Local Charlotte startup 2U Laundry is about to launch a massive city-wide campaign to pick up donated clothes from doorsteps around the city, then donate them to several area ministries.

Charlotte Stories sat down with co-founders Dan D’Aquisto and Alex Smereczniak to talk more about what they do and their new ‘Spring Clean’ campaign;

2U Laundry is a door-to-door, laundry and dry cleaning delivery service that offers both on-demand and membership based services (think the Uber and Netflix of dry cleaning and laundry). 2ULaundry launched November 2015 and has already garnered over 200 recurring laundry & dry cleaning customers in the greater Charlotte region – they’ve already washed over 10,000 pounds of laundry and over 3,000 dry cleaning garments.

Charlotteans are loving the idea of on-demand laundry service as the task is consistently ranked in the top 5 most hated household chores. According to Proctor & Gamble-owned Tide, the average American spends over 30 hours a month doing laundry.

2U Laundry is also focused on community development and social entrepreneurship here in the Charlotte region. Helping to protect the environment and give back to the local community are two of 2U Laundry’s core values. This Spring, 2U Laundry is conducting their first annual “SPRING CLEANING” campaign which aims to help clothe the homeless. The campaign is simple and you don’t even need to be a customer of 2U Laundry to partake. Over the next couple weeks, 2U Laundry Caddy’s will be driving around the greater Charlotte community collecting donated clothes and making sure they get in the hands of those who need it most.

If you would like to participate in 2U Laundry’s Spring Cleaning Campaign, please email the co-founders Dan D’Aquisto and Alex Smereczniak at info@2ulaundry.com or call / text them at (980) 288-5120 to arrange your pick up.

North Carolina’s world famous Krispy Kreme, now with over 1,100 donuts shops around the world, was just bought out by JAB Beech Inc. for a record $1.35 billion.

That price means they’re paying $21 per share, which is a massive 25% premium over it’s Friday closing share price of $16.86.

JAB Beech is a Luxembourg-based hedge fund, which also owns several other international brands, such as; Keurig Green Mountain, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and Caribou Coffee. The company wanted to take over Krispy Kreme due to its incredible cult-like following and impressive growth perspectives (Krispy Kreme plans on opening at least 150 new donut shops in 2017 alone).

The fund managers have promised that they will allow Krispy Kreme to continue to operate independently from its headquarters in North Carolina.

Krispy Kreme’s board unanimously approved the transaction, which is now set to close in the third quarter.

What do you think of the buy-out?

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According to Webster’s Dictionary, a ‘Subway’ is: a road or passage for walking under a road, set of railroad tracks, etc.

Based on that definition, Charlotte is about to complete its first ever subway – connecting the Blue Line tracks in the middle of Tryon St. with the UNC Charlotte station on campus via a 30-foot-deep tunnel;

Over 325 tons of steel and 300 truckloads of concrete were used to build the new underground tunnel.

The entire $1.16 billion Blue Line extension is adding 11 stations between Center City and UNC Charlotte.

Charlotte Stories recently hit the streets to take some pictures of the progress – we were impressed to say the least!

Please share;

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Google Fiber has released their pricing for three of their Charlotte market plans;

– Fiber 1000+TV @ $130/month (1,000 MBPS upload and download)
– Fiber 1000 @ $70/month (1,000 MBPS upload and download)
– Fiber 100 @ $50/month (100 MBPS upload and download)

You can find out all the details and sign up for any of the plans here on their site.

Google Fiber’s plan now includes 28 station to be built around the Queen City, with thousands of miles of cable running above and beneath the streets to connect each home with internet speeds 100 times faster than we have now, and for lower monthly payments.

Fiber cables will branch out from 12-foot by 27-foot fiber buildings that would serve about 20,000 homes each. Google will be connecting to houses that asked for it, but only in neighborhoods with high enough demand.

The fastest current broadband speeds offered in Charlotte have been about 10 to 20 megabits per second for years, until recently when TWC launched their 300 megabit service to compete with Google. Once Google Fiber is connected, it will deliver 1,000 megabits – or 1 gigabit – per second. This would allow for no-waiting downloads and uploads of movies or other big data files. Downloading 100 photos will take 3 seconds.

Please share;

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One of Charlotte’s most well-known and reputable reporters, Maureen O’Boyle, recently launched a Change.org petition “to protect other women and young girls from a serial predator and convicted rapist,” after learning that her rapist is now up for an early parole – 20 years early to be exact.

In the petition, Maureen shares a powerfully honest description of her attack, and clear reasoning why James Starling should not be released this coming April;

“My rape was the most terrifying day of my life…but the horror only escalated when I learned James Starling, inmate number 168978, might be paroled…on April 4th, I woke to the feeling of a naked body pinning me down and a large knife to my throat. Then I heard the words, “Don’t make a noise, or I’ll kill you right away.” James Starling chose that night because the day before my roommate had moved out. He knew I’d be alone. This was a calculated crime. To try and put into words the physical sensation of a body baring down on you, squeezing the very breath from your lungs, and the feeling of sharp metal against your throat, is almost impossible. My life flashed in a second. And all I could hear was, “I’m going to kill you and no one will ever find the pieces.”…He also packed professional camera equipment, lighting and everything. Starling moved me about the room. And dressed me in other people’s underwear and posed me in pornographic positions and photographed me…Then as the pressure was building, with the phone ringing, he raped me. And told me, “I’m coming back to finish you off. This isn’t the end”…When he was caught breaking into homes, with families inside, he told the police, “I’ve been waiting for a long time for you to catch me”…James Starling confessed to my rape, to the sodomy charges, and the rape of another woman. He admitted it…This is a man, who psychologists said, “…could never be fixed”. He has deep-seeded fetishes, hatred toward women, a desire to control with fear and violence, and deviant sexual tendencies…I remember a detective saying, “He’s got bodies buried somewhere.” My daughter, your daughters and granddaughters deserve to wake up every day knowing justice is being served because James Starling is serving his full sentence. Protect women. Don’t let this rapist and monster free. I beg you. Most sincerely, Maureen O’Boyle”

Read Maureen’s full letter and sign the petition here on Change.org

Make sure you sign @MaureenOBoyle‘s petition. She has done so much for this community it’s time we assist her & help prevent future victims!

— Bring Back The Buzz™ (@BringBackTheBuz) March 22, 2016

Read update from Maureen O’Boyle & the tremendous response to the petition to keep this brave woman’s rapist… https://t.co/IpSA1W61gm

— Kathleen Turner (@KathleenHomes) March 22, 2016

We support you WBTV’s Maureen O’Boyle! https://t.co/OHsu224O6y

— Safe Passage, Inc (@SafePassageInc) March 22, 2016

Help Maureen O’Boyle by signing this petition to her rapist in jail!

— Brenda Halsey (@NCToothDoc) March 20, 2016

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