Charlotte Nonprofit Among Finalists in One of The Most Innovative Competitions

Charlotte-based nonprofit GardHouse is gearing up to showcase its impact at SEED20 OnStage, where 10 nonprofits present three-minute pitches to a community audience for cash prizes. During the event, GardHouse will highlight its work with over 200 Charlotte-area small businesses and nonprofits to provide paid internships for underserved college students. This year’s SEED20 OnStage will take place at 6:30 p.m. on April 27 at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s McColl Family stage at ImaginOn.

“We are so excited and experiencing tons of anxiety as we gear up for the pitch competition. My goal is to win, but more importantly, I want attendees to learn more about what we do to help students of color as they prepare for life after college,” said Jonathan Gardner, founder and executive director of GardHouse. “I am very proud of the work we do, the students we support and the business partnerships we have established along the way.”

Created by Social Venture Partners (SVP) Charlotte, the annual SEED20 program identifies, highlights and connects the community to the region’s most innovative ideas for tackling pressing social challenges. Gardner was one of the 10 nonprofit entrepreneurs selected for the two-month program that included training, coaching, feedback and mentoring on how to succinctly and powerfully tell their story. SEED20 OnStage is the culmination event.

GardHouse launched in 2019 and partnered with Charlotte-based businesses and nonprofits, such as the Latin American Chamber of Commerce and 100 Black Men of Charlotte, to provide paid 10-week internships at roughly $22 an hour for college students. The organization also offers financial literacy workshops for students throughout the academic semester led by corporate partners such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Ally and Commonwealth Charlotte. GardHouse welcomed its largest cohort of college interns into its pipeline last fall. To date, GardHouse has provided over 180 paid work-based experiences across North Carolina.

Most recently, Gardner was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” for his impact on education, and GardHouse received United Way of Greater Charlotte’s 2023 UNITE Charlotte capacity building support grant – which is awarded to local grassroots organizations led by people of color.

Tickets are available for purchase here to see GardHouse at SEED20 OnStage.

Northern Lights Light Up North Carolina Skies For The Second Time This Month

Another intense solar storm has just brought the dazzling ‘Northern Lights’ to the Tar Heel State for the second time in a month.

Evan Fisher, a meteorology major at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, captured the mesmerizing sight in a stunning photograph, showcasing the vivid colors that swept across the sky, although he notes in his tweet that he left just before some of his students captured even more spectacular photos of the event.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the solar storm was the result of a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME), which released a massive blast of superhot material from the sun. This eruption hurled scorching plasma, a highly energized gas composed of charged particles, toward Earth at a staggering speed of nearly 2 million miles per hour.

The influx of solar particles triggered a geomagnetic storm, causing the Earth’s magnetic field to become disrupted. As these charged particles from the sun interacted with the planet’s magnetosphere, they created a dazzling light show in the form of auroras. While the northern lights are typically confined to higher latitudes, such as the Arctic Circle, the strength of this particular solar storm expanded their reach as far south as the Carolinas.

Did you catch the light show this week?

Charlotte Now Has One Of The Lowest Homicide Rates Among Big Cities in America

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With the homicide rate having spiked by an average of roughly 10% in 45 of the biggest U.S. cities between Q1 2021 and Q1 2023, WalletHub today released its report on the Cities With the Biggest Homicide Rate Problems.

In order to determine which cities have the biggest homicide problems, WalletHub compared 45 of the largest U.S. cities based on per capita homicides in Q1 2023 as well as per capita homicides in Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2022 and Q1 2021.

Charlotte was determined to be among the 15 safest cities, ranking #30 out of 45 overall.

Homicide Rate in Charlotte (1=Highest, 23=Average):

  • 30th – Homicides per Capita in Q1 2023
  • 27th – Change in Homicides per Capita (Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2022)
  • 27th – Change in Homicides per Capita (Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2021)

Cities with the Biggest Homicide Rate Problems

Overall Rank*  City Total Score  Homicide Cases per Capita** (Q1 2023)  Change in Homicide Cases per Capita** (Q1 2023 vs Q1 2022)  Change in Homicide Cases per Capita** (Q1 2023 vs Q1 2021) 
1 Memphis, TN 94.10 14.19
(1)
2.21
(2)
2.68
(2)
2 New Orleans, LA 87.57 12.76
(2)
0.00
(15)
4.43
(1)
3 Richmond, VA 67.60 7.53
(7)
2.22
(1)
1.77
(5)
4 Washington, DC 64.37 7.76
(6)
1.17
(5)
1.61
(6)
5 Detroit, MI 56.15 8.52
(5)
0.31
(12)
-0.77
(34)
6 Durham, NC 56.12 4.66
(14)
1.79
(3)
1.79
(4)
7 Dallas, TX 53.70 5.69
(10)
0.54
(9)
1.23
(7)
8 Milwaukee, WI 52.70 6.75
(8)
-1.90
(41)
2.25
(3)
9 Las Vegas, NV 51.37 5.51
(12)
0.32
(11)
0.95
(9)
10 Kansas City, MO 50.69 5.57
(11)
0.00
(15)
0.99
(8)
11 Nashville, TN 49.69 5.13
(13)
1.03
(7)
0.15
(21)
12 Baltimore, MD 49.34 10.47
(3)
-2.87
(42)
-1.69
(42)
13 Philadelphia, PA 45.02 6.64
(9)
-1.00
(38)
-0.81
(35)
14 Garland, TX 43.09 2.04
(28)
1.63
(4)
0.82
(11)
15 Austin, TX 39.82 2.43
(26)
0.85
(8)
0.21
(18)
16 Phoenix, AZ 37.86 2.70
(21)
0.19
(14)
0.00
(22)
17 Tucson, AZ 37.50 2.60
(24)
0.00
(15)
0.19
(19)
18 St. Louis, MO 37.10 9.91
(4)
-4.62
(44)
-4.95
(45)
19 Virginia Beach, VA 36.77 1.53
(32)
0.22
(13)
0.87
(10)
20 Chicago, IL 36.49 4.16
(16)
-0.88
(37)
-0.88
(36)
21 Denver, CO 36.23 2.69
(22)
0.00
(15)
-0.28
(29)
22 Oklahoma City, OK 36.10 2.38
(27)
-0.45
(31)
0.45
(14)
23 Lincoln, NE 35.99 1.04
(38)
1.04
(6)
0.35
(16)
24 Albuquerque, NM 34.92 3.73
(18)
-1.07
(39)
-0.71
(32)
25 St. Petersburg, FL 34.84 3.87
(17)
0.00
(15)
-1.94
(43)
26 Arlington, TX 33.92 1.27
(34)
0.00
(15)
0.51
(13)
27 Jacksonville, FL 33.89 2.67
(23)
-0.43
(30)
-0.53
(31)
27 Boston, MA 33.89 1.19
(35)
0.45
(10)
0.15
(20)
29 Anchorage, AK 33.62 1.03
(39)
0.00
(15)
0.68
(12)
30 Charlotte, NC 33.48 1.97
(30)
-0.23
(27)
-0.12
(27)
31 Augusta, GA 33.21 2.98
(20)
-0.50
(32)
-0.99
(37)
32 Seattle, WA 33.06 1.52
(33)
-0.28
(28)
0.28
(17)
33 Minneapolis, MN 32.17 3.06
(19)
-0.71
(34)
-1.18
(39)
34 Chesapeake, VA 32.13 2.02
(29)
-0.40
(29)
-0.40
(30)
35 Chandler, AZ 31.59 1.10
(36)
0.00
(15)
0.00
(22)
36 New York, NY 30.77 1.05
(37)
-0.11
(25)
-0.08
(26)
37 Madison, WI 30.31 0.38
(43)
0.00
(15)
0.38
(15)
38 Los Angeles, CA 28.94 1.64
(31)
-0.59
(33)
-0.77
(33)
39 Scottsdale, AZ 27.71 0.00
(44)
0.00
(15)
0.00
(22)
40 Sacramento, CA 27.07 0.00
(44)
-0.19
(26)
0.00
(22)
41 Raleigh, NC 24.98 0.87
(41)
-1.51
(40)
-0.22
(28)
42 Fort Worth, TX 23.43 0.88
(40)
-0.77
(35)
-1.43
(41)
43 Atlanta, GA 22.43 4.47
(15)
-5.28
(45)
-1.02
(38)
44 Omaha, NE 22.28 0.41
(42)
-0.82
(36)
-1.23
(40)
45 Norfolk, VA 19.73 2.52
(25)
-2.93
(43)
-2.10
(44)

 

“Homicide rates have started to decline, though there is a lag time until that data is gathered, reported, and analyzed. The general decline is probably related to the resumption of normal activities – people finding or resuming jobs, returning to life as normal, a decline in anxiety and fear, and the resumption and re-funding of anti-violence programs,” said William and Mary Law Professor Robert J. Spitzer. “Further, homicides and other crimes have been steadily declining for about the last 30 years (with an upsurge in the last few years), so a decline now may reflect a resumption of that long-term trend.”

What do you think Charlotte should do to further decrease homicides in our city? 

Truist invests $5.3 million in UNC Charlotte to launch Truist Institute for Student Success

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Truist Financial Corporation and UNC Charlotte are partnering to support student success and workforce development for the Charlotte region and beyond. Through a $5.3 million investment by the bank, the University will launch the Truist Institute for Student Success.

“We are grateful to Truist for their investment in our University and recognition of the transformative power of a Charlotte education,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “Together, we are offering life-changing experiences and furnishing students with the tools and knowledge necessary to build successful, meaningful lives and careers.”

UNC Charlotte StudentsThe University recently launched a 10-year strategic plan, “Shaping What’s Next,” that emphasizes the importance of educational opportunity and excellence; top-tier research and creative discovery; positive impact on the community – locally and globally; and equity and engagement.

“Truist’s partnership with UNC Charlotte on education, research and career development opportunities for the University’s students is a clear manifestation of our purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities,” said Bill Rogers, chairman and chief executive officer of Truist Financial Corporation. “We’re honored to work with Chancellor Gaber and the entire UNC Charlotte community to foster a pipeline of globally competitive leaders, and in doing so, enrich the community in Charlotte and enhance workforce development in North Carolina and beyond.”

The Truist Institute for Student Success focuses on three primary areas:

Scholarships, Experiential Learning and Leadership Development

  • The Truist Scholars Program will provide historically excluded students with demonstrated financial need a four-year renewable scholarship, helping make the goal of a college education more attainable and affordable.
  • The Truist Student Accelerator Program is uniquely designed to offer undergraduate and graduate students with demonstrated financial need full tuition and fees and a guaranteed internship with the bank, providing practical, applied experience to enhance classroom instruction. Additionally, they will establish the Truist Innovation Center in the PORTAL building to provide creative collaboration space for program participants, Truist team members and University faculty and staff.
  • The Truist Leadership Development Experience will support opportunities for students in the Forty-Niner Intensive Transition Program, designed to help first-generation and historically excluded students have a successful acclimation to college life while developing skills to help them become leaders in their communities.

Research and Discovery

  • The Truist Business Innovation and Research Program will fund year-long research projects for teams of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students that will be presented during a yearly symposium to share their gained knowledge with others. This investment supports the scholarly mission of the University and will help address challenges facing the business community.
  • Truist will also sponsor two data science conferences at the University. The Analytics Frontiers Conference and the Women in Data Science Conference will bring the brightest minds from different industries and academia to Charlotte to collaborate and share ideas around cutting-edge research and the future of the field.

Charlotte Athletics and Student-Athlete Support

  • As the official bank of Charlotte Athletics, Truist will support Charlotte’s student-athletes, ensuring they have the resources to thrive on and off the field. This includes the sponsorship of the United in GOLD program, which provides mental health, financial literacy, career readiness and mentoring services to members of Charlotte 49ers athletics teams.

Sneak Peek: CLT’s Brand New Airport Overlook – Breathtaking Views and a Touching Memorial

via cltairport.com
view from the last overlook

The Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) has just unveiled new renderings of their ambitious new Airport Overlook facility.

The last iteration of the overlook was closed in October of ’22 (the 5th design since first opening in 1937). A temporary Overlook opened in its place at the intersection of Old Dowd Road and Airport Overlook Drive.

The massive new Overlook will be situated on the airport property, just west of the previous location off Marshall Drive. In addition to retaining the breathtaking views that have drawn visitors for decades, the new Overlook will also feature a dedicated memorial for USAir Flight 1016, commemorating the tragic accident that occurred in 1994.

via cltairport.com

Construction of the new Overlook is contingent on approval from the Charlotte City Council, with work expected to commence in late summer or early fall. The anticipated opening date is slated for late spring or early summer 2024. As the project advances, it is possible that costs and construction-related details may change. The latest updates will be available on the airport’s official website, ensuring that the public remains well-informed about the progress of this eagerly awaited addition to CLT.

What do you think about Charlotte’s new overlook? 

CMPD Giving Away Free Locks To Hyundai and Kia Owners After TikTok Challenge Results In Wave of Thefts

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CMPD is about to host their second steering wheel lock giveaway this weekend after an overwhelmingly positive response to their first one.

The locks are being given away in response to a viral TikTok trend that challenges teens to steal 2010-2021 Kia and Hyundai vehicles using a USB cord.

According to the CMPD, you must be a resident of Mecklenburg County and have the vehicle registration of a 2011 to 2021 Hyundai or Kia with a key start ignition.

This coming Saturday’s event will be drive-through and first come first serve.

North Carolina Ranks #10 for the Most Endangered Animals in the US

Using data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Environmental Conservation Online System, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 states in the nation with the most endangered animals.

Animals are considered endangered by the IUCN when its population has declined between 50 and 70 percent, measured over 10 years or three generations of the species. Habitat loss, disease or predation, and other natural or man-made factors also play a role.

North Carolina ranks #10 for the most endangered animals with 24 species currently listed, including; spruce-fir moss spider, red-cockaded woodpecker, roseate tern, Appalachian elktoe, carolina heelsplitter, dwarf wedgemussel, james spinymussel, littlewing pearlymussel, tar river spinymussel, cape fear shiner, Carolina madtom, roanoke logperch, Saint Francis’ satyr butterfly, rock gnome lichen, Carolina northern flying squirrel, gray bat, Indiana bat, Virginia big-eared bat, red wolf, hawksbill sea turtle, kemp’s ridley sea turtle, and the leatherback sea turtle.

Charlotte Ranks 3rd in NC and 27th Nationwide as the Most Coveted Renting Spot in April

Charlotte is now one of the top cities on renters’ radar, ranking 3rd in North Carolina and 27th nationwide for its popularity among apartment seekers, according to a new report by RentCafe

The city climbed 10 positions in the ranking since last month, emerging as a newcomer on their list of most desired cities.

The ranking takes into account the available apartments each month in a city, as well as how many renters search for rentals there now compared to the same month of the previous year. We also factored in the number of saved personalized searches and properties added to favorites to measure renters’ intent.  

Here’s what pushed Charlotte so high in the ranking:

  • Renters favorited three times more Charlotte apartments compared to last April, which translates into a staggering 226% increase.

  • This impressive performance propelled the city to the 12th position among the most in-demand cities in the South.

  • In April, renters found Charlotte more appealing than Greensboro, Cary or Winston-Salem, which came in 35th, 36th and 62th, respectively.

  • Nationwide, Atlanta tops the list of the most in-demand cities by renters in April, as apartment hunters added twice as many listings to their favorites lists compared to this time last year. Kansas City, MO, and Albuquerque, NM, came in second and third, respectively, according to RentCafe.com’s listings activity data. They moved up 18 spots and 27 spots, respectively, since last month.

MISSING: summary MISSING: current-rows.
Change in Rank vs. Last Month
1 Atlanta, GA
65.25
+ 1
2 Kansas City, MO
64.83
+ 27
3 Albuquerque, NM
63.46
+ 19
4 Detroit, MI
63.14
+ 84
5 Manhattan, NY
63.11
0
6 Denver, CO
61.46
+ 6
7 Arlington, VA
60.58
– 4
8 Memphis, TN
60.33
– 7
9 Orlando, FL
60.0
– 5
10 Durham, NC
59.36
+ 23
11 Minneapolis, MN
58.75
+ 25
12 Cincinnati, OH
58.68
– 6
13 Philadelphia, PA
58.67
– 5
14 Long Beach, CA
58.39
+ 60
15 Bronx, NY
58.0
– 2
16 Chicago, IL
57.93
– 9
17 Portland, OR
57.61
– 7
18 Raleigh, NC
57.47
+ 8
19 Boston, MA
56.83
– 10
20 Nashville, TN
56.63
– 4
21 Wichita, KS
56.12
+ 7
22 Richmond, VA
55.77
+ 22
23 Birmingham, AL
54.76
+ 20
24 Milwaukee, WI
54.75
+ 29
25 Fort Lauderdale, FL
54.59
– 5
26 Washington, D.C.
54.3
– 12
27 Charlotte, NC
54.22
+ 10
28 Jersey City, NJ
53.4
– 11
29 Virginia Beach, VA
53.25
+ 34
30 Indianapolis, IN
52.99
+ 1

Tornado Forms Over Lake Norman – Tears Up 7 Miles of Iredell County Over The Weekend

The National Weather Service have now confirmed that an tornado officially touched down in Iredell County on Saturday.

According to the NWS, the tornado traveled across the ground, breaking trees and throwing debris for 7.79 miles from northwest of Davidson to east of Mooresville between 7:27 and 7:39 a.m.

The twister initially developed over Lake Norman, causing picnic tables at the Lake Campus of Davidson College to be blown into the water and snapping a large hardwood tree.

As the tornado moved across the county, it snapped numerous tree trunks and large branches, uprooted a poplar tree, and damaged other trees in the process. It continued to cause destruction as it crossed I-77 around 7:30 a.m., blowing down several large, healthy tree branches between Langtree Road and Blackwelder Farm Drive.

The tornado’s path also included a damaged fence and an uprooted tree near Mooresville Middle School before finally dissipating as it moved into Rowan County.

Charlotte Is Among 2023’s Best Large Cities to Start a Business

With April 30 kicking off National Small Business Week but many small-business owners still struggling to hire new employees, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Large Cities to Start a Business.

In order to help aspiring entrepreneurs maximize their chances for long-term prosperity, WalletHub compared 100 U.S. cities across 19 key indicators of startup viability. The data set ranges from the five-year business-survival rate to labor costs to office-space affordability.

Starting a Business in Charlotte (1=Best; 50=Avg.):

  • 9th – Growth in Number of Small Businesses
  • 37th – Cost of Living
  • 14th – Length of Average Workweek (in Hours)
  • 21st – Share of College-Educated Population
  • 4th – Industry Variety

Best Places to Start a Business

Overall Rank  City Total Score  Business Environment  Access to Resources  Business Costs 
1 Orlando, FL 65.34 2 14 26
2 Jacksonville, FL 62.25 6 46 8
3 Miami, FL 60.78 1 58 47
4 Tampa, FL 60.37 5 52 22
5 Durham, NC 60.15 38 5 21
6 Boise, ID 59.48 3 44 51
7 Atlanta, GA 58.79 8 34 35
8 Charlotte, NC 58.30 11 48 32
9 Fort Worth, TX 58.00 9 15 69
10 Austin, TX 56.86 4 18 81
11 Raleigh, NC 56.64 45 8 31
12 Reno, NV 56.47 34 13 49
13 Winston-Salem, NC 56.37 44 64 1
14 Aurora, CO 55.94 14 85 28
15 Colorado Springs, CO 55.93 26 73 17
16 Denver, CO 55.90 19 23 56
17 Nashville, TN 55.74 21 26 54
18 St. Petersburg, FL 55.19 12 95 19
19 Arlington, TX 54.74 16 32 66
20 Dallas, TX 54.11 17 29 65
21 Lubbock, TX 54.10 56 6 50
22 Hialeah, FL 54.01 10 100 23
23 San Bernardino, CA 53.86 20 69 58
24 Oklahoma City, OK 53.53 57 30 7
25 Tulsa, OK 53.36 54 60 4
26 Irving, TX 53.17 24 19 75
27 Scottsdale, AZ 53.10 7 65 77
28 Phoenix, AZ 52.03 25 81 48
29 Laredo, TX 51.78 60 11 46
30 North Las Vegas, NV 51.77 32 86 38
31 Gilbert, AZ 51.67 13 78 76
32 Indianapolis, IN 51.31 58 71 9
33 Stockton, CA 51.28 53 7 68
34 Madison, WI 51.24 72 3 52
35 Chandler, AZ 51.14 15 90 70
36 Henderson, NV 51.03 33 80 57
37 Las Vegas, NV 50.89 48 68 36
38 Mesa, AZ 50.78 30 94 37
39 Irvine, CA 50.50 23 1 97
40 Sacramento, CA 50.40 39 28 78
41 Columbus, OH 50.24 63 24 40
42 Houston, TX 50.21 47 59 60
43 Fort Wayne, IN 50.20 74 47 5
44 Fresno, CA 49.96 52 25 62
45 Riverside, CA 49.95 28 57 80
46 Glendale, AZ 49.79 29 99 39
47 Louisville, KY 49.59 70 36 18
48 Greensboro, NC 49.25 79 55 2
49 Lincoln, NE 48.87 83 10 34
50 Wichita, KS 48.74 88 20 13
51 Tucson, AZ 48.39 68 63 27
52 Garland, TX 48.36 40 83 71
53 Boston, MA 48.30 65 4 82
54 Kansas City, MO 48.14 82 41 11
55 Albuquerque, NM 48.08 69 76 12
56 Long Beach, CA 48.00 37 31 86
57 Seattle, WA 47.59 35 9 96
58 Los Angeles, CA 47.29 27 43 89
59 Plano, TX 47.20 31 39 90
60 El Paso, TX 47.16 61 92 43
61 San Antonio, TX 46.85 51 79 61
62 Chicago, IL 46.83 62 17 79
63 Portland, OR 46.56 46 40 84
64 Birmingham, AL 46.41 87 72 6
65 Bakersfield, CA 46.40 55 66 74
66 San Diego, CA 46.21 36 33 92
67 Omaha, NE 46.02 71 67 41
68 Norfolk, VA 45.98 66 93 20
69 Milwaukee, WI 45.79 89 51 24
70 Memphis, TN 45.70 76 84 16
71 Honolulu, HI 45.48 91 2 72
72 New Orleans, LA 45.47 75 53 42
73 Baton Rouge, LA 44.86 94 27 30
74 Virginia Beach, VA 44.82 73 75 44
75 San Francisco, CA 44.79 18 12 100
76 Minneapolis, MN 44.48 86 21 64
77 Santa Ana, CA 44.45 22 98 85
78 Lexington-Fayette, KY 44.40 95 22 29
79 Oakland, CA 44.15 41 38 95
80 Cincinnati, OH 44.00 92 49 33
81 Buffalo, NY 43.95 97 62 14
82 St. Paul, MN 43.91 84 45 59
83 Chesapeake, VA 43.83 64 97 45
84 Detroit, MI 43.45 90 87 10
85 Philadelphia, PA 43.18 78 50 67
86 Toledo, OH 42.63 98 74 15
87 Anaheim, CA 42.50 42 91 88
88 Anchorage, AK 42.19 59 77 83
89 Baltimore, MD 42.15 77 88 53
90 Chula Vista, CA 42.08 43 82 91
91 Newark, NJ 41.92 85 42 73
92 San Jose, CA 41.42 49 16 98
93 Cleveland, OH 40.49 99 89 25
94 Corpus Christi, TX 40.08 81 96 55
95 St. Louis, MO 39.85 100 56 3
96 Pittsburgh, PA 39.82 96 61 63
97 New York, NY 38.90 80 35 87
98 Jersey City, NJ 37.67 67 70 93
99 Fremont, CA 37.37 50 54 99
100 Washington, DC 34.50 93 37 94