Officials at the US Whitewater Center have notified the county that they now expect the lower pool to be completely filled up by this coming Tuesday, with over 12 million gallons of water.
The Health Department came to an agreement last week with the Whitewater Center to continually monitor the water above and beyond any local and state regulations once they resume public water activities.
Since the incident, local and state health and environmental agencies have teamed up with the CDC to drain water, clean channels and develop a new filter system.
Earlier this week, The NC Public Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia stated “We remain engaged with the whitewater center and will continue monitoring the situation to ensure that no imminent public health risk exists.”
Are you excited about rafting once again at the Whitewater Center?
The head of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system has just announced that he will be delaying parts of the new transgender policy.
For the time being, they will be following North Carolina’s HB2 and requiring students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their biological sex.
CMS Superintendent Ann Clark made the announcement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Virginia school board can legally require students to use biologically corresponding bathrooms.
Clark remarked that her decision was solely based on the court ruling and was not affected by the thousands of letters, phone calls, and emails from concerned parents and Charlotte residents that opposed the new policy.
The school system will, however, begin to enforce the remainder of the new transgender policy starting on August 31st. The other components of the policy include; requiring teachers to say ‘scholars or students’ instead of ‘boys or girls’, allowing students to participate in gender specific activities based on the gender they identify with, and limiting teacher-parent communication without a student’s consent.
Superintendent Ann Clark commented in her statement. “CMS remains committed to nurturing a safe and welcoming learning environment for every student. As a result of yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, we have placed a temporary hold on the section of the CMS bullying prevention regulation which states that transgender students will be given access to the restroom and locker room facilities corresponding to their gender identity. The rest of the regulation, which is intended to promote consistency in anti-bullying support for all students, will remain intact. CMS will respect the Supreme Court’s decision just as we did that of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.”
What do you think about CMS’s new transgender policy? Do you think schools should allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on the sex they identify with?
It started to rain right before the festivities got underway, but that didn’t deter many Panther fans. Cam Newton and team took to the field to run several plays from scrimmage that entertained the crowd at a soaked stadium.
Fans that were willing to brave the storm even got to witness this incredible rainbow over Center City;
Over 40,000 fans filled the lower stands to watch a physical practice and a dazzling fireworks extravaganza at the end of the night.
“It was pouring down rain when we came on the field, and there were so many people in the stands. That’s support, for them to stick through that and watch us practice. Hopefully we did them proud.” commented fullback Mike Tolbert.
Cam certainly knew how to keep the crowd entertained throughout the night;
One of America’s first punk-rock clubs (beating CBGBs by 4 years), and Charlotte’s most legendary music venues is now in danger of closing down.
The owners launched a GoFundMe page to raise enough money to keep the doors open. It’s already raised over $40,000 and has been shared over 10,000 times.
Charlotte Stories caught up with current co-owner Jonathan Hughes to find out more about the campaign;
The Milestone club is where R.E.M. first toured (and slept on the stage with no money for a motel), and where mainstream bands like Nirvana and Melissa Etheridge have been sharing the tiny stage with punk icons like Bad Brains, Black Flag and Fugazi for almost 45 years.
In a recent update to the GoFundMe Page, Jonathan comments, “In the past year the face of the local music scene in the Queen City has changed dramatically, with the loss of Tremont Music Hall, The Chop Shop, and Tommy’s Pub. One could call the west side institution, The Milestone Club, the underdog of the music scene, that one constant that has been a haven for up-and-coming musicians since 1969…
…With a history as legendary as The Milestone’s, the rickety Tuckaseegee Road club has managed to survive the eras of new wave, grunge, hardcore, post-punk, and everything in between, lived to tell the tale, but not without its share of battle scars…the ceiling has been patched, bathrooms renovated several times, and the foundation reinforced until these repairs are no longer effective. In short, The Milestone is to the point of needing a true renovation, and not just a “quick fix.””
A few of the recent bands that have rocked the Milestone stage include;
10,000 Maniacs, 13 Dead Things, 17 Dead, 23 More Minutes, 25 Minutes To Go, 2013 Wolves, 2nd Skin, 7 Seconds, Against Me!, A Little Less Than More, A Wilhelm Scream, Acid Bath, Adam Warrock, Afghan Whigs, Agnostic Front, Alabama Thunder Pussy, Alcohol Funny Car, Andy the Doorbum, Antiseen, Apparatus, Aqualads, Archers Of Loaf, Arson Garden, Astronautalis, Autumn 80, Babyshaker, Bad Brains (w/ H.R.), Bad Livers, Bark, Benji Hughes, Big Brick Building, Big Business, Big Fish Ensemble, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic, Black Flag, Black Girls, Blacklist Royals, Black Plastic, Blackgirls, Black Skies, Blaster Crusher, Bloody Mary, Blue Mountain, Bo Diddley, Born Against, Bouncing Souls, Braveyoung, Buster Rogue, Butchwax, Buzz0v-en, C.O.A. (Charlie’s On Acid), Camper Van Beethoven, Captured! By Robots,Cellophane, Ceschi, Channel, Chasing The Dragon, Chelsea, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Chokebore, Chris Stamey, Circle Jerks, Citizen Fish, Cocknoose, Code Orange Kids, Confessor, Corrosion Of Conformity (C.O.C.), Corrupted Authority, Cowboy Mouth, Crime Scene 13, Cursive, D.O.A., Dahli Llama, Dashboard Saviors, Deacon Lunchbox, Dead Milkmen, Dead Kings, Dead Pets, Deafheaven, Destruction Unit, Dharma Bums, Dillon Fence, Dinosaur, Jr., Dirty South Revolutionaries, Disappear Fear, Dischord, Discord, Don Caballero, Don Dixon, Double Negative, Doubting Thomas, Dream Syndicate, Dreams So Real, Drivin’ ‘n Cryin’, Drunken Boat, Edie Brickell, Egypt, Electric Six, Electro-luxe, End Over End, Ethyl Meatplow, Eugene Chadbourne, Fat Tortoise Butcher, Fear, Feed The Farm, Fetchin’ Bones, Fight 4 Life, Finger, Finger, Fireball Xl5, Flat Duo Jets, Flatfoot 56, Fling Hammer, Flipper, Floor, Fly Bitches, Follow For Now, Fucked Up, Fugazi, Full of Hell, Funkenstein, Future Islands, Gas Huffer, Gasoline Heart, Gaza, Geezer Lake, Gerard Mchugh, Goatwhore, God In Texas, Gods of Mars, God’s Water, Godhead, Golgatha, Goreaphobia, Grass Appeal, Guadalcanal Diary, Guttermouth, Guzzard, Hairball, Hammerhead, Hammerhead, Happy Eggs, Hardsoul Poets, Harvey Milk, Hasil Adkins, Hawkwind, Hazel, Hectagons!, Hectorina, Hell or Highwater, Hellstomper, Helios Creed, Henry Rollins, Hetch Hetchy, HIgh on Fire, Hillbilly Frankenstein, Hole, Hoodoo Gurus, HRVRD, Hugo Largo, Hudson Falcons, Hunter Valentine, Hunx and His Punx, Husker Du, Iceage, Ihafwhohas, Imaginary Heroes, Immolation, Insane Jane, Intensive Care, It Could Be Nothing…, Janitor Joe, Jawbox, Joan of Arc, John & Mary (from 10,000 Maniacs), John Cale, Johnny Puke, Jucifer, Kevin Seconds, Kill Yr Idols, Kinghorse, Kristen Hall, Kudzu Ganja, Kylesa, Lava Love, Layman’s Daughter, Lefty, Legbone, Let’s Active, Lex Vegas, Lightning Bolt, Lisa Would, Lolita 18, Love Tractor, Louis Logic, Luna Chicks, Lunatics, Mad Brother Ward, Mad Conductor, Magna Pop, Magrudergrind, Marti Jones, Mary On The Dash, Me & Emma, Melissa Etheridge, Merchandise, Michelle Malone, Marriages, Math the Band, Minor Threat, Misguided Youth, Mission Of Burhma, Moonburn, Motor Head, Mr. Invisible, Mrs. Fun, Municipal Waste, MxPx, My So Called Band, N.O.T.A., Nervous Tension, Neurosis, Nick Pagan And The Fanatics, Nikki Meets The Hibachi, Nirvana, Nme, No Rock Stars, Nofx, Nothington, Nuisance, O’Brother, Off With Their Heads, Ours, Peelander Z, Pen15, Pennywise, Phester, Pink Spiders, Plaid Retina, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Plate Six, Poi Dog Pondering, Popes On Dope, Porn Orchard, PPR, Products Of The System, Prong, Pure Hate, Queer, R.E.M., Rabid Salesman, Radio Reach, Random Ged, Randy Burke, Red Fang, Red Greed, Rev. Horton Heat, Reversing Hour, Rights Of The Accused, Rockats, Rosetta, Run Like Hell, Saccarine Trust, Schlong, Scream (w/ Dave Grohl), Screaming Females, Screeching Weasel, Seam, Seducer, Selacious Crumb, Self Made Monsters, Seven Foot Spline, Sex Police, Sight Unseen, Skinny Puppy, Sky Guys, Slant 6, Sleep, Sloppy Joe & The Random Rhythm Section, Sludge Fest, Smashing Orange, Snatches Of Pink, Sole, Southern Culture On The Skids, Southside Punx, Spite, Spot 1019, Stations, Steel Pole Bathtub, Stinking Lizavetta, Style Kings, Sugarsmack, Sunny Day Real Estate, Superchunk, Superdrag, Supersuckers, Surgery, Swervedriver, Swimming Pool Q’s, Tar, Texas Is The Reason, The Accelerators, The Accidents, The Ataris, The Automatics, The Bangles, The Beatdowns, The Belmont Playboys, The Big Deal, The Blind Dates, The Blind Dates, The Connells, The Cows, The DB’s, The Dead Boys, The Ellen James Society, The Emotron, The Exploited, The Flaming Lips, The Flat Tires, The Flu, The Frankenstein Drag Queens, The Generics, The Goddamn Gallows, The Go-Go’s, The Grifters, The Husbians, The Independents, The Inn, The James Hall Band, The Jody Grind, The Komodes, The Leaving Trains, The Lubricators, The Meices, The Melvins, The Mentors, The Mommyheads, The Naked Ramblers, The Nipsey Russell Experience, The Other People, The Outer Limits, The Penny Dreadfuls, The Plastics (Tokyo Japan), The Professionals (ex-Sex Pistols), The Queers, The Ramens, The Replacements, The Sluggs, The Straight Ahead (aka Bus Stop), The Units, The Vandals (Charlotte Pop Punk), The Veldt, The Winter Hours, They Might Be Giants, Third Stone, Thought Criminals, Thurn & Taxis, Tim Barry, Tiny Lights, Today Is The Day, Todd Bush, Tom Montefusco, Tommy Griggz, Torch Runner, Torche, Total Chaos, Toxic Popsicle, Train Black, Treepeople, Treephort, Tribe One, Tsol, Ublisch, Uk Subs, Uncle Green, Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver, Underwater Trailer Park, Unrest, Uv Prom, Unwritten Law, Uzuhi, Valiant Thorr, Vic Chesnutt, Vietnam, Violent Femmes, Wardance Orange, Weedeater, Wicked Ways, Wicked Witch, Wool, Yesterday’s Ring, Young And In The Way, Zo, Zoroaster.
Please don’t let this legend die! Please donate on their GoFundMe Page!
The Carolina Panthers are about to take the field at the Bank of America Stadium for the first time since winning the NFC Championship during this weekend’s Panthers Fan Fest
Come explore and experience the many galleries South End has to offer starting tonight at 6pm. Home to the largest number of galleries in Charlotte, you will find unique paintings, sculpture, jewelry, mosaics, and many galleries offer live music and refreshments!
The Charlotte Knights will be taking on the Norfolk Tide this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at the now famous BB&T ballpark in Uptown Charlotte
For more information or for tickets to any of the games click here.
Tomorrow night the Unknown Brewing Company is will be playing National Lampoon’s Vacation on their big outdoor screen, and featuring a Friday Night Festival that will include; 5 Food Trucks, Live Music, Dancing and more.
Charlotte’s 32nd annual Japanese festival is back again in Uptown Charlotte, this year it will be held at the Wells Fargo Atrium, 301 South Tryon Street, on Saturday, August 6th, 2016, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be a traditional tea ceremony, food from Japanese restaurants, dancing, drumming, door prizes, martial arts exhibition, crafts and children’s activities.
The water might be drained (due to the amoeba contamination), but the Whitewater River Jams are still happening – they are free concerts taking place every Thursday and Saturday evening through the end of September.
Concord’s Carolina Bridal Fair is now one of the largest and most well respected bridal events in The Carolinas. Taste cakes and catering options, see amazing flowers and find new ideas in our inspiration area. Registered brides get $1,000 in Carolina Bridal Bucks to spend like cash with participating exhibitors you’ll meet at the show.
The new policy was created as an attempt to curb bullying among transgender students at CMS, but many parents and teachers have addressed concerns that the policy opens the door to increased sexual assaults among non-transgender students in changing facilities and on overnight field trips.
The presentation about the policy included many changes to how teachers and faculty should view and act toward student gender going forward, including:
Students must now give permission to teachers and counselors before than can talk with their parents about any gender issues (pg. 34).
All students must have access to the restroom/changing facilities that correspond to their gender identity (pg. 42).
All gender-based activities will be evaluated and potentially removed, depending on the activities ‘pedagogical purpose’ (pg. 46).
Students will now be permitted to participate in gender-based activities consistent with their gender identity. (intramural sports, dress codes, classes, ceremonies, photos, extracurricular activities, etc) (pg. 46).
Students can no longer be referred to as “boys and girls” in classrooms, but “scholars” or “students.” (pg. 48).
Dr. Marcus Plescia, the Mecklenburg County Health Director just announced that the Whitewater Center may be fully operational again within the next 4-6 weeks.
They originally shut down all public water activities on June 25th after a girl died from a water-born amoeba that was contracted at the Whitewater Center.
The Health Department now has an agreement in place with the Whitewater Center to continually monitor the water above and beyond any local and state regulations once they resume public water activities.
The water was drained this past weekend, and after they finish cleaning the lower pool and fixing the filtration system, they’ll install a new chlorination system and refill the raceways with fresh city water.
The Whitewater Center recently released this official statement:
“Over the past month, the U.S. National Whitewater Center has worked closely with the Mecklenburg County Department of Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and the Catawba Riverkeeper to develop a plan for the removal of the water remaining in our whitewater channels.
The USNWC routinely drains the entirety of the water contents into the Catawba River on an annual basis. The USNWC also releases water from its system on a daily basis through the backwash of the filtration system into the Catawba River. The systems and processes used for these water releases are approved by all regulatory agencies. The water is released via surface discharge through a vegetated buffer and series of check-dams designed specifically for this process.
Due to the concerns related to the potential presence of Naegleria fowleri, the water will be treated with chlorine prior to discharge. This treatment process is the same process used for water treatment by water utilities prior to discharge. The water will be dechlorinated prior to release.
This plan has been developed by and coordinated with all of the above parties. The USNWC anticipates beginning this process today. The entire disinfection and discharge process will take roughly 24 hours from start to finish. Once all of the water has drained from the system, we will continue with our channel cleaning process which has already begun in the upper pond and channels.
The timeline for reopening whitewater activities is still being determined, but we anticipate resuming whitewater operations shortly after completion of this process. We know that many of our guests are eager to return to whitewater activities, and we are doing everything in our power to provide our guests the opportunity to get back on the water as soon as we can. We appreciate your patience and consideration throughout this process.
The Charlotte Observer building is now being destroyed after standing as a prominent figure of the Charlotte skyline for over 45 years.
The old Observer site will be redeveloped by Charlotte-based Lincoln Harris into a high-rise development featuring residential, retail, and office space . The development company purchased the building earlier this year for $34.1 million.
The Charlotte Observer and their new ‘Charlotte Five’ brand have recently subleased some office space in the NASCAR hall of fame building – downsizing from about 360,000 square feet to just under 70,000 square feet.
Is this a sign of things to come?
As physical newspapers across the country continue to go out of business, it’s uncertain what the future of the Observer might be.
Will their digital sub-brand, Charlotte Five, be able to pick up the slack? Or will the TV news stations increase their focus on digital articles and social media content?
This coming Saturday the North American Bodypainting Championship is coming to Concord after its recent stop in Atlanta.
Living Art America will be setting up in the Piedmont Renaissance Center (57 Union St. S, Concord, NC), with the show set to start at 8pm.
Artists will be painting models from 2pm-4pm in the afternoon, using their entire skin as canvas for the temporary art that will be on display during Concord’s challenge series stop.
The national championship of bodypainting will take place in Greensboro this year, and as the event draws closer, organizers are planning a series of challenge events leading up to the final Greensboro competition.
There will also be live music, food, and artist booths set up.
Tickets will cost $10 for the afternoon painting session and $25 for the runway show at night.
Officials at the US Whitewater Center have notified the county that they now expect the lower pool to be completely filled up by this coming Tuesday, with over 12 million gallons of water.
The head of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system has just announced that he will be delaying parts of the new transgender policy.
Cam Newton 
Meet the gender unicorn.
Artists will be painting models from 2pm-4pm in the afternoon, using their entire skin as canvas for the temporary art that will be on display during Concord’s challenge series stop. 