Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker looks to the sky as rain drops begin to fall at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the team’s final regular season game.
JEFF SINER
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Through the lens of our visual journalists, a moment in time is captured and becomes part of our history.
Each week the Charlotte Observer will present a selection of images that document communities.
This feature can be seen in Sunday’s newspaper and on our online Edition at eedition.charlotteobserver.com
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker looks to the sky as rain drops begin to fall at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the team’s final regular season game. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Demonstrators march in uptown Charlotte Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 to protest ICE after a woman in Minneapolis was shot Wednesday. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton, right, fights to maintain control of the ball as Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson, left, applies defensive pressure during action at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Thursday, January 8, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Mallard Creek’s Michael Bengue (center) wins the loose ball during early 1st quarter action. Mallard Creek would host the Vikings from North Meck Tuesday January, 6, 2026. Jonathan Aguallo
A Wake Forest Fan celebrates Kordell Bartley’s touchdown. Wake Forest would play Mississippi State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on Friday, January 2, 2026. Jonathan Aguallo
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, center, stands in the tunnel with his teammates prior to action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 16-14. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The Carolina Panthers defense is unable to make the tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, right, as he rushes for yardage during action at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 16-14. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The Lady Maverick bench celebrates a North Meck turnover during late 2nd quarter action. Mallard Creek would host the North Meck Lady Vikings in a much anticipated conference game Tuesday January 6, 2026. Jonathan Aguallo
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. Matt Kelley For the Observer
Wake Forest University head football coach Jake Dickert and his family is dumped with Duke’s Mayonnaise Friday, Jan. 2, 2025 after the Duke Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Jonathan Aguallo tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
Carolina Panthers fans endure the rain as the team battles the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 16-14. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Liam McNeeley (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. Matt Kelley For the Observer
Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott jokes with a teammate during practice on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in Charlotte, NC. The Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams in first round action of the playoffs at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, January 10, 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Protesters march in uptown Charlotte Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 to protest ICE after an agent shot a woman in Minneapolis. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
A new Panthers mural by Matt Moore, aka Puck McGruff, is finnished in time for tomorrow’s Wild Card playiff game between the Panthers and the Rams. The mural can be seen on Camden Road in South End. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM.
The Observer’s Captured Memories students photo contest
CMS students
Calling all aspiring student photographers. The time to showcase your talent has arrived.
The Charlotte Observer is accepting entries for its “Captured Memories” high school student photo contest. Open to juniors and seniors at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, we are partnering with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to present this exciting contest that is in its second year.
Last year’s finalists included students from Myers Park High School, East Mecklenburg High School and South Mecklenburg High School among others. We invite students from every CMS high school, if possible, to enter.
Title: BirdsGroup of birds flying together in Yellowstone National Park June 9, 2024. Amelia Martino
Student are asked to submit ONE photo to as many as three out of five categories: portraits, feature, landscape, sports action and sports feature.
Title: Dunk at the sabres houseSadiq White dunking against rival school SouthMeck, January 19, 2024 Haden Turnage
As many as 15 finalists will be selected, with first, second and third place winners chosen from that group. Finalists receive certificates, while the top three will be awarded cash prizes and plaques. The winner is invited to join an Observer visual staff member on a live photo shoot.
All finalists will receive their awards and accolades during The Observer’s annual Captured Memories Photographers’ Showcase, held at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, and have their photos displayed on Observer platforms.
How to enter
Contest is open through Dec. 12 and winners will be notified by email in January.
Enter The Captured Memories High School Student Photo Contest for a chance to win cash prizes. Deadline to submit is Dec. 12. Official entry form accessed by scanning the QR code. Tamia Boyd, Charlotte Observer Staff
Official entry form and directions may be found at this link. Submit your best work today!
Lisa Vernon Sparks is the Race, Culture and Community Engagement Editor for The Charlotte Observer. Previously she was an Opinion Editor with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. Her award-winning career has netted bylines in Virginia, Rhode Island, New Jersey and her native New York. She is an alumna of Columbia University in New York and Northeastern University in Boston. Support my work with a digital subscription
Think your pet is the cutest in Charlotte? Now’s your chance to prove it.
This Halloween season, only two will take home the ultimate titles — the Charlotte area’s Cutest Cat and Cutest Dog.
The Charlotte Observer is once again calling on local pet parents to show off their four-legged friends in our annual Cutest Pet Contest. Whether your cat’s rocking a cowboy hat, your dog’s saving the day in a superhero cape or they’re simply snoozing in a sunbeam, we want to see them (costumes are encouraged, but definitely not required).
Entries open Monday, Oct. 13, and close at noon on Thursday, Oct. 16. After submissions wrap up, a panel of pet-loving editors will narrow the field to the Top 50 cats and Top 50 dogs, who will then face off in separate public voting rounds.
The first round of voting begins Monday, Oct. 20, and ends at midnight on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Round 2 of voting starts at noon Thursday, Oct. 23, and ends at midnight on Monday, Oct. 27.
Thewinners will be announcedin a story onMonday, Nov. 3.
Do you have the cutest cat or dog in the U.S.?
More than 20 McClatchy newspapers across the country are hosting their own Cutest Cat and Cutest Dog contests, and the competition doesn’t stop there. The local winners will go head-to-head in a national showdown to crown America’s Cutest Cat and Dog, kicking off Monday, Nov. 10.
How to enter our cutest pet contest
Fill out one of the forms below to submit your pet’s photo and information. Be sure to choose the correct form for your animal.
Ready to enter? Use the links below:
Each form will ask for:
Your pet’s name
Age and breed (if known)
A fun fact or what makes them special
A clear photo of your cat or dog
Your name and email address
You can enter as many pets as you like, but you’ll need to use a separate submission form for each. Once voting opens, you can vote as many times as you like.
By submitting a photo, you agree that your entry and images may be published online or in print by The Charlotte Observer and its parent company McClatchy News, and that you accept our Terms of Service.
Remember: This poll isn’t scientific — it’s for fun!
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 Charlottte Observer is accepting applications for its 2026 summer internship program.
We are looking for bright, ambitious journalists who will bring curiosity, energy and imagination to report on stories in Charlotte and surrounding communities.
Our interns are a crucial part of our newsroom operation and are treated as professional, full-time employees from day one. Each will be assigned to teams working with editors and seasoned mentors to develop sources, report and write stories and shoot photos and video, while receiving the necessary coaching and training to help grow as journalists.
The Charlotte Observer was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Breaking News in 2025 for our coverage with the News & Observer of Hurricane Helene and its aftermath in Western North Carolina. In the past, The Observer has won multiple Pulitizer Prizes, including two for public service and three for editorial cartoons.
In addition, the Observer this year won 34 awards at the 2025 North Carolina Press Association banquet.
The internship program
Internships are paid full-time for 10 weeks and typically start at the end of May or beginning of June.
Internships are in-person and are based in the Charlotte metro region.
Interns participate in regular training sessions offered by McClatchy Media and on-site at the Observer newsroom.
Our interns generally work in our newsroom from Monday to Thursday, with Friday acceptable as a hybrid in-market remote workday.
We seek strong candidates to work as reporters, visual journalists and audience growth producers. Assignments have been on metro, politics, sports, business, features, photography/video and our audience growth teams. Please let us know if you have an assignment interest, or any specialized expertise, such as data reporting or audience/growth development.
Qualifications
The internship is open to rising or current sophomores, juniors and seniors and graduating seniors. Interns must be enrolled in a four-year degree program, graduate program or have recently graduated. Other qualifications:
A collaborative work ethic and a strong desire to learn.
Deep curiosity and a drive to find the truth.
Solid news judgment, accuracy, and high ethical standards.
Understanding of the professional use of social media in news-gathering and audience development.
A quick study of technology and tools used in news-gathering.
Experience working at a college publication, print or online, or another news outlet is required. Previous experience, in addition to a college publication, is preferred.
Bilingual skills are a plus.
A driver’s license and reliable transportation are required.
The Charlotte Observer internship is competitive and we place a high premium on breaking news. Most of our interns land full-time jobs following their stint at The Observer, including some hired at McClatchy properties.
Where the internship is located
Your homebase is in Charlotte, but our coverage area spreads to communities in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Gaston, Lincoln and other counties, and across the South Carolina border to York County. With population of nearly 1 million, Charlotte is North Carolina’s largest city, with the region among the nation’s fastest growing metropolitian area with 2.8 million residents.
Vibrant and diverse, Charlotte is the South’s banking capital, home to the Panthers, Hornets, NASCAR and Lake Norman. It has a robust restaurant scene, choice arts, museums, historic neighborhoods and other notable cultural outlets such as the Levine Center for the Arts, the Gantt Center, the Independent Picture House and live shows at Three Bone Theater that make Charlotte truly an exciting place to live.
What is The Charlotte Observer application deadline?
The deadline to apply is 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, but we strongly urge candidates to apply early and before the deadline.
A single-page cover letter summarizing what you would bring as a journalist to our newsroom.
A resume that includes links to your public social media accounts ( for example X, Instagram, TikTok)
At least three work samples, preferably in PDF format, or a link to a personal website or portfolio
Two references, which may be included on your resume or cover letter.
If you are interested in applying for an internship with our sister publication, The Herald, click this link here. The Herald’s coverage area is just over the state border in York County, SC, but you’d be based out of Charlotte.
For additional information contact Lisa Vernon Sparks, intern supervisor, at lvernonsparks@charlotteobserver.com
The work of previous interns
Our interns have done outstanding work. Below are links to some notable articles:
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
Lisa Vernon Sparks is the Race, Culture and Community Engagement Editor for The Charlotte Observer. Previously she was an Opinion Editor with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. Her award-winning career has netted bylines in Virginia, Rhode Island, New Jersey and her native New York. She is an alumna of Columbia University in New York and Northeastern University in Boston. Support my work with a digital subscription
The closure at Brawley School Road and West Wilson Avenue is part of a $51 million road-widening project, our partners at The Charlotte Observer reported.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to share more information about the closure sometime this week.
VIDEO: Dozens cited after drugs, guns found during boating event at Lake Norman
Doug Maxwell, whose distinctive voice resonated with radio listeners as he updated Charlotte traffic, was found dead of “blunt force trauma” in a car outside his Davie County home Wednesday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies arrested 29-year-old Isidro Rivera Aguero Jr., who lived in the same home in Advance as the 62-year-old Maxwell, and charged him with murder, according to a sheriff’s office statement.
Aguero was in the Davie County Detention Center under a $2 million bond Saturday.
Investigators aren’t saying if they know what prompted the killing.
Deputies found Maxwell dead about 8:15 a.m. after responding to a call from 888 Underpass Road “in reference to unknown medical call,” according to the sheriff’s office statement.
Maxwell was a divorced father of five who formerly lived in Cornelius, Charlotte lawyer and longtime friend Bob Bollinger told The Charlotte Observer on Friday.
Bollinger said Maxwell had health issues in recent years, and Bollinger thought illness might have caused his death when a mutual friend notified him that Maxwell had died.
“I was shocked that he had been murdered,” Bollinger said.
The pair had been friends since their days as frat brothers in the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1980-81, Bollinger said.
“Always outgoing,” friend said
Maxwell was an “on-air talent” with Charlotte news talk station 1110 WBT AM and Charlotte adult hot hits station 107.9 FM for six and a half years, from October 2010 to February 2017, according to his Linkedin profile. Bollinger said that talent was as a traffic reporter with a voice like a TV station anchor.
For the past seven and a half years, he was an executive account manager with Valuebiz Office Furniture in Charlotte.
“He was outgoing, extroverted,” Bollinger said. “Always easy to talk to. Friendly. Always friendly.”
Which makes his death so hard to understand, Bollinger said.
Matthew Leonard, a volunteer for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, stands in front of donated Christmas gifts last year.
Courtesy of Matthew Leonard
It started with just a couple hours in December 2008 helping to get donated gifts ready for Charlotte families. Now 14 years later, Matt Leonard will spend more than 32 hours over four days volunteering to help the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.
“I’ve done every role there,” Leonard, 40, told The Charlotte Observer in a recent interview.
The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte program matches children in need with anonymous donors who buy them presents for Christmas. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.
Leonard has worked with families picking up donated gifts at the distribution center, and collected and organized bags for distributing. He’s run the bicycles and large items checks, and loaded gifts in cars.
“I’m available to do anything they need,” he said.
This year, Leonard is taking the reins for organizing volunteers from Wells Fargo, where he’s worked for 15 years. He said there’s never a shortage of colleagues at the bank who are willing to help.
“The slots filled up pretty quick, and then I have people on a wait-list,” said Leonard, lead control management officer at Wells Fargo. He’s also pointed them to volunteer opportunities through the Salvation Army’s website.
That’s how Leonard got started with the Angel Tree program — volunteering through Wells Fargo.
Now he will oversee four-hour shifts, each with five volunteers, over four days distributing presents to families. While Wells Fargo gives employees two days for community service time, Leonard is tagging on two vacation days to volunteer this year.
He’ll be there for distribution starting Friday, Dec. 16, and Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 19-21.
“I’m not a Grinch, but every year it makes my heart grow three times,” he said. “It made me realize the impact on the community.”
Matthew Leonard has volunteered with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program for 14 years through his employer Wells Fargo. Bags of donated gifts are in the background in this 2021 photo. Courtesy of Matthew Leonard
Helping others is a family tradition
Leonard grew up in the Akron, Ohio, area in a family that helped at local soup kitchens and even fulfilled the wishes of children hanging on Angel Tree Christmas trees at local churches and businesses. The tags include the age, gender and Christmas wishes for sponsors to fulfill.
Leonard said he didn’t even realize at the time it was a Salvation Army program.
“It’s very easy for me to go out and provide my child entertainment and clothing. But I know for a lot of families it’s not that easy,” Leonard said. “They can’t always afford clothing that fits their child as fast as their child is growing.”
While the community gets an annual reminder about the works of Salvation Army with bell ringers outside businesses, the nonprofit is there for families year-round, Leonard said.
“It’s that time of year when people like to give. It’s something that can be done with time or money, and it’s helping those families that just need that additional help,” he said. “It’s nice to know they (the Salvation Army) exist for families that need this.”
Angel Tree program and Empty Stocking Fund
The 2022 Angel Tree program is helping 2,610 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties this holiday season, representing 6,660 children, according to the Salvation Army. The program also is providing gift cards to 1,716 seniors and 436 people with disabilities.
Last season, Observer readers donated $227,822 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.
Money raised by the 2021 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to purchase more than 9,270 toys for this year’s campaign, along with gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities.
To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, P.O. Box 31128, Charlotte, NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.
Anyone who prefers not to adopt an angel can still buy a gift for one on Walmart Registry. Walmart will box and send the gift to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte.
Questions concerning your donation? Call 704-716-2769.
Related stories from Charlotte Observer
Catherine Muccigrosso is the retail business reporter for The Charlotte Observer. An award-winning journalist, she has worked for multiple newspapers and McClatchy for more than a decade.
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