Most of North Carolina’s film incentive money was cut back in 2014, but last September, the legislature returned some film incentives to the budget, and approved three new movie and tv productions.
One of the most highly anticipated of the three is 20th Century Fox’s new show “Shots Fired,” a TV series staring star Richard Dreyfuss, Helen Hunt, and Stephen Moyer. The drama explores the aftermath of racially charged shootings in a small southern town, drawing inspiration from the recent police shootings and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The show has already filmed scenes in Concord, Kannapolis and Charlotte, and most of the remaining footage will be captured in Mooresville from now up until July.
The North Carolina Film Office said “Shots Fired” and two other productions are expected to have direct in-state spending of more than $64.5 million while creating approximately 7,600 jobs throughout the state.
Since the North Carolina General Assembly proposed and passed House Bill 2, a lot of people are speculating as to whether or not the NBA will host the All-Star Game in Charlotte next year. House Bill 2 (HB2), passed on March 23, repealed the ordinance allowing people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify as.
After the passage of the bill, Atlanta officials quickly got in touch with the NBA to host the event.
However, the NBA wants to see what happens in the coming months.
“We appreciate the invitation but are hopeful that the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina can work through their differences far in advance of the 2017 All-Star Game” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement to Atlanta Business Chronicle.
According to Bloomberg, the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend generated about $195 million dollars in economic activity.
The Charlotte Hornets are truly on a roll! Last night they secured their spot in the 2016 NBA playoffs for just the 10th time in the history after the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Detroit Pistons. This will also be one of the first times our city has had back-to-back playoff trips.
With only seven games left in the regular season, we already have 11 more wins than last season and we’re now on pace to post the second-largest season-over-season win increase in Charlotte NBA history.
Our team also tops the NBA for victories since February 1st. We’ve gone 21-6 in that time, the best record in the Eastern Conference and third-best in the nation, marginally trailing Golden State and San Antonio during that stretch. Last month, the Hornets went 13-3, setting a franchise record for the most amount of wins in a single month.
A Rock Hill woman just cashed in her winning Quarter Million Dollar Cashfall ticket last night for a total cash prize of $250,000. The ticket was purchased from H&H Mart on Willowbrook Avenue in Rock Hill (the store will now also be receiving a $2,500 commission for selling the ticket).
“It’s crazy, I don’t have to worry about money.” the woman (who did not want to be identified) remarked to lottery officials. She now plans on taking her entire family out to dinner to celebrate.
The woman is just one of three Cashfall winners. Two winning tickets still remain unclaimed.
Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud (currently the #41 richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $17.3 billion) just announced plans to build the tallest building in America in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 160 story multi-use development will be named the “Golden Spire”, playing off Charlotte’s gold rush past. The new ultra high-rise will be located on the corner of Davidson and 7th Street and will straddle four city blocks. In a increasingly popular engineering feature for ultra-high rises, the building will actually “float” above the street so that traffic will not be impeded. The first two stories at the base of the 160 story building will be home to dozens of new eclectic retail shops with middle-eastern flavor. Said developer Jon Portsmith, “Charlotte is quickly becoming a world class city and The Prince has decided to become the focus…”
Said Portsmith – “It’s been far too long since a new signature tower has been announced. We keep seeing new offices, new development, but nothing for the younger-something crowd to jump on board with. We are excited to be the first after so many others.”
While most of The Golden Spyre’s top 20 floors will be reserved for Prince Alwaleed’s personal living quarters and guest penthouses, there will be over 1,000 residential condos that will be available to anyone who can produce enough cash. Square footage will range from just under 400 square feet to up to 1225 square feet lofts. Prices for the loft condos will range from $6,000,000 to over $700,000,000, depending on upgrades.
Over 100,000 gallons of sewage has just spilled into Lake Norman after a septic pump truck hit some i77 toll lane debris and crashed into the lake just past Exit 28.
Local residents are now starting to question whether building the toll lanes might be a bad decision.
The sewage leaked directly into the nearby cove and quickly spread throughout the lake.
A no-swimming warning has now been issued for Lake Norman until the end of the day on April 1st.
Local safety officials are now asking the company responsible for building the toll lanes to swim into the lake and clean up the mess.
The Rural Hill Food Truck Rally will be one of the year’s largest, with over 20+ food trucks, live music, and plenty of games.
The event will take place this weekend on April 2nd, and will truly have something for everyone, including aKids Zone, lessons at the historic Rural Retreat Cabin, corn hole tournaments, and even a hayride!
This will be Charlotte’s 21st annual Taste of The Nation charity event – this year Charlotte’s greatest chefs will be coming together to help out hungry kids.
March 20th is officially the first day of Spring, and there’s no better place to witness nature start to bloom than from the top of Crowder’s Mountain. It’s about a half-hour drive from Charlotte, just west of Gastonia, and on a clear day, you can see an amazing view of Charlotte’s skyline.
If you’re feeling really brave, you can even rock climb sections of Crowder’s Mountain’s sheer cliff faces (Crowders is one of the top rock climbing destinations in the Carolinas).
Tuck Fest is a three-day festival that celebrates the outdoor lifestyle through competitions, exhibitions, demos, and live music, featuring St. Paul & The Broken Bones and Langhorn Slim & The Law. The festival will take place April 22nd through the 24th at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
The festival features a variety of competitions you can participate in, including; trail running, kayaking, biking, climbing, stand-up paddleboarding, and adventure racing.
One of America’s new favorite bands will be coming to the Time Warner Cable Arena on April 14th.
The UK band surged in popularity across the US after their live performance at the 2011 Grammy ceremony with Bob Dylan and The Avett Brothers, and winning the grammy award for ‘Album of The Year’.
Within a 60 mile radius around Charlotte, there are over a dozen wineries of all shapes and sizes, including a cat-themed winery that just opened in York County!
Just southeast of Charlotte, you can live out childhood fantasies by enjoying some award-winning wine in a treehouse at The Treehouse Vineyards in Monroe. If you’re in the Lake Norman area, you can enjoy some local art with your wine at The Daveste Winery, or check out the largest family-owned vineard in North Carolina at The Shelton Vineyards.
Legendary British rock group Duran Duran has selected Charlotte as one of their few stops on their new world tour. After leaving the US, they have tour stops planned for Australia, Japan, possibly South America and a return to Europe before year’s end.
The group will be taking out the stage production it used in the U.K. last year, which keyboardist Nick Rhodes calls “quite an ambitious show for us. The visuals are pretty strong and we somehow managed to get the best reviews we ever got — although I’m always a little worried if we get good reviews like that.”
They’ll be performing at the PNC Music Pavilion (formerly Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) on April 16th, for more information or tickets click here.
Enjoy the best food and music from Charlotte’s east side, known for its authentic mix of family-run restaurants that range from Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern to downhome soul.
The event will take place on April 30 on the front lawn of the 250-acre campus of the Aldersgate, 3800 Shamrock Drive.
NHRA drag racing returns will be returning to the zMAX Dragway April 22-24.
Join the fastest accelerating machines on the planet as they tackle the world’s fastest drag stip.
Every ticket is a pit pass, so come early to see your favorite drivers and their cars up-close before they bring over 40,000 horsepower down the concrete lanes.
This will be an incredible 3-day event hosted by the Levine Center for The Arts and The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
The main stage will be headlined by 2 performances by the critically-acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the leadership of musical director Wynton Marsalis.
There will also be intimate club performances featuring local and national talent throughout the weekend, as well as a jazz dinner and happy hours.
The Huntersville Police just purchased one of the most advanced tactical response vehicles. They were able to negotiate an incredible deal at only $30,000 (plus $10-15k for upgrades). New BearCats can range from $205,000 to more than $300,000 depending on features.
The department was able to get such a big discount by buying directly from another law enforcement agency instead of a dealer.
Hunterville’s new armor-plated BearCat will provide a drastically increased level of protection to police and emergency medical service workers as they respond to high-threat incidents in the Lake Norman region.
Here is a recent promo video of the Bearcat in action:
The premier video from John Mark McMillan and Kim Walker-Smith’s “Live At The Knight,” was released in an exclusive format from VEVO.
The live show and album recording was captured in John Mark’s hometown at The Knight Theater in Uptown Charlotte and features special guest performances by Kim Walker-Smith, Bryan and Katie Torwalt, and Sarah McMillan.
My Aloha Paddle and Surf (the company responsible for Lake Norman’s new paddle-board craze), has recently teamed up with 3-time NASCAR champion Ray Evernham to host the second annual Stand Up for Autism this coming May. The event will benefit the IGNITE community center and the Autism Society of North Carolina.
There will be plenty of food, music, and several unique paddle-boarding events, including races and fitness demos. There will even be several elite races sanctioned by the World Paddle Association (WPA) and will be the second regional points race on Lake Norman.
“It is very exciting to see our local paddlers and the community participating to contribute to this important cause,” said Rob Bennett, event director and owner of My Aloha Paddle and Surf.
Stand Up for Autism will support IGNITE, a community center in Davidson for young adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. IGNITE offers activities, skills training, and educational workshops that foster social, financial, educational, and employment independence for its members.
The event will kickoff at the Port City Club in Cornelius on May 13. The kickoff party will include food, drinks, music, and a live auction. On Saturday, the pre-race meeting will start at 8 a.m. with the WPA Region 6 sanctioned Elite and Recreational races to follow. The awards ceremony on the beach will begin at 11 a.m. and be followed by a luau featuring the Island Hula Girls along with island music, food, and fun activities for all ages.
Most of North Carolina’s film incentive money was cut back in 2014, but last September, the legislature returned some film incentives to the budget, and approved three new movie and tv productions.
