement saying that his office will heavily pursue claims of price gouging in the state.

“If you see suspiciously high gas prices, it could mean that gas stations are taking advantage of their customers,” noted Attorney General Stein. “I want to know about it. My top priority is protecting North Carolinians – including their wallets. Taking advantage of people during a weather crisis would be unacceptable, and I will hold any offenders accountable.”

If you spot any gas price gouging in our state, you can report it to our Josh Stein’s office by visiting ncdoj.gov or calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

If you spot gouging in South Carolina, you can report it to their Attorney General’s office at 1-800-351-4889.

Panther’s Lose Final Preseason Game With 9 Seconds Left On The Clock

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Last night the Carolina Panthers faced off against the Pitsburg Steelers in their last Preseason game of 2017. We were just 9 seconds away from a 10-14 victory, but the Steeler’s managed to squeeze in one last touchdown on their final drive to win the game with a final score of 17-14.

If it’s any consolation, the fourth preseason game is traditionally regarded as the least important game of the season. Most of our starters, including Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey stayed on the bench the entire game.

Cam, however, was able to find other ways to entertain himself while off the field;

The Panthers’ second-team dominated most of the first half. Panthers cornerback Teddy Williams blitzed in the first quarter to pressure Steelers quarterback Landry Jones, who then threw a jump ball. David Mayo came down with the interception, and soon Fozzy Whittaker punched it in on a short run for a 7-0 lead. Toward the end of the second quarter, Joe Webb launched a bomber to Kaelin Clay for a huge catch that set up a touchdown for Damiere Byrd, giving the Panthers the lead going into halftime.

Cameron Artis-Payne also had an incredible night, finishing with 51 yards on eight carries.

Although Joe Webb did show a mostly strong performance, it’s unlikely he’ll replace Derek Anderson as our second string, giving the fact that he threw two interceptions, including the terrible decision early in the second half to set Pittsburgh up deep in Carolina territory that resulted in our loss.

The Panthers will now have a lot of decisions to make as Cut Day is this coming Saturday when the team will have to trim the roster from 90 to 53.

They’ll then fly off to San Francisco for our season opener on Sept. 10.

North Carolina Man Jumps Into Ocean To Evade Police – Swims For 3 Hours (Video)

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kingsbury-arrest-pictureYesterday afternoon, a man in Surf City, NC performed one of the most daring escapes the small town has ever seen.

According to Wilmington’s WWAY, 20-year-old Zachary Kingsbury was stopped by police at around 4:15 pm yesterday afternoon during a routine traffic stop. When police noticed a controlled substance in the car, Zachary started running.

He ran to the ocean, dove in, and began swimming away. Police then employed a long-range drone to track him in the ocean, but after 60 minutes in the air, the drone ran out of batteries, and Zachary continued to swim.

This video from the drone shows just how far out he was;

“After 60 minutes of flight time, Kingsbury was over 4,000 feet offshore and visual contact was lost. At that point, the operation became a rescue operation,” according to a statement from the Surf City Police.

At about 7:45 p.m., North Topsail Beach Police arrested Zachary after he finally swam ashore at the Wicker Avenue beach access in North Topsail Beach – about 2 1/2 miles down the beach from where he first jumped in 3 hours earlier.

He has since been charged with resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and possession of marijuana of up to a half an ounce, according to the Surf City Police.

New Smartphone App Now Delivers Birth Control To NC Teens Without Parent’s Consent

birth-control-pills-in-north-carolinaGirls as young as 13-years-old can now receive birth control online without their parent’s consent through a new smart phone app called ‘Nurx‘.

Once the smartphone app is downloaded, a girl fills out a quick patient survey, then talks to a state-licensed doctor about their medical history, mostly through instant messages on the app. If approved, the birth control can then either be mailed to the patient or picked up a local pharmacy.

The new app has been causing controversy ever since it was launched last month.

The NC Values Coalition released the following statement about the new app:

Nurx is dangerous, because it provides another way for children under the age of 18 to obtain contraceptives without the knowledge or consent of their parents. In North Carolina, contraceptives can only be administered by obtaining a prescription from a licensed physician, so Nurx must utilize telemedicine (the practice of doctors seeing patients online through teleconferencing). Legislation passed this year (HB 283) [that] requires the state to study how to regulate telemedicine, and NC Values Coalition will certainly be advocating for legislators to prohibit the use of telemedicine by minors to obtain contraception.

According to Nurx, as long as their patients are healthy, they should be able to receive birth control. The company said it doesn’t have a problem treating teens without parents knowing.

What are your thoughts on the new app? 

Charlotte Douglas Jumped To The Fifth Busiest Airport In The World

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charlotte-douglas-airport-ranked-6thAmidst all the construction of the Charlotte Douglas Airport’s historic $2.5 billion renovation, it’s flight and passenger numbers have continued to rise.

They’ve increased to such a level, that the airport is now officially ranked as the 5th busiest airport in the world.

With a total of 543,944 takeoffs and landings last year, we now see more daily flights than Houston, London, Paris, and even JFK in NYC.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International is still ranked as the world’s busiest airport, according to ACI, with 882,497 takeoffs and landings last year. Chicago O’Hare ranked second, Dallas/Fort Worth is third, LA is 4th, and Beijing is 5th.

Charlotte’s ranking is slightly less impressive if you only look at passenger numbers, in which case it ranks ninth nationwide and 27th in the world.

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