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  • Armina the ‘warrior princess’ named cutest dog in the country. Meet her

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    The votes are in, and a “warrior princess” from North Carolina has been picked as the cutest dog in the country.

    Armina, a 7-year-old pitbull from the Charlotte area, earned 11,693 votes, or 31% of those cast, in McClatchy Media’s national cutest dog contest, which launched Nov. 10.

    Nearly two-dozen dogs from around the country faced off after being crowned the cutest in local contests hosted by McClatchy newspapers. Papers in California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington state took part on the local level, sending their top dogs to the national stage.

    Happy tan dog wearing a brightly colored birthday party hat and a pink collar, sitting in dry grass outdoors with a big smile and tongue out.
    Armina, a 7-year-old pitbull, won McClatchy Media’s cutest dog contest. Tracy Zart

    Who is McClatchy Media’s cutest dog?

    Armina certainly seems to live up to her name, which means “warrior princess” in German.

    She collapsed during a run when she was 2 and got a grim diagnosis: sudden heart failure, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The condition was connected to a diet without grains.

    But the pup is fully recovered now after medication, supplements, changes to what she eats and love from her humans. She even earned an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certification.

    Tan dog wearing a patterned collar and blue leash, standing proudly on a small hill in a dense, sunny forest with its mouth open.
    Armina out on the trail. Tracy Zart Tracy Zart

    What pups were runners-up in the cutest dog contest?

    Abi, a cutie from the Wichita, Kansas area, was the runner-up in McClatchy Media’s national cutest dog contest, with 8,530 votes, or 23%.

    Another Kansas pup – Teddy from Shawnee – took third place with 7,445 votes, or 20%, while Margo from Lacey, Washington, took fourth with 4,595, or 12%.

    Reminder, the polls weren’t scientific – they were just for fun. And we had a lot of fun sharing adorable pups with our readers this fall.

    Thanks to all who entered and voted.

    This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 7:00 AM.

    Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Sara Schilling

    mcclatchy-newsroom

    Sara Schilling covers Thurston County and Washington news as The Olympian’s service journalism reporter. She previously reported for publications including the Tri-City Herald and The News Tribune. She’s a graduate of Seattle Pacific University.


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    Evan Moore

    The Charlotte Observer

    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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  • CMS says classes as usual Monday. No Border Patrol activity expected on campuses

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    Border Patrol agents seen arresting a man in southeast Charlotte on Sharonbrook Drive who was walking back to his home Sunday morning, Nov. 16, 2025

    Border Patrol agents seen arresting a man in southeast Charlotte on Sharonbrook Drive who was walking back to his home Sunday morning, Nov. 16, 2025

    KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools officials say students are expected to attend classes as usual on Monday, Nov. 17, despite the fear generated by an ongoing operation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Charlotte.

    The operation, targeting people illegally in the country, has rattled Charlotte’s immigrant community, resulting in reports of people avoiding jobs, stores and churches.

    Parents, teachers and advocates suspect the operation will also impact school attendance, as families fear encountering agents on the way to and from school.

    “Students are expected to attend school; however, per our usual practice, if your child will be absent, please notify the school so we can help keep them on track,” CMS said in a statement released late Sunday on social media.

    “Please know there has been no immigration enforcement activity on CMS property, and we have not received any notice that such actions are planned. Therefore, schools will operate on a normal, in-person, schedule tomorrow. We will continue to closely monitor immigration enforcement activity in Mecklenburg County. If an emergency situation on any of our campuses does arise, we will reconsider remote instruction at that time.”

    CMS officials note the district follows federal and state laws “protecting students’ right to a public education … regardless of immigration status.”

    The district does not ask about the immigration or citizenship status of students during enrollment and does not share student information “unless required by law,” CMS said.

    “Immigration officials cannot access staff, students, or private areas without a valid warrant or subpoena,” CMS said.

    “Thanksgiving Break is a short seven days away. Safety remains our top priority — every student and family deserves to feel safe and supported. We care about you and your family and are here to support you in every way possible.”

    Students and parents are advised to contact their school principal or school counselor with questions.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    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.

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  • Identity released for body found in Charlotte plane’s landing gear, CMPD says

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    The body was discovered in the landing gear around 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, while a crew was “performing maintenance on an American Airlines plane that had recently arrived from Europe,” CMPD said.

    The body was discovered in the landing gear around 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, while a crew was “performing maintenance on an American Airlines plane that had recently arrived from Europe,” CMPD said.

    Getty Images

    The body that mysteriously turned up in the landing gear of a plane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport has been identified as a 25-year-old originally from Guatemala, according to investigators.

    A cause of death for Jose Joaquin De Leon Santiz has not been released.

    “The victim’s next of kin has been notified by the Guatemalan Consulate,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a news release.

    The body was discovered around 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, while a crew was “performing maintenance on an American Airlines plane that had recently arrived from Europe,” CMPD said.

    Santiz was pronounced dead at the scene by CMPD’s Airport Division officers.

    The plane’s schedule included stops in Charlotte, Madrid, Spain, and Frankfurt, Germany, WSOC reports.

    Wheel wells are a common spot for stowaways to enter airplanes, and nearly 80% don’t survive the flight, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

    “Usually, a stowaway jumps into an aircraft by hanging on to the airliner’s landing gear as the plane takes off, and the force of the wind can easily make a stowaway fall to his death,” FAA Research & Development reports.

    “Because people flying on aircraft as stowaways must stay within the landing gear area, they face other risks too, such as being crushed in a confined space when the gears retract, falling when the plane is landing, or dying from the heat produced by the engines of the aircraft. Death from hypothermia, caused by the extreme cold at high altitudes, or hypoxia (inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues), has also been documented.”

    This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 5:38 AM.

    Mark Price

    The Charlotte Observer

    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.

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