Thursday, December 31, 2015

Lunch Break (12/31/15): Anti-toll organizers to finally get their day in court

Posted By on Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 12:30 PM


Members of an organization called Widen I-77 that has been fighting the planned toll roads on the interstate for three years announced in a Facebook post this morning that they will finally have their day in court, as they have collected enough donations to fund a lawsuit against the North Carolina Department of Transportation, I-77 Mobility Partners and the State of North Carolina. According to the post, a hearing will be held at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse on Friday, January 8 at 10 a.m. (Ryan Pitkin) Mecklenburg Commissioner Jim Puckett said yesterday he will be asking his fellow commissioners to compel the board's representative on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization to vote against the $650 million toll project in an upcoming CRTPO vote on January 20. That vote was suggested by governor Pat McCrory. (Jonathan McFadden, Charlotte Observer) 

A man and woman were reportedly shot at 9 a.m. this morning in southwest Charlotte in what appears to be a domestic incident. Both victims were reportedly transported from the Comfort Inn & Suites on Westpark Drive to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries. The suspect is still at large. (Angela Hong, WSOC) 

CMPD released a statement early this morning stating that a body found in a burning car in Gaston County on Wednesday evening is believed to be connected to a shooting in northwest Charlotte that happened at about 4:30 p.m. on the same day. Police responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call on Woodland Circle in the Oakdale area yesterday afternoon and found a man suffering from life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound. That man was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and while homicide detectives investigated the scene they were notified that Ranlo Police Department in nearby Gaston County had just found a body believed to be tied in with the incident in Charlotte. No names or motives have yet been released. (Ryan Pitkin) 

Attorneys representing the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina have responded to allegations that the church hasn't been forthcoming with details about donations made to the church after family members of one of the victims of a mass shooting there in June filed a lawsuit stopping dispersal of the money. The lawsuit, filed in October by attorneys for victim Cynthia Hurd's husband, aims to freeze the assets in the church's Moving Forward fund until attorneys on both sides can review documents related to donations. Arthur Hurd has said that he witnesses members of the church opening letters addressed to victims' families and removing large amounts of money shortly after the shooting. In yesterday's response to the allegations, church attorneys denied any wrongdoing and stated that the church has acted "in good faith and in a reasonable manner." (Jennifer Hawes, Post & Courier) 

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Drosselmeyer spins a new Nutcracker

Posted By on Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 10:04 AM

On a nighttime set projected onto the back wall of Booth Playhouse that evokes the setting for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, Mike Fitelson has made over a Christmas classic produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Aside from Drosselmeyer’s Toy Shop and the tumescent fir tree that sprouts up deep in Act 1 on an empty moonlit playground, The Hip Hop Nutcracker makes few references to Christmas or the E.T.A. Hoffman story that inspired Tchaikovsky’s wondrous ballet.

But a lithe and versatile 11-member dance troupe certainly reminds us of the Russian composer’s music, dancing to a conventional pre-recorded performance of the score with live lagniappe provided by violinist Mathew Silvera and DJ Boo. Here in Washington Heights, with the mighty GW Bridge looming behind the tenements, Maria-Clara is our protagonist. The teenager’s quarreling parents and an assortment of neighborhood characters, some of them gang members, precede her onstage.

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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Today's Top 5: Wednesday

Posted By on Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 12:30 PM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 30, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker at Booth Playhouse
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Carrie Underwood at Bank of America Stadium

Trivia Night at Kennedy's

• Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band at Neighborhood Theatre

Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium

Lunch Break (12/30/15): Charlotteans prepare for a wet Fan Fest, Belk Bowl

Posted By on Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 11:30 AM


Fans preparing for today's Belk Bowl will need to dress for wet weather, as rain and thunderstorms have already been pounding Charlotte since this morning and are expected to continue throughout Fan Fest, which begins at 1 p.m., and the football game at 3:30 p.m. between North Carolina State and Mississippi State universities. This morning, organizers said they didn't anticipate any delays or cancellations for the free Carrie Underwood concert at Fan Fest or the football game itself, but are watching the weather closely with fans' safety in mind. (Robin Kanady, Fox46) A flash flood warning is in effect for Mecklenburg County until 4 p.m. (Christine Rapp, WSOC) 

Police are searching for two men who robbed a McDonald's on South Tryon Street early this morning by producing handguns and forcing employees into a freezer. The fast food restaurant had closed to walk-in traffic, but the men forced their way in through the drive-thru window and gathered the employees. They fled the scene after taking money from the cash registers, and no one was hurt in the incident. Police are still looking for evidence of who the men were. (Mark Davenport, WBTV) 

One person was taken to the hospital after getting trapped in a vehicle following a wreck in east Charlotte this morning. Fire officials said a vehicle overturned after being t-boned on Kimmerly Glen Lane at Sharon Amity Road. The vehicle rolled over a fence at a nearby storage facility. The accident reportedly happened just before 7:30 a.m. The driver of the car that overturned had serious injuries but was reportedly alert when transported to Carolinas Medical Center. (WBTV Web Staff) 

At the end of a year in which more than 50 women came forward accusing comedian and actor Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them over the span of decades, authorities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania announced this morning that they have charged Cosby in relation to one of those cases that involved a Temple University employee more than 10 years ago. The victim alleged that Cosby drugged and violated her in his Philadelphia home in 2004. Prosecutors declined to charge Cosby in relation to the case in 2005. Cosby is expected to be arraigned today. (Associated Press) 

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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Lunch Break (12/29/15): Thousands wake up to no power in Charlotte

Posted By on Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 11:53 AM


Thousands of Charlotte homes lost power for hours this morning following a night of wind and rain, although the causes of the widespread outages are still unknown. According to Duke Energy, about 4,300 houses in east Charlotte on near Sardis Road N and Monroe Road experienced power outages at around 3:30 a.m. Power there was restored at about 6 a.m., but residents in Ballantyne, in which about 3,300 homes lost power, had to wait until about 8:30 a.m. for power to be restored. (WBTV Web Staff) 

A tornado touched down in Union County yesterday for a short time, causing damage to trees and buildings in the area before quickly disbanding. No tornado warning was issued in the lead-up to the twister, which touched down just before 5 p.m. in Monroe. (David Sentendrey, Fox46) 

Streets have already been closed in the lead-up to a week full of events happening Uptown, including two football games and New Year's Eve celebrations. It's unclear whether police will declare tomorrow's Belk Bowl between North Carolina State and Mississippi State or Sunday's game between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (see below) as extraordinary events, but they are expected to declare one for Thursday night's New Year's Celebration at Romare Bearden Park, limiting the items people can have on their person and giving broader authority to police to search bags. Roads near the park and football stadium – including parts of South Mint, Stonewall and Graham streets – closed this morning and will remain so until tomorrow night at 11 p.m. (Jenna Deery, WSOC) 

The NFL has announced that the Carolina Panthers' final regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been "flexed," meaning the kickoff time has been changed so the game will be seen by a larger audience. The Panthers will be fighting to earn a number one seed in the NFC, locking up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If the Panthers lose on Sunday and the Arizona Cardinals beat the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals will take the number one seed. The Panthers will be playing at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday for a much larger television audience than would have seen the game at it's original time, 1 p.m. (Hank Lee, WCNC) 

A Union County man was arrested for sneaking drugs into a Polkton prison where he worked as a guard, police said. Investigators caught Travis Hubbard with 18 strips of soboxone, used to treat heroin overdoses, and two ounces of marijuana. Hubbard reportedly tried to run when he was confronted by police. Hubbard was charged with two counts of attempting to provide inmates with a controlled substance and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and a Schedule III controlled substance. (Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer) 

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Monday, December 28, 2015

Today's Top 5: Monday

Posted By on Mon, Dec 28, 2015 at 5:23 PM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 28, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

• Jamie Laval’s Christmas in Scotland at Great Aunt Stella Center
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Trivia at Sir Edmond Halley's

Knocturnal at Snug Harbor

Find Your Muse Open Mic at The Evening Muse

Parodi Kings at Thomas Street Tavern

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Today's Top 5: Sunday

Posted By on Sun, Dec 27, 2015 at 7:00 AM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 27, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

• Dust and Ashes, Appalucia, The Kyle Perkins Band at Milestone

Bitchy Sundays at The Dirty Hippie

Body Worlds and the Cycle of Life at Discovery Place

WBT Holiday on Ice at NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza

Hip Hop Showcase at The Rabbit Hole

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Today's Top 5: Saturday

Posted By on Sat, Dec 26, 2015 at 7:00 AM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 26, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Grandma Lee at The Comedy Zone
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Su Casa at Petra's

Holidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

WBT Holiday on Ice at NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza

Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Friday, December 25, 2015

Today's Top 5: Thursday

Posted By on Fri, Dec 25, 2015 at 7:00 AM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 25, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

Benji Hughes at Snug Harbor
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• The Hateful Eight at Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen

Petra's X-Mas at Petra's

Live music w/ Matt Tucker at Luke's Sports Bar & Grill

X-Mas Party at Vibrations

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Today's Top 5: Wednesday

Posted By on Wed, Dec 23, 2015 at 11:40 AM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 23, 2015 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

Ugly Sweater Party at Howl at the Moon
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• Charlotte Ballet: Nutcracker at Belk Theater

Open Mic Night at The Dirty Hippie

Mello Mike at The Comedy Zone

Trivia at Ed's Tavern

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