Charlotte Ranks Among 2022’s Best Cities to Invest in Commercial Real Estate

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Today, CrowdStreet, the nation’s leading property investing platform, released its annual Best Places to Invest report for 2022 based on its comprehensive marketplace research it does to evaluate the deals it offers individual investors on its Marketplace.  The report details the best markets for overall commercial real estate investing overall as well as in the seven most important property sectors right now: multifamily, build-to-rent, industrial, office, hotel, retail and life sciences.

Charlotte, which saw an influx of $3.2 billion in investment last year, was named the 15th best place to invest in commercial real estate overall, 3rd in office, and Top 10 in build-to-rent.

In speaking about Charlotte, the report noted:

“Long known as a banking powerhouse, this metro is becoming a magnet for corporate relocation, with four Fortune 1000 companies moving to the area in the last three years. Charlotte has seen a nearly 20% population increase over the last decade. Fueled by in-migration from out of state (especially from the Midwest and Northeast) and sustained economic improvement in the area, the Charlotte rental market is one of the fastest rising in the U.S., boasting a 12.1% rent growth rate in the last year.” 

Raleigh-Durham, CrowdStreet’s number one market in 2021, also finished strong in this year’s ranking, coming in 2nd place for 2022. Its combined population of more than 750,000 in the 2020 census has grown by 23% since 2010, making it the nation’s second-fastest growing metropolitan statistical area after Austin. This contributes to its position as the nation’s top multifamily housing market, according to CrowdStreet.

What you you think the future holds for the real estate markets of Charlotte and Raleigh? 

Johnson & Wales University Appoints New President

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Richard G. Mathieu, Ph.D., has been appointed president of the Charlotte Campus of Johnson & Wales University (JWU), effective January 3, 2023.

“Dr. Mathieu will join JWU next month ready to achieve JWU’s systemwide strategic objectives in pursuit of the university’s mission, essential learning outcomes, and commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said JWU Chancellor, Mim L. Runey, LP.D. “We are looking forward to Dr. Mathieu being visible and active in the Charlotte business, civic and higher education communities on behalf of JWU.”

Dr. Mathieu joins Johnson & Wales University from Queens University where he served as dean of the McColl College of Business and the interim dean of the Blair College of Health. Prior to moving to Charlotte in 2015, Dr. Mathieu spent 10 years at James Madison University in Virginia, with the last five years serving as the associate dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Business. Earlier in his higher education career included teaching as an associate professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and at Saint Louis University, where he also held the responsibilities of department head for the Department of Decision Sciences & MIS. He earned both his doctorate (Systems Engineering) and master of science degrees from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware.

“Driven by partnerships with industry and civic leaders, Johnson & Wales University has a powerful history of preparing students for meaningful and successful careers,” said incoming JWU Charlotte Campus President, Richard G. Mathieu, Ph.D. “In collaboration with the entire JWU community, I will strive to build upon that foundation here in our thriving city of Charlotte. I am honored to take on this leadership role during an exciting time for Johnson & Wales University as we concentrate on strategic initiatives that include launching high-quality academic programs, strengthening industry relationships and bolstering a welcoming, inclusive campus culture.”

As JWU prepares to welcome its Charlotte Campus President in the New Year, the university would like to offer the media an opportunity to connect with Dr. Mathieu via an email Q&A. Following Dr. Mathieu’s start date, the media will be invited to meet with him in person.

Winter Weather Preparedness Week Is Here – It’s Time To Get Ready

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This week is officially Winter Weather Preparedness Week for North Carolina and Governor Cooper is urging all North Carolinians to start planning and preparing now, before it’s too late.

“Winter weather predictions across North Carolina can be challenging, which means we all need to be prepared by updating emergency preparedness kits and reviewing our family’s emergency plan,” said Cooper in a press release. “Residents should stay informed by paying attention to trusted and official sources of information regarding weather forecasts and alerts.”

While warmer and drier conditions are expected in the coming weeks due to La Niña conditions, that doesn’t mean that wintry precipitation won’t develop across the state, leading to potentially icy roads and other hazards.

State officials are urging residents to monitor winter weather conditions and forecasts and to pay especially close attention to winter weather watches, warnings and advisories. While the criteria for these may vary across North Carolina the premise is the same so remember:

  • Winter Storm Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for either heavy snow, sleet, or freezing rain within the next 24-48 hours.
  • Winter Storm Warning is issued when confidence is high that a winter storm will cause significant impacts within the next 24 hours.
  • Winter Weather Advisory is issued when wintry weather is expected and residents should exercise caution as light to moderate amounts of snow, sleet, or freezing rain are expected within the next 24 hours, causing travel difficulties.

To help ensure you are ready for winter weather, North Carolina Emergency Management officials urges residents to prepare starting this week.

To prepare your car, top off all your fluids, especially your oil, power steering fluid, and antifreeze. You’ll also want to check your tires and make sure your air pressure is over 32 PSI.

To prepare your home, make sure to drain all fountains and exterior water fixtures. Always let at least one of your faucets drip to avoid freezing pipes. Consider buying a humidifier if you’re sensitive to dry air. If you have an older home with older windows, investing in some shrink film insulation will save you a ton on your heating bill.

To prepare yourself, buy some thermal gloves, a warm hat, and a winter jacket. If you’re going to spend any length of time outside, you may even want to consider buying an electric heating jacket.

If you have a pet – make sure to read our article about how to keep your furry friend warm.

For more information on how to prepare for winter storms and other hazards that affect North Carolina, visit readync.gov

NCRMA Releases Important Tips To Keep NC Shoppers Safe This Holiday Season

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According to the National Retail Federation, 2022 retail sales — specifically November-December holiday sales — will grow between 6% and 8% compared to 2021. Last week, SB 766, which aims to protect North Carolina businesses and customers from retail theft especially online became effective.

Today the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) shared some important steps to help consumers shop smarter and safer this holiday season.

The following should give you pause when shopping online:

  • Prices that seem too good to be true. Chances are, they are.
  • Online shopping sites with spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Sites using a web-based email such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo instead of a company email account.
  • Asks for customers to share credit card information via email.
  • Overuse of words such as “genuine,” “real” or “authentic” in product descriptions.
  • The phrase “inspired by,” which can signal the item is fake.
    • An additional related tip — Always check a product manufacturer’s website, as many companies will post details to alert customers about possible counterfeit products and how to detect fakes.

When customers shop in person with North Carolina retailers this holiday season, not only can they avoid online fraud, but they’re also supporting the livelihood of North Carolina retailers and communities.

Charlotte’s Sealed Air Announces Plans To Buy Liquibox For $1.15 Billion

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Charlotte’s own Sealed Air Corporation announced plans to acquire Liquibox for $1.15 billion.

Sealed Air has become a global leader in sealing air in boxes and Liquibox excels in sealing liquid in boxes, combined, their vertical supply chain integration will be unprecedented.

“Liquibox is a highly strategic acquisition to fuel growth and earnings power in our Operating Engine.” Said Sealed Air President Ted Doheny in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming Liquibox’s talented team. Both of our cultures strive for world-class performance and place strong emphasis on talent, sustainability, innovation and operational excellence.”

Liquibox was founded in 1961 and is currently headquartered in Richmond, Va. They currently employ 1,300 workers, many of whom will be transitioned to Charlotte after being acquired by Sealed Air.

Sealed Air will use $1 billion of debt financing and $150 million of cash on hand to make the purchase.

What do you think about the merger? 

Tips For Designing An Effective Curriculum

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To stand apart from other schools and competitors and drive your students to success, you should familiarize yourself with designing an effective curriculum. Examining the tips and tricks essential to curriculum design can help break down the difficult process into smaller, more manageable steps.

What is a curriculum?

A curriculum is an overall educational process plan, including course content, delivery modes, institution-wide policies and procedures, assessment systems, and instructional materials. It is the backbone of creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment for students. 

A well-designed curriculum can reduce selection bias in a program of study, enhance learning, and increase persistence in the classroom. Good curriculum design involves all the necessary elements, such as good resources, content materials, engaging exercises, and effective learning techniques for delivering high-quality instruction.

However, the curriculum is all around us, influencing even the most subtle aspects of our everyday lives. For example: when we learn about a new product from an advertisement or read reviews online, that’s a curriculum in action. Curriculum shapes how we learn and grow from very young ages and continues throughout life.

Creating an effective curriculum takes great planning and hard work. One can consider various curriculum and instruction graduate programs as well if interested in pursuing it as a profession. While there is no tried-and-true template for designing a curriculum, this article reviews several elements that form the foundation of a strong curriculum design and implementation.

Step one: Determine the purpose and principles of the curriculum

The first step in developing a curriculum is establishing the principles upon which it will be built. These principles must reflect your school’s values and vision by addressing concerns such as how this course will prepare students to address the context. Which pedagogical approaches best suit us in teaching these disciplines? And which areas of content do we need most to fulfill that mission statement or set of goals established by the administration?

When you create your curriculum from this perspective, teachers can use their expertise to design lessons that best serve students’ learning needs.

Step two: Deciding on learning objectives

You must draft a plan that outlines what students can expect from their education at your school. Educate yourself on how effective learning happens before you begin designing content. Because each student learns differently, knowing their needs also helps develop a curriculum that effectively teaches every student.

Plan out ways to help expand your curriculum by incorporating extracurricular activities, educational tours, and other enhancement experiences.

 Step three: Deciding the content

Begin by examining the subject areas you will teach, then decide what to include in each course. Consider how these subjects relate to one another so that all your courses form a cohesive sequence for students.

An effective curriculum integrates content across subject areas. This integration allows students to develop a more comprehensive understanding of concepts and ideas. Integrated curricula also encourage students to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills by providing opportunities for them to work together on projects that require collaboration. Integrated curricula also allow students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts by exploring multiple perspectives and interpretations.

A well-designed curriculum provides students various opportunities to practice and improve their skills. For example, a science class could include a unit on the human body and another on ecosystems. These units would not only cover the same subject area, but will also introduce students to some of the same concepts (e.g., cells and ecosystems). When this happens, students can use what they learned in one unit as a foundation for learning new information in another.

Step four: Select the best delivery method or methods for your curriculum

After developing your curriculum, find ways of delivering it. Teach the coursework through a clear and well-organized narrative that progresses logically from start to finish. The success of your curriculum depends on how clearly you demonstrate how the information in it will be taught throughout the academic period.

Also, prepare a short-term plan specific enough to allow you to track your progress while still being flexible enough to accommodate changes in the curriculum because of unexpected events. It should include a timetable for each unit or project and a list of resources (such as books, films, and websites) that will help you teach it.

Step five: Promote student interaction and engagement

Effective curriculum design is based on creating an engaging environment that stimulates a desire in students to learn. This allows students to actively participate in their education, effectively mastering and retaining new material over time. 

Teachers are the key to student engagement; if teachers aren’t enthusiastic, students won’t be either. Teachers can make or break a class, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Learning becomes fun if you have a teacher who is excited about their subject matter and can clearly explain it with good analogies.

Step six: Create an assessment strategy

Assessment is essential to track a student’s progress during study. Test scores and quizzes are just two tools that instructors can use in assessing students’ understanding of the material, but assessment should also encompass other measures such as projects and class participation.

As a teacher, you should adopt different assessment methods to get a holistic picture of students’ performance. In the classroom, teachers should employ various means to assess student learning. Some examples include:

  • Observation and questioning (immediate feedback)
  • Assignments and projects (summative feedback)
  • Peer assessment (formative feedback)

Conclusion

Teachers must have a clear, explicit framework to design and implement their curriculum. An effective curriculum is much more than a list of courses. An effective curriculum must be thought out, with an overall plan for how you want the class to progress over the year. It should strike a balance between depth and breadth so that students are exposed to enough topics to give them a good foundation in those areas, but not so many that they become overwhelmed with information. It should provide real-world applications of lessons learned so that students can see how they apply them beyond the classroom. And it should engage students in their learning so that they feel enthusiastic about their work and compassionate about others’ work. With all these things considered, creating an effective curriculum is simply a question of breaking it down into manageable pieces and then putting them together into an organized whole.

Police 10-Codes and Signals: What Is the Origin of These Codes?

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Police officers communicate in many ways, including 10 codes and signals, such as “10-4” or “Code 3”. There are quite literally dozens of these codes, with many of them dating back to 1937, but where exactly did they come from? Why did the police start using codes in the first place? There are several reasons, all of which we will cover here.

Why Were Police 10-Codes Made?

Simply put, police 10 codes were put into practice to simplify and standardize communication. After all, the more words you use to say something, the more likely someone is to misunderstand you, especially over the radio. That is to say nothing about other communication obstacles, such as the differing slang and accents between different people.

While not every police matter is urgent, a lot of them are, and it makes sense to neutralize as many obstacles to efficient communication as possible. That’s the primary reason police-10 codes became a thing in the first place. However, there are a few other reasons the codes came into being in such a form.

Early Radio Limitations Also Influenced the Creation of Police-10 Codes

The radios we have today may be pretty advanced, but obviously, we had police back in the early days of radio communication as well. In those early days of widespread radio use, there were some limitations to the technology that had an impact on the creation of police-10 codes. 

For example, early police radios only had a few channels. In jurisdictions where there were a lot of officers, they all had to communicate on these relatively few channels. This meant that messages needed to be as concise as possible, to limit the amount of time any one officer was using a channel, and to speed up communication between everyone overall.

On top of this, the first syllable of a message was often not transmitted by early radio, which could cause a problem with communication. In order to get around this, the syllable “ten” was added to the beginning of numeric codes. That way, the “ten” would be the first syllable that wasn’t transmitted, but the actual important part of the numeric code would go through.

How Have Police Codes Changed Over the Years?

Well, they haven’t. Not much, anyway. Of course, radios are more advanced now, so you don’t have to worry about missing the first syllable in a transmission. But these codes had already become common practice, so they kept being used as they were for several decades. They haven’t changed much over the years, aside from more codes being added to expand the available shorthand. For instance, there are also police-11 codes now.

That said, there was never any full standardization of these codes. Different jurisdictions had different meanings for the same code. For instance, 10-7 might mean different things in different jurisdictions. Because of this, the US government advised against using codes and using plain speech for police communication in 2016, to avoid confusion between districts. Many officers still use codes, however.

“Vandals” Shoot 3 NC Substations On Night of Drag Show – Knocking Out Power To Over 40k Residents

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Just after 7pm last night, several vandals shot up a number of electric substations around Southern Pines, NC (about an 1 1/2 hours east of Charlotte), knocking out the power to over 40,000 residents.

An official statement from the Moore County Sherriff’s Office reads: “As utility companies began responding to the different substations, evidence was discovered that indicated that intentional vandalism had occurred at multiple sites.”

At this time, authorities have not released any official information regarding suspects or motives surrounding the attacks.

The timing and location of the attacks seem to surround a highly controversial “Drag Show” that was scheduled to take place at 7pm at the Sunrise Theater in Downtown Southern Pines, NC.

Here is the location of the Drag Show:

Here is the power outage map from Duke Energy:

Early this morning the Moore County Sheriff’s Department visited the home of Emily Moore, the director of ‘Moore County Citizens for Freedom’ group, who posted “The power is out in Moore County and I know why.”

Minutes later she also posted a picture of the lights out at the Sunrise Theater with the caption, “God will not be mocked”.

About 2 hours later, the police came to her home. She then posted the following message on Facebook:

“The Moore County Sheriff’s Office just checked in. I welcomed them to my home.

Sorry they wasted their time. I told them that God works in mysterious ways and is responsible for the outage. I used the opportunity to tell them about the immoral drag show and the blasphemies screamed by its supporters.

God is chastising Moore County. I thanked them for coming and wished them a good night. Thankful for the LEOs service, as always.”

Republican State Delegate Sarah Fields also initially posted seeming support of the attack, using the hashtags #ProtectChildren and #ImOKWithIt in reference to the attack (she soon removed the #ImOKWithIT hashtag after making the post):

There will now be a press conference held by the Moore County Sherriff’s Department this afternoon at 4pm:

This is an ongoing investigation and we will update this article when new information is released.

How Much Can You Earn on Essays for Money Services

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College Essay article headerIt’s scary to start in any field, especially if you’re new to it. How to make money on essays? Let’s look at how much you can earn in a job and what you need.

Writing Articles

Writing articles serves two functions: informational and practical. The text reveals the benefits of goods or services. It includes specifics of the company and leadership qualities that attract the reader with its syllable. Articles authored by a professional freelance author effectively perform these two functions. However, what if the main reader is a teacher, and your future client is a student? Here, the form and ways of writing will be special.

The greatest demand for texts on various topics is among pupils of schools and universities. You may find them directly. However, everyone wants to have a guarantee, so people usually turn to professional writing services.

Only some people can write essays within the specified time frame. Everyone has their reasons. Sometimes people need more time researching a topic, while others do not want to write a paper. That’s why the service of writing essays for money is in high demand among students. It solves the problem of the lack of skills to create texts, and you can get real help. Professional writers help with creating a good and structured paper.

How to Start Writing

Try to start writing with a few simple texts on topics that interest you. Be prepared that they won’t be immediately appreciated the way you expect. This is especially important if you decide to make a living at it. Reading literature will be very helpful. Improve your abilities and writing skills, and take an interest in different topics. All this will increase your chances of earning money.

Students are often faced with the problem of paying for their studies. However, you should not despair. There is an opportunity to get last minute money for college to solve your problems and go to your dream college. You need to keep an eye out for various grants, new job openings, or other financial aid. Sometimes the government holds intellectual competitions and approves new programs and activities for applicants.

Essay Earning Basics

You will unlikely be able to look for clients on your own and simultaneously engage in papers and essay writing. The fact is that both are too time-consuming. Even if you do everything independently, earning money from essay writing will be very limited. You could become one of the native English authors at some services. Another option is to hire managers and other employees to help automate and set up the work process.

The Form of the Text

The text is written according to the plan, which is critical for the search engine. Thanks to the proper structure of the text, the page is better and faster ranked by the search engine. In academic articles, you have different tasks. You must disclose the topic in as much detail as possible, give arguments, and draw the right conclusion.

Literate Presentation

No water, unnecessary or embellishing words. It should be on the case, on the facts, and on the terms of reference. In the end, the work of the student for whom the text is written will be checked by the teacher. It is important that all his requirements were taken into account. The student often receives edits to the text. You, as the author, can take over the correction of the article. This service is usually free of charge.

Timing and Advertising

If you have decided to place an order for a text, but you need more free time, it is better not to take it on. You will be paid only for meeting deadlines. The higher your level as an author, the more offers and orders you will have. Do a job search; it helps start-ups. You should hire writers or speakers to promote your services.

Checking with the Best Services

You should use only verified, professional tools to check the uniqueness. These tools help with the percentage of occurrence of keywords, water, and spam. They always fine-tune the indicators to the specifications. In addition, use various services to improve the quality of the text by checking spelling and punctuation. All of these make the work on the essay faster, more comfortable, and more automatic. Of course, without basic knowledge and writing literate academic papers experience, these resources will not help much.

One Hundred Percent Uniqueness

Written texts from scratch carry useful information for the reader. Links to verification services confirm the guarantee of 100% uniqueness. The client may ask you to check on his resource, which you have not worked with before. Your task includes the ability to write articles online with 100% uniqueness.

Cost of the Job

You’ll make a pretty good income if you decide to sell essays for money online. If you are a talented writer and can write high-quality papers for college students without much trouble, you will have $20-40 per page. This is the average price, a beginner will get a little less, and the pro will get more. Some authors can make between $500 and $1,000 a week. As you can see, everything is very subjective and generally depends solely on the author’s talent. Often the cost is influenced by the recognition of the writer.

Conclusion

Now you know how to form an essay’s price, how to create it, and what skills you should have as a professional author. You shouldn’t be afraid to try your hand at a new business. You will not know that this way of earning is not suitable for you if you do not see for yourself. One thing is for sure, choosing article writing as your main job is quite realistic and profitable, but it all depends on your professionalism.

Gaston County’s “Christmas Town USA” Nominated For America’s Best Holiday Lights Display

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McAdenville, NC (aka ‘Christmas Town USA’) has been nominated by USA Today as a contender to win America’s “Best Public Holiday Lights Display” contest.

The stunning 1.3-mile light display winds through Gaston County’s smallest town and features over half a million Christmas lights on over 375 trees (not counting what the residents themselves do).

Over 600,000 people visit in over 300,000 vehicles each year, creating huge traffic backups all along several exits on I-85.

USA Today describes McAdenville by saying:

McAdenville is nicknamed Christmas Town USA for a good reason. Every winter, this small town in North Carolina transforms into a festive, twinkling wonderland, dotted with thousands of lights, dramatic displays and a spirited Main Street. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Christmas Town USA every December to drive through the 1.3-mile-long route through breathtaking holiday displays. McAdenville’s Christmas Town tradition dates way back to the ‘50s. 

The tiny Gaston County town is currently at #5 on the leaderboard.

Please help McAdenville reach #1 by voting here.