McDonalds’ New Commercial For Their ‘South Carolina Stack’ Has No Idea What A South Carolinian Is

Steve
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McDonalds’ New Commercial For Their ‘South Carolina Stack’ Has No Idea What A South Carolinian Is

mcdonaldsuk_southcarolinastack-commercialMcDonalds just rolled out their new ‘South Carolina Stack’ commercial in the United Kingdom, part of a series of new burgers meant to represent American cultures.

In the commercial, the two actors are magically transformed into iconic South Carolinians…or so McDonald’s thinks. The male customer is transformed into a Texan cowboy, the female customer is transformed into Dolly Parton (from Tennessee), and the salesman is transformed into a football player wearing North Carolina blue colors (why wouldn’t he be wearing Clemson orange or Gamecock red and black?).

See for yourself:

They just finished with their ‘New York Stack’ promotion, which ended on May 16th.

In that commercial, the actors were all transformed into what looked like Boston Red Sox players:

The Louisiana Stack promotion is set to start on May 31st and the Tennessee Stack will launch on June 14th…those should be interesting.

Do you think McDonalds might be purposely killing the identity of our states to get news outlets like us talking about them, or do you think they simply didn’t do their research?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Top Ten Things To Do in Charlotte This Memorial Day Weekend

Steve
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Top Ten Things To Do in Charlotte This Memorial Day Weekend

The weekend is almost here once again!

This weekend we’ll see tons of live music, festivals, and the Coca Cola 600!

Here are the top 10 things happening around the Charlotte region this weekend:

#1 Coca-Cola 600 Speed Street

Circle K Speed Street presented by Coca-Cola will be rocking the streets of Charlotte May 25-27 with live entertainment, access to racing’s brightest stars, giveaways and interactive displays.

Each day starting at noon, festival attendees will gather on Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte to enjoy vendor displays, kid’s activities, racing-related fun and more until 8 p.m. Then local, regional and national headliners will take the Coca-Cola stage starting at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are only $15 to enjoy Friday and Saturday night headliners and $10 for Thursday night entertainment. All other activities are free.

For tickets or more info click here.

#2 US Whitewater Center Memorial Day Celebration

whitewater-center-river-jam1

Enjoy the holiday weekend with friends and family at the USWNC for the Memorial Day Celebration. Weekend includes 5 and 8-mile trail races, yoga, film screenings, Deep Water Solo rock climbing, as well as live music on Sunday afternoon and evening. Stick around to enjoy our fireworks display at dusk, capping off the Memorial Day Celebration at the USNWC.

For more info click here.

#3 Tour De Fat

Tour De Fat will be in Charlotte this coming Saturday (5/27) from 4pm-9pm

There will be a mix of musicians, circus performers, vaudeville acts, magicians, comedians, and mind-blowing provocateurs. Costumes are highly encouraged (and a mindset to party is mandatory). Tour de Fat Charlotte benefits Bike Walk NC.

For more info or tickets click here.

#4 Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons

bbt-uptown-charlotte-ballpark2

This weekend the Knights will be taking on the Buffalo Bisons on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday nights starting at 7:05pm at the BB&T Field in Uptown Charlotte.

For tickets or more info click here.

#5 Adrian Uribe

adrianuribe-in-charlotte

Adrian Garcia Uribe, better known as Adrián Uribe is an actor and comedian, renowned for his roles in “El Vítor”, “Carmelo” and “Poncho Aurelio” in La Hora Pico and for his starring role as ‘Johnny’ in My Heart is Yours.

He’ll be performing live this coming Friday night at 7pm and 10pm.

For tickets or more information click here.

#6 Truth Music Tour

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This coming Saturday at 6pm the Truth Music Tour will be kicking off in Charlotte.

A night of Hip-Hop with artists Bizzle, Thisl, Sevin, Datin, & Eshon Burgundy.

Address: 7910 Idlewild road Charlotte NC 28212 United States

For more information click here.

#7 JoyFest 2017

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JoyFest is back at Carowinds on May 27 from 12pm to 10pm with Kirk Franklin, The Mann Family, Tasha Cobbs and many more!

For more info click here.

#8 Kehlani

kehlani-charlotte

Kehlani is a rising singer, songwriter and dancer currently signed to Atlantic Records. She’ll be performing at the Fillmore this coming Sunday night starting at 8pm.

For more info or tickets click here.

#9 Charlotte’s Bubble Parade

bubbles-parade-charlotte

On Sunday, May 28th, there will be a soap bubble parade down the rail trail to spread positivity.

It’ll start  from Edna’s Porch at Carson St. (next to the Carson Street Light Rail Station) and walk along the Rail Trail down to the East/West Blvd. station.

The parade is FREE with lots of bubbles & fun guaranteed! 🎈
There will be bubble giveaways provided by Bubble World on a first come, first serve basis.
Otherwise, this is a BYOB- Bring Your Own Bubbles event.

For more info click here.

#10 Coca Cola 600

coca-cola 600 charlotte

Watch the legendy 600-mile race this coming Sunday afternoon at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd PLUS a patriotic salute to our Memorial Day military heroes! Afterward.

Channing Tatum will be the Grand Marshall of the 58th running of the legendary Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s most challenging test of man and machine.

For more info or tickets click here.

If you think other events should be on this list or future lists, let us know – Scott@CharlotteStories.com

Tornado Ripped Off Roofs Last Night In Iredell County

Charlotte Stories
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Tornado Ripped Off Roofs Last Night In Iredell County

Last night, the Charlotte region was hit with some of the worst storms it’s seen in months.

Flash flooding occurred all around Uptown Charlotte, stranding many cars in several feet of water.

This shot was taken just outside Hawthorn Pizza in the Elizabeth neighborhood:

In Iredell county, a tornado touched down along Swann Road, according to local deputies (although the National Weather Service has not issued an official confirmation).

Vicki Graf with WSOC was on site to film some of the damage and interview neighbors:

Emergency crews now report that the cleanup could take months.

Carowinds Presents $10,000 Check To Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Charlotte Stories
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Carowinds Presents $10,000 Check To Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

carowindsIt was a welcomed trip to the principal’s office for Carowinds Amusement park representatives this morning. Park associates dropped off a $10,000 check to Charlotte-Mecklenburg School officials at Lake Wylie Elementary today. The money will help the district with classroom supplies, school transportation and staff celebrations.

It’s the first year of the newly-formed partnership between Carowinds’ Youth Department and CMS’ Community Partnership and Family Engagement Department. The school district and park hope to continue to provide fun and educational programs at the world’s best outdoor classroom—Carowinds, and help prepare students for future careers.

Carowinds has also donated over 2,000 free admission tickets to CMS through this partnership and the park’s Roller Coaster Reading Club program.

Each spring, Carowinds hosts over 60,000 students from across the Carolinas for its educational and performance related events. To learn more, visit: carowinds.com/youth

Charlotte City Council Votes To Move Forward With $200 Million Gateway Station

Steve
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Charlotte City Council Votes To Move Forward With $200 Million Gateway Station
charlotte-gateway-station-small
via littleonline.com

This past Monday night, the Charlotte City Council voted to allow the city manager to begin negotiating with state and federal leaders for the right-of-way land to be used to connect Charlotte’s historic new Gateway Station.

The massive new terminal would become a sort of Grand Central Station for Charlotte, combining passenger train traffic with the light rail, street car and city bus systems in the heart of Uptown Charlotte.

gs-map
via CharlotteNC.gov

The city also wants to see a variety of mixed-use development fill in around the new station. “It will unlock lots of private investment, it will shape that investment to create a walkable zone around this station.” commented Michael Smith of Charlotte Center City Partners.

charlotte uptown gateway station1
via littleonline.com

The project is almost 20 years in the works. The city first assembled about 20 acres of land around West Trade St. and Graham St. for the massive new development back in 1998. Since then, we’ve seen several major milestones in the development, including the architectural designs and renderings of the complex, and the securing of a $30 million federal grant for it’s development.

To-date, CATS has gathered $111.75 million in pledges for the new station, including the $30 million federal grant, $48.75 million from the N.C. DOT, and $33 million from the city of Charlotte’s capitol budget. The total cost of development is now estimated to be between $150-200 million.

City leaders would like to see the Gateway Station open by 2024…if they are able to find the rest of the financing and secure the remaining approvals.

What do you think about the new Gateway Station?

CMPD’s New Team Has Now Been Trained to Strategically Talk With Protesters

Vanessa Infanzon
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CMPD’s New Team Has Now Been Trained to Strategically Talk With Protesters
major-mike-campagna
‘From Chaos to Conversation’ presentation at St Luke’s Lutheran Church

After the protests and riots in September 2016, many Charlotteans felt disenfranchised, divided and marginalized. Trust in the police department was low. Anger and frustration were high. Fortunately, a few people saw an opportunity to build relationships and trust. Major Mike Campagna with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) developed the Constructive Conversation Team (CCT) with help from fellow officers, community volunteers and the backing of the CMPD. CCT is a group of 15 police officers specially trained to talk with protesters, listen to concerns and answer questions.

CCt Training
Major Campagna addresses the officers and volunteers during a CCT training session.

In a presentation called From Chaos to Conversation, Campagna details how his involvement as an officer led to the creation of CCT. At the time of the protests, Campagna was captain of the central division located in uptown Charlotte. This put him in the middle of both peaceful protests and violent riots. On one particular day, protesters blocked the front and back doors of the CMPD headquarters. Police in riot gear formed a barrier so that protesters could not rush the police station. Campagna came out, without riot gear, and listened to one protester, Greg Jackson, who was right in front. They had a short, but productive conversation. “This was the birth of a movement,” said Campagna.

Campagna realized that the power of listening can change the dynamics of a situation and ultimately change the outcome. If he can make a connection with a protester, they can begin to dialogue. Campagna acknowledges that they may not always have answers or necessarily agree with one another, but they can begin the conversation.

The police officers in CCT were trained by the Charlotte-based Red Boot Coalition, a non-profit organization focused on uniting people. Officers participated in listening skill exercises. Campagna explains that most people want to be heard. They want to be recognized, and they want their questions answered.

gregjacksontraining
Community Activist Greg Jackson speaks to the officers and volunteers during a CCT training session.

The training included role-playing in realistic scenarios. Jackson, the protester who Campagna connected with at police headquarters, recruited volunteers to act as protesters and create an environment that mimicked real life. Typically, other police officers are used in role-playing. “The dynamic changed things,” said Campagna. In the debriefing, officers and volunteers shared that the experience helped to humanize both the officers and the protesters. They saw one another as people.

cct-deployment
CCT Deployment – Officer Ryan Botzenmayer speaks to a citizen on the scene of an officer involved shooting in January.

CCT has been deployed three times since its creation. According to Campagna, he thinks the Conversation Team is making a difference: “Making a connection with people, developing that cooperation is one of the biggest things to come out of it. Creating some openings to find solutions to some of these issues going on.”

From Chaos to Conversation includes television news clips, photos, Power Point slides and video clips from the CCT training. Campagna is available to speak to interested groups. Contact him by email at mcampagna@cmpd.org.

Another CMPD program available to individual citizens is called The Transparency Workshop. It is a nine-hour class, spread out over three evenings. It covers use of force, police recruiting, body cameras, traffic stops and other topics. Find that class on the CMPD website.

Photos: Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Vanessa Infanzon

Catawba County Man Arrested For Growing Over $500 Million Worth of Poppy Plants

Steve
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Catawba County Man Arrested For Growing Over $500 Million Worth of Poppy Plants

Undercover agents in Catawba County have just arrested a man in Claramont, NC for growing Poppy plants, which are used to make opium (which is then refined to make harder drugs such as heroin).

Cody Xiong was arrested on his large scale poppy plantation. He was then taken to the Catawba County Sheriff’s office where he was charged with manufacture and trafficking by possession, WBTV reports.

catawba-county-poppy-plantation

 

Around 10 deputies and SBI agents put on protective clothing and spent most of the day pulling hundreds of poppy plants from the ground near the Claremont home.

Dave Faherty with WSOC was on site to take pictures – deputies told him that the plants are expected to be worth around $500 million.

 

 

Heavy Rains Expected In Charlotte For The Next 72 Hours

Charlotte Stories
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Heavy Rains Expected In Charlotte For The Next 72 Hours

Yesterday we saw the first day of rain in a 5 day stream of showers. The rain was so constant and heavy that it even brought several trees down throughout the Charlotte region.

Huntersville Fire Department had to work through the night to clear several major trees in time for this morning’s rush hour commute.

Rain is now expected to start back up again this evening, and will continue in intermittent stages through Thursday evening;

Great news for our Spring gardens, but terrible news for our Summer tans!

South Carolina Has Just Legalized Hemp Growing

Steve
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South Carolina Has Just Legalized Hemp Growing

south-carolina-hemp-productionThis past week the governor of South Carolina ratified a new law (A37, R59, H3559) that will allow residents to grow a limited amount of industrial hemp for sale or personal use.

Industrial hemp is a form of marijuana that has an extremely low amount of ‘THC’ in it (the psychoactive chemical that makes you high).

According to the new law, “Industrial hemp’ means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of the plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dried weight basis.”

The crop has one of the widest variety of uses of any plant, including; food (it’s considered by many to be a ‘superfood‘), clothing, oils, dietary supplements, and even playing cards.

Starting this summer, the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the State Law Enforcement Division will begin to issue licenses to grow crops on up to 20 acres as a pilot program.

North Carolina approved a similar hemp growing pilot program back in 2015 and established the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission (IHC), responsible for creating the rules and regulations to be followed by pilot program participants.

 

Currently, about 90 percent of the hemp used in the United States for industrial purposes is imported from China. But over the past 10 years, more and more states have been legalizing the production of industrial hemp (there are currently 31 states that have legalized industrial hemp growth).

What do you think about industrial hemp growth? Should there be any restrictions on it?

Uptown’s Newest Skyscraper Will Feature Our City’s Best Rooftop Bar

Charlotte Stories
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Uptown’s Newest Skyscraper Will Feature Our City’s Best Rooftop Bar

new-charlotte-highriseOne of Charlotte’s largest developers, Northwood Ravin (developers of The Vue, Providence Roe, and 4 other Charlotte projects), recently started on their latest development on Stonewall St. in Uptown.

It will be yet another new high-rise on what is quickly becoming Charlotte’s most redeveloped streets ever.

“The Stonewall corridor will see unprecedented growth over the next several years, our team has worked hard to design a community that complements this high-profile gateway location,” commented Northwood Ravin’s VP Mike Wilson, in a recent press release.

550-east-stonewall

new-charlotte-skyscraperThe new 20-story complex will include 421 medium-high priced apartments, an elevated pool, a dog park on the fourth floor, and one of our city’s best new rooftop bars. The bar will be 1,850-square-foot of enclosed space, including the kitchen with another 1,950-square-feet of outdoor patio space.

The complex will also feature “central urban gardens” that will include seating areas, a feature fountain and a monumental staircase, as well as a full-sized golf simulator and sports facility.

The new development will also include over 6,400 square feet of shops and restaurants on the street level, and 11,000 square feet of office space.

What do you think of all the new projects being built in Charlotte? 

Which one is your favorite? 

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