Legendary TE Greg Olsen Just Announced He Will Be Leaving The Carolina Panthers

0

Just 2 weeks after Line Backer Luke Kuechly announced his sudden retirement from the Panthers, another franchise hero is following suit.

In a statement posted to his social media pages, one of the greatest Tight Ends in the NFL announced he will be stepping down from his role with the Carolina Panthers;

“Today, I had the opportunity to sit down with (general manager) Marty Hurney and have a great conversation regarding my future with the organization. The team and I are both on the same page that it is best we go in different directions for now. On the field, I will always cherish the nine seasons we shared together. The wins, the losses, standing at midfield holding the Halas Trophy as NFC champs. The reality of going to the Super Bowl was beyond words, as was the disappointment of falling short.

Off the field is where my family felt the warmest embrace. In 2012, upon the news breaking regarding the challenges our son would face, the entire Carolina community wrapped their arms around us in support. My wife Kara and I will be forever grateful for the love and prayers shared with us since that time.

Regardless of what path we choose, I will always be a Carolina Panther.”

Last night, the Panthers posted a simple but heartfelt message – “Thank you, Mr. Reliable”

Greg Olsen was traded to the Carolina Panthers just before the 2011 season after being drafted in 2007 and spending his first 4 seasons with the Chicago Bears.

During his 13 seasons, he racked up a total of 718 catches and 8,444 yards, which ranks him as the 5th best Tight End to ever play for the NFL.

During his time with the Panthers, he became the first TE in history to put up 3 1,000-yard seasons in a row and was voted to the Pro Bowl 3 times. He’s currently the Panthers all-time leading TE for receiving yards (6,463), receptions (524) and 100-yard receiving games (10).

Thank’s for all you have done for our team and our city – we’ll miss you Greg!

Lidl Announces Grand Opening Plans For Their New Matthews Location

0

Just 1 month after Lidl opened their first location in Charlotte, the company has now announced the grand opening for their next Charlotte-area location, this time in Matthews.

The new location for the popular discount grocer will be 4520 Margaret Wallace Road, Matthews, North Carolina 28105.

The grand opening festivities will be held from February 12th – 16th with a ribbon cutting ceremony on the 14th at 7:40am;

  • The first 100 customers will be presented with a special gift card ranging from $5 to $100 each
  • Free Lidl reusable bag (while supplies last)
  • Sign up for our newsletter for the chance to win a $500 Lidl gift card
  • Samples of our best products all weekend long

Lidl currently has stores in Charlotte (off Monroe Rd.) Gastonia, Rock Hill, Indian Trail, and Concord.

According to ChainStoreGuide.com, Lidl’s new Matthews store will bring the number of grocery stores in the Charlotte metro area to 730 total stores.

Our Beloved Queen Charlotte Will Predict The Coming Of Spring This Groundhog Day

0

Will it be an early spring or should we gear up for six more weeks of winter?

Charlotte’s Discovery Place Nature will once again kick off Groundhog Day with the official winter weather prediction for the Carolinas.

Tradition has it that if the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2 it will be frightened by it and will then return to its burrow, indicating that there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If it does not see its shadow, then spring is on the way.

Here’s the video of 2018’s Groundhog Day in Charlotte;

Queen Charlotte will give her royal prediction on Sunday, February 2 at 7 a.m.

Follow Charlotte Stories for the live announcement on Sunday Morning.

Charlotte Sees a 73% Increase in Renter Families with Kids – The Largest Increase In America

0

The idea of owning a home has long been put on hold not only by single people, but also by families with children. According to US Census data, in the last decade, the number of families who own their home has decreased by almost 3.6 million. Along with the current economic climate, other factors like the declining birthrate, and the high cost of raising a child are not helping families become homeowners. Meanwhile, the number of families with kids living in rentals has increased by 1.9 million.

National Rental database RentCafe.com recently did an analysis of this trend in the 30 largest US metros over the past 10 years, and these were the main highlights:

  • At the top of the list is the Greater Charlotte Area, with a 73% surge in families with kids who rent their home, and an increase of 21% in homeowner families with kids.
  • Single-family home prices in the Charlotte metro are not helping families who want to buy either. Over the last 2 years, the median home price here increased by 43%, while the average rent swelled by 30%.
  • As the Charlotte metro saw this increase in households with kids, family-sized rental housing is in high demand. Apartment construction numbers show that over the last 10 years, 54% of the apartments built are family-sized units (2,3,4 beds).

Carowinds Hosting Massive Job Fair To Hire Over 4,000 New Employees

0

The Charlotte region’s largest theme park just announced plans to hire over 4,000 new employees for their upcoming 2020 season.

According to Carowind’s press release, the new jobs vary from entry level to supervisory, available in the following departments:

  • Admissions
  • Aquatics
  • Cash Services
  • Entertainment
  • Food and Beverage
  • Games
  • Guest Services
  • Human Resources
  • Maintenance
  • Merchandise
  • Park Services
  • Rides (Operations)
  • Safety and Security

They will be hosting a park-wide job fair next weekend on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm at their Harmony Hall restaurant.

You must be at least 16 years old to work at Carowinds.

If you can’t attend the job fair, you can apply online at Carowinds.jobs, or stop by their employment office Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

If you have questions about employment opportunities, you can call (704) 587-9006 or email jobs@carowinds.com.

Sustain Charlotte Seeks Nominees for 2020 Charlotte Sustainability Awards

0

Sustain Charlotte is now seeking nominations for the 2020 Charlotte Sustainability Awards. Do you know a person, project, plan, business, or nonprofit that deserves to be honored for advancing smart growth and sustainability in Charlotte? Nominate them for a Charlotte Sustainability Award!

This year we are excited to announce the addition of a new award! The Mecklenburg County Recycling Excellence Award sponsored by Mecklenburg County is open to individuals, businesses of all sizes, non-profits and community groups within Mecklenburg County.

All nominees will be announced mid-March and winners will be revealed at Sustain Charlotte’s 9th annual event honoring those who are working toward sustainability and smart growth. The awards will take place Wednesday, April 22 from 6-9 p.m. at Extravaganza Depot (1610 N Tryon St.)

Nominations can be made online before March 2 by visiting sustaincharlotte.org/awards. The entries will be judged by an independent panel of local Sustain Charlotte members. Nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, academic institutions/schools, businesses, and government agencies in the Greater Charlotte area are all welcome to apply. *Government agencies are not eligible for the Mecklenburg County Recycling Excellence Award. Self-nominations are welcome.

For more information on the nomination criteria and on the Charlotte Sustainability Awards, visit: sustaincharlotte.org/awards.

The Largest Zoo In The World Is Now in North Carolina

0

Most people that I’ve asked in Charlotte about the North Carolina Zoo told me that they’ve heard of it, but have never been.

That might change for some when they learn that our state-owned zoo is actually the largest walk-through zoo in the world, containing over 2,000 acres of land mass, and home to over 1,600 animals from 250 different species.

The massive natural-habitat zoo sits on the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, about 65 miles northeast of Charlotte;

The zoo is now open 364 days a year and receives over 700,000 annual visitors.

It’s made up of two main sections, Africa and North America, with sprawling natural habitats for most of the animals that live there;

These lions @nczoo are beautiful.

A post shared by James LaCorte (@gasparphotos) on

 

The North Carolina Zoo is also one of only 2 state-owned zoos in America.

It was recently approved to receive money from the new Connect NC bond referendum, approved during the March 2015 primary election. Funds from the bond will be used to construct a new Asia-themed complex which could include tigers, rhinos, and orangutans with the goal of attracting an additional 300,000 people a year.

They also now have plans in the works for a massive convention center and a hotel overlooking an animal exhibit to establish the zoo as a multi-day destination.

Have you been to the NC Zoo yet?

What are your thoughts?

Beyond Meat Launching Their Plant-Based “Beyond Fried Chicken” In Charlotte-Area KFCs

0

Beyond Meat has just announced plans to launch their new “fried chicken” meat-type food product in several KFC locations around Charlotte and Nashville.

The new food product is 80 calories per piece and features rubbery textured fibers designed to fool people into thinking they are eating actual meat.

In an interview, Beyond Meat’s CEO Ethan Brown said; “Creating a muscle-like, fibrous texture is very important when imitating chicken, because that’s what humans have come to expect when they bite into a piece of meat”

The company first introduced their new meatless fried meat concept at a single KFC location in Atlanta where their entire stock sold out in about 5 hours;

The new “Beyond Fried Chicken” will be available starting in February in dozens of KFC locations around Charlotte and Nashville.

What do you think about the new concept?

Are you excited to try it?

Continued Delays Cause I-77 Mobility Partners To Rack Up $2.5 Million In Fines From NCDOT

0
via I-77 Mobility Partners

The Spanish Company hired by North Carolina to build the I-77 toll lanes has now racked up nearly $2.5 million in fines after failing to meet their November 1st completion deadline (which was already extended several times).

If the entire project was not completed by that date, the company would face a $10,000-per-day-per-section fine, and with 3 sections unfinished, they began racking up fines of $30,000 per day.

The slow progress continues to cause delays and traffic backups around the Charlotte region.

I-77 Mobility Partners just announced they would be creating overnight detours just north of Uptown Charlotte to work on paving several sections.

The detours will run from January 27 through February 2 and will take drivers down Brookshire and I-85 to reconnect with I-77;

At this point, it is still unclear when construction will be finished.

2.3 Magnitude Earthquake Just Struck North Carolina, About 70 Miles North of Charlotte

0

Early yesterday morning at around 1:29 am, a 2.3 magnitude earthquake rattled homes about 70 miles north of Charlotte, just south of Greensboro.

Many residents of nearby Pleasant Garden and Climax, North Carolina reported feeling their homes shake and hearing a loud ‘boom’.

The quake had an epicenter of 36.014°N 79.738°W with a 6.1 km depth, according to the USGS.

Earthquakes have been increasing in frequency around the Charlotte region over the past few years, about a year ago, we saw a 2.9 magnitude quake hit Asheville and a 2.1 magnitude quake that struck Bryson City, NC.

The Carolinas have been known to experience the occasional damage-causing earthquakes.

According to USGS.gov, “The largest earthquake in the area (magnitude 5.1) occurred in 1916. Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.”

Did you feel last night’s quake?