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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -The North Carolina Department of Transportation is moving forward with elevated express lanes for Interstate 77 from Uptown to South Carolina.
The decision comes after feedback and community engagement over the past year.
The elevated lanes will have less impact to the McCrorey Heights and Wesley Heights neighborhoods, Frazier Park and Pinewood Cemetery.
The I-77 South Express Lanes project is intended to improve traffic flow, increase travel time reliability, and provide motorists with a more predictable commute along one of the Charlotte region’s busiest corridors.
In doing so, he became the first Charlotte Symphony music director to be nominated for, and to win, a Grammy. And at the 68th Grammys, he became the first Black conductor to win in that category.
In an interview Wednesday with The Charlotte Observer, Ryan detailed what unfolded to get him to that point. (This story takes place on two coasts, but for clarity, all time references are Eastern Standard.)
Charlotte Symphony conductor Kwamé Ryan, far left, gave an emotional acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards in LA Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Ryan won for Best Opera Recording, conducting Jake Heggie’s “Intelligence” for Houston Grand Opera. Ryan is the first CSO music director to win a Grammy. Matt Winkelmeyer Getty Images for The Recording A
The plan was for Ryan to fly out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, and arrive in Los Angeles in plenty of time before the non-televised portion of the Grammys began at 3:30 p.m.
As the weekend approached, Ryan and the orchestra leadership kept a wary eye on the increasingly dire forecast. They’d decide by Saturday at 9 a.m. whether to call off the remaining concerts.
“I just can’t explain how you feel when you think this is the one weekend I don’t need a historical storm in North Carolina,” Ryan said. “Why is this happening?”
Snow began to blanket the Charlotte region early Saturday. Ryan headed to the airport, having booked a 10:30 a.m. flight on the likelihood the concerts would be scrapped. It was about 8 a.m.
Traffic moves slowly along Monroe Road in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, January 31, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
One delay after another after another at snowy CLT
A little over an hour later, Ryan got the call: the concerts were off. Good thing he already was at the airport. Ryan thought, “This was gonna be easy.”
Not really. A one-hour delay turned into two hours turned into four hours. Finally, they boarded.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m still going to make it,’“ Ryan said.
The plane began to taxi. It was next in line for deicing. Ryan saw the aircraft ahead of them fly off. That’s when the pilot came on the intercom.
“Folks, I’ve got some bad news. We’ve been called back to the terminal. The airport is closed.”
An American Airlines plane moves across a snow-covered tarmac at Charlotte Douglass Airport on Saturday, January 31, 2026. CSO music director Kwamé Ryan was dealing with this weather to make it to Los Angeles for the Grammys on Sunday, Feb. 1., David Beckerman Submitted
‘Let’s get you on that flight’
It was now about 7 p.m. Ryan was on Hour 11 at the airport. Don’t panic, he told himself. Leaving on Sunday was the original plan anyway.
He patiently waited in line at the American Airlines counter until it was his turn to rebook. “I told her I was going to the Grammys, and she said, ‘All right. Let’s get you on that flight.’”
He felt good, though, having rebooked on a 10:30 a.m. Sunday flight to Los Angeles. Ryan started walking to the airport exit when his phone buzzed. American texted him. That flight he just booked was canceled, along with every other flight out of Charlotte until Sunday afternoon.
Ryan’s heart sank. He realized there was no way he’d be able to fly out of Charlotte in time.
‘You’re never going to get out of here’
Charlotte Symphony President and CEO David Fisk offered to pick up Ryan and take him home, doubting he’d be able to get a cab in this snow.
During the day, Fisk also had suggested other ideas for Ryan to make it to the West Coast, including throwing money at a rideshare to take him to the Atlanta airport, a 4 1/2-hour drive. Made sense, Ryan thought. He booked a flight out of Atlanta for Sunday morning.
But when Ryan got in the car, Fisk told him, “Kwamé, what I just drove through in terms of snow. Just forget it. You’re never going to get out of here tomorrow.”
So Ryan cancelled the Atlanta flight and sunk into his couch, crestfallen. At this point, around 8:10 p.m., he resigned himself to catching the ceremony on the Grammy YouTube channel, which shows the early portion ahead of the prime-time event on CBS.
A sledding collision in Cordelia Park in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday, January 31, 2026. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
OK, Ryan thought. If he could get to Atlanta, this could work. It’s 10 p.m., and he programmed a reservation request to get picked up by a rideshare service at 2:30 a.m.
He hoped someone would pick him up for “a crazy drive in the snow.” His phone pinged with drivers saying yes, then dropping him once they saw the distance. Ryan opted to sleep for a few hours, then see if anyone said yes.
At a quarter to 2 on Sunday, Ryan woke up and looked at his phone. A driver said yes.
Then the phone rang.
Kwame’ Ryan and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Genesis Photography
Sunrise in Atlanta
It was the rideshare driver, haggling over the price. Ryan told him to name his price. He did, Ryan agreed and the driver showed up in a big four-wheel drive SUV. They were Atlanta-bound.
They only stopped once, so the driver could clean the windshield and Ryan could grab some fast food. For two days, he didn’t think he ate anything that didn’t come out of a plastic container.
They arrived at the Atlanta airport around 7:30 a.m. just at sunrise. “It was just the most beautiful thing,” Ryan said. “Blue sky, streaked with orange.” He thought to himself with satisfaction, “I’m going to make it.”
Inside, he saw on the flight board a Delta flight leaving for LA at 10 a.m. Ryan had booked a Frontier flight for 10:30 a.m., and figured, no reason to change just for half an hour. Right.
Waiting and waiting for takeoff
The Delta flight left on time. As for Frontier? It announced a delay just as the Delta flight closed its doors.
Ryan knew he’d be late for the ceremony but didn’t know when the opera category would come up. The Recording Academy had to hand out nearly 100 awards starting at 3:30 p.m. and conclude in plenty of time before the 8 p.m. prime-time ceremony.
The Frontier delay lasted an agonizing 90 minutes before it finally took off. Ryan calculated he’d land in LA at around 4:15 p.m., about 45 minutes after the program started.
Running to the arena
You think Charlotte traffic is tough? A straight shot from LAX to the arena for the Grammys would take about an hour. But Ryan had a backpack with him. Nominee or not, there was no way he’d get into the area with that.
So Ryan’s taxi first took him to his hotel, where he dropped off his bag, then got back in and headed to the complex for the Peacock Theatre, where the non-televised awards show was, and neighboring Crypto.com Arena hosting the main telecast. The closest he could get dropped off was several blocks away.
Ryan stepped out into the LA sun, wearing his black suit and tie. It’s 81 degrees and he started to run.
Houston Grand Opera’s opening night of “Intelligence” by Jake Heggie. It was inspired by the true story of a pair of unlikely spies, a woman from a prominent Confederate family and a woman born into slavery who served that family. Lawrence Elizabeth Knox
Running the red carpet
When he got to the theater, it was around 5:40 p.m. Ryan realized he had another gauntlet to run — the red carpet.
There was only one way into the auditorium, and it was through a red carpet that Ryan estimated stretched three-quarters of the way around the building. All that room was needed for fans, photographers and media interviews.
Normally, that’s a leisurely stroll where the music industry elites bask in the attention ahead of the awards show. Not Ryan.
Singer Addison Rae walks the red carpet ahead of the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Running late to the ceremony but just glad to be there, Charlotte Symphony conductor Kwamé Ryan sprinted across the red carpet to grab his seat inside. Emma McIntyre Getty Images for The Recording A
“Yeah, I’m running, looking like, ‘What’s up with that crazy guy?’ “ He was a maestro on a mission. While he still had no clue when his category would be called, there was no way he was going to miss his moment because he was walking the red carpet.
“Eventually, I got to the end of this marathon red carpet and got in the auditorium,” Ryan said. His category wasn’t up yet. “I was happy just to have half an hour to stop sweating.”
‘And the Grammy goes to…’
In his seat, he had a little time to gather his thoughts. Bad move. With five nominees in each category, all of them deserving, but only one winning, it felt genuinely nerve-wracking.
Finally, Best Opera Recording. It’s about 6:45 p.m.
“The moment between ‘and the Grammy goes to’ and ‘ ‘Heggie: Intelligence,’ ‘ my heart skipped two beats. I know what people mean now when they say time stops. It does. It’s a weird experience.”
First, there was a blast of adrenaline, followed quickly by disbelief then intense joy.
“Especially with the path I had had to that moment. To have run that kind of obstacle course over the course of two days, to get to that moment and actually be heading up on that stage was genuinely overwhelming.”
The opera, with a libretto by Gene Scheer and directed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, debuted in Houston in the fall of 2023. It centered around the true story of two Civil War spies: Elizabeth Van Lew, from an elite Richmond family in the heart of the Confederacy, and Mary Jane Bowser, an enslaved member of the household.
Ryan thanked the opera’s creative team and gave a shout-out to his partner and his snowbound colleagues in the Charlotte Symphony. If he seemed in control to people watching the speech online, well that’s because as conductor, “I’ve had a lot of practice looking cool when I’m not.”
Kwamé Ryan, left, delivered his Grammy acceptance speech with exuberance but without a hint of what he went through to make it out of Charlotte in the midst of a massive snowstorm. He’s on stage at the Peacock Theater next to producer Blanton Alspaugh and soprano Janai Brugger, accepting the Best Opera Recording award for “Heggie: Intelligence” at the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony at Peacock Theater Feb. 1 in Los Angeles. Matt Winkelmeyer Getty Images for The Recording A
The final flight
When the time came for the televised part of the program, Ryan eagerly crossed the street and stuck around.
He got to watch the likes of Lady Gaga, John Baptiste and Justin Beiber perform up close at Crypto.com Arena. Essentially, it was the first pop concert Ryan ever attended, which meshed well with his eclectic taste in music.
The next day, Ryan returned to LAX for his 4:10 p.m. trip back to Charlotte, “the one flight I wasn’t bothered about.”
It was on time.
More arts coverage
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This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
Award-winning journalist Adam Bell has worked for The Charlotte Observer since 1999 in a variety of reporting and editing roles. He currently is the business editor and the arts editor. The Philly native and U.Va. grad also is a big fan of cheesesteaks and showtunes. Support my work with a digital subscription
When Oscar Solorzano stabbed another passenger aboard the Charlotte Area Transit System’s LYNX Blue Line train in December, he wasn’t supposed to be on the train at all. He’d been banned from using CATS transportation a few months earlier.
But violent riders flouting bans is a common occurrence on CATS, according to the transit system’s own records from the last two years.
More than a dozen banned riders in 2025 were banned again for another offense during periods when they were prohibited from using the system, records obtained by The Charlotte Observer show.
Many of these people had been charged with serious crimes like assaulting security officers or bus and train operators, weapons possession, or threatening drivers.
CATS representative Brett Baldeck declined to make interim CEO Brent Cagle or chief safety and security officer Eric Osnes available for interview or to directly answer questions from the Observer about the findings. Baldeck instead provided a copy of its exclusion policy, which was already public.
That policy says low-level misdemeanors such as loitering or disorderly conduct, rule violations and repeated fare evasion can earn riders a 6-month suspension. Riders cited for violent offenses such as assault or property damage, weapons possession and sexual crimes can be banned for one year.
In a Dec. 10 news release, Cagle said there are “several challenges” to enforcing bans.
“Tens of thousands of people ride CATS vehicles every day and monitoring everyone entering the system is not feasible at this time as there is no practical way to identify an excluded individual as they board,” the release read.
CATS is exploring facial recognition technology to help identify banned riders, according to the release. It did not provide any specifics on the proposed technology or provide an estimated timeline for implementation.
Missing data raises enforcement questions
Law enforcement personnel with jurisdiction on CATS, as well as authorized transit system staff and others can enforce the bans, according to the agency’s written policy. Banned riders receive written notice at the time a ban is issued, the policy states.
Solorzano, 33, was banned for a year on Oct. 8, 2025 for having a “large knife” on light rail property, the Observer has reported. The undocumented immigrant had been twice deported to his home country of Honduras in the years leading up to the stabbing.
Despite that, he received a six-month ban for public intoxication at an unnamed CATS location the very next day.
CATS security and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers who responded on the 9th “did not have visibility into the prior day’s exclusion” due to a data entry error, according to the Dec. 10 news release. Solorzano would have received an indefinite ban if they had, the release said.
Indefinite bans must be approved by CATS’ chief safety and security officer and are for riders with multiple and “progressive” violations of CATS rules, according to its exclusion policy. Qualifying repeat violations include certain misdemeanor or felony criminal offenses such as assault, weapons possession or sexual crimes, or violence against CATS employees.
“CATS records on these persons are reviewed as a whole and have shown they have been excluded from the system multiple times and have progressively escalated behaviors, as stated in the categories above, and continues to pose a threat to CATS employees, agents, contractors, riders” and the transit system, the policy states.
CATS records obtained by the Observer indicate that the data entry error that the transit system said prevented officers from seeing Solorzano’s previous offense on Oct. 9 may not have been an isolated event.
Although Solorzano was banned twice in 2025, according to the CATS release, his name does not appear in CATS’ internal list of riders banned that year provided to the Observer. It’s not clear how many other banned riders were also left off.
Safety on CATS transportation has been under intense scrutiny since Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on her way home from work on a Blue Line rail car last summer. Her killing drew outrage from the White House and state Republican legislative leaders.
A man places flowers in a makeshift memorial for Iryna Zarutska at the East/West Blvd. Rail Station in Charlotte in September. Community members came together to hold a vigil for the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death on her way home from work. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
It found that CATS’ “rate of crimes against passengers” is three times higher than the national average. And the rate of assault on CATS transit workers jumped to five times the national average in 2025, despite being below the national average the previous two years.
CATS responded with a written statement saying it is “committed to advancing” its security and safety plans, the Observer reported.
CATS was also cited for 18 findings of non-compliance in the FTA’s report. Those included not implementing required risk assessment processes for transit worker assaults, not establishing a process to annually assess safety performance and not establishing a required risk reduction program for bus services.
‘No real communication’
Implementing CATS rider bans has been flawed, critics say.
“Operators have come to me and have stated that there is no real-time communication or data being shared to where the operators are aware of who has been banned or not,” Nichel Dunlap, a member of CATS’ Public Transit Advisory Committee and a former CATS driver, told the Observer in an interview.
Many banned riders over the last two years have threatened or committed violence against CATS bus and rail operators, the agency’s records show.
Passengers who receive multiple bans often continue to pose problems. During 2024 and 2025, more than 80% of those riders were banned again within 6 months of being allowed back on the system, records show.
Sometimes repeat bans happen quickly. One rider, Christopher Alexander, was banned for a year on May 14, 2025 for assaulting a security officer and was banned again for a year just two days later for assaulting a CATS contractor on the Blue Line platform, records obtained by the Observer show.
Another rider received a one-year ban on April 20, 2025 for assaulting a CATS employee, second-degree trespass and disorderly conduct. Just five days later, that rider received another one-year ban for simple assault, though CATS records do not specify who was assaulted.
Improvements to the CATS rider-ban system and operators’ safety have been proposed. That includes the possible facial recognition software that CATS has mentioned and installing bullet-resistant barriers that would enclose bus drivers.
But it may take too long before those could become a reality, Dunlap said.
“CATS is working very strategically, but they’re not working quickly enough, because we continue to see violence upon the rails, violence upon our buses, and we continue to see the residents of Mecklenburg County are being placed into systems that do not support restorative services,” Dunlap said. “We’re out of time.”
Charlotte Observer coverage of CATS safety
CATS passenger safety has been under intense scrutiny since Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on her way home from work on a Blue Line rail car last summer. The Charlotte Observer is committed to sorting fact from fiction regarding dangers on the public transportation system, with more reporting to come.
Amber is an investigative reporter for The Charlotte Observer. She’s produced award-winning business and investigative work, including a housing series that led to a federal inquiry and Texas state law change in 2023. Amber holds a master’s degree from the University of North Texas’ Mayborn School of Journalism.
Every so often, a new place in Charlotte opens and immediately it becomes the place. You know, the one everyone’s posting about and recommending, with lines are so long you’re contemplating why you’re even there.
At the end of the day, you’re asking yourself, “Is it really worth the hype?” That’s what inspired this series, Worth The Hype, where I finally try spots I’ve been putting off and give an honest verdict.
Disclaimer: I am not the kind of person who goes to a restaurant the week it opens or even the month it opens. If a place is getting nonstop buzz, I usually do the opposite to get around long wait times, kinks and the adjustment period.
ESO Artisanal Pasta opened in Optimist Hall last summer, and for weeks — months, even — it was talked about and highly anticipated. And, yes, everything did look amazing. My mouth was watering watching videos on Instagram reels and TikTok. ESO Artisanal Pasta was also a finalist on Season 15 of Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” before establishing a space in Optimist Hall.
Two seasons later, I finally made my way there on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch, assuming the initial rush had died down and everything would be available. I was wrong.
Multiple dishes were out of stock, especially the one I truly wanted, the Tagliatelle Ragu and Italian Rice Balls. But that was fine, because that just meant I had to come back.
When it came time to order, I went with a classic: the penne alla vodka. The first thing I noticed were the noodles — thick, oversized and clearly made in-house. They were soft without being doughy and almost pillow-like, the kind of pasta that feels substantial in every bite. Yet if pasta could melt in your mouth, this would’ve come close.
The dish arrived steaming — and I don’t mean for show. Nearly 20 minutes later, every bite was still hot. The first few bites were heavenly: the sauce slightly acidic, as you’d expect from a red sauce, but balanced out with a creamy richness that kept it from feeling sharp. The pasta itself was dense and filling; even ordering a small, I wasn’t expecting a portion this generous.
That said, a few bites in, I found myself needing a break. The flavors started to feel familiar — almost nostalgic — in a way that reminded me of something from childhood, like Campbell’s SpaghettiOs. Not bad, just unexpectedly reminiscent. I packed it up with the intention of coming back to it later.
ESO Artisanal Pasta’s penne alla vodka. Tamia Boyd CharlotteFive
After work, I decided to swing back by ESO to see if anything new had come back in stock, and luckily for me, the Italian Rice Balls were available. I ordered them with a side of pomodoro, and within minutes I was back at a table. Opening the box immediately fogged up my glasses from the heat.
These weren’t small bites. The rice balls were hefty, golden and clearly fresh, and at $14, felt like a solid value considering both the size and portion. I took my first bite without the sauce: crunchy on the outside, warm and creamy on the inside, with a cheese pull so dramatic it practically demanded a slow-motion video. The contrast alone — crisp exterior, soft rice, melted cheese — was enough to win me over.
But the pomodoro is what really sealed the deal. I topped the pomodoro with the rice ball, and it completely changed the bite. The acidity cut through the richness in the best way, balancing out the cheese and turning something indulgent into something I couldn’t stop eating.
Rice balls from ESO Artisanal Pasta at Optimist Hall. Tamia Boyd CharlotteFive
Overall, this place is great and filling, especially for a food stall. If it were up to me, I’d bring a bunch of friends and buy each of the pastas to do a smorgasbord so I could try a little of everything.
If I had to order again — and I will — the rice balls would be non-negotiable. They weren’t just my favorite thing I tried at ESO; they were the dish that made me understand the hype.
So, is ESO Artisanal Pasta worth the hype? Yes — order strategically, and please don’t skip the rice balls.
Chefs AJ Sankofa and Kristina Gambarian appeared on “The Great Food Truck Race” with their business, ESO Artisanal Pasta. ESO Artisanal Pasta
If you’re looking to grab a good meal or drinks with friends, Charlotte’s Black-owned restaurants scene has a little something for everyone.
There’s no shortage of good eats in the Queen City, and foodies are sure to find culinary experiences that stretch across the diaspora — from classic soul food and African fare to Caribbean dishes and Southern barbecue.
CharlotteFive has previously compiled a sweeping list of Black-owned businesses in Charlotte, but here you’ll find an updated list of spots to check out on your next food run. There are a few food trucks, coffee bars and catering services in the mix, too.
Shito Negussie sips coffee before she opens Abugida, a restaurant she owns with her daughter, Yodite Tesafye, in Charlotte. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Tattoo artist Danny Lebron and Bill and Bob’s Coffee Bar owner Albert Jeanniton, who’s more widely known as Al Fliction from “Ink Masters.” Heidi Finley CharlotteFive
How to order: In person, online or call (704) 375-8414.
Restaurant owner Vinroy Reid sits for a portrait in the dining room of Mama’s Caribbean Grill at Plaza Midwood in Charlotte, N.C. Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Arthur H. Trickett-Wile atrickett-wile@charlotteobserver.com
Executive Chef Marco Boykin prepares an order of ultimate loaded nachos inside the Ve-Go Food Truck in Charlotte on January 27, 2022. Chef Akil Courtney and executive chef Marco Boykin are local Black vegan chefs. Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Many school districts in North Carolina are back in person after disruptions due to back-to-back winter storms.
What You Need To Know
Schools took different approaches, however all of them used remote learning days at one point or another
At Gaston County Schools, packets were used for remote learning, and at Mountain Island Charter School, students used an online platform
Gaston County Schools closed and had remote learning days, and Mountain Island Charter only had remote learning days
Schools took different approaches, however all of them used remote learning days at one point or another.
Gaston County Schools, for example, had two snow days and four remote learning days in the past two weeks due to the ice storm and snowstorm.
Forestview High School English and AP psychology teacher Richard Morris, who is Gaston County Schools’ new teacher of the year, welcomed students back in person Thursday after a two-hour delay.
He asked students briefly about whether they enjoyed the snow before discussing the remote learning packet students were expected to complete.
“Before they left, I wanted to be sure they understood exactly what the text was going to be about and the expectations I had for them while they were out,” Morris said.
He said the secondary English curriculum coordinator sent packets for students in order for them not to fall behind and continue being engaged while out of school.
Morris has been trying to make the most of the school closures.
“I love being in the classroom with students, but we live on this earth where weather happens, and it can be a disruption. It’s a little frustrating, but it’s the reality of the situation. I was very responsive to both parents and students on email, making sure that everyone is on the same page,” Morris said.
Forestview science and biology teacher John Ramos, who is the district’s teacher of the year, said his concern is the continuation of learning.
“I don’t want to experience another learning loss like what we had in COVID back then. And, I’m just glad that, you know, we are very proactive as a school district and our administrators are really sending information in advance,” Ramos said.
Mountain Island Charter School, which is also located in Gaston County, is a public charter school and also relied on remote learning. The school didn’t use any snow days but instead opted for using its five allotted remote learning days.
Mountain Island Charter School sixth to 12th grade principal Jacob Wilson said the school serves students from eight counties and any closure decisions come after analyzing a variety of factors. This includes looking into the decisions made by traditional public schools, monitoring weather and road conditions and assessing areas around the campus.
“Student safety is always going to be No. 1 but beyond that, we want to make sure that our students are continuing learning and so we’re always going to want to push that ball forward. Anytime we have a chance to make it to where students can learn, we’re going to do that.” Wilson said.
Assistant Principal of Curriculum Instruction Renee Goodwin said she was in contact with teachers during remote learning to receive feedback.
“I talked to them over the phone and asked them how things are going, where we should go when we get back, because we are in the middle of like testing season as well. So we had to make some adjustments for students to make sure that we get the best results for the testing,” Goodwin said.
Students at Mountain Island Charter used an online platform with instructional activities to review concepts and independent learning.
“Nothing replaces a teacher in the classroom, however the extension activities that our teachers provide here actually go beyond what the teacher is teaching through multiple platforms that we have,” Goodwin said.
Back at Forestview, Morris and Ramos are getting students back in the swing of things.
“Our main goal is to ensure that the routine will be in place again,” Ramos said.
The intent behind it is to move forward.
“We’re going to briefly go over the packet, make sure that everything’s complete so they get that attendance for the day, get that classwork grade for the day, but then we’re just going to keep on rolling like we never missed a beat,” Morris said.
Both Gaston County Schools and Mountain Island Charter school officials said the weather-related closures will not prompt any makeup days or any schedule changes.
Meanwhile, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is modifying its calendar turning Feb. 11 and April 29 from early release days into full instructional days.
“By supporting the superintendent’s recommendation to convert the remaining early release days to full instructional days, we’re choosing to exceed state requirements because it’s what best serves students,” CMS Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed said.
Under state law, schools are only allowed to declare five remote learning days in a calendar year for emergency situations and severe weather.
However, according to the Department of Public Instruction, some schools have a waiver because they have been closed at least eight days during any four of the last 10 years due to weather.
This year, schools with a waiver include Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Haywood, Jackson, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Watauga and Yancey counties. These schools are allowed to open a week early to have more makeup days and can use 15 remote instruction days or 90 hours.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
WASHINGTON — Democrats and one Republican on a key committee are seeking to hold up advancing President Donald Trump’s choice to be the next Federal Reserve chair until the administration’s investigation into the current one is put to rest.
It comes as the top Republican on the panel expressed confidence that Kevin Warsh’s nomination will move forward soon, even as he said current Fed Chair Jerome Powell did not commit a crime.
What You Need To Know
This week, all Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs — which plays an essential role in the process of confirming nominees for the Federal Reserve — sent a letter to the panel’s Republican chair, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, urging him not to hold a hearing on the president’s pick for the next head of the Fed until investigations launched under the Trump administration into Powell and Fed Governor Lisa Cook have been closed
It echoed what one Republican on the committee, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose support is likely critical, expressed after Trump announced his pick of former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to be the next chair last week
Powell’s announced last month that the Justice Department is investigating him regarding renovations to the Fed’s office buildings and his testimony to Congress about it
Scott said in an interview this week that he does not believe Powell committed in crime in his testimony; He also expressed confidence Warsh’s nomination would move forward
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to rule out the possibility that the administration would seek to sue Warsh if he doesn’t lower interest rates during an appearance in front of the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill Thursday
This week, all Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs — which plays an essential role in the process of confirming nominees for the Federal Reserve — sent a letter to the panel’s Republican chair, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, urging him not to hold a hearing on the president’s pick for the next head of the Fed until investigations launched under the Trump administration into Powell and Fed governor Lisa Cook have been closed.
“The nomination comes after months of repeated efforts by President Trump and his Administration to influence the Fed by intimidation, including by opening criminal investigations into Fed Governor Lisa Cook and Fed Chair Jerome Powell,” the 11 Democrats on the committee wrote in the letter. “These ongoing efforts by the President to control the Fed — which must be able to exercise independent judgment — undermine public confidence in any nomination for chair at this time.”
“My position has not changed: I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved,” Tillis wrote on X despite noting that he believes Warsh is a “qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy.”
Tillis — who announced his retirement from Congress at the end of his term after a high-profile spat with the president — initially pledged to to oppose any nominee for the Fed, including Trump’s upcoming pick for chair, in the wake of Powell’s announcement last month that the Justice Department is investigating him regarding renovations to the Fed’s office buildings and his testimony to Congress about it. The revelation caused a firestorm on Capitol Hill. The administration has also sought to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations — which she denies — in a case that is now in front of the Supreme Court.
Trump has consistently criticized Powell since he returned to the White House, making clear his disapproval of the Fed chair for not lowering interest rates as much or as quickly as he would like. The president has held off on moving to try to oust him, however, often citing the fact that Powell’s term as chairman is up in May.
Despite noting he is glad the country is set to get a new Federal Reserve chair, Scott said in a notable statement Wednesday he did not believe Powell committed a crime during his testimony in front of the committee the South Carolina Republican chairs about the central bank’s renovation project.
“I found him to be inept at doing his job, but ineptness or being incompetent is not a criminal act,” Scott told Fox News in an interview regarding Powell. “I believe what he did was make a gross error in judgment. He was not prepared for that hearing. I do not believe that he committed a crime during the hearing.”
Scott went on to express confidence that Warsh’s nomination will be able to move forward despite the demands from Tillis and the panel’s Democrats.
“I believe that we’re going to resolve that issue, we’re going to move forward, and Thom Tillis will be voting for Kevin Warsh as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve,” he said.
Trump announced his pick of Warsh days ago after weeks of speculation about whom he would tap for the role as the president has left no doubts that he hopes the person would seek to lower interest rates.
Trump has said that he didn’t ask Warsh to commit to cutting rates ahead of time — referring to such a request as “inappropriate” — but has made clear he believes his pick wants to and will.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, declined Thursday to rule out the possibility that the administration would seek to sue Warsh if he doesn’t lower interest ratesduring an appearance in front of the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill Thursday.
“That is up to the president,” Bessent said during a Senate Banking Committee hearing.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A new mom’s viral TikTok is sparking debate online after she filmed her husband fast asleep, and loudly snoring, in the hospital just hours after she gave birth.
Mikayla Neff says the backlash is misplaced, saying her husband had been by her side through a 27-hour labor and was simply exhausted. She calls him a “great partner and dad,” adding the video was meant to be funny, not fuel for internet criticism.
Gaston County Public Library announced on Facebook that community seed banks are now at all library locations. They made this announcement on February 4, 2026. So, if you’re seeing this post much later, you might want to give the library a call to verify that seed packets are still available.
How it Works
Seeds are available at no charge, including vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
You may take up to five seed packets home with you.
If you have a successful garden, please save some seeds from your best plants to donate back to the seed bank!
Gaston County Public Library Locations
1555 East Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC
125 North Central Avenue, Belmont, NC
605 East Main Street, Cherryville, NC
105 South Holland Street, Dallas, NC
913 North Pryor Street, Gastonia, NC
245 West Catawba Avenue, Mount Holly, NC
205 North Peterson Street, Stanley, NC
5800 Union Road, Gastonia, NC
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
You might also be interested in:
Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area
Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here:
Saturday, February 7, 2026, is National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. If you’ve never celebrated this food holiday, or heard of it, well, in short, it’s a day to eat ice cream for breakfast. That’s all. But isn’t that enough?
Every year some ice cream shops in Charlotte open early and offer breakfast-themed treats for National East Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! We will be updating as they’re announced.
Ben & Jerry’s Davidson
Ben & Jerry’s Davidson, 202 S Main Street, Davidson, NC, is celebrating National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day with a Waffle Bar. The special event takes place Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 8 to 11 a.m.
Create your own waffle sundae at the toppings bar, which will include waffle bowls and fresh-made waffles, ice cream and toppings for $7. Bring canned food donations for Scouting for Food and get 50% off one waffle bar. Or wear your jammies and get 10% off. This was announced on Facebook.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
All Jeni’s scoop shops will open at 9 a.m. on February 7, 2026, with the following special offerings:
Special pairings
Kids’ activity sheets
A new flavor
A chance to win free ice cream and coffee for a year
Carolina Scoops, at 105 Dover Street, Pineville, NC, is celebrating National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. They’ll be opening at 10 a.m. on February 7, 2026, and serving special breakfast treats, including cinnamon roll sundaes, mini dounut sundaes, cereal milkshakes, and cereal toppings. Announced on Facebook.
The Local Scoop
The Local Scoop is celebrating National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. They’ll be opening early on February 7, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. They’ll be serving breakfast-themed ice cream on donuts and Belgian waffles, cereal milkshakes, plus cold brew milkshakes & floats featuring coffee from Magnolia Coffee. This special event is taking place at their location at Promenade on Providence, 5355 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ice Cream for Breakfast at Home
Would you rather stay home and eat ice cream for breakfast? Here are some ideas from Atlanta on the Cheap about how to incorporate ice cream into your breakfast.
Top your waffles with a scoop: Top your waffle with a scoop of your favorite flavor. Or, make a waffle ice cream sandwich with cooled toaster waffles (may be messy!)
Serve French toast a la mode: Add a side scoop of strawberry or banana ice cream to your plate and top the toast with fresh fruit.
Modify your yogurt cup: If you usually add granola and fresh berries to vanilla yogurt, why not substitute vanilla bean ice cream?
Sweeten your coffee with ice cream: Skip the cream and sugar — and top your coffee with a scoop of vanilla. Add a shot of liqueur like Baileys, for a decadent brunch option.
Go Italian with an affogato: If you’ve never heard of affogato, it’s a classic Italian dessert of hot espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla gelato. The contrasts of hot and cold, bitter and sweet, make for a delicious treat.
Go with fresh fruit and ice cream: It will seem a little more like breakfast if you throw berries or sliced bananas on top. Or just make a banana split!
“The operation resulted in the apprehension of several criminal illegal aliens with extensive criminal records, an outcome I applaud,” Tillis wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “At the same time, multiple public reports allege that U.S. citizens were detained, subject to force, and experienced damage to personal property.”
The longtime Republican senator, set to retire at the end of his term, has been increasingly critical of Noem since masked federal agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minnesota last month.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on March 21, 2022 in Washington. Jasper Colt USA TODAY
“If these accounts are inaccurate, North Carolinians would welcome that clarification,” the senator wrote. “If they are accurate, then they represent a breakdown in safeguards that demands corrective action. Either way, the absence of clear, encounter-level data has made objective evaluation difficult and unnecessarily eroded public confidence.”
For months, The Charlotte Observer has asked DHS for a full list of people arrested in the operation. DHS has not provided that information. The Department of Homeland Security has not released the names and information of most people arrested or taken by federal police in Charlotte, making it unknown to the public if they had criminal records or not.
Tillis asked for Noem to produce information as well, including the total number of people arrested in Operation Charlotte’s Web and the total number of times agents used force on American citizens.
Noem will testify before the Senate’s judiciary committee on March 3.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 3:34 PM.
Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after a federal prosecutor said his crime was unacceptable “in this country or anywhere.”
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted into chaos in September when he tried to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.
“American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates. That’s what this individual tried to do” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the judge.
Routh’s new defense attorney, Martin L. Roth, argued that “at the moment of truth, he chose not to pull the trigger.”
The judge pushed back, noting Routh’s history of arrests, to which Roth said, “He’s a complex person I’ll give the court that, but he has a very good core.”
Routh then read from a rambling, 20-page statement. Cannon broke in and said none of what he was saying was relevant, and gave him five more minutes to talk.
“I did everything I could and lived a good life,” Routh said, before the judge cut him off.
“Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” she said. “You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”
She then issued his sentence: Life without parole, plus 7 years on a gun charge. His sentences for his other three crimes will run concurrently.
Routh’s sentencing had initially been scheduled for December, but Cannon agreed to move the date back after Routh decided to use an attorney during the sentencing phase instead of representing himself as he did for most of the trial.
Routh was convicted of trying to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon and using a gun with a defaced serial number. “Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law,” the prosecutors’ sentencing memo said.
His defense attorney had asked for 20 years plus the mandatory seven for the gun conviction.
“The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old,” Roth wrote in a filing. “A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.”
Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican presidential candidate played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.
At Routh’s trial, a Secret Service agent helping protect Trump on the golf course testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and run away without firing a shot.
In the motion requesting an attorney, Routh offered to trade his life in a prisoner swap with people unjustly held in other countries, and said an offer still stood for Trump to “take out his frustrations on my face.”
“Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess forwards, but I always fail at everything (par for the course),” Routh wrote.
In her decision granting Routh an attorney, Cannon chastised the “disrespectful charade” of Routh’s motion, saying it made a mockery of the proceedings. But the judge, nominated by Trump in 2020, said she wanted to err on the side of legal representation.
Cannon signed off last summer on Routh’s request to represent himself at trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have the right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.
Routh’s former federal public defenders served as standby counsel and were present during the trial.
Routh had multiple previous felony convictions including possession of stolen goods, and a large online footprint demonstrating his disdain for Trump. In a self-published book, he encouraged Iran to assassinate him, and at one point wrote that as a Trump voter, he must take part of the blame for electing him.
North Carolinians will soon have a chance to play “Survivor” without ever leaving the state.
Ahead of the milestone 50th season, CBS launched the Survivor 50 Challenge, a nationwide scavenger hunt that will hide an authentic immunity idol in every state.
Continuing through February, fans are asked to crack clues and solve riddles to track down the hidden idol in their home state. Whoever finds North Carolina’s idol will win an invitation to attend the live season finale in Los Angeles on May 20.
The challenge comes as the long-running reality competition, hosted by Jeff Probst, prepares to premiere its 50th season on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The show famously strands contestants in remote locations where they must outwit, outplay and outlast one another to win.
Here’s what you need to know.
“Survivor 50” premieres Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. on CBS and will air weekly on Wednesday nights. Paramount
To register, enter your email address, create a password and provide your state and date of birth. You can also opt in to receive clues for contests in nearby states.
What is an immunity idol?
In “Survivor,” a hidden immunity idol is a secret object hidden around the game area that a castaway can find and use to protect themselves from being voted out at Tribal Council.
When a player plays the idol before the votes are read, any votes against them don’t count, and the person with the next highest number of votes can be eliminated instead.
Pictured (L-R): Ben Katzman, Charlotte salon owner Kenzie Veurink Petty and Maria Gonzalez. CBS Paramount
Sandra Diaz-Twine: Although born in Connecticut, she lives in North Carolina and is considered one of the most successful “Survivor” players ever. She is the only two-time winner of the show and has appeared multiple times in subsequent seasons and as a mentor.
Kenzie Petty: A Charlotte salon owner who won Season 46 in 2024.
Jesse Lopez: A Durham resident and Duke Ph.D. candidate who competed on Season 43, where he reached the final stages and finished in fourth place.
Keith Sowell: A Duke pre-med student and Fayetteville native who competed on Season 38 in 2019.
Molly Byman: A Duke law student and Boston native who appeared on Season 39 in 2019.
Jeff Varner: Originally from Greensboro, he appeared on several “Survivor” seasons including “The Australian Outback,” “Survivor: Cambodia” and “Survivor: Game Changers.”
Jesse Lopez of Durham, N.C., appeared in CBS’s reality competition, “Survivor.” CBS
How to watch ‘Survivor’
“Survivor 50” premieres Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. on CBS and will air weekly on Wednesday nights.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 1:19 PM.
Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.
Producers have announced an open casting call for “There You Are,” a character-driven romantic drama scheduled to film this summer in Chapel Hill.
According to a post in the NC Filmmakers and Actors Facebook group, the story follows a man on the verge of moving away to start over when he unexpectedly meets his soulmate and must choose between the life he planned and the one he never saw coming.
Casting directors are seeking actors for six roles: two men and three women in their late 20s to early 30s, and one man in his mid- to late 30s.
The roles include:
Jock (late 20s-early 30s): Stoic and focused but quietly restless, caught between who he was and who he might become.
Emily (late 20s-early 30s): Smart and magnetic, emotionally guarded with a dry sense of humor; thoughtful beneath the surface and newly single.
Andy (early 30s): A warmhearted, loyal “good ol’ boy” with an easy laugh and dependable presence.
Katie (late 20s-early 30s): Emily’s sharp, witty best friend and emotional co-pilot, fiercely protective and honest.
Jenn (mid-to-late 20s): Sweet, bubbly and a little spacey, bringing warmth and heart to the group.
Danny (mid-to-late 30s): Jock’s older brother, messy and loud but deeply caring, masking insecurity with bravado.
Auditions are planned for March, the post says. Interested actors can direct message organizers or email b.rainbennett@gmail.com for details.
Movies filming in NC
Here’s a list of current productions in North Carolina, according to the NC Film Office:
The NC Film Office is not working on “There You Are,” NC Film Office Director Guy Gaster told The N&O via email. This doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate project, just one that may not qualify for the state’s film grant program or otherwise need state assistance at this time.
“It’s not uncommon for local projects to use social media to find talent and potential crew, especially those looking to get more experience under their belt,” he said.
How to be an extra on ‘The Hunting Wives’
You can follow Tona B. Dahlquist Casting, the show’s casting director, on Facebook for opportunities to be an extra on the show filming in Charlotte.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 4, casting was looking for people to fill the following roles:
Male Photo Double (Filming Feb. 6)
Caucasian male
Around 6 feet tall, approx. 175 pounds, in good shape
Brown hair (wig possible)
Brown facial hair preferred
Shoe size 9–11 (size 10 ideal)
No visible tattoos on legs, arms or hands
Scene involves lying on the ground
Must be fully available day and evening
Bar Dancers (Filming Feb. 5)
Two females
Ages mid-20s to mid-30s
Trendy, “hip” Los Angeles-party look
Comfortable dancing on a bar
Party scene setting
Must be fully available day and evening
Submissions for both roles should be sent to THW2casting@gmail.com.
Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.
The Catawba Indians plan to expand their gaming operations with a $120 million thoroughbred racing track beside their $1 billion North Carolina casino, tribal officials said in laying out a business plan for the new venture on tribal social media this week.
“Expanding into horse racing represents a natural evolution of our gaming enterprise,” officials with the Rock Hill-based tribe said.
Two Kings Horse Racing Track would be developed over five years, 2026 to 2030, creating 250 to 350 permanent jobs and $42 million to $58 million in projected revenue in its fifth year, according to the plan.
With the nearest major racing tracks at least 150 miles away, “North Carolina represents an underserved market for horse racing entertainment,” officials said.
Virginia has nearest horse race betting track to NC
The closest major parimutuel betting horse racing track to North Carolina appears to be Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia. That’s east of Richmond and nearly 200 miles northeast of Raleigh-Durham.
An N.C. House bill ratified in 2023 legalized parimutuel betting. Applications for licenses to offer and accept such bets are not yet authorized, however, as the N.C. State Lottery Commission continues to work on a pari-mutuel wagering program.
The Catawba said they would seek partnership opportunities with the North Carolina lottery for simulcast racing.
“Substantial employment opportunities
The track would operate under the authority of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which Congress enacted in 1988 to regulate gaming on Indian lands.
Tribal gaming authority and communications officials didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment from The Charlotte Observer this week.
In their business plan, tribal officials say the “state-of-the-art” track “will diversify our gaming portfolio, create substantial employment opportunities and generate significant revenue for tribal programs and economic development.”
The track would have an existing customer base in the 300,000-plus annual Two Kings Casino visitors, officials said. The permanent casino is rising off Interstate 85 exit 5 in Kings Mountain, about 35 miles west of Charlotte.
The first part of the Catawba Indians’ $1 billion casino will open over the next two months, Chief Brian Harris said in a recent online update of tribal construction projects.
The first-floor introductory casino will include 1,350 slot machines, 22 table games, a 68-seat restaurant, an 18-seat bar, sports betting kiosks and a rewards desk, tribal officials said during a “topping off” ceremony for the $1 billion casino in October.
The introductory casino will replace the current, single-story one that opened in July 2021. The trailers make up the existing casino.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
OHIO — If you want healthy food, experts say to eat what’s local, organic and in-season. Those foods benefit the planet too, because they are less taxing on the soil and they don’t travel as far.
It doesn’t get more local, organic and in-season than a backyard vegetable garden.
What You Need To Know
At this time of year, many backyards across the country are still covered in snow
Vegetable gardens benefit the surrounding ecosystem by adding diverse plant life, especially where they replace grass or cover a deck or patio
Homegrown vegetables and fruits are responsible for fewer emissions than their store-bought counterparts
Gardening promotes physical health because it requires a lot of movement
At this time of year, many backyards across the country are still covered in snow. But it’s the perfect time to start planning for a garden because you’ll want to have supplies ready to start planting just after the last frost date in your area.
Below are some tips on how to plan a backyard garden and reasons why you should do it.
Homegrown vegetables have fewer emissions
Vegetable gardens benefit the surrounding ecosystem by adding diverse plant life, especially where they replace grass or cover a deck or patio. They also can provide flowering plants for pollinators.
The plants capture and store carbon in the soil, promote healthy soil by preventing compaction and can make the air cooler on rooftops and patios, according to Ellen Comeau, who chairs the advisory council for the Cuyahoga County Master Gardener Volunteers with the Ohio State University Extension program.
Homegrown vegetables and fruits are responsible for fewer emissions than their store-bought counterparts because grocery store produce typically travels long distances on trucks.
“There’s this whole idea of a zero-kilometer meal, that I don’t have to travel anywhere, except my backyard, to make food. That certainly helps the climate,” said Carol Connare, editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Gardening has health benefits
The health benefits from gardening are multifaceted, “social, emotional, nutritional, physical,” said Katherine Alaimo, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University.
Gardening promotes physical health because it requires a lot of movement. The food is typically picked at the height of ripeness and eaten fresh so it tends to have more nutrients than grocery store produce.
Alaimo said most gardeners don’t use pesticides and grow their food organically. And of course, when you grow more produce, you eat more produce.
“That’s going to reinforce people eating more fruits and vegetables even in the off season when they’re not growing food. So they try new foods, they potentially increase creativity and their cooking skills,” she said.
Alaimo said gardening also connects people with nature, provides a sense of responsibility and accomplishment and encourages sharing harvests with friends. All of that can contribute to reduced stress, lower blood pressure and higher energy, she said.
Picking the right spot and budgeting
Sunlight is the biggest factor in choosing where to put your garden. Most produce wants at least six hours of sunlight per day. If sunny spots are few, save them for fruiting plants because leafy greens can tolerate more shade.
It also helps to have a nearby water source because you’ll get more food for less effort if you’re not lugging buckets of water a long way.
If you’re growing in the ground, Comeau said to start with a soil test to determine its acidity and nutrient makeup. Soil samples, once bagged or boxed, can typically be sent to a cooperative extension office at a university. The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a list of extension offices by state. The results will give you an idea of what to grow and whether you need fertilizer or other amendments.
If you have barren soil or a concrete patio, you can buy or build raised beds with purchased soil. Connare said raised beds have advantages such as controlling the soil, but the disadvantages include the cost and the likelihood of compacting soil and eventually needing to replace it.
After finding the right spot, Comeau said the next step is figuring out how much you have to spend. That determines how big the garden is, whether you sow seeds or buy baby plants known as starts and how many supplies you can afford.
Another major investment: fencing for pests. That means digging fences into the soil to stop burrowing animals like groundhogs, making them tall to deter deer or installing netting for climbing critters.
Choosing what to grow and when to start
What you can grow depends on what falls into your region’s plant hardiness zone. Californians can grow olives more easily than Ohioans, for example.
Connare recommends finding out what plants are working for your neighbors.
“They might be able to tell you, ‘I can’t grow a Cherokee tomato here to save my life, but these tie-dye ones do great,’” she said.
Once you’ve narrowed down what can grow, pick what appeals to you. Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening, said he used to advise people to focus on what grows the fastest and easiest, but now he also emphasizes choosing what you like to eat.
Connare also recommends adding flowers to attract pollinators. Local garden centers are good sources of knowledge about what native plants will attract beneficial insects.
Espiritu said to figure out the last frost date in your area and plan around that. Many fruits and vegetables are best planted after the frost threat has passed, but some can go in earlier. Cool-season crops like leafy vegetables can tolerate slightly colder temperatures. Seeds can get started indoors weeks before the last frost date.
Comeau said seed packet labels often provide instructions.
“The label will tell you when you can start it and when it can go into the ground. Some obviously go right into the ground and some can be started ahead of time,” she said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine, pushing the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago.
What You Need To Know
Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine
That pushes the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago
The complaint filed in Wake County Superior Court late last week expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr.
Allegations include improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing
The complaint filed in Wake County Superior Court late last week expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr., including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.
All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plaintiffs to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.
One is Benjamin Locke, who filed the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who filed their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.
Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented plaintiffs in each lawsuit, filed to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September. That complaint added 11 new athletes to bring the total to 14 — and now the case has more than doubled with the latest filing.
“While it is never good news to hear there are other men that have been suffering in silence due to what they experienced, I am encouraged by the bravery, vulnerability, and willingness of these men to come forward against injustice,” Locke said Monday in a statement released by Sutton.
In a separate statement, Sutton said: “I hate to say it, but I expect to hear from more men in coming days who were sexually harassed or assaulted by Mr. Murphy.”
Seth Blum, a Raleigh-based attorney who has represented Murphy, didn’t immediately return an email from The Associated Press on Monday. He has forcefully defended Murphy in past comments, saying he has been falsely accused and there has yet to be “one scrap of credible evidence he assaulted anyone.”
“Put simply, Robert Murphy did not do this,” Blum said in a statement after the September lawsuit.
Murphy, at N.C. State from 2012-22, is among nine defendants named individually. Others are school officials accused of negligence in oversight roles.
The lawsuits outline similar allegations of Murphy’s conduct and the school’s response in failing to stop it, even when concerns reached senior levels of the athletic department. The latest filing describes the 31 former athletes as “victims of sexual assaults, sexual exploitation and sexual harassment” while saying Murphy “violated his position of trust to abuse rather than treat.”
The allegations from 17 new plaintiffs largely centered on Murphy’s handling and observation of drug testing. Those allegations centered on athletes being instructed to raise their shirt above their chest and lower their shorts or pants to their ankles while Murphy stared at their genitals from a few feet away and sometimes from within the same bathroom stall.
One athlete described feeling “uncomfortable and vulnerable,” while another was left “feeling humiliated,” according to the lawsuit. In another case, an athlete was so uncomfortable that he couldn’t urinate “even after consuming three Diet Cokes” and had return a day later “to repeat the same invasive process,” the lawsuit said.
Roughly a half-dozen of the 17 also alleged Murphy improperly touched their genitals during massage or other rehabilitation treatments amid injuries. One athlete dealing with an Achilles tendon injury to his lower leg alleged Murphy began massage treatments but gradually moved higher until reaching the athlete’s groin; that athlete asked Murphy to stop and refused to let Murphy treat him again, according to the complaint.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Thousands of fans showed up to Bowman Gray Stadium Wednesday for the Cook Out Clash. The NASCAR exhibition race was pushed back multiple times due to snow, but that didn’t stop fans from attending the event.
Ryan Preece battled sleet and near-freezing temperatures to win the race.
What You Need To Know
The Cook Out Clash was rescheduled due to snow
Fans traveled from 41 states, eight countries, four continents and three Canadian provinces
A lot of ticket buyers came from the Triad
“Short track racing to me is just more exciting,” said Kerry Zapata, a racing fan from Minnesota. “Where else can you stand up, yell and scream and just get your frustration out. You don’t need anything to make it exciting, just get you some racing. Oh, it’s just exciting.”
NASCAR officials tell us fans traveled from 41 states, eight countries, four continents and three Canadian provinces. They say a lot of the ticket buyers came from the Triad.
“If they had it Sunday, we would’ve been here Sunday,” said Ronnie Banks, a racing fan from Dobson. “Last year there was some good racing, two and three wide racing, which you don’t normally see that here with the modifieds. Just some good entertainment.”
Fans said they couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to see Cup Series cars at the place known as “The Madhouse.”
“This is kind of the thing you don’t get to see every day,” said Seth Renigar, a fan from Winston-Salem. “You know, you don’t get to see experience every day, and so I had to be here for this.”
It’s not clear yet if or when the Clash will return to Bowman Gray, but fans are hoping NASCAR will consider more short track races in the future.
“I think now they’re seeing that spectators are liking to come to these smaller tracks,” Renigar said. “I think they should branch out to the smaller tracks, back to the basics, basically.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An update to a story WCCB has been following for nearly a year. Julio, a stolen French bulldog, is now back with his owner. Jayla Gittens texted us a picture of her dog, finally safe and sound at home.
Julio was stolen in north Charlotte back in April. Police made several arrests in the case, but the dog was never returned.
This past Friday, an Animal Care and Control officer spotted Julio alone outside of the Byrum Drive shelter location, in the cold.
Gittens says Julio is malnourished. In fact, he lost half of his body weight. However, he is doing well and expected to recover.
When I slid into a booth at J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar in Mount Holly, the view outside was hard to miss. Snow lined the banks of the Catawba River, the marina docks were dusted white and the boats were packed in close, like they were waiting out the cold.
But instead of looking at the river, I was scrolling through X. People fed up with the long winter were joking – and sometimes lobbing playful threats – about Punxsutawney Phil, whose shadow earlier that week meant six more weeks of cold.
After years of mild winters, two straight weekends of snow and ice had worn down a lot of folks in North Carolina. Me included.
The marina next to the restaurant sits quiet during winter. Evan Moore
Most people will admit that snow is lovely, at least at first. It softens the edges of everything — rooftops, sidewalks, the bare limbs of trees – and for a moment the world feels quieter, almost hushed. After a storm, the air seems still and clean, like the day has pressed pause. It can feel a little magical.
That feeling tends to fade the second you actually have to go somewhere.
Still, the timing felt almost considerate. The snow waited until the workweek was over, as if Mother Nature had decided we should log our forty hours before she pulled the curtain closed.
I started typing a joke about groundhog stew before the speakers switched to “Miss Independent” by Kelly Clarkson, then “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” from Backstreet Boys and “Happy” by Ashanti. The songs felt like a throwback mix, jumping from independence to heartbreak to feel-good happiness in just a few minutes.
The exterior of J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar. Evan Moore
The dining room filled up fast. It had that easy, neighborhood feel where you can sit for a while and lose track of time. Black leather booths lined the walls, and the wood paneling and polished bar made the place feel warm and comfortable.
Outside, winter lingered. Inside, I found myself chasing something closer to summer, even if only for the length of a meal, hoping that a plate of warm food might offer a small, temporary reprieve. If there is a scientific term for the heavy calm that follows — something more formal than “food coma” — I suspected I was about to experience it.
Here’s what you need to know about J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar.
What’s on the menu at J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar?
The menu at J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar offers a wide selection of classic American comfort food, from shareable appetizers like nachos, wings and potato skins to hearty salads, soups, sandwiches and burgers served with seasoned fries. For bigger plates, you’ll find fried and grilled seafood, chicken entrees, pastas and traditional grill fare, plus steaks, ribs and slow-roasted prime rib, all paired with a range of sides and a few desserts to finish.
Appetizers typically run around $5-$10, while main entrees are in the $13-$35 range.
Here’s everything I got for $25:
House burger ($13.99): Our fresh patty with lettuce, tomato, pickles & onions, served with fries
Cinnamon apple crumb cobbler ($8.49): Warm apple cobbler on a croissant crust, vanilla ice cream & caramel sauce
The House burger at J.R. Cash Grill & Bar. Evan Moore
If you glanced at the ingredients and expected a pretty standard burger, you wouldn’t be wrong. Almost. The patty was cooked well and the vegetables were fresh, but the bun was what really stood out.
Like many places, J.R. Cash’s Grill & Bar uses brioche buns, those soft, slightly sweet rolls you see everywhere. But these tasted different. Sweeter, almost like honey. My server, DeeDee, let me in on the trick: “they butter them and toast them on the grill.” It’s not groundbreaking, but they nailed it.
I ordered the cobbler to come out after the burger, though if I’d known how big it was, I might’ve thought twice. A few minutes after my last fry, DeeDee returned with a generous slab of warm apple cobbler topped with a hefty scoop of French vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.
The cinnamon apple crumb cobbler at J.R. Cash Grill & Bar. Evan Moore
“Sorry, the ice cream’s a little melted,” she said, setting it down. No apology needed.
The melting ice cream pooled around the cobbler, turning into a sweet, creamy sauce. The croissant crust was buttery and flaky, the apples soft and spiced, and the caramel tied it all together. Each bite mixed warm and cold, crisp and smooth – an easy, comforting finish to my little taste of summer.
Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.
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