Category: Charlotte, North Carolina Local News

Six players finished in double-figure scoring and the team shot well over 40% from 3-point range but the Charlotte Hornets were outscored 63-51 in the second half, resulting in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, 121-114.

Miles Bridges put up 27 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double in six games. Nick Richards shot 8-9 and scored 19 points and Davis Bertans finished with 14 points, his high in a Hornets uniform. Vasilije Micic and Grant Williams each scored 13 points and Cody Martin had 12 points.

Of course, since I mentioned Harris’ stinker of a season in the game preview, he gave the Hornets an ultra-efficient 31 and 12 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, adding five boards and six assists. Hornets legend Kyle Lowry contributed 15 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.

game recap

Bridges got the night started with a triple, and Seth Curry buried one soon after to give Charlotte an early lead. The Sixers took the advantage when Harris threw one down to finish off a fast break — after that, Philadelphia controlled the game for much of the first quarter. The Hornets got within one during a late-quarter run with Bertans hitting a couple nice shots, but the Sixers took a 32-27 lead into the second.

THE QUESTION

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

WHAT WE FOUND

By Jenny I. Martella, MBA, CFP®
Wealth Manager, Principal, Modera Wealth Management, LLC

I got into the financial planning industry as a second career and fairly unintentionally. Sixteen years ago, at the height of the 2008 recession, I watched countless friends and family members stress about finances and make poor investment decisions based on advice from people who didn’t have their best interests in mind. Many of these friends and family members were women. I knew there had to be a better way, and I was determined to be part of the solution.

At that time, women were even less likely to be investing their assets or managing household finances than they are today. I hoped to inspire those around me and those who might follow in my footsteps. So, I pursued and earned my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and began my new career at a firm here in Charlotte whose service model met my high standards with its fee-only fiduciary approach. Modera Wealth Management’s fee-only fiduciary approach (no product sales) has enabled me to sit on the same side of the table as my clients, putting their interests first. And as one of 18 women in Modera’s Charlotte office, I believe that I have an equal seat at the leadership table as well in my role as Wealth Manager and Principal. In fact, almost half of the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals in Modera’s Charlotte office are women. This is particularly impressive because, according to the CFP Board, less than 24% of all CFP® professionals across the country are women. Unfortunately, this figure has been flat for the past decade or more.

I am glad the number of female advisors at Modera is growing. And we are now seeing more and more women investing. According to a Fidelity Women & Investing Study, the percentage of women who invested outside of retirement grew from 44% in 2018 to 67% in 2021. The number of IRAs opened annually by women grew by 60% and contributions grew by 91% in 2022 compared to 2019. A more recent 2023 study found that 68% of women are saving for retirement vs. 66% in 2019. And while historically it has been more men than women involved in investing, that gap is closing. The CFA Institute predicts that by 2025, there will not be a meaningful gender gap in stock market participation in the United States.

Modera is majority employee owned and I’m one of 19 female owners. We have three women on our board of directors, and five of the nine members of our executive leadership team are women. I’m proud to work for an organization that, in a traditionally male-dominated industry, puts its money where its mouth is regarding gender equity.

It’s critically important that we empower the next generation of women to not only pursue careers in finance, but also to confidently pull up a seat at the table to manage their own assets. Because, interestingly enough, when women do invest, they often perform better than men. After analyzing more than 5 million customers over a 10-year period, Fidelity found women investors outperformed their male counterparts by 40 basis points, or 0.4%, on average.

Fact-based proof that putting your money on (and with) women is a smart investment.

I invite you to join us today – learn more: moderawealth.com/specialties/women

Modera Wealth Management
6101 Carnegie Blvd Suite 220
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-358-3322

6700 Fairview Rd., Suite 360
Charlotte, NC 28210
704-334-0894

Modera Wealth Management, LLC (“Modera”) is an SEC registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not imply any level of skill or training. Modera may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from notice filing requirements. For information pertaining to Modera’s registration status, its fees and services please contact Modera or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure Web site (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov) for a copy of our Disclosure Brochure which appears as Part 2A of Form ADV. Please read the Disclosure Brochure carefully before you invest or send money. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S.

{Read Love is Blind Episodes 1 – 6 recap; and Episodes 7 – 9 recap.}

First, I’m thrilled to report that I received an answer about Love is Blind’s excessive use of gold drinkware: The gold plating conceals the drink level, making the show easier to edit in a nonlinear way.

These were the last episodes leading up to next week’s Love is Blind Season 6 finale, and who will actually marry is anyone’s guess. (Johnny and Amy seem the only near guarantee.)

Here’s what had me screaming at the TV this week:

“It’s giving”: It’s this week’s overused phrase and “it’s giving” unoriginal, trendy, cliché. I understand that we cycle through pop culture trends in language and speech. But when you adopt trendy talk to a degree that it mindlessly replaces all timeless, widely-accepted societal jargon, you lose the allure of your individuality and instead, project a cultural caricature. It’s giving Stanley cup, fast fashion, selfies at brunch, and White Claws on the Lake Norman pontoon rental.

Clay is giving restaurant manager: No matter the scene, Clay pops in like he’s making a pit stop to check in with the table and make sure everyone is enjoying their meal. He’s never fully there, and you know you’re just one stop in his making the rounds.

Halter everything: There has been an extraordinary number of necklace halter tops, dresses, and bathing suits worn this season; a seeming staple of Laura’s wardrobe especially. Halters with a keyhole boob spotlight were in particular fashion during these episodes. Do you, girls. But if I see you out and about Laura, I’m taking you to the bathroom to give you a boob tape tutorial.

Unstable Carowinds ride: The “oh shit” I felt watching Jimmy and Chelsea ride what we now know was a cracked Fury 325, felt a lot like the “oh shit” I have watching their relationship unfold on the ground.

Jeramey handled things perfectly congruently: Walking off into the Lake Norman sunset with Sarah Ann was cold and heartless. But it was an appropriate ending because Laura had never let Jeramey anywhere near her heart. There were no hearts at the table to break. Both Jeramey and Laura have a wall up, and it manifests as smug, shut down, you-can’t-hurt-me steel exteriors. I’d bet the farm that both of them have heard the phrase, “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” more than once.

That you-can’t-hurt-me façade that looks like rigid stubbornness in men, and enviable strength in women, has likely served them in many ways through their lives. But if they don’t see it for the armor that it really is, one day, when the party stops and their peers have evolved into their next phases of life, they’ll become consumed with a loneliness and boredom that will cloak them like a solar panel never touched by sunlight. And that will happen even if they marry and have a dozen children. Being connected and connectable is a vital part of life, and from personal experience, you can only outrun it for so long.

Which leads to Sarah Ann’s consolation prize: I’m sure she’s lovely, and she’s probably been chosen in real life many times. But on this show, she wasn’t chosen in the pods, and she wasn’t chosen on that dock. She was crowned the path of less resistance, easier in the moment than having to go back to Laura and attempt to clean things up.

Trevor’s real-life girlfriend: Several women have claimed to be girlfriends of Love is Blind men. But the only one with receipts appears to be a woman who was dating Trevor when he went off to film the show. She leaked their texts last week and the Internet was ablaze with condemnation of the guy we all believed was one of the good ones. But that the anger is misplaced. It’s foolish to be mad at someone for coming on a reality TV show with ulterior motives. It’s even more nonsensical to be shocked that a guy who logs hours a day at the gym might be a validation seeker. Be mad at production or casting for not thoroughly vetting the participants enough. Be mad at Trevor’s girlfriend for agreeing to sit on the sidelines while her boyfriend went on a matchmaking show. Interestingly, just a few days before she leaked the texts with a tag back to her Instagram page, she had a partnered post where she promoted both a fitness apparel line and a Charleston gym. Maybe it wasn’t strategic, but it was smart.

Jimmy’s real-life girl _ friends: Oh, Chelsea. This was a tough one to watch because most of us have been there. In my heyday, I stormed out of more than one bar after another girl so much as brushed past whoever I was dating at the time.

Here’s the thing about co-ed friendships amongst single people: If they desired to be together, they would be. And if they’ve slept together, even better. There’s no mystery, no sexual tension, and clearly, no sexual chemistry because, again, they are not together.

When they say you have to come to a relationship as a full person, this is what they are talking about. Because in the aftermath of a completely appropriate and reasonable birthday drink with a friend, there was nothing Jimmy could say or do to make Chelsea feel better. The problem was within her, not in the situation at hand.

It’s challenging to work on being your best, fullest self in a relationship without being in a relationship. This is why it is important to date and not rush into marriage in your 20s. Because if entering into a relationship is like moving into a new home, dating is like renting. You can wreck the place and walk away. But when you marry, the damage you cause, or the necessary maintenance you ignore, will be yours to repair and clean up.

Becoming a full person does not necessarily mean the elimination of insecurity, but rather, building an awareness of that insecurity so that when it shows up, you recognize it as the pesky, uninvited houseguest that pops in from time to time. I.e. you don’t need Jimmy (or whomever) to talk you off the ledge. From the looks of Chelsea’s laid back, depersonalized social media responses to viewers, it looks like she’s maybe done that work over the last year.

This only builds the intrigue as to whether she and Jimmy make it down the aisle. We’ll find out when the Love is Blind season six finale airs on March 6^th.

Brandon Miller had a team high 21 points and the Charlotte Hornets were mostly competitive, but they still lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-99.

Summary

The Hornets got off to a very slow start and looked like they were in over their head again. They didn’t get their first field goal until the 7:50 mark when Tre Mann flipped in a little floater. That helped them find their footing, and the rest of the quarter was played pretty evenly. Seth Curry and Grant Williams provided a spark off the bench, and the Hornets trailed by only ten at the end of the first.

Brandon Miller and Seth Curry hit a few jumpers to start the second quarter and pull the Hornets a little closer. Miller went on to score 12 points in the quarter and they came in all shapes and sizes. He hit a couple of spot up threes, a mid range jumper, and a couple of crafty finishes around length at the rim. The Hornets went a little cold in the latter stages of the second quarter while the Bucks hit six straight shot attempts. When a missed shot broke the streak, Giannis Antetokounmpo swatted at the rebound and inadvertently knocked it straight to Damian Lillard, who cashed in a three. The run put the Hornets down 19 at the half.

The Bucks scored four straight to start the second half, but that was answered by a step back three from Tre Mann. The quarter was pretty uneventful otherwise. Neither team went on an exceptional run and no one player stood out on either side. The Hornets outscored the Bucks by a point and trimmed their deficit to 18 heading into the fourth.

The Bucks blitzed the Hornets out of the gate to start the fourth and opened up a 25 point lead. It put the game out of the Hornets’ reach, but the Hornets responded well enough to jusitfy keeping regular rotation players in the game for a lot of the quarter. Davis Bertans hit a three and got fouled shooting another to trim the deficit to under 20. The Bucks went to their bench to close out the game, and the Hornets took advantage to add some window dressing to the score. They went on a 17-3 run over the middle to late parts of the fourth quarter to make the Bucks a little uncomfortable and even forced Doc Rivers to take a timeout. Bertans’ second three of the quarter pulled Hornets within 10, but by that point there wasn’t enough time for it to matter.

The Good

Brandon Miller was more assertive this game than he’s been in recent outings and it paid off with a team high 21 points. He struggled with his shot in the second half, but he scored well enough in the first half to end up with an overall productive outing. His full offensive arsenal was on display with him scoring at all three levels of the floor. He finishes the month of February averaging a shade under 21 points per game. He’s practically a shoo-in to win his second straight rookie of the month.

I continue to be impressed with Tre Mann. I thought of him only as a microwave scorer when the Hornets acquired him from the Thunder a few weeks ago. He’s been a much more well rounded player than that.

The bench played really well offensively. Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and Davis Bertans combined to go 7-of-13 from three and scored 38 points total. Vasilije Micic’s shooting struggles continued, but he did drop seven dimes. It’s a dead horse at this point, but it still hasn’t gotten old seeing a bench unit that is actually able to compete.

In the preview, I laid out four goals that the Hornets should try to achieve for the first time against the Bucks all season.

• Score 100 points
• Hold the Bucks to fewer than 120 points ✔️
• Lose by fewer than 30 points ✔️
• Make at least 28% of their 3-point shot attempts ✔️

Three out of four ain’t bad. I think we can almost call that a win.

The Bad

There wasn’t any one player or element of the game that stood out as egregiously bad for the Hornets. Miles Bridges didn’t shoot the ball well, but he contributed in other ways as has normally been the case. Cody Martin and Nick Richards were quieter than you’d like but nothing too terrible.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo is bad. He got a technical foul from the bench in the first half. It’s funny to hear Dell Curry’s contempt with Thanasis’s antics.

What’s Next

The Hornets are back on the road to face the reeling but rested Philadelphia 76ers.

By CLTure

February 29, 2024

Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós have added eight tour dates in 2024 with the 41-piece Wordless Music Orchestra. The tour will make one stop in North Carolina, coming to Durham Performing Arts Center on September 28. Performing songs from their latest album, ÁTTA, released in 2023, they’ll also cover their expansive eight-album catalog on tour.

This is the first time Sigur Rós will be performing in North Carolina since 2016 (Asheville at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium). Presale will begin on Tuesday, March 5 at 10 a.m. and tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m.  

2024 Sigur Rós Orchestral Shows: 

September 19 – Detroit (Masonic Cathedral)
September 21 – Chicago (Auditorium)
September 23 – Philadelphia (The Met)
September 25 – Washington D.C. (Anthem)
September 28 – Durham (DPAC)
September 30 – Miami (Adrienne Arsht)
October 2 – Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
October 4 – Austin (Bass Concert Hall)

Read next:

THE QUESTION

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

WHAT WE FOUND

By Chase Whitney

February 29, 2024

The Charlotte Hornets are set to hire Jeff Peterson as the organization’s new president of basketball operations, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are planning to hire Brooklyn Nets executive Jeff Peterson as the franchise’s next head of basketball operations. Sides expect to reach a formal contractual agreement soon. pic.twitter.com/uGwstjDiH3

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 29, 2024

Peterson joins the Hornets franchise following four years as the assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets. Previously, he spent five years working under Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall in the Atlanta Hawks organization. Beginning as a scout in 2013, Peterson worked his way up to assistant general manager of the Hawks by 2016, holding that position for three years before making a lateral move to Brooklyn, where he’s been working under Nets general manager Sean Marks since 2019.

The Hornets reportedly interviewed a dozen candidates for the position before settling on Peterson. The Springfield, Missouri native played high school basketball at DeMatha (Maryland) and college basketball at Iowa, Arkansas and Florida State, finishing his collegiate career as a Seminole in 2012, joining the NBA scouting ranks the following year.

While it’s hard to judge the traits and tendencies of a front office executive before they’re given the keys to a franchise, Peterson has always been involved with scouting and/or basketball operations since entering the league. In the last few years with the Nets, Peterson had a hand in selecting players like Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Kessler Edwards. 

At 35, Peterson is completing a meteoric rise to become the NBA’s youngest lead front office executive. He emerged for owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin out of a search that included interviews with 12 candidates. Now Peterson will be tasked with leading the Hornets’ rebuild. https://t.co/G5h9SWbRY0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 29, 2024

Peterson comes into his new job with a clean slate– just over a month ago, the Hornets were mired in a stretch where they lost 16 of 17 games, including a nine-game skid into the trade deadline. A short-handed, post-exodus Charlotte squad lost to Milwaukee on February 9, and since then, have gone 5-2 with the recent acquisitions injecting new life into the fan base. With rookie Brandon Miller and the allure of a healthy LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, Peterson has a lot to work with as he sets the course for building the next iteration of the Hornets. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwNMCECpbes

At only 35 years old, Peterson becomes the youngest lead front office executive in the NBA– just 11 years ago, he was fresh out of college, breaking into the ground floor of the league by grinding film in the scouting department. Now, he’s tasked with lifting a Charlotte franchise out of the NBA’s cellar, and to heights that previous regimes were unable to reach.

Check out the remaining 2023-24 schedule for the Charlotte Hornets.

Read next: 

By CLTure

February 29, 2024

Known for their high-energy concerts and festival performances, Kentucky rock band Cage the Elephant has announced a 2024 tour with two dates in North Carolina: Raleigh on August 3 at Coastal Credit Union Music Park and Charlotte on March 4 at PNC Music Pavilion. The tour announcement coincides with news of their sixth studio album, Neon Pill, set to be released on May 17 through RCA Records, their first since 2019.

Led by dynamic frontman Matt Shultz (vocals) with his brother Brad Shultz (guitar), Cage the Elephant won the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2017 (Tell Me I’m Pretty) and 2020 (Social Cues). The band released a new song, “Out Loud,” with tour announcement and the title track, “Neon Pill,” back in January.

Cage the Elephant will be joined by alternative rockers Young the Giant and Bakar on all dates except Charlotte, where Young the Giant will not play (likely due to a radius clause). Cage the Elephant is also scheduled to perform at Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Festival, and Oceans Calling in 2024.

Presale starts Tuesday, March 5 at 10 a.m. and tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. 

Read next:

The solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 is a rare spectacle, whether you’re in the path of totality or you’ll be observing a partial eclipse. In order to observe the eclipse without instantly (and permanently) damaging your eyes, you need to either wear approved solar eclipse glasses or look at the sun indirectly. Regular sunglasses will not protect your eyes.

One way to look at the sun indirectly is through a pinhole viewer. You can make one on the fly if you have two pieces of cardstock. Put one on the ground and poke a pinhole through the other one. Hold the one with the pinhole in it, with the sun to your back or above you, and look at the cardstock on the ground. If it’s positioned correctly, you should see the circle of the sun on it, and, during an eclipse, you can see the changes.

But it’s really easy (and way more fun) to make a pinhole viewer from a cereal box. Kids can help to make it, and will love using it during the eclipse. It’s also very inexpensive to make. If you eat cereal, you already have the main material (after you eat the cereal!)

Materials for DIY Solar Eclipse Pinhole Viewer

1. Empty cereal box (with the bag removed too)
2. Piece of white card stock. White, unlined paper will also work.
3. Scissors
4. Tape
5. Aluminum foil
6. Pencil
7. Something to poke a hole through foil (a pin of any kind.) We just used the point of a mechanical pencil.

Process to make a DIY Pinhole Viewer for a Solar Eclipse

1. Trace the bottom of the cereal box onto the card stock.

2. Cut out the strip of card stock that you traced

3. Roll up tape and put it in several spots on the bottom of the cardstock, and then stick it to the inside bottom of the cereal box.

4. Close the top of the cereal box and tape it shut.

5. Cut two squares from the top of the cereal box, one on each end.

6. Cut out a square of aluminum foil bigger than one of the openings, and tape it over one of the openings, folding it over the edges.

7. Poke a pinhole in the middle of the foil.

8. That’s it! Now you’re ready to use your new solar eclipse pinhole viewer!

Using the pinhole viewer

You don’t have to wait for the solar eclipse to try it out. On any sunny day, take it outside. Stand with the sun behind or above you. Look in the opening. Hold the pinhole viewer in front of you and adjust until an see the circle of the sun on the card stock on the bottom of the box.

That’s it! When there’s an eclipse you’ll see the changes in the appearance of the sun. You should see the moon moving in front of the sun. The shape of the sun will gradually change from a circle to a crescent, and if you’re in the path of totality, you eventually won’t see the sun at all in your viewer.