The Charlotte Observer (Sunday)
Ice projections continue to rise for area as storm nears
Estimated ice accumulations continued to edge up as the Charlotte area braced for two days of snow, sleet and freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service. On Friday, an Ice Storm Warning was issued for the area, with forecasters...
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New leader in Charlotte for lowest grocery store prices
Food prices have been top of mind following a year of up and down tariffs and people losing SNAP benefits during the government shutdown amid growing economic concerns. In Charlotte, grocery shoppers have hundreds of stores to choose from to find...
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We ran 3.48 miles with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s CEO
If you know me at all, you know this: I like to run. A lot. Since first resolving to get myself off of the couch back in 2008, I’ve completed more than 30 marathons, including Boston three times and New York City twice. You might also know this about...
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New year brings new NC laws: gender, drug costs, pensions
Several new North Carolina laws took effect with the new year on Thursday. They include measures touching on sex and gender — echoing actions taken by President Donald Trump — changes aimed at reining in prescription drug costs, shifts in who makes...
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Inside Charlotte chess star’s final days: ‘He was hurting,’ a close friend says
Editor’s note: This story includes a reference to suicide, which may be distressing to some readers. In life, Daniel Naroditsky spent the majority of his 29 years being celebrated. After being hailed as a chess prodigy at a very young age; after...
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Greg Biffle, NASCAR star who saved lives during Hurricane Helene, was community force
For the bulk of his adult life, Greg Biffle could be found speeding around NASCAR racetracks, flying above mountains and soaring into hearts across North Carolina and the nation as a rescue pilot delivering much-needed supplies in the aftermath of...
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How Trump administration policy changes are reshaping Charlotte
When scores of masked federal agents swarmed into Charlotte last month, veteran journalist Rafael Prieto was shocked by what he saw. Armed men snatched immigrants from front yards, parking lots and work sites, pulled them from cars and threw some to...
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NC Supreme Court race ‘can’t be a campaign about issues’
The top of North Carolina’s 2026 ballot promises to feature a contentious, nationally watched U.S. Senate race, likely pitting the state’s former Democratic governor against the mostrecent chair of the Republican National Committee. But further down...
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Observer readers bring joy to children around the holidays
Families are struggling, “particularly in this economy,” Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte Major Andrew Wiley said. “They are struggling to just make ends meet – pay the rent, put food on the table for their kids.” “And all it takes is one unplanned...
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Exclusive: Wells Fargo CEO on Charlotte’s value to the bank
Last Thursday morning, straight off a delayed plane from New York City to Charlotte, Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf sat down at a small round table on the 31st floor of Three Wells Fargo Center in uptown for an exclusive interview with The Charlotte...
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Red dust, rumbling trucks disrupt neighbors’ lives
As a kid in the late 1990s, Tyler Smith used to run around in the woods surrounding his family home in Autumnwood. It was a natural playground of thick century trees right behind Rockland Drive with roaming deer, wily coyotes, foxes and owls. A city...
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For this NC family, Medicaid cuts could force decisions on keeping care at home
On her sister’s deathbed, Wanda Knox made a promise: she would never put her nephew, Sharod Knox, into a care facility. That vow has defined the past two decades inside the Knox home in Kannapolis, where family members and nurses have worked together...
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ICE arrests, deportations are rising sharply in NC, with more expected
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, arrests of people accused of being in the country illegally have ramped up in North Carolina. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested about three times the number of people in the first...
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Years of CATS security staff shortages preceded stabbing
The Charlotte Area Transit System has faced stiff criticism following the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the Blue Line in August. A Sept. 30 “special report” from the state auditor’s office accused the city of...
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The heart of Charlotte’s philanthropy beats on – but under new pressures
Philanthropy runs through Charlotte’s veins. For decades, the city’s culture of giving has left its fingerprints on some of the most robust and meaningful institutions in the Queen City. Billions of philanthropic dollars are pumped through the greater...
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East Charlotte’s Mazuera Arias was a ‘dreamer.’ How he beat incumbent in primary race
J.D. Mazuera Arias can’t help but feel sentimental when he visits the strip mall at the corner of Monroe Road and Conference Drive in east Charlotte. He called the spot home for 12 years when it was Silver Oaks Apartments. That was before the property...
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4-year-old shot to death, family mourns their ‘ray of light’
Every night 4-year-old Jayce Edwards and his little brother, Wolfe, slept in the bed with their grandma. The boys never went to sleep right away, their grandmother Victoria Wheeler said. They’d stay up talking to each other or arguing over whose turn...
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Joseph McNeil, Greensboro Four memorialized at NC A&T
Hours before Joseph McNeil’s viewing and memorial service in the campus auditorium, students at North Carolina A&T State University paused on their way to class Thursday to remember the man they said means everything to them. “The Greensboro Four,...
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Charlotte’s 2025 primary election is Tuesday. Here’s what voters should know
Charlotte voters will finalize their primary picks for mayor and City Council on Tuesday. After thousands of people cast ballots during early voting, Election Day is Tuesday. Voters will be able to make picks in Democratic primary races and a single...
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After NC pastor’s heart failed, he walked – in extraordinary ways – to a new one
Kelvis Reid — the rather-unlikely leader of one of the smallest churches in Gastonia — completely understands there are plenty of people who would argue that God had nothing to do with him still being alive today. People who would argue that God...
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ARE NC VOUCHERS CHANGING SCHOOLS?
Lawmakers lifted the income cap. First-year data provides peek at whether public schools are losing students.
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Can Mayor Vi Lyles secure her legacy with 2025 election victory?
4A-9A Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is running for a fifth term and could become the second-longest serving mayor in the city’s history. Only former Gov. Pat McCrory has been Charlotte mayor for longer.
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Queen City Quarter struggles to regain visitors despite rebranding in uptown
More than two years after undergoing renovations, an ownership change and a rebrand, Queen City Quarter is still struggling to attract consistent foot traffic to the uptown entertainment complex formerly known as the Epicentre. This portrait of the...
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Family members heading to Carowinds among 6 killed in crash
April Willis had no reason to believe she wouldn’t see her family again last Saturday, July 26, as they made their way to Carowinds. With season passes, they made the trip every weekend. This started as just another Saturday for the family to spend...
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Disaster tourism irks western NC residents after Helene
Jess Fager was not surprised when her Swannanoa home drew a steady parade of gawkers, smartphones raised, fascinated by the crumbled walls and devastation that Hurricane Helene inflicted on her purple bungalow. But it’s been nearly a year since...
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Charlotte’s NPR, PBS stations brace for ‘painful’ federal funding cuts
Charlotte’s NPR affiliate station WFAE announced Friday it will reduce its staff by six people after Congress passed a $9 billion rescission package that could upend public broadcasting across the country. WFAE’s decision is an immediate, local impact...
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NAACP converges on Charlotte with ‘Fierce Urgency of Now’
Kenya Joseph didn’t know the NAACP’s national convention was being held in Charlotte this year. The co-founder of Hearts & Hands Food Pantry and the board chair of the Mecklenburg County Food Policy Council admits she isn’t too tapped into the...
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9 months after Helene, some NC businesses hang on by thread
Christina Kulak dragged a razor blade across a store window, chipping away at a swath of red paint that had spread past its intended target. The gift shop, gutted by the 30-foot floodwaters that barreled down the Rocky Broad River last September,...
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Census shows steady Hispanic population growth across area
Population diversity continues to spread beyond Mecklenburg County, specifically within the Hispanic community in the suburbs, new census estimates show. In the past four years, the Hispanic population has increased by a combined 22% across...
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Charlotte’s population growth is boosting downtown Albemarle
When Jack and Eli Williams left the city of Albemarle for college in 2016 and 2020, respectively, neither thought they’d return. That’s not out of dislike. Albemarle is where the brothers began their art careers, a family skill they learned from their...
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Hugh McColl at 90: The banker who built Charlotte still has more to do
Hugh McColl, the banking and civic icon who was Bank of America’s first CEO and helped transform Charlotte into the city it is today, has been getting his picture taken a lot lately. Most recently, famed photographer Annie Leibovitz spent two days at...
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Before payment controversy, Chief Johnny Jennings made progressive strides at CMPD
Long before Charlotte Police Chief Johnny Jennings’ name was tied to kneeling with protesters, using tear gas on crowds, reforming policies, taking inspiration from Chick-fil-A’s trainings and, most recently, a mysterious retirement-settlement payout...
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UNC Charlotte administrator ‘no longer employed’ after DEI video goes viral
UNC Charlotte says an administrator is “no longer employed” after a video went viral of her implying work related to diversity, equity and inclusion was still happening on campus. The video, which appears to use a hidden camera, was originally posted...
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What’s driving record drug possession in Charlotte schools?
Students’ possession of drugs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools last school year surpassed even the 10-year high reached in 2022-23, according to state data released earlier this year. The ongoing drug crisis at all levels across the state drew the...
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Trump administration slashes Charlotte region arts funding. What happens now?
Three Bone Theatre was having a celebratory evening on May 2. It was opening night for the group’s third show of the season. And the Charlotte theater company was presented with the 2024 George A. Parides Professional Theatre Award from the North...
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Biddleville Cemetery’s history preserved by volunteers
Jason Tapp peers into the leafy, shinhigh overgrowth and points to headstones concealed by green weeds in the back of the cemetery. These weren’t here a few months ago, Tapp said. He and a group of volunteers had whacked the weeds down back in...
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$1M homes are coming to Enderly Park – more than triple the median cost
Charlotte’s Enderly Park neighborhood is near and dear to developer James Scruggs. It’s an area the CEO of Kingdom Development Partners has watched grow in both positive and negative ways. His latest project, he said, will be a positive for the...
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Nearly seven months after Helene, NC towns wait on funds
On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., North Carolina town leaders were asked to raise their hands if they had not yet received federal funds to pay for Helenelinked damage to public buildings, roadways and more. In every meeting with U.S. Senators,...
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NC Supreme Court to decide if chickens are poultry or pets
Blue, a Sapphire Gem chicken, is hugged by owner Mary Schroeder on Wednesday. Schroeder has been involved in a five-year legal battle with an HOA over her chickens. The battle concludes this month before the NC Supreme Court. What makes an animal a...
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Tariff war leaves Charlotte small businesses on edge
Back in 2017, Andrea Richter began making candles as a hobby. Her passion for the pastime quickly turned into a full-time gig. And now, Pretty Honest Candles is a pretty strong small business. But it’s getting tougher for Richter and other small...
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Charlotte restaurants could soon earn a Michelin star
For the first time, a Michelin Guide will showcase the best restaurants in the American South — including North Carolina. Taking a regional approach, the Michelin Guide American South will target the “food culture” of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,...
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Families still searching for missing loved ones six months after Helene
As soon as she could, Kelly White started looking for her cousin, Alena Ayers, who disappeared during Helene’s floods six months ago. She began in the tiny community of Relief, where Ayers lived for six years in a home within earshot of the North Toe...
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As growth creeps into Derita, residents want the change to bring meaningful investment
For nearly a century, Puckett’s Farm Equipment has been Derita’s landmark. With its brick façade and large windows, the farm-equipment dealer turned pub is the community’s most recognized building. But as soon as this summer, the historic building at...
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Charlotte, Mecklenburg population surge driven by immigration
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg region being recognized as one of the fastestgrowing areas in the U.S. isn’t simply hyperbole. And a majority of that growth is due to international migration, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data. Between...
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Ukrainian refugees fear Trump’s plan to revoke legal status
When Valeria Sokolenko and her husband moved their family to Charlotte two years ago from Ukraine, it wasn’t just to escape the war with Russia, but for all the opportunities it would afford them in their children’s education, their careers, and...
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Charlotte crafts its bid for CIAA basketball tournaments
Charlotte will face hotel and meal requirements as well as a potentially competitive contest as the city tries to bring the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s basketball tournaments back to town. City and tourism officials confirmed in...
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Charlotte-area school grants cut after Department of Education claims they promote DEI
Charlotte-area schools lost millions in federal grant funding this week because programs promoted diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to a U.S. Department of Education letter. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools lost three grants totaling...
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Lancaster County’s rapid growth expands beyond Indian Land
For someone new to Indian Land, it would be hard to imagine the same community back in 2000. That’s before the freight train of population growth rolled in and turned a rural outpost into one of South Carolina’s most inhabited places. Now, the next...
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Brooklyn Village project to prioritize affordable housing
Affordable housing will be the primary focus in the first phase of the long-awaited Brooklyn Village mixed-use project in Charlotte. Spread across two buildings, about 250 apartments will be available for those making 30% to 80% of the area’s median...
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At least 5 with ties to Charlotte died in American Airlines DC crash, including crew
One of the flight attendants on American Eagle Flight 5342 was known for going out of his way to put passengers at ease if they were afraid of flying. The other was “a great friend” with young kids. The captain of the Charlotte-based crew loved to...
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Award-winning restaurateurs face legal, financial issues
Greg and Subrina Collier, two of Charlotte’s most well-known restaurateurs, are facing legal and financial troubles related to two of their most popular establishments. Greg won national acclaim in 2019 when he received his first James Beard...
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Here’s what Trump’s pardons could look like for rioters
In the weeks leading up to Presidentelect Donald Trump’s return to office, at least two U.S. Capitol rioters from North Carolina have tried to delay their federal sentences in hopes that he will pardon them. Federal judges shot down both requests, but...
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Lake Wylie neighbors demand dredging be allowed
York County rules that would stop an industrial company from plopping down between expensive waterfront homes on Lake Wylie are meant to protect homeowners. But that’s not how many neighbors see a dock and dredging company with its sights on Crowders...
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French Quarter was vulnerable to attack, security experts say
Five years before a man in a pickup mowed down dozens of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, a confidential security report warned that the iconic Bourbon Street tourist strip was vulnerable to a “vehicular ramming” attack. The assessment, prepared by...
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Ukraine slows firing of long-range missiles into Russia
With much fanfare, Ukraine was granted permission to fire Western longrange missiles at Russian military targets more than a month ago. But after initially firing a flurry of them, Ukraine has already slowed their use. Ukraine is running out of...
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Three NC state parks remain closed indefinitely after Helene
The fallen trees that blocked the road in South Mountains State Park are cut up now and piled in the parking lots. The 33-stall barn in the equestrian campground survived untouched by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, as did the bathhouse and most of...
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Some fundraisers-for-hire take bites from donations
As North Carolinians open their wallets for charity this holiday season, they might be surprised to learn where some of their money actually goes. A new report from the Secretary of State’s office shows that when professional fundraisers solicited...
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Cotham ends 12-year Mecklenburg County commission tenure
For more than a decade, Pat Cotham was a fixture on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. She wielded the gavel as board chair, leading the ouster of an influential county manager. She was vocal about the causes she cared about. And she was...
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UNC Charlotte, UNCW cut diversity from mission statements
Two universities in the UNC System received approval last week to change their mission statements to remove references to diversity. The move comes after the system Board of Governors in May repealed the public university system’s diversity, equity...
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GOP ‘power politics’ like deja vu from recent years
This week, Republican leaders rolled out a bill advertised as disaster relief for those suffering the impacts of Hurricane Helene. But much of its 131 pages focus on taking power from Democrats newly elected as governor, attorney general and state...
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Homeowner wins 5-year fight with HOA, gets $75,000 settlement, can keep windows
After a five-year fight with the homeowners association in her Lake Wylie neighborhood, Sherry Loeffler has scored a rare victory: a legal settlement with an HOA. The dispute began in 2019, when Loeffler submitted plans to have new vinyl windows...
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How will Trump’s election affect Charlotte businesses?
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, Charlotte business leaders are looking at how his potential policies will affect various sectors, and how quickly. Some of the major policies businesses are assessing are looser banking regulations, a...
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With poetry, Smithville hopes preservation stories resonate
When Maurice J. Norman was a senior at Davidson College, he was introduced to the elders of Smithville, an historically Black neighborhood in Cornelius. The classroom conversation centered around the community’s effort to preserve its space, an...
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A meditation after the storm: What Helene left behind in the North Carolina mountains
On the first Friday night of high school football in Haywood County since Helene, there was no better place to be than a tiny stadium in the shadow of Cold Mountain, a place to gather and a place to mourn. Locals began arriving more than two hours...
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2024 voter guide: What to know about Charlotte-area elections
In addition to the presidential race, every North Carolina council of state seat is up for grabs — governor, lieutenant governor, superintendent of public instruction, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state and commissioners of agriculture, insurance...
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When Helene crippled NC’s small mountain communities, neighbors became lifelines
A week after Hurricane Helene brought once-in-a-century flooding to Appalachia, mountain folk pepper the cracked roads that few outsiders have navigated. They carry Pampers and Spam, water and protein bars they grabbed from the longstanding community...
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Exodus of agents left Secret Service unprepared for 2024
In November, Michael Ebey, a Secret Service special agent, found himself working another 12-hour shift. Like so many before, it was grueling. This time, he was part of the detail providing protection for President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific...
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