With most of the Charlotte region now under severe drought conditions, Charlotte Water has just officially announced Water Restrictions (Low Inflow Protocol Stage 1).

The restrictions will officially begin on Monday, April 20th.

Customers are being asked to reduce non-essential water use, especially outdoors.

According to Charlotte Water the restrictions will include:

• Water lawns no more than two days per week
  • Odd-numbered addresses: Tuesday and Saturday
  • Even-numbered addresses: Wednesday and Sunday
• Avoid watering during the hottest part of the day
• Limit watering to one inch per week, including rainfall
• Avoid washing driveways, sidewalks, and streets
• Use commercial car washes that recycle water or limit washing at home
• Fix leaks in irrigation systems, spigots, and indoor plumbing

The utility says it is closely monitoring conditions and coordinating with regional partners through the Drought Management Advisory Group, which helps manage shared resources like the Catawba River and nearby lakes.

The last time Charlotte Water issued voluntary restrictions was in 2023.

Officials say taking action now can help preserve water supplies and reduce the chances of mandatory restrictions if dry conditions continue.

Charlotte Water plans to keep tracking the situation and could implement stronger measures if the drought intensifies.

A new analysis from Construction Coverage finds that buying a home is now more expensive than renting in the vast majority of markets, with the typical monthly mortgage payment running about 20% higher than rent nationwide as of early 2026.

This dataset stands out because it doesn’t just look at prices—it directly compares monthly ownership costs (mortgage + property taxes) vs. rent at the local level, giving a clear, real-world view of what households are actually facing right now.

Data for Charlotte, NC

• The affordability gap in the U.S. flipped fast: Since the start of 2021, mortgage rates have more than doubled and home prices remain approximately 33% higher, driving a surge in the “buying premium” across most U.S. markets.
• Charlotte’s position in the national divide: Out of 838 cities analyzed, Charlotte ranks among places where renting is more affordable than buying.
• How the math breaks down in Charlotte: In Charlotte, the median monthly mortgage payment + property taxes is $2,410, while median monthly rent is $1,705. The result is a premium for buyers in Charlotte of +41.3%.
• How Charlotte ranks among all large U.S. cities: Sorting U.S. cities from cheapest for buyers to most expensive, Charlotte ranks 33rd out of 54 large cities.

The full report covers the relative cost of buying vs. renting in nearly 850 U.S. cities and all 50 states—with median monthly mortgage payment, median rent, and median home price data for all locations.

Duke Energy is asking regulators to raise electric rates after a historic winter surge forced it to spend nearly $800 million to keep the grid up.

The utility filed the request with the North Carolina Utilities Commission following an extreme cold stretch in late January and early February.

Demand hit a record 37,308 megawatt-hours on Jan. 27, the highest winter peak ever on Duke’s Carolinas system. The spike exceeded the company’s generation capacity, forcing it to buy power from neighboring utilities at higher prices.

Duke is seeking to recover $500 million for its Carolinas division and $309 million for its Progress division. The company says the request includes no markup and reflects only actual costs.

Governor Stein issued the following statement after the request was submitted:

“On top of a proposed 15% rate hike, Duke Energy is now asking North Carolinians to foot the bill for an additional $800 million in increased fuel costs. I vetoed Senate Bill 266 for exactly this reason: because it would further expose North Carolina ratepayers to volatile fuel markets and shift the cost of electricity from large industrial users onto the backs of regular people, making your utility bills more expensive. Republican legislators knew this too – but still left North Carolinians holding the bag. The Utilities Commission should step in to secure an affordable energy future for North Carolinians. We must do everything we can to make life more affordable for families, not more expensive.”

If approved, monthly bills would increase starting June 1.

• Duke Energy Carolinas customers using 1,000 kWh would pay about $6.90 more per month
• Duke Energy Progress customers using 1,000 kWh would pay about $7.88 more per month

To limit the impact, Duke proposes spreading the costs over 19 months instead of the usual 12.

The increase would affect millions of customers, including those in Charlotte.

For local residents, it’s another sign that extreme weather is beginning to drive higher utility costs long after the temperatures return to normal.

Charlotte-area shoppers who used a card at Trader Joe’s may now be eligible for a payout.

A class action settlement could send payments to customers who made purchases with a credit or debit card between March 5 and July 19, 2019.

The lawsuit claimed the company violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act by printing too many digits of card numbers on receipts, including the first six and last four digits.

Trader Joe’s denied wrongdoing and said no identity theft cases were reported. The company also said only a small number of transactions were affected but chose to settle to avoid lengthy litigation.

The settlement totals $7.4 million, which will cover payments to customers, legal fees, and administrative costs. Eligible customers could receive an estimated $102, depending on how many claims are filed.

To receive payment, customers must submit a claim by June 6, 2026. Those who file will give up their right to sue, while anyone who wants to opt out must do so by June 9, 2026.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10, 2026, and payments will be issued after court approval.

For Charlotte shoppers, the settlement offers a chance to recover money from a receipt issue many likely never noticed.

The streets of most newer American cities follow very clear East-West and North-South grid patterns, but not here. The streets of Charlotte have some of the most unusual patterns in the world.

Our city may seem like a new city, but it actually has a very rich history of Native Americans, famous battles, and gold.

We were founded in 1768 (and officially declared independence from England in 1775) at the crossroads of  two Native-American trading paths which ran northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast. That intersection is now the center of our city – Trade and Tryon.

Trade and Tryon Streets became the framework for Uptown, which now has blocks that look more like diamonds than squares.

The crazy shape of our highways primarily evolved from the shape of the two major creeks, Irwin Creek (77 and top part of 277), and Little Sugar Creek (bottom part of 277).

I still haven’t figured out why i85 runs west to east at times, and south to north other times, but it most likely also has it’s roots in the Carolina Peidmond geography as well.

The reason for some of the other crazy anomalies in our city (Queens/Providence intersection, Queens loop, all the Sharon rds., etc) stem from the old farmers routes.

The city of Charlotte was never really designed to be a major city, so many of the small winding trails simply grew over time.

Have you figured out the Charlotte streets yet?