Cornelius town leaders recently voted to approve the new Bike Cornelius! master plan, which calls for a vast expansion of bike lanes and educational programs and events throughout the area.
Cornelius now has about 2 miles of on-street bike paths and 6 miles of greenways and cross-through trails. The new Bike Cornelius! plan will expand those numbers to include over 97.4 miles of paths and trails.
It specifically calls for 12 major projects, including five immediate bike paths added on West Catawba, Washam Potts, Westmoreland, Nantz, Hwy 115, Torrence Chapel, and Hwy 21. It also calls for longer term projects include adding bike lanes on Bailey Road to connect to the greenway, and adding cycle tracks to West Catawba included in the new road widening project.
While most residents are in favor of adding new biking options to the town, some proponents argue that adding more bike lanes will only add to the traffic congestion on the town’s already busy roads.
How do you feel about the new Bike Cornelius! master plan?
Catawba County workers are now seeing their earnings increase at the 9th highest rate in the country.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s latest report, Catawba gave their employees 8.9% more than last year, and this isn’t the only county in the Charlotte metro area that’s paying employees comparatively high wages.
Mecklenburg County also outpaced the rest of North Carolina, increasing the wages to their employees by 6.8% to $1,204 per week on average – ranking #36 in the country.
The Raleigh area, in contrast, posted surprisingly low numbers – Durham and Wake counties both came in at #218 nationally (out of 343 counties), showing an increase of only 4.2% year-over-year.
Mecklenburg County also ranked among the top in the nation for hiring – with a 4% increase in employees. That was 33rd highest among the America’s largest counties, according to the BLS figures – York County did even better, with a 4.5% growth rate, and ranking at#18 nationally.
All of the counties in the Charlotte metro region are expected to continue their hiring surges as our region continues to improve – if you’d like to browse all job openings around the Charlotte region click here.
Cameron Newton just flew 7 Make-A-Wish kids into Charlotte for the Knights home opener weekend. The Cam Newton Foundation paid for the who trip, giving the precious terminally ill children a truly unforgettable day.
Today was also Cam’s first public appearance since he underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder last week on March 29.
Lake Norman’s McGuire Nuclear Station is about to test their entire siren system next week on Wednesday, April 12, at approximately 11:50 a.m. in the morning.
There will be a total of 67 sirens within 10 miles of the nuclear station that will go off for exactly three minutes to make sure each siren works properly. This full-cycle siren test is required once every quarter in cooperation with emergency officials in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Catawba counties.
Here is a video clip of the siren that went off a few years ago:
The sirens are meant to be a warning signal to all residents in audible range to tune in to their local TV or radio stations for further information or instruction – the sirens are not meant to be an automatic evacuation alarm.
HGTV has announced they’re now looking for prospective home buyers in Charlotte to be filmed for an upcoming episode of their hit show ‘House Hunters‘.
The realty show takes viewers behind the scenes as your family tours a variety of different homes to decide which house will become your new home.
They’re specifically looking for fun personalities and interesting stories. Ideal candidates should have children between the ages of 7 and 16. In their press release they noted, “If your kids are excited and opinionated about your move, we want to meet you!”
If you’re interested in appearing on the show or know
someone who fits the above description, you can apply here.
Online retail giant Amazon just announced this past week new plans to add 30,000 part-time positions in the U.S. over the next 12 months, which will include 5,000 jobs in their ‘Virtual Customer Service’ department.
This would allow people to work from virtually anywhere with an internet connection, and if you work at least 20 hours, you can be eligible for benefits.
“There are lots of people who want or need a flexible job — whether they’re a military spouse, a college student, or a parent — and we’re happy to empower these talented people no matter where they happen to live,” commented Tom Weiland, Amazon’s vice president for worldwide customer service, in a statement.
This new part-time hiring spree is part of an even larger employment surge by the retailer. Back in January, Amazon announced the addition of 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months – primarily within fulfillment centers.
Over the last several years Amazon has seen some truly historic employment growth. In 2011, Amazon had just over 56,000 full- and part-time employees – now, at the end of 2016, that number was over 341,000.
Amazon’s incredible growth has had a major impact on the US retail industry, which now accounts for 1 in every 10 workers in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A world-famous Disney theme park designer is now planning on building a new theme park in our state called “Whirligig Woods”.
The new park will be located on a 21-acre piece of land on the Haw River in the little town of Saxapahaw, NC;
The man behind the new park is former Disney Imagineer Bob Baranick, who has spent his entire career building fantasy mountains, themed water slides, winding railroads, and dozens of other rides in California’s Disneyland, Disney World’s Epcot, and Universal Studios.
The town of Spencer Mountain, NC is now officially suspended, meaning that its town charter has been revoked and “all monies and assets held by the Town of Spencer Mountain shall be placed under the control of the State Treasurer”, according to HB1143.
Spencer Mountain was originally settled in 1772 by Zachariah Spencer. In 1874, J. Harvey Wilson II built a water-powered textile mill (Wilson & Moore Cotton Mill) at the base of Spencer Mountain. A predecessor of Duke Power purchased the mill and the hydroelectric plant that powered it in 1926, and was eventually shut down in 1999.
The town of Spencer Mountain was incorporated by the state of North Carolina in 1963, allowing it’s citizens freedom to hold elections, pass laws, and collect and use city taxes.
According to the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 37. The median income for a household in the town was $32,143, and the median income for a family was $32,143. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,848. There were no families and 1.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including none under 18 and none of those over 64.
Last year, only two residents remained living in the town, Chase and Alice White; who voted themselves in as mayor and councilwoman in 2015. In an article published last year, USA Today noted, “a closed down store, a haunted mansion, a church and one house are all that remain in the half-square mile town.”
In May of last year, a bill was introduced by NC Representative Torbett that would effectively shut down the town – a bill that will forever be known on the streets of Spencer Mountain as ‘HB1143’. A little over a month later, on June 28th, 2016, House Bill 1143 was officially ratified, spelling doom for the little struggling town.
Chase and Alice White will still remain mayor and council person of the town until their term ends later this year, but their town’s funds have already been transferred to the state treasury, and now that the town’s charter has been revoked, no more elections can be held.
What do you think about HB1143? Do you think North Carolina should reinstate Spencer Mountain’s town charter?
Enjoy opening night at the BB&T Ballpark in Uptown Charlotte Friday night. They Charlotte Knights will be taking on the Norfolk Tides Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night.
Mika Singh is an Indian singer, songwriter composer and performer. Amongst a wide catalogue of songs, the prominent ones are “Bas Ek King”, “Mauja Hi Mauja”, “Ibn-e-Batuta”, and “Dhanno”.
He’ll be performing live at the Oven’s Auditorium this Friday night at 8pm.
Sommore: She was the first female host of ComicView, she’s a Guinness Book of World Records holder, and perhaps most impressively, she’s someone Oprah called “a force to be reckoned with in the new millennium.”
Arnez J: This charismatic Hotlanta comic, whose on-stage physicality has drawn comparisons to Jim Carrey, hosted two seasons of BET’s ComicView and has been seen on Def Comedy Jam and his own special, Arnez J.: Racially Motivated, which is now available on Netflix.
John Witherspoon: He’s best known as Willie Jones in Friday and as the voice of Robert “Granddad” Freeman in the animated show The Boondocks.
Tommy Davidson: Thanks in part to his versatile physicality and spot-on impressions, Tommy’s well known for his stint as a cast member of In Living Color, as well as roles in such blockbusters as Woo, Booty Call, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.
It will be hosted at Oven’s Auditorium starting at 8pm.
Join Historic Rural Hill in celebrating the 24th Annual Loch Norman Highland Games the weekend of April 8 – 9, 2017! We will have Highland Athletics, Highland Dance, Piping and Drumming competitions, Celtic Music, Historic Encampments, and so much more! Not of Scottish descent? That’s fine with us! Learn about various clans and genealogy along Clan Row and you’ll likely get adopted by one of over 60 represented Clans! Shop at over 20 vendors for traditional Scottish ware and tantilize your taste buds with traditional Scottish food!
The 2nd Annual Pig Picking is about to be held at the Free Range Brewing.
A pig will be cooked onsite by renowned BBQ pitmaster Sam Jones of Sam Jones BBQ and the skylightinnbbq in Ayden, NC.
Here’s the layout:
12pm – Doors open. Social Hour begins. Catch the end of the cooking.
1pm – Order/Fire episode 7 featuring Sam jones.
2pm – Pig picking and sides will be served!
First come first served. Meat and sides. Suggested $10 donation
Uptown Charlotte’s murder-mystery dinners begin innocently enough—guests arrive to mingle amid drinks and quiet conversation. As diners munch away, a sudden death interrupts the feasting. A detective arrives to determine who the killer is, inevitably laying blame on one of the audience members. Tablemates work together to prove their innocence and find the real killer through an interactive performance full of hilarious suspects and eye-catching costumes, all the while dining on the included three-course meal and taking advantage of drink specials.
This coming Sunday from 1-5pm, the Pop-Up Market is coming to Birdsong Brewing.
Come on out and see our community come together! Enjoy local food vendors, art, animal health & welfare stations, brews, live music, and a community coming together as one.
Mecklenburg County is continuing to move forward with the BK Partner’s plan to re-develop the former African-American neighborhood of Brooklyn Village in Uptown Charlotte’s Second Ward.
Second Ward’s historically African-American Brooklyn Village was demolished in the 1960s in a wave of “urban renewal,” and is now largely dominated by the city’s government quarter, sterile municipal buildings, empty plazas, and the largely unused Marshall Park.
BK Partner’s plan won the contest – they will be paying $33.7 million for the land, and investing a total of $683 million for the entire development, which will include;
Final negotiations and community input will take place over the next 6 months to 1 year, and a tentative date of the completion of phase 1 will be set for sometime in 2021.
Catawba County workers are now seeing their earnings increase at the 9th highest rate in the country.
HGTV has announced they’re now looking for prospective home buyers in Charlotte to be filmed for an upcoming episode of their hit show ‘
The town of Spencer Mountain, NC is now officially suspended, meaning that its town charter has been revoked and “all monies and assets held by the Town of Spencer Mountain shall be placed under the control of the State Treasurer”, 
Mecklenburg County
