63,000 Lost Power As Trees Are Uprooted and Flash Flooding Spreads Across Charlotte

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63,000 Lost Power As Trees Are Uprooted and Flash Flooding Spreads Across Charlotte

rainy-day-3-n-tryonDue to the non-stop rain over the past 2 days, several parts of Charlotte are now experiencing flash flooding, downed trees, and power outages.

This morning alone, Duke Energy reported about 63,000 customers were without power (mostly on Charlotte East Side) – they’ve since restored power to all but 395 customers this afternoon.

Most of the damage, power outages, and blocked roads today were due to trees being blown over from flooded soil and high winds.

One of those trees fell straight through the fellowship hall at New Outreach Christian Center in West Charlotte this morning:

rainy-day-4-tree-down

Large trees also fell onto Marvin Road between Johnston and Kingsley View Drive, and Sharon Road near Sharon Lane today, emergency crews are still working to remove the trees from the blocked lanes.

Most of the city is now experiencing flash flooding as rain continues to fall.

rainy-day-1-noda

The National Weather service has a ‘Hazardous Weather Outlook’ in place for the entire Charlotte region through tonight:

Rain is expected to continue until about 9am on Tuesday morning.

Please drive safe! 

 

Charlotte Area Home Sales Now Seeing Double-Digit Gains

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Charlotte Area Home Sales Now Seeing Double-Digit Gains

charlotte real estate marketAccording to the latest data released by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association, the home sales in our region have increased by an astounding 11.5%, compared to March of last year.

The average sales price ($271,351) also increased by 10.4% compared to March of last year ($245,800). Our market has now witnessed one of it’s best months in virtually all categories:

charlotte-mls-data-for-march-2017

“The spring selling season is definitely off to a good start with sales up 11 percent and homes selling almost as quickly as they’re listed. Buyers are still challenged with low inventory across the region, which means price increases and multiple-offer situations can happen,” commented Roger Parham, the association’s president in a recent press release.

The inventory in our region has been shrinking for the past few years now, as new home construction hasn’t been able to keep pace with the steady stream of new people moving to our area. Our dwindling supply of homes also causing prices to continue to increase, while our wage growth is hardly keeping pace. Average home prices for Mecklenburg County have now increased by a total of 32% since 2010.

How do you feel about our current real estate boom?

NC Police Review Board Has Just Cleared CMPD Officer In Shooting Death of Keith Lamont Scott

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NC Police Review Board Has Just Cleared CMPD Officer In Shooting Death of Keith Lamont Scott

Keith Lamont Scott, Facebook A North Carolina police department review board has just cleared CMPD officer Brentley Vinson of all charges from the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott last September. The shooting resulted in a week’s worth of protests and riots throughout our city last year.

The review board determined that the officer lawfully followed all proper procedures before and after the shooting.

Their report stated that the use of deadly force was justified, citing the following evidence to support their verdict:

– Scott stepped out of his vehicle with a gun in his hand.
– He ignored at least 10 commands to drop it.
– One bullet was found in the chamber of his gun, with the safety was off.
– Scott’s DNA was found on the grip and ammunition slide.
– Officer Vinson’s gun had four bullets missing.
– Guns from the other officers on the scene had not been fired.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray originally announced that officer Vinson would not face any charges back in November, but due to the nature of the case, and the appeals petitioned by Scott’s family, the case moved on to a NC police review board.

The Scott family’s attorney, Charles Monnett, is now criticizing the review board’s verdict, commenting that “it’s darn near impossible to objectively investigate yourself.”

The family now plans to file a complaint with the Citizens Review Board – an external panel that investigates possible cases of misconduct within the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

What are your thoughts on the case?

Removal of Confederate Flag and Memorabilia From York County Sparks Protests

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Removal of Confederate Flag and Memorabilia From York County Sparks Protests

Yesterday afternoon a group of protesters waved rebel flags and dressed in confederate clothes outside the York County Courthouse after the clerk of court decided to remove several confederate items and memorabilia – including the confederate flag.

There was a heavy police presence at the protest, but it remained peaceful and sparsely attended for most of the day.

The courtroom was renovated and reopened earlier this month, and during the $10 million renovations, the York County Clerk of Court made the executive decision to remove several items that Confederate history supporters now say were vital aspects of their history.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans say that the removal of the items by York County is violating the US Heritage Act.

County officials released a public statement saying that the items weren’t monuments or memorials, and were only for decoration, and are therefore not required to be returned to the courtroom under the S.C. Heritage Act. The county is now waiting for an opinion from the S.C. Attorney General for confirmation.

Do you support the removal of the confederate items?

Major Recall Issued For Harris Teeter Hash Browns Due To Contamination Of “Golf Ball Parts”

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Major Recall Issued For Harris Teeter Hash Browns Due To Contamination Of “Golf Ball Parts”

home-fry-recall-harris-teeterHarris Teeter has just issued a wide-spread recall of a private-label brand of frozen hash browns due to possible golf ball materials being mixed in the bags.

McCain Foods USA’s recall notice was posted to the US Food & Drug Administration’s website yesterday, stating that the hash browns could be “contaminated with extraneous golf ball materials” that “may have been inadvertently harvested with potatoes used to make this product…Consumption of these products may pose a choking hazard or other physical injury to the mouth.”
According to the company, no injuries have yet been reported

The company said the Harris Teeter private-label products have been distributed to and sold in North and South Carolina stores since January 19th.

The bags have a production code B170119. Any bag that doesn’t have that code won’t have golf ball parts, and is safe to eat, according to McCain.

recalled-southern-style-hashbrowns

If you have any additional questions or concerns about the recall, you can contact McCain at 630- 857-4533.

President Trump Signs New Law To Bring Doppler Weather System To Charlotte

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President Trump Signs New Law To Bring Doppler Weather System To Charlotte

north carolina tornadoThis past week President Donald Trump signed the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. The new bill could lead to Charlotte finally getting its own Doppler radar system to give advanced warning to residents of approaching tornadoes and other violent weather.

North Carolina Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-Charlotte, and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., where two of the biggest proponents of the new law, demanding that the National Weather Service conducts a full-scale study into the weather radar gap in the Charlotte area.

“Because meteorologists lack consistent and reliable local radar data, NWS has actually missed tornadoes in Mecklenburg and Union counties,” Pittenger commented in a recent public statement.

Residents were only given about an hour warning of the tornado that touched down in South Charlotte this past December, and this certainly wasn’t the first time little to no warning was given.

The Charlotte metro area now has a total population of 2.4 million people, which is currently the largest metro area in the country without a Doppler radar system. Our closest Doppler system in Greer, SC (about 94 miles away).

 

Myers Park Baptist Church Donates $100,000 Toward LGBT Organization’s New Homeless Shelter

Steve
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Myers Park Baptist Church Donates $100,000 Toward LGBT Organization’s New Homeless Shelter

time-out-youth-centerCharlotte’s Time Out Youth recently announced plans for a new homeless shelter in Charlotte.

Thanks to a generous $100,000 donation by Myers Park Baptist Church, the LGBT organization will now have enough funds to purchase and renovate their new shelter, also doubling as a new center for the organization.

The shelter is expected to house at least a dozen homeless youths.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Myer’s Park Baptist has been an active supporter of Time Out Youth for the past two decades – it even provided it’s meeting space when the orgainzation first launched in the early 90s.

Scott Crowder, one of the leaders at Myers Park Baptist, commented that the church is called to protect those who are at risk, dehumanized or excluded.

Teens in the LGBT lifestyle often face challenges that contribute to homelessness, such as social stigma and rejection by their families. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 4 out of every 10 homeless youth identify as being LGBT.

I-77 Toll Lane Construction Company About To Shut Down Another Lane For 12 Months

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I-77 Toll Lane Construction Company About To Shut Down Another Lane For 12 Months

charlotte-i77Sugar Creek Construction (the construction company building the I77 toll lanes) just announced that they will be closing the LaSalle Street north ramp onto I77 for about 12 months starting on April 26th.

They noted that once construction is complete, a new dedicated lane will allow drivers to continue traveling to I-85, or continue onto I-77 northbound.

Once the ramp is complete, the new toll lanes will run parallel with the ‘free’ lanes.

In their announcement, the Sugar Creek Construction company also noted:

“Motorists are encouraged to pay attention when approaching the work zone, obey the posted speed limit, work zone signs and detour signs, and allow extra time to reach their destinations safely.”

This new warning is likely due to the recent accidents and damage caused by I-77 construction debris hitting cars.

Officers Uncover 24 LBs of Meth While Raiding National Drug Ring In Charlotte Region

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Officers Uncover 24 LBs of Meth While Raiding National Drug Ring In Charlotte Region

carolina-drug-bustThis past week, a combined task force of local authorities from 3 counties raided several homes to uncover over 24 pounds of methamphetamine and over $571,000 in cash.

Investigators now suspect that the group responsible has been engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of drugs throughout the Carolinas and across the country, according to WBTV.

“This will have a significant impact,” commented Burke County’s Sheriff Steve Whisenant.

Local authorities arrested 7 people during the raids this week, but they say they are still looking for 3 more, who are now considered armed and very dangerous.

Dancing With The Stars of Charlotte is Coming Next Weekend (Video)

Steve
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Dancing With The Stars of Charlotte is Coming Next Weekend (Video)

dancing-with-the-stars-of-charlotteCarolina Breast Friends, in partnership with Charlotte Ballroom, is about to host their 2nd annual fundraising event, Dancing with The Stars of Charlotte on Saturday, April 29, 2017, in memory of Dr. Teresa Flippo-Morton – beloved by everyone connected to Carolina Breast Friends, and especially by the breast cancer survivors she helped to save.

The upcoming event will be set up in a similar way to ABC’s Dancing with The Stars series, with dances from some of Charlotte’s most well known personalities and dancing pros.

I was honored to get a sneak peak of Keith and Erica’s performance this past Wednesday night:

If you liked Keith and Erica’s dance, you can vote for them here (#900).

Each couple will be competing for the mirror ball trophy for judge’s choice (top score), as well as for “top fundraiser.”

The inaugural event in April of last year sold-out the 440 seat Booth Theater within 4 days and raised over $308,000 for Carolina Breast Friends. This year’s venue, the McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, holds 730 seats, and organizers are hoping to raise over $500,000 for the cancer fighting organization.

The main event has already been sold out, but tickets for the dress rehearsal on April 29th at 2pm are still available here at CarolinaTix.org.

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