Duke Energy Announced It Will Start Using Pig Poop To Power Homes In North Carolina

Katherine Miele
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Duke Energy Announced It Will Start Using Pig Poop To Power Homes In North Carolina

duke energy pig poop powerIn an attempt to create more renewable energy, Duke Energy recently announced that they will start buying swine waste output from a North Carolina pig farm. They will use the waste’s methane gas bi-product to generate renewable electricity for four of its power plants.

The company said that they initially plan on powering at least 100,000 homes in North Carolina using the new methane combustion process.

“It is encouraging to see the technological advances that allow waste-to-energy projects in North Carolina to be done in an environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner for our customers,” said David Fountain, Duke Energy president.

North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) regulations now require Duke Energy to meet even higher compliance targets for renewable energy. Their new pig waste methane program will purchase about 1 million MMBtus of pipeline-quality methane each year – just enough to satisfy the REPS regulations.

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Concord Native and UNCC Student Just Crowned Miss North Carolina – Now She’s Preparing For Miss America

Katherine Miele
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Concord Native and UNCC Student Just Crowned Miss North Carolina – Now She’s Preparing For Miss America

miss north carolina 2016

miss north carolina from charlotteMiss Mecklenburg County, McKenzie Jade Faggart, was just crowned Miss North Carolina this past weekend in Raleigh. She is a Concord native and a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, so we’re about to have one of our own compete on the national stage for the Miss America pageant on September 13th.

Faggart was also the winner of the Miss North Carolina Outstanding Teen pageant back in 2011 – the first person to win both contests in North Carolina’s history.

Next week, Faggart will travel across the state, meeting with sponsors and networking, before starting to prepare for the Miss America pageant.

“I started out as an outstanding teen and loved the service part of the organization. Now, I love being able to dance, show my talent and speak in an interview.” “It’s really a dream come true,” said Faggart in an interview after the pageant.

Faggart is also an outspoken advocate for the anti-bullying initiative “The SAFE Project”, here is one of their most recent videos;

 

Clown Trying To Lure Children Into South Carolina Woods

Charlotte Stories
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Clown Trying To Lure Children Into South Carolina Woods

The manager of South Carolina’s Fleetwood Manor Apartment Complex is now warning residents to be on the look out for a clown that has been terrorizing local school children, reports Greenville’s WYFF.

There was recently a letter sent by the management to all the residents of the apartment complex stating that there have been “a lot of complaints” about “a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing … trying to lure children in the woods.”

Local Greenville resident Kevin Thoman tweeted this rather disturbing image earlier today – he claims it was taken behind the Fleetwood Manor Apartments:

In an Aug. 21 report to Greenville County deputies, a woman said her son had seen “clowns in the woods” around 8:30 p.m. An investigating deputy then spoke with another person who said a clown was also seen near a garbage dumpster.

The person said the clown waved at her and she waved back, but the clown did not approach.

There have been several claims from local school children that several clowns had been seen in the woods trying to get them to follow him with various amounts of money.

Witnesses told investigators that they believed the clowns lived in a nearby home, or might possibly be a resident of the Fleetwood Manor Apartment complex.

Giant Sink Hole Just Formed on Independence Blvd.

Charlotte Stories
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Giant Sink Hole Just Formed on Independence Blvd.

A water main under Independence Blvd. broke at about 1am this morning, and due to the massive water flow, a giant sinkhole has begun to form.

The sinkhole is on the outside South-East lane of Independence between between Wallace Rd and East WT Harris Blvd:

CMPD has since shut down all three lanes of traffic and are now saying that the lanes wont reopen until about 7pm tonight.

Traffic is currently being detoured to Wallace Lane and Monroe Road.

If you’re a parents concerned about your child’s school transportation today, you can call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools transportation hotline from 7 am – 6 pm @ 980-343-6715.

Lake Norman High School Student Starts New Movement To Help Empower Young Girls

Katherine Miele
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Lake Norman High School Student Starts New Movement To Help Empower Young Girls

A senior from Cornelius’s William Amos Hough High School has started a new trend in her high school called ‘no makeup week’.

Isabella Frommelt decided to start the movement to spread the message that girls should feel comfortable with who they really are.

Here’s the short video she used to spread her message;

She ends the video by saying, “Embrace your smile, because, it is beautiful.”

During the campaign, she urged her fellow students to go without any makeup, even lipstick and concealer, for an entire week. Frommelt and more than 50 girls from Hough High, and surrounding schools participated in no makeup week, and they are now hoping that it will continue every year.

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The Golden Cow Just Opened – South End’s First Small-Batch Creamery

Stephanie Taylor
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The Golden Cow Just Opened – South End’s First Small-Batch Creamery

golden cow creamery charlotte stories

It’s definitely not new news that Charlotte is growing by leaps and bounds, and with that includes several local start-ups! South End is no stranger to growth and has recently gained a sweet spot on the corner of West Summit Avenue and South Church Street.

The ice cream you can now buy at Golden Cow’s new storefront was first created in the kitchen of Alex & Liz Hannah, both Charlotte natives.

As a small batch creamery, the base is made by scratch using real milk, cream, eggs and sugar. The flavors, not so basic… from Pineapple Habanero to Salted Oreo as well as vegan options using coconut milk. We were able to preview a few flavors before the creamery opened its doors this weekend. Salted Oreo was amaze… so much so that it sold out the first day after emptying over 15 gallons!

golden cown creamery south end

Today they featured 10 flavors, including; Mint Chocolate Chip, Gooey Chocolate Brownie, Strawberry, Fresh Lemon Blueberry, Pistachio, and Dunkaroo’s …oh yes, all of you cool kids from the 90’s!

With my favorite Salted Oreo missing from the mix I opted for the Strawberry.

If you’re familiar with the ice cream that grandma made on the back porch in the churning machine, their Strawberry ice cream has the same texture and graininess – of which I’m not much of a fan.

I also realized if you’re going to spend the money, go ahead and go for the single scoop – the kids scoop was somewhat sad for $3:

golden cow charlotte nc

I also got the inside scoop on the beloved “waffle cone”.

Liz Hannah told me that the cones only cost about $1 each to make, but she really wanted to focus all her energy on perfecting the ice cream recipes to start. She said she really hopes to start making her own cones within the next few months.

All in all, you definitely must make a visit and support Charlotte’s new small batch ice cream shop.

New Riverfront Park Announced For McAdenville That Will Connect with 15 Carolina Counties

Charlotte Stories
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New Riverfront Park Announced For McAdenville That Will Connect with 15 Carolina Counties

new mcadenville parkMcAdenville city leaders just announced the planned development of a massive $1.1 million riverfront park along with 2 miles of trails on the South Fork River.

It will be a joint effort between the town and the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

The first phase will open this coming fall with a bog walk, an overlook and natural trails. The second phase will include a paved riverside trail and canoe/kayak launch, scheduled to open in 2017.

When finished, the park’s trails will connect historic downtown McAdenville with a major leg of the Carolina Thread Trail – a massive trail network that spans 15 counties across the Carolinas.

Charlotte’s First Meal Prep Restaurant Just Opened In NoDa This Week

Steve
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Charlotte’s First Meal Prep Restaurant Just Opened In NoDa This Week

The Green Bunny Meal Prep in Charlotte

Ashleigh Easterling graduated from Johnson & Wales University with her Bachelors in Restaurant Management back in 2014, then spent the next year and a half gaining hands-on experience at Sullivan’s Steakhouse. She quickly realized that the traditional restaurant route wasn’t for her, and found herself getting more involved in the fitness industry and helping her friends ‘meal prep’ based on their customized diets.

After several of her friends began to pay her to make their meals, Ashleigh started thinking about opening her own ‘meal prep restaurant’.

The Green Bunny was born, Charlotte’s first meal prep/take-out restaurant hybrid, combining the ease of weekly meal planning with the unique culinary flare of a trained chef’s daily inspirations. The new restaurant opened in NoDa’s eclectic Area 15 this past weekend and now offers take-out and delivery for its entire menu.

green bunny charlotte meal prep2

The Green Bunny currently offers 3 customizable meal plans;

– Basic Meal Prep – 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, and 2 dinner choices
– Medium Meal Prep – 3 breakfast, 3 lunch, and 3 dinner choices
– Variety Pack – 4 breakfast, 4 lunch, and 4 dinner choices

The menu offers a fairly large variety of selections for each meal, some of the more interesting options include; Mexican Frittatas and Blueberry Parfaits for breakfast, Salmon Stuffed Red Potatoes and and Steak Tacos for lunch, and Crab Cakes and Ginger Asian Stir Frys for dinner.

Chef Ashleigh is passionate about offering a customized approach to meal planning and healthy eating, the back of her menu stresses, “I am here for you! None of these options are set in stone, if you want to work out a different meal plan or have seen something out there you want to try, send it to me and I will make it instead!”

Green Bunny’s website is still in development, but you can follow Chef Ashleigh here on Facebook, or on Instagram, or on Twitter.

If you’d like to check out their menu or order some meals you can E-mail ChefEasterling@Gmail.com or info.thegreenbunny@gmail.com

Rock Hill Extending Dave Lyle Blvd. – Genereating $2.4 Billion Annually and Creating Over 20,000 New Jobs

Steve
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Rock Hill Extending Dave Lyle Blvd. – Genereating $2.4 Billion Annually and Creating Over 20,000 New Jobs

Dave Lyle Blvd rock hillAll Rock Hill residents know about the abrupt stop to Dave Lyle Boulevard, just past the Galleria, at a woody dead end – but many residents may not know that county officials are now moving to fully extend it.

Turning Dave Lyle into a major connector with U.S. 521 in Lancaster County is now closer to becoming a reality than ever before. A study has just been released that indicates the extension of Dave Lyle would result in over $2.4 billion of annual revenue and over 20,000 additional jobs for the region.

According to the study, the 9-mile extension will:

▪ Create more than 1,000 jobs a year, on average, as well as a “cumulative economic output of more than $3 billion” while the highway was being built.

▪ Attract more than 20,000 new jobs and generate almost $2.4 billion in total economic development each year.

The Catawba Indian Nation has also been a heavy supporter of the extension, as it would provide easier access to the tribe’s reservation in eastern York County – and their future $350 Million Film Studio.

The extension will also greatly benefit York and Lancaster Counties by increasing their tax revenue by $93 million annually, as well as increasing the state of South Carolina’s sales tax revenue by $1.3 billion.

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Charlotte’s Shahid Hassan Muslim Sentenced To Life In Prison For Trafficking Young Girls

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte’s Shahid Hassan Muslim Sentenced To Life In Prison For Trafficking Young Girls

Shahid-Hassan-Muslim-jpgShahid Hassan “Sharp” Muslim was found guilty of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution enterprise.

His sentencing came 20 months after the FBI arrested and convicted 33-year-old Muslim of the long list of charges.

He used the city of Charlotte as his base to operate a multi-state sex-trafficking ring that stretched up and down the east coast. Through video and document evidence and witness testimonies, it was proven that he kidnapped girls (some as young as 16), and use violence to keep them in line while he prostituted them to men in Charlotte, Atlanta, and other major east coast cities. The women were lured into the ring with the promise they’d be part of a family, but quickly discovered that Muslim was keeping all the money for himself, while he threatened and beat them to make them stay.

In addition to his life in prison sentence, the U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad ordered him to pay $13,840 to each of the victims involved in the sex trafficking counts.

Vanita Gupta, the deputy assistant attorney general, commented that this sentence won’t undo the harm Muslim inflicted. But “this sentence sends a clear message that people who engage in human trafficking and violate the most basic standards of human decency will face the full force of justice.”

Human trafficking continues to be a major problem in the city of Charlotte, but the FBI in coorporation with the CMPD is increasing its efforts to take down the major rings.

There are also several non-profits in Charlotte that are helping rescue women and transitioning back into society, such as Justice Ministries, and Redeeming Joy.

This recent video produced by The National Geographic gives a raw look at the Human Trafficking problem in Charlotte;

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