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Winter is the perfect time to snuggle up with your child and read books together. Replenish your child’s library at this children’s book sale on Amazon. Select titles are up to 40% off.
A powerful solar flare could make the northern lights visible over parts of North Carolina tonight and into tomorrow morning.
The largest solar radiation storm in more than 20 years hits Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. This will be the second-strongest level issued by NOAA for geomagnetic storms. The concern tonight is a severe geomagnetic storm of this magnitude can potentially affect the Earth’s power grids, satellites, and aircraft data.
According to NOAA, the CME was associated with a strong solar flare and is expected to reach Earth as early as late tonight, resulting in a geomagnetic storm that could be seen in the Southeast, the Carolinas, and potentially as far south as Alabama.
Forecasters say viewing conditions may be favorable in Western North Carolina, with clear skies and little to no moonlight expected overnight. The lights are best seen from dark, open areas away from city lights.
WHEN CAN YOU SEE IT ACROSS OUR 22 COUNTIES?
In western North Carolina, tonight is favorable with clear skies and little to no moonlight expected. If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse, head away from city lights and look north after 11 p.m. tonight.
Using your phone’s night mode feature will give you the best chance to capture the display, as the aurora is too faint to see with the naked eye.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History, at 1500 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia, North Carolina, is hosting a Groundhog Day Celebration, complete with a groundhog who will predict whether there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter.
It will take place on Sunday, February 1, 2026, a day before the official Groundhog Day.
At the celebration, meet The Schiele’s groundhog, Fig Newton, learn all about him, and watch him predict what the weather will do this season. He may also know the outcome of some other special events coming soon. Bring your questions! (Maybe he can help you with your Super Bowl bet?)
The meet and greet and prediction will take place at 2 p.m.
The Groundhog Day celebration is included as part of general admission, and you can visit the whole museum, as usual. Hours for the museum on Sunday are 1 to 5 p.m.
Tickets for The Schiele
Adults: $12
Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (3-18): $10
Child (0-2): Free
Planetarium program is an additional $5.
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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.
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Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area
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Groundhog Day Celebration at The Schiele: Meet the Schiele’s groundhog and watch him predict the weather
When
February 1, 2026 @ 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
What
Groundhog Day Celebration at The Schiele: Meet the Schiele’s groundhog and watch him predict the weather
Matthew Edward Jones, 21, was arrested on the campus of Red Springs High School, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The high school is about a 91-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.
A 21-year-old man caught “impersonating a student” at a high school has been linked to multiple sex offenses involving minors, according to investigators in North Carolina.
Matthew Edward Jones, 21, was arrested Thursday, Jan. 15, on the campus of Red Springs High School, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The school is about a 90-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.
“Staff members at Red Springs High School observed an unknown male on campus. School staff were able to identify that the individual was not a student and immediately notified the School Resource Officer,” the sheriff’s office said in a Jan. 16 news release.
“Investigators learned of possible sexual assaults that occurred off campus during the initial investigation to identify the individual.”
Those incidents involved a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old, according to court documents. Evidence in those cases includes videos and messages exchanged on cell phones and computers, investigators say.
Investigators did not say if the victims are students at the school.
Jones has been charged with:
Statutory sexual offense with a child under the age of 15
Indecent liberties with a child
Solicitation of a child by computer
First-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
Third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
Jones lives in St. Pauls, about a 20-mile drive east from the campus, officials said.
Red Springs High School has a student population of about 850 students in grades 9 through 12.
Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.
BOONE, N.C. — With low temperatures in the mountains and some snowfall expected in the next few days, a pantry meant to help Helene victims is now seeing people in need of all types of help.
What You Need To Know
Foscoe Home Team helped more than 600 people in five days
The nonprofit was started after Helene to help victims but has grown fast
They are in need of donations as temperatures are dropping in the mountains
In just one hour, Foscoe Home Team Executive Director Sherrye Trice said two conversations had already brought her to tears. One, a woman calling to say she had no running water and no one to help. Another, a family in need with a 9-month-old baby.
“It’s -11 degrees, wind chill faster and there’s tent communities in Foscoe,” Trice said.
These are just two examples of what she says are the many people in need every day, which is why she is working tirelessly for the Foscoe Home Team. The team says it served hundreds of people in just five days last week.
Trice started Foscoe Home Team after Helene. It started with food and grew fast. Now, people can come get food, diapers, hygiene items, blankets, heaters and warm clothing to get through the winter.
“We need warm shoes, we need thick socks, we need sweaters; lined leggings would be great,” Trice said.
They only have a handful of heaters left and three packs of water, according to Trice, and are in need of donations, fast.
“This is the first interview. I’m begging, I’m begging someone to pay attention. I’m begging someone to take this up the chain to someone who has influence and funding,” Trice said.
She says people here are struggling.
“How many people in Foscoe have to live in a hot tent before people pay attention?” Trice said.
The weather could make the struggle even more severe.
“This is constant. There is no running water. There is no heat. Can you help us with our septic? We lost it during the flood. We applied with FEMA, we applied with Renew NC, we are paying our rent. Can you help us?” Trice said.
Distribution and receiving worker Brandi Karlick said the organization has seen hundreds in need just in the last two days.
“It’s not just hurricane relief; it’s life storm when you were originally financially fragile before the storm and then you lost the little bit you have. What is the plan for recovery here?” Trice said.
Any donations can be sent directly to Foscoe Home Team.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
West Charlotte High School’s marching band performs during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday parade in Charlotte on Saturday at the intersection of Tryon and Third streets.
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez
mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Every January, a third Monday of the month approaches, and a not-insignificant segment of the population takes pleasure in this realization: Oh yeah, I forgot — we get Martin Luther King Day off!
Which is natural, of course. Who doesn’t appreciate a three-day weekend?
Frequently lost in the shuffle is meaningful reflection of MLK and the massive contributions to the Civil Rights Movement he made in the mid-1960s, prior to his assassination in April 1968.
This might seem especially true for those who belong to Gen Z, the members of which are at least two and sometimes three generations removed from that period of time. But while today’s high school and college students are as understandably grateful for the extra day off as the rest of us who get it, make no mistake: Some of them consider King’s legacy more deeply than perhaps expected.
And not just on this Monday, but throughout the year.
In the days leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Charlotte Observer spoke with several Black high school and college students in and around Charlotte to gain a sense of how he and his messages are perceived by a generation grappling with an entirely new era of conflict, service and activism.
Islaea Anderson
Islaea Anderson Courtesy of Islaea Anderson
20, junior at Johnson C. Smith University
“One of the biggest misunderstandings about Dr. King is that people reduce him to just a peaceful dreamer instead of recognizing him as a radical changemaker. His message was not just about kindness and harmony. It was about justice, accountability and challenging systems of oppression. … We need to not only celebrate Martin Luther King once a year; we need to celebrate him all throughout the year — along with more of our other Black activists that stood on what they stood on, for the Black community.”
Morgan Winston
Morgan Winston Courtesy of Morgan Winston
18, senior at East Mecklenburg High School
“His message of service is what feels most relevant to me personally. Everything he said really pointed us towards service, and ‘what are we doing for others?’ That’s really become a big theme in my life in the past two years. And although I don’t know exactly what I want to do in the future, I know that I want to help people, and I feel like whatever we do in life, in some capacity, we should be helping people. Everybody needs to incorporate a little bit more of that into their lives.”
Ja Williams
Ja Williams Courtesy of Ja Williams
22, junior at UNC Charlotte
“If (Martin Luther King Jr.) could see Charlotte today, I think, with the light-rail stabbing that happened, or ICE being here, things like that — I think that he would think that obviously change would need to happen. The only way for people to truly get better is through change. It’s just about trying to be better. And not everything’s going to be perfect. But if you can at least try to make things better, that’s a start. I think that’s what he would say.”
Suraya Hodges
Suraya Hodges Courtesy of Suraya Hodges
19, sophomore at Johnson C. Smith University
“When we’re looking at what Dr. Martin Luther King did, and trying to apply it to today’s society — I think it’s hard for people to choose nonviolence, just because it takes a lot of patience, and it takes a lot of self-discipline. We grow tired of it. We grow tired of the time and the patience we have to have in order to see just a lick of change.”
Bee Betaudier
Bee Betaudier Courtesy of Bee Betaudier
17, senior at Cato Middle College
“I do like the day off from school. I’m not going to lie. But that’s not the only thing that I like about the day, because I feel like it’s a very important time to reflect on how far the United States, in general, has come, but especially the Black community. Because Dr. King did a lot for the Black community, when you really look at things in perspective. He did a lot. So while I do appreciate the day off, I think that it’s more important to recognize that this is a day to honor somebody who really pushed the envelope for change.”
Brandon Carter
Brandon Carter Courtesy of Brandon Carter
26, senior at Johnson C. Smith University
“Maybe for people who are generally outside the Black community, it very well may seem like just any old holiday. But for people of African American culture, it really is something that’s all year-round. You’re constantly learning and constantly figuring it out, because — especially for African American people — social injustice happens all year. If you have a cop shooting a young Black man in July, Martin Luther King and what he stood for will also come up then. So it’s often more than just one day, for us.”
Lenzie Scales
Lenzie Scales Courtesy of Lenzie Scales
19, sophomore at UNC Charlotte
“When we talked about Martin Luther King in school, we talked about him in a surface-level way. And we only talked about him around Martin Luther King Day, or during Black History Month. And I think a lot of school-age children and people in high school only think of him in terms of, ‘Oh, it’s MLK Day, so we’re out of school.’ That’s it. But a lot of people don’t know the history of why we have this day, and why, originally, a lot of people had to fight for us to have this day — how, originally, a lot of states did not want to implement this day, and that in certain states (Alabama and Mississippi), even today, Martin Luther King Day coincides with the celebration of the Confederacy.”
Quinten Canty
Quinten Canty Courtesy of Quinten Canty
18, senior at West Charlotte High School
“He wanted to make sure that his voice was heard and make sure that other voices were heard. And in times like these, we need to make sure that our voices are heard as well, especially with the politics, with what’s going on in the community, with ICE and stuff like that, we’ve really got to make sure that we make our voices heard. Especially as young people. Because we’re going to be the next wave of adults that come into the community. So we got to start using our voices now — or we’re never going to be heard at all.”
Théoden Janes has spent nearly 20 years covering entertainment and pop culture for the Observer. He also thrives on telling emotive long-form stories about extraordinary Charlotteans and — as a veteran of three dozen marathons and two Ironman triathlons — occasionally writes about endurance and other sports. Support my work with a digital subscription
“It is a reflection, a remembrance and a renewed commitment to the values Dr. King championed,” the longtime Charlotte-area filmmaker and record producer said.
The four-minute, 15-second song was written and sung by Dr. A.L. Bradford and Paul Murphy of Southern Pines and recorded in a Fayetteville studio, Greene said.
Tim Greene, a Charlotte-area actor, film director and writer, record producer and motivational speaker, recently recorded the song, “M.L. King Anthem For An American Hero,” in a Fayetteville studio. Tim Greene
Greene crosses the country as an actor, film director and writer, and motivational speaker. Charlotte is among the cities where he’s based his Tim Greene Films company for 25 years.
Years ago, he was a personality on the former Kiss 102 in Charlotte. He later was a morning radio personality, music director and assistant program director at Gaston College radio station WSGE 91.7 FM.
“I have been in Charlotte back and forth since there was only one tall building in uptown, so I have seen how Charlotte has grown,” he told The Charlotte Observer at a benefit with Santa Claus that he organized at Mighty Dollar in Gastonia in December.
“Everybody can be great”
Greene said he hopes the song inspires listeners “to pause, reflect and carry” King’s message forward.
The civil rights icon “reminded us that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,” Greene said.
Greene said he descended from enslaved people from Atlanta. His personal connection to King’s legacy and longtime community service inspired him to produce the song, he said.
A former grand marshal of the Martin Luther King Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, Greene described the anthem as “a tribute intended to resonate across generations for many years to come.”
“As we approach his birthday, this tribute invites us all to serve — through unity, compassion and action,” Greene said.
The song aims to “spark conversation, encourage hope and honor a legacy that continues to shape generations,” he said.
Follow More of Our Reporting on Uniquely Charlotte
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
RALEIGH, N.C. — For the last 20 years, The Flower Shuttle in Raleigh has provided joy to unsuspecting recipients.
What You Need To Know
Flowers are donated from florists or stores like Costco and Trader Joe’s
The shuttle has delivered more than 380,000 flower arrangements in 20 years
Recipients are in Durham, Raleigh and surrounding areas
The nonprofit celebrates 20 years in 2026
Every Tuesday, volunteers meet at Ridge Road Baptist Church to make bouquets.
The flowers are donated from florists or stores like Costco and Trader Joe’s that otherwise would have been tossed out.
The bouquets are then delivered to people who are experiencing terminal illness, disability or poverty.
In the last two decades, the shuttle has delivered more than 380,000 flower arrangements.
“Anything we can do to help bring nature in,” said Eileen Taylor, president of The Flower Shuttle. “And then again, research shows being around fresh flowers, fresh plants is very uplifting for people, so it should brighten their day.”
The shuttle delivers to more than 70 charities, rehabs and nonprofits in Durham, Raleigh and surrounding areas.
Medium-range models are highly confident that a robust winter storm will sweep through the Carolinas this weekend.
Happy MLK Monday! It’s a great morning to sleep in as lows dip into the teens and 20s across the board. Highs will struggle to clear the 30s and 40s over the next two afternoons, despite plentiful sunshine. A dry cold front sweeps through the Carolinas overnight into Tuesday, keeping temperatures below average through at least Wednesday. While a return of southerly winds will pump temperatures back up near 60° around the Metro on Thursday, any warm-up will be cut short by another cold front that slices through the Eastern Seaboard by Friday morning. A few scattered showers may roll through the final day of the holiday-shortened workweek as highs approach 50° in the Queen City, but the big story is what could happen this weekend.
Medium-range models are highly confident that a robust winter storm will sweep through the Carolinas this coming weekend. It remains to be seen what kind of precipitation will fall and how much, but there should be plenty of moisture and cold air to work with. To be clear, this weekend’s setup is much better for wintry weather compared to this past weekend’s. We’ll keep you weather-wise as the forecast becomes clearer.
Monday: Chilly sunshine. High: 48°. Wind: W 5-15.
Monday Night: Clear and cold. Low: 23°. Wind: NW 5-10.
Tuesday: Sunshine continues. Even colder. High: 45°. Wind: NW 5-10.
Tuesday Night: Another frigid night. Low: 23°. Wind: Light.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. A bit warmer. High: 50°. Wind: SW 5-10.
Sunday’s rain and even snow for some is moving out of the WCCB Charlotte viewing area as cold and dry air funnels into the region. This will lead to a cold night as the clouds break and temperatures plummet into the mid 20s for the Piedmont, and upper teens in the High Country. The cold air hangs on for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Piedmont stays in the 40s with highs near freezing in the High Country. Roads will be good to go as today’s precipitation will have time to dry before we drop below freezing tonight. With that said, use caution in any shaded areas just to play it safe.
After Monday the cold air stays as Tuesday will be even a few degrees colder than Monday with another very cold morning. A brief warm up looks possible by Thursday, but I’m doubtful it will last long. Now Thursday also looks to be dry. This brings us to next weekend when things get very interesting.
I will immediately start by saying we are in the 5-7 day range, so we are in the “is there a signal for active weather” range. The simple answer to that is yes. Most data shows cold air diving south and low pressure developing nearby by next weekend. Unfortunately we are just too far away from any clarity or specifics. So don’t go telling your step brother’s pet kangaroo that a big winter storm is coming to the Carolinas. The WCCB Weather team will keep you updated on trends this week, so turn those push notifications on!
Tonight: Clearing. Low: 27°. Wind: Calm
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Sunny.. High 47°. Wind: W 5-10
The Lunar New Year is February 17, 2026. This will be the Year of the Horse. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has some Lunar New Year events planned. These are free events. One requires registration, but the others don’t. Please make sure to check the age range of each.
Lunar New Year: Snack and Craft (Age 1-5) Monday, February 16, 2026 9 to 11 a.m. Myers Park Library 1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC Free (no registration required) Ages 1-5
Drop in between 9 am-11 am to make tissue paper lanterns and enjoy a Moon Pie snack!
Lunar New Year: Snack and Craft (Age 5-11) Monday, February 16, 2026 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Myers Park Library 1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC Free (no registration required) Ages 5-11
Drop in between 11:30 am-1:30 pm to make tissue paper lanterns and enjoy a Moon Pie snack!
Lunar Calendar Paint and Snack Monday, February 16, 2026 3 to 4 p.m. Myers Park Library 1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC Free (registration required) Ages: Preteens and teens
Did you know that approximately 3.5 billion people around the world will celebrate the Lunar New Year and beginning of Ramadan tomorrow*? Learn more about international Lunar Calendar-based traditions while painting and tasting snacks that symbolize health, wealth, prosperity, and gratitude!
All supplies are included. This program will be provided by library staff and is recommended for teens and preteens ages 10 to 18.
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.
If you purchase a ticket from this page, we might earn a small commission.
Photo: Depositphotos
Don’t pay full price for concerts if you don’t have to! We will update this page as frequently as we can, but there will still be times when you events on this page have sold out, or the discount is no longer available, or the event is over.
We also include tickets for sports events, when there’s a discount.
When you compare prices, make sure to take all fees into account. With a Groupon, there are typically no or low fees. If you’re comparing the price with Ticketmaster, make sure to get far enough in the Ticketmaster process to see all the add-on fees.
President Trump is threatening to impose new tariffs on Denmark and several other European countries unless there’s a deal to purchase Greenland.
This latest move comes as thousands of people in Greenland and Denmark protested the proposal for the U.S. to take over the Arctic landmark.
Crowds shouting “Greenland is for Greenlanders!” Saturday, as people in Greenland express outrage over the recent threats to take over the Nordic island.
“We are not for sale,” one protester said.
In the capital of Nuuk, thousands of people turned out. In similar, protests were held in Denmark.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
“Greenland should be free, and Greenland should be for the Greenlanders, not for the Americans,” another protester said.
For months, President Trump has insisted the U.S. should control Greenland. It’s far north location makes it ideal for missile early warning systems and monitoring vessels in the region.
“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump said.
Saturday, the president ramped up his threats against countries opposing the U.S. acquiring Greenland, posting on Truth Social starting on Feb. 1, several European countries “will be charged a 10% tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America. On June 1, the Tariff will be increased to 25%.”
Earlier this week, Denmark and several other NATO countries sent troops to Greenland for exercises in an apparent signal of NATO opposition to the apparent threat of an American seizure of the Arctic landmass.
Any American military move on Greenland could trigger article five of the NATO treaty, which says an attack on one NATO territory is an attack on all.
President Trump’s threats are drawing criticism from both sides of the political aisle on Capitol Hill.
It’s also an unpopular opinion among Americans, according to a new CNN poll. The survey shows that 75% oppose the U.S. attempting to take control of Greenland.
A Mega Millions ticket bought Friday at a North Carolina grocery store is worth $2 million, lottery officials said Saturday.
The winner might not know it, as no one immediately claimed the prize, officials said.
A person bought the $5 ticket at H&M Grocery on U.S. 311 South in Sophia, according to a lottery news release. Sophia is between Greensboro and Asheboro in Randolph County.
The numbers matched those on all five white balls to win $1 million, officials said. With the new built-in multiplier, the prize doubled.
A Mega Millions ticket bought Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at a North Carolina grocery store is worth $2 million, lottery officials said. NC EDUCATION LOTTERY
The NC winner has six months to claim their prize.
The jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing climbed to $250 million as an annuity and $113.5 million cash. The odds of matching all the numbers plus the Megaball are 1 in 290 million.
Players can buy Mega Millions tickets at lottery retailers, through Online Play on the lottery’s website and on the lottery app.
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
Anyone who has opened their social media app of choice over the past couple of days is well aware there is the chance for snow in the Queen City tomorrow. While the rumors are true, this is a complicated forecast with many ways for it to go wrong for snow lovers. It’s important to note right off the bat that this will not be a high impact event for anyone in the WCCB Charlotte viewing area. With that said, everyone at least has a chance to see flakes fly tomorrow.
Right now our data shows rain showers moving in overnight for the Piedmont and Foothills with some High Country snow showers also possible. For those seeing rain, it will be a cold one with temperatures near 40 for most. By tomorrow morning, cold air begins to work in from the NW, and anyone who can hold onto the precipitation long enough will have the CHANCE to change that cold rain to a quick burst of wet snow by the late morning and early afternoon. Even if you are one of the lucky ones to see the flakes fly, we will be hard-pressed for any accumulations. Some grassy and elevated surfaces could get coated or even accumulate up to a half inch or so in a best case scenario. I expect roads to be mostly fine outside of a few slick spots with any bridges or overpasses while the snow is falling.
By Sunday evening, dry air works in and temperatures plummet well below freezing during the overnight. Due to this quick temperature drop, roads will be at their worst overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. So use extra caution when out and about Sunday night and through Monday morning before any left over slick spots clear up Monday afternoon.
Looking ahead, Sunshine and cold weather returns for next week. Most mornings will be in the 20s with highs in the 40s through Wednesday. Rain chances look mostly hard to come by over the next 5-7 days. With that said I am monitoring the potential for our next weather maker by next weekend.
Tonight: Showers late. Low: 39°. Wind: W 5-10
Sunday: Rain/Snow. Clearing late. Little to no accumulation expected. High 40°. Wind: NW 5-10
Sunday Night: Clearing. Low: 26°. Wind: Calm
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Sunny. High 49°. Wind: SW 10-15
Looking for a place to watch the Super Bowl in 2026 without spending a football field of money? Or do you want to watch from the comfort of home, but with a great deal on food?
Read on for a list of Super Bowl watch parties, as well as info from local restaurants that are offering take-home feasts for Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl Parties
We will add Super Bowl watch parties as they’re announced. And we include Puppy Bowls as well, as they’re announced. Please check back soon!
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Sports Bars for the Super Bowl
We haven’t gathered information on details about what these sports bars are doing for the Super Bowl (unless they are in the above list of Super Bowl parties) but they are definitely options for the game.
Caswell Station, 366 N Caswell Road, Charlotte, NC 28204
Steamer’s Sports Bar, 1513 Pierson Drive, Charlotte, NC 28205
Must Be Nice, 332 W Bland Street E, Charlotte, NC 28203
Kilted Buffalo, 1212 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
The Daily, 214 N Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
All American Pub, 200 E Bland Street, Charlotte, NC 28203
The Corner Pub, 355 N Graham Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Ed’s Tavern, 2200 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28203
Graham Street Pub, 400 S Graham Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Hickory Tavern, multiple locations
JackBeagle’s Morehead, 1404 W Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC 28208
Jocks & Jills, 4109 S Stream Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217
LoSo Tavern, 4548 Old Pineville Road, Charlotte, NC 28217
Ri Ra, 208 N Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Tavern on the Tracks, 1411 S Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28203
Whiskey Warehouse, 1221 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
Super Bowl Take-Home Feasts, Food Deals and Freebies
Leave the cooking to the pros on Super Bowl Sunday and devote all your energy to performing your rituals that will bring success to your favored team! Several Charlotte restaurants are offering packages and deals for the big game. This list also includes some dine-in deals.
Some of these take-home feasts will need to be ordered ahead of time.
Auntie Anne’s is offering Football Buckets for all of your sweet and salty needs this Super Bowl season. Choose any two flavors of bite-sized pretzels!
$39.99 for buckets including pepperoni or mini dogs, and $29.99 if you are just looking for the original nuggets or cinnamon sugar. Prices for the buckets may vary by location.
They also offer other catering bundles that serve either 10 or 12 people. They have pretzel bite Bucket Snack Packs and Party Trays, Pretzel Dog Packages, and Pretzel Packages.
Cheat’s Cheesesteaks is offering Build-Your-Own Sandwich Packs for all your Super Bowl party needs. These packs even include serving utensils and plates to make hosting as easy as possible!
You can choose between traditional cheesesteaks and chicken cheesesteaks, and anywhere from 10 to 100 servings. Here is the pricing:
They also offer sandwich party platters that include chicken, ribeye, Italian hoagies, or turkey club hoagies.
Order here now, you can select either the Plaza Midwood or South End location.
City Barbeque
City Barbeque Multiple locations
City Barbeque is offering a variety of spreads on their Game Day Favorites menu.
You can get anywhere from a 6-pack of wings ($8.99) to a 50-pack ($64.99). They also offer other party packs that range from feeding 4–6 ($59.99) to feeding 14–16 ($159.99) where can choose two meats and two sides plus buns and sauce. They have other catering meals too like nachos, ribs, sandwiches, and more!
You can place orders for pickup or delivery. You can get free delivery if you order from January 16 through January 19 using the code “CHAMPS” at checkout.
Hooters is offering the Field Goal Party Pack as well as the Touchdown Party Pack for all your Super Bowl hosting needs.
The Field Goal Party Pack includes your choice of 20 naked or original wings, 20 boneless wings, curly fries, tater tots, and 4 dressings of your choice starting at $73.69.
The Touchdown Party Pack is more suitable for larger parties, including your choice of 50 naked or original wings, 50 boneless wings, 2 sides of curly fries, 2 sides of tater tots, and 8 dressings of your choice starting at $160.29.
Lee’s is offering a variety of party trays that feed 10-12 people including a hoagie tray ($85), a cheese steak tray ($110), a wing and chicken finger tray ($85), a wrap tray ($85), and more!
Metro Diner is offering the Fried Chicken Tender Pack that serves 8 for $99 and includes hand-breaded chicken tenders with your choice of sauce and two sides.
They also offer a variety of sandwich platters, fruit platters, and more.
Milkbread is offering a selection of different chicken tender/sandwich bundles for all of your party needs. Here are the party packs they are offering:
$76 Slider Party Bundle (serves 8: 12ct sliders, mac n cheese, slaw, choice of sauce)
$74 Chicken Tender Party Bundle (serves 8: chicken tenders, mac n cheese, slaw, choice of sauce)
$96 Large Family Pack (serves 8: 4 OG sandwiches, 18 tenders, choice of 4 sides, choice of 2 sauces, tea or lemonade, choice of 6 donuts)
There are also a variety of entrees, sweets, drinks, and sauces you can add to your order.
The Lunar New Year takes place February 17, 2026, and is celebrated for several weeks, starting in late January.
Although commonly referred to as Chinese New Year, it’s also celebrated in other Asian countries, especially Vietnam and Korea.
2026 is the Year of the Horse in most Asian countries! If you were born in 2014, 2002, 1990 1977, 1966, 1954, or 1942, after the Lunar New Year (late January or early February) you were born in the Year of the Horse.
If you were born in the year of the horse, you are considered to be confident, agreeable, and responsible, fit and intelligent. Some consider you to be easily swayed, self-glorifying and impatient. Your best match is a tiger or dog. You would be wise to avoid the rat and ox.
The FBI on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, announced the capture in Mexico of Charlotte murder fugitive Alejandro Castillo, who was on its Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List for nearly a decade.
FBI
A Charlotte murder suspect on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for nearly a decade was captured in Mexico on Friday, the FBI in Charlotte said Saturday.
Alejandro “Alex” Rosales Castillo was wanted in the 2016 killing of 23-year-old Sandy Ly, a coworker at a Charlotte Showmars restaurant, The Charlotte Observer reported at the time.
Ly’s body was found in Cabarrus County woods on Aug. 17, 2016. She’d been shot in the head, according to Castillo’s wanted poster on FBI.gov.
Two days earlier, her car was found at a bus station in Phoenix, Arizona, the FBI said.
On its website, the FBI posted U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance video of Castillo and an “accomplice” crossing the border from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico just after 9 p.m. Aug. 16, 2016.
Castillo, 18 at the time, was shown wearing a gray shirt and black hat. The other person wore a black and white top, and shorts.
Three suspects were coworkers, FBI said
A second suspect, Ahmia Feaster, turned herself in to authorities in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, not long after the killing and was extradited to North Carolina, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Feaster, who was 20 years old at the time, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder and other offenses. Her case is still pending, court records show.
In March 2017, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police arrested a third suspect. Humberto Ulloa-Esteban, who was 18 at the time of his arrest, also was charged with accessory after the fact of murder, The Observer reported at the time. His court information couldn’t be found Saturday.
All three suspects worked with Ly at the restaurant, authorities said. Police said Ly was killed for refusing to give money to the shooter.
In 2020, a true-crime show on the Investigation Discovery channel broadcast its search in Mexico for Castillo. On “In Pursuit with John Walsh,” Walsh was shown joining authorities in the hunt.
The FBI offered a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading directly to Castillo’s arrest.
Castillo was captured in Pachuca, the FBI said on social media Saturday. Pachuca is the capital of the state of Hidalgo in east-central Mexico.
‘Delivering long-awaited justice’
The FBI provided no details about how agents found Castillo.
“Alejandro Castillo’s arrest is the fifth 10 Most Wanted Fugitive captured under this administration and this FBI since last year — more than the entire previous four years combined,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
“This was outstanding work by our Charlotte team, FBI Legat Mexico, local and federal partners, and partners in Mexico,” Patel said. “We can now begin the process of delivering long-awaited justice to Sandy Ly’s family.”
For nearly nine years, Castillo “lived a normal life, likely believing he would never be captured, said James Barnacle, FBI Charlotte special agent in charge. “But our experienced investigators never gave up the hunt for justice.”
The FBI on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, announced the capture in Mexico of Charlotte murder fugitive Alejandro Castillo, who was on its Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List for nearly a decade. FBI
This story was originally published January 17, 2026 at 3:44 PM.
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
You are probably getting a hold of your W2 just about now, and you might be wondering how much you’re going to get back, if anything at all.
Well, there are some big changes to your taxes this year.
Filing your taxes, it’s even more confusing this tax season.
Why? The passage of President Trump’s signature law, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, that ushered in a handful of tax changes.
Let’s highlight the big one, starting with higher standardized deductions. For singles, it was $15,000.
“For 2025, it goes up to $15,750,” Jon Karp from accounting firm Whitley Penn said.
SALT stands for State And Local Taxes, and it was a key sticking point during negotiations of the bill. There’s a cap on how much in SALT one can pay, depending on adjusted gross income.
“The old law was a $10,000 cap,” Karp said. “Now, you can get it anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 in 2025.”
Karp says don’t forget how the standardized deductions factor in.
“Remember, you got to first crest that hurdle of the standard deduction of $31,500 if you’re married filing joint.” Karp said.
Another change is for all the servers out there with some caveats.
“No tax on tips is capped at $25,000 per returns,” Karp said. “If you have a married filing joint couple, they only get $25,000. It’s not $25,000 per person.”
NC deputies busted a large cockfighting ring, arresting six people and seizing a kilo of cocaine, sheriff’s officials said. Investigators found hundreds of cages filled with roosters.
Deputies busted one of the largest cockfighting rings in Forsyth County history this week, arresting six people and seizing a kilo of cocaine, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators found 400 roosters in cages at a home in the 7000 block of Baux Mountain Road in Winston-Salem, according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.
Deputies responded to someone’s call to make an animal welfare check at the home on Wednesday and recovered 400 roosters, officials said.
A kilo of cocaine has an average street value of $28,000 to $30,000, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Deputies also seized guns and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Edward Thomas Marin, 29, of Winston-Salem, was arrested on felony charges of maintaining a dwelling, possession of cocaine, trafficking cocaine, weapon possession by a felon and cock fighting, and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession.
Arrested on felony cock fighting charges were Winston-Salem residents Joxin Trinidadvargas, 25, Filogonio Garcia Gonzalez, 71, Mike Allen Lopeznoyola, 25, and Jose Raul Cruzavila, 46, and a minor.
Officers urged anyone with information about the ring to call the sheriff’s office at 336-727-2112 or the Crimestoppers anonymous tips line at 336-727-2800 for English and 336-728-3904 for Spanish.
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
