Staff and patrons of an international supermarket in the Charlotte area braced Sunday to see Border Patrol again after agents pinned down and arrested a teenage employee at the store Saturday.
Peter Han’s family has owned Super G Mart for 15 years. He took video Saturday of the teen employee who was pushing carts back to the store being thrown down and detained by Border Patrol as Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino stood by.
Agents, led by Bovino like they were during weeks of controversial operations in Chicago, began detaining people around the Charlotte area this weekend, triggering protests and business closures. Federal officials haven’t said how long they’ll remain in North Carolina.
On Sunday, more than half of Han’s employees called out of work. In the morning, agents drove by in unmarked Tahoes and Suburbans with Illinois, Texas and Washington license plates.
Agents didn’t arrest anyone Sunday morning. They rolled down their windows, “grinning” — it was “the same grin they had when they pinned a teen to the ground,” Han said.
“Even though I knew my rights,” Han said, when agents with guns and masks stormed into his store “I still felt helpless.”
U.S. Border Patrol agents rushed into this grocery store in Pineville, N.C., on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, and grabbed a teenage worker. They put him on the ground outside and arrested him. RYAN OEHRLI roehrli@charlotteobserver.com
Indivisible Charlotte documenting Border Patrol
Bruce Moody, a resident of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and a member of Indivisible Charlotte drove around the Super G and a nearby Home Depot Sunday morning to see if he could help document any additional CBP actions.
“We are trying to document what people have seen,” Moody said.
Vanessa Blancas and her sister Daisy went with their father to Super G Sunday but were wary about Border Patrol after Saturday’s incident. The Blancas, born in the United States but of Mexican heritage, said when they arrived they were “looking for immigration cars.”
“I wanted to make sure nothing was going to happen,“ Vanessa said “I’m always going to be on the lookout.”
Daisy Blancas said the family received an alert Sunday not to attend church as they often do because of the concerns over CBP activities. “We were paranoid,” she said.
The family read the signs on the doors and windows of the front of Super G that said ICE was not welcome there, and were heartened by that.
This story was originally published November 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM.
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Andrew Dys covers breaking news and public safety for The Herald, where he has been a reporter and columnist since 2000. He has won 51 South Carolina Press Association awards for his coverage of crime, race, justice, and people. He is author of the book “Slice of Dys” and his work is in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Signs are placed outside Providence Baptist Church, indicating where voters can enter precinct 36 and cast their ballot for the election in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez
mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Huntersville Mayor Christy Clark held a commanding lead over challenger Derek Partee in the race for mayor on Tuesday, cementing a political shift that began in 2023 when Democrats swept every town board seat.
Clark secured 64.6% of the vote to Partee’s 33.7%, according to final returns from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.
Huntersville’s contest was one of several local races decided Tuesday as voters across Mecklenburg County chose mayors and town boards in Cornelius, Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville and Davidson. All returns are unofficial.
Huntersville election results
The Huntersville mayoral race was a rematch between incumbent Clark, a former state lawmaker and registered Democrat, and former commissioner Partee, a registered Republican who lost to Clark in 2023. The campaign centered on growth, public safety and whether Democrats would maintain the gains they made in 2023, when they swept every town seat.
“I am so grateful to Huntersville voters for giving me and a majority of the current board a chance to serve again,” Clark said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “Prioritizing public safety and infrastructure will continue to be a priority for this board.”
For the six-member town board, Jennifer Hunt, Nick Walsh, Edwin Quarles, LaToya Rivers, Scott Coronet and Heather Smallwood secured seats, according to unofficial results. All five Democrats on the ballot won, along with one Republican, Smallwood.
Democrats Hunt, Quarles, Rivers and Nick Walsh sought reelection, joined by newcomer Coronet. Republicans Dan Boone, Frank Gammon, Smallwood and Jamie Wideman ran in coordination under the “No More Than 4” banner to consolidate conservative votes. Partee distanced himself from the slate and campaigned independently.
Mecklenburg County Democratic Party chair Wesley Harris told The Charlotte Observer last month that the 2023 results reflected years of organizing in northern Mecklenburg, and could indicate how the area will lean in statewide races next year.
“Huntersville is an area that has been trending blue for a while,” he said. “We finally reached that critical point in 2023 where we got our folks out.”
Cornelius election results
Former commissioner Denis Bilodeau beat Mayor Woody Washam Jr. in the Cornelius mayoral race, with 43.8% to 36.8%., a rematch of the 2023 race where Washam won by just five votes.
Bilodeau campaigned on frustration with what he called “business-as-usual” leadership and urged more locally funded road fixes instead of waiting on the state. Washam stressed controlled growth, fiscal stability and transportation investment.
For the board of commissioners, candidates Michael D. Osborne, Susan Johnson, Todd Sansbury, Robert Carney and Colin Furcht came out on top with all precincts reported.
Town of Matthews election results
With five of six precincts counted, Mayor John Higdon led the mayoral race with 65.2% of the vote compared to 34.6% for Commissioner Leon Threatt.
“I’m honored that the people of Matthews have once again placed their trust in me to serve another term as mayor. I remain committed to being responsive to residents’ concerns and available for open, transparent dialogue,” Higdon said in a statement to the Observer. “I also want to thank Leon Threatt for running a respectful and clean campaign, and I sincerely wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
The race came amid significant board turnover in Matthews, with all six commissioner seats on the ballot and at least three were guaranteed to be filled by newcomers.
Candidates Susan Chambers, John Urban, Kerry Lamson, Brian Hacker, Jennefer Cross Garrity and Jonathan Clayton led the commission race with five of six precincts counted.
Mint Hill election results
With all precincts counted, Dale Dalton defeated Tim Radzicki in the Mint Hill mayor’s race with 64% of the vote to 35%.
Mint Hill’s new mayor will replace Brad Simmons, who did not run again. Both Dalton and Radzicki are sitting commissioners.
In the race for two commission seats, Twanna Henderson and Trey Long came out on top with all precincts counted.
Incumbents Henderson and Patrick Holton faced challengers Long, Patrick O’Brien and Matt Schwoebel.
Pineville election results
Nick Gallo and Joshua Simelton won council seats with all three precincts counted. The two faced three other competitors, Les Gladden, Yvette Isaacs and Tony Jennings.
Davidson election results
Davidson’s election centered on the Town Board, where six candidates ran for five seats. With all two precincts counted, Incumbents Ryan Fay, Steve Justus, Tracy Mattison Brandon and Autumn Rierson Michael and former commissioner Connie Wessner won seats, with only newcomer David Lusk trailing Wessner by 588 votes.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 9:10 PM.
Pineville’s food scene showcases a burst of culinary diversity, attracting new restaurants that cater to diverse palates with global flavors. Articles commonly highlight new eateries offering unique experiences or innovative concepts.
Harper’s Cafe has reopened in Pineville, evolving from its original SouthPark location as a fast-casual breakfast and lunch spot. It also serves as a commissary kitchen and pop-up venue, retaining popular items like chicken supremes. The reopening has drawn attention due to its legacy and the owners’ efforts to maintain its charm and reputation.
Flame Bistro & Bar introduces Asian fusion tastes with traditional Chinese elements blended with modern influences. Dishes like Golden Crab Brie Wonton Crisps exemplify their culinary innovation.
Zygma European Groceries and Deli offers authentic Polish foods and groceries. Items like pierogies and Polish farmer’s cheese emphasize its commitment to Polish heritage. The shop not only provides groceries but also serves meals that reflect its cultural identity.
EggHolic, an Indian street food-inspired restaurant, features egg-centric dishes beyond ordinary favorites. It brings Indian street cart flavors to Pineville, offering unique meals like egg lapeti and an array of vegetarian options.
Overall, Pineville’s cuisine landscape thrives with these vibrant, diverse newcomers. Each one contributes distinct flavors, honoring both traditional and modern culinary practices.
Experts have provided insights into how these restaurants engage with community needs and preferences, solidifying Pineville’s reputation as a hub for authentic, global dining experiences. Each place enhances Pineville’s cultural gastronomical journey, inviting residents and visitors alike to explore exquisite tastes and culinary heritage.
Flame Bistro & Bar’s eight-seat bar. By Kyle Marcus
NO. 1: THE ASIAN FUSION TASTES YOU CAN’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE IN CHARLOTTE JUST LANDED
Golden Crab & Brie Wontons, Garlic Butter Sand Wings + more await you on the menu. | Published May 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley
Harper’s Cafe is now open in Pineville, serving its famous chicken supremes from the restaurant that closed in 2024. “Welcome back!! We missed you,” Thomas Peyton Limberakis wrote on the restaurant’s Instagram post about its return. “My wife and I are planning our visit soon! We are Charlotte natives and love you guys!” By Tonya Russ Price
NO. 2: ‘WE ARE CHARLOTTE NATIVES AND LOVE YOU GUYS’: A CLASSIC EATS RESTAURANT REOPENS.
We lost a Charlotte favorite last year — it was closed to make room for a bank. Now, with fast-casual breakfast food and a commissary kitchen, Harper’s Cafe marks a new chapter for Charlotte’s iconic restaurant. | Published June 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kayleigh Ruller
Several smoked, salted and cured Polish, German and Hungarian meats are available at the deli counter at Zygma. By Courtesy of Agnes Zelazko
NO. 3: PIEROGIES, PICKLES AND PACZKI: DISCOVER WHAT’S AT THIS POLISH GEM IN PINEVILLE
The traditional-style market has added hot lunch offerings to its current grocery and deli options. | Published July 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lee
Kausa Mar Y Tierra at Lola Ceviche & Tapas is a soft potato terrine filled with crab meat and avocado, then topped with filet mignon lomo saltado. By Tonya Russ Price
NO. 4: PERUVIAN DISHES FROM FAMILY RECIPES SHINE AT PINEVILLE’S NEWEST RESTAURANT
Lunch specials, brunch and sweet desserts bring everything together at this authentic ceviche & tapas spot that started out as a food truck. | Published July 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Heidi Finley
Harper’s Signature Chicken Supremes are served with BBQ and honey mustard, cole slaw and a side. By Evan Moore
NO. 5: I TRIED FOOD FOR PICKY EATERS AT A NEW CHARLOTTE EATERY. HERE’S WHAT I GOT FOR $25
Kate Kim (left) and owner Songcha Lee at MJ Donuts in Pineville. By Shindy Chen
NO. 6: THE BEST GLAZED DOUGHNUT AROUND IS AT A 29-YEAR-OLD SHOP IN DOWNTOWN PINEVILLE
In an ordinary strip mall near Pineville’s main street lies a hidden gem of a doughnut shop. | Published September 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Shindy Chen
EggHolic, a Indian street food restaurant, has officially opened the doors to its first location in North Carolina. By Screen grab from Instagram
NO. 7: NEW ‘EGG-CENTRIC’ INDIAN RESTAURANT NOW OPEN NEAR CHARLOTTE. WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
Eggs are so much more than a breakfast staple, as shown by a new Indian street food restaurant now open in the Charlotte area. | Published September 30, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Cleopatra Bodden in New York with her son, Dennis Bodden, who died last month at age 46 when a police sergeant in Pineville, NC fatally shot him.
Cleopatra Bodden
The mother of a man who was fatally shot by police last month in Pineville is calling for the public release of law-enforcement videos and says she believes police were aware that Dennis Bodden suffered from mental health problems.
Cleopatra Bodden also said Monday that she wants the Pineville Police Department to change the way officers respond to people with mental illnesses.
“They did not see Dennis as a human being, but as someone that could be discarded,” she said at a press conference. “Just another Black man being murdered without impunity.”
She was joined by her sister Julia Bodden and brother George as well as Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP.
Pineville police have said that Dennis Bodden “lunged” at a police sergeant on May 14 outside an apartment complex to try to grab the officer’s gun.
Bodden was unarmed. The sergeant who shot him earlier said Bodden bit him during the incident.
Cleopatra Bodden said that in the narrative police provided to the media about her only son, they left out his mental health struggles.
“Over the past weeks, I’ve observed with great distrust how the Pineville Police Department portrayed my son as a criminal without mentioning his illness,” she said.
She said in an interview that her son, who struggled with depression, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which began to manifest during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cleopatra said her son, a law school graduate, enjoyed reading and running marathons. A friend of Bodden’s said he volunteered with a suicide prevention hotline.
What Pineville police say
The shooting took place after a 911 call in which someone reported Bodden concealing items inside the Food Lion on Johnston Road in Pineville. Police issued a news release the next day saying Bodden wouldn’t follow orders to stop in the parking lot, and as police followed him,officers Tased him twice, and he lunged.
That May 15 police statement said Bodden “was very well known to Pineville Police as being a chronic shoplifting suspect at this Food Lion” and said Bodden had “violent tendencies towards police and the public.”
After Cleopatra Bodden’s news conference in Charlotte on Monday, Pineville police issued a new statement saying they were not aware of Dennis Bodden’s mental health issues. They said police had only made contact with him one previous time at the Food Lion because, in previous 911 calls, he left before police arrived.
“I got the same guy who keeps coming in here, shoplifting,” a 911 caller said to a dispatcher. “Right now he’s in the produce department, making his rounds. It’s the same guy your officer keeps coming for.”
Bodden took food and wine from the store and was walking back to his apartment, which was across the street and located in the city of Charlotte. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are now investigating the shooting, and the district attorney’s office will determine whether the sergeant should be charged.
Pineville police have not released his name, nor his disciplinary record.
Need for mental health resources
Julia Bodden, Dennis Bodden’s aunt, questioned at the news conference why the police didn’t have a person or team trained to handle someone suffering from a mental health crisis.
The police they while they do not have a mental health crisis response team, the officers were Critical Incident Team-certified through Mecklenburg County.
The county’s website said that is an effort between police and mental health professionals to train officers in how to respond to people experiencing mental health struggles.
Cleopatra and Julia Bodden said in an interview that Dennis Bodden would hear voices in his head if he didn’t take medication.
And more than once, said Julia Bodden, Dennis would go into the store thinking it was his home, and take items believing they belonged to him. The voices in his head would tell him he was allowed to take them because they used to belong to his father, and he was entitled to them, she said.
“When he was living with me, it wasn’t a problem. But I think once he got out on his own, he thought that he didn’t need [medicine],” Julia said. “And that’s where the problem came in. He thought he could do it on his own, and he couldn’t do it on his own. He needed that medication in order to live a productive life.”
Julia Bodden said Pineville Police Chief Michael Hudgins reached out to her and Cleopatra, which was “wonderful,” but that doesn’t bring Dennis back.
A police statement said the chief’s phone call “was out of compassion and empathy for the Bodden family. We as police officers all have a high level of human decency and wish to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
The sisters said they chose to reached out to the NAACP because they weren’t familiar with Charlotte or Mecklenburg County, and wanted someone local who could help them.
“This case really hit me harder than most,” Mack told the Observer after the press conference.
In addition to the public seeing video footage, the family wants information about the officers. Under North Carolina, police videos can be released via court order from a judge.
“When it’s the officers shooting, they’re quick to put up all of the past information about the victim, and especially if they’re a Black victim or a victim of color, but no information is ever given about the officers,” Mack said.
Drew Farrar, a friend of Dennis’ who lives in Charlotte, said Monday in an interview that he thought Pineville police must have had some awareness of Bodden’s mental health struggles. Farrar pointed to the 911 caller recognizing Bodden, the sergeant’s familiarity in the radio communications, and that the store had banned him.
“This situation not only took everything he had, but it took a huge chunk out of a lot of people that he touched.”
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Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.
