Local News Roundup: Rep. Jeff Jackson votes for TikTok ban; Sports betting live in NC; Aftermath of State Superintendent primary upset; CMS Superintendent on district’s future

Representative Jeff Jackson votes in favor of a proposed TikTok ban in Congress, but Dan Bishop is against it. We hear why.

Two North Carolinians are now the co-chairs of the Republican National Committee, hand-picked by former President Donald Trump.

Last week we discussed the upset in the GOP race for state Superintendent in North Carolina. So what happens next? We hear about the general election candidates and their electability.

North Carolina principals asked state lawmakers Monday to revise the state’s pay plan. We hear what representatives of the state Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association said.

And, in case you haven’t heard, sports betting has gone live in North Carolina. We’ll fill you in.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Ben Thompson, morning and midday anchor at WCNC Charlotte and host of WCNC’s “Flashpoint”

Local News Roundup: Pat Cotham out after Super Tuesday upset; Matthews Commission discontinues Zoom comments; Sheriff McFadden at the SOTU address

Super Tuesday in North Carolina ended with upsets (including Pat Cotham losing out on the seat she’s held since 2012), low voter turnout and the end of the line for Nikki Haley. We’ll recap what the primary will mean for the local, state and national vote going forward.

The Town of Matthews decided no more Zoom comments will be included in future meetings after offensive remarks were made last week. We’ll hear what Mayor John Higdon said about the Zoom-bombers.

CATS said this week at the Charlotte City Council meeting that it still plans to move the main bus station uptown underground. We’ll hear what CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle said about the plans, which aren’t changing despite the Hornets’ no longer participating in the plan to build a practice facility as part of the project.

This week, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is in the audience for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. He’s Charlotte-area representative Alma Adam’s guest for the address, and she said she wants to highlight his efforts to reduce gun violence.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter and host of “The Political Beat”
Ely Portillo, senior editor at WFAE News

Local News Roundup: Berger and Moore talk Charlotte transit and more; Matthews Town Commission meeting chaos; former City Council member Lynn Wheeler dies

North Carolina’s Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Senate Leader Phil Berger said during a visit to Charlotte this week that the city’s top transportation priority should be roads.

This is our last local news roundup before Super Tuesday — what do you need to know before you head to the polls? We’ll talk voter ID and more.

A Town Commission meeting in Matthews was derailed this week by racist and homophobic comments. We’ll break down what happened in the public comment section of that meeting.

And a former longtime member of Charlotte City Council, Lynn Wheeler dies at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for Investigations & chief investigative reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter

Local News Roundup: Union County bans fluoride in their water; the Leandro saga continues; Charlotte FC kicks off season

Union County commissioners vote to ban fluoride in the county water supply. According to the CDC, putting fluoride in water is vital to keep teeth healthy, especially in young children. The practice has been done across the country for decades. Detractors claim the issue is about consent, personal freedom, and whether the board has the authority to add fluoride to the water.

Elsewhere, more signage is coming to uptown Charlotte as a display bearing the company’s name will be added to the Wells Fargo building. City Council noted this follows a precedent after signage was approved for the Truist building in 2020.

The saga of the Leandro lawsuit continues. This week, the North Carolina Supreme Court considers whether the state needs to pay around $700 million to fund education improvements as ordered by a trial court.

And coming off a playoff appearance last fall, Charlotte FC returns to the pitch this Saturday to kick off its third season. Will a new coach mean more success for the team?

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte

Local News Roundup: complaints about UDO-approved triplexes; CATS ridership up; Tax rebate ahead for new owners of old Duke building

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup…

Residents near SouthPark are “concerned” and even angry about triplexes popping up in the neighborhood, bringing to fruition the City’s Unified Development Ordinance, put into place last summer. We’ll hear more.

The N.C. Local Government Commission has given the go-ahead to issue $2.5 billion in bonds for CMS renovation, replacement and expansion projects at schools across the district. We’ll discuss.

A property tax rebate may be in the future for the new owners of Uptown’s old Duke Energy building. We’ll talk about what was discussed by City Council on Monday.

And the Hornets’ losing streak continues.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

· Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
· Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter
· Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
· Hunter Saenz, WSOC-TV reporter

Local News Roundup: Tepper fined; Pornhub blocked in NC; NYE violence Uptown; Charlotte banking magnate dies at 82

Carolina Panther’s owner David Tepper is fined $300,000 and issues a non-apology statement for throwing a drink on fans during last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The adult website Pornhub has shut down access in North Carolina in response to a new age-verification law that went into effect on January 1.

A mass shooting in Romare Bearden Park on New Year’s Eve left five people injured. It’s the latest subject in the ongoing conversation about safety in Charlotte.

And the man who grew Charlotte’s First Union into one of the largest banks in the country has died. Ed Crutchfield was 82.

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
Nick Carboni, WCNC sports director
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Nick Ochsner, WBTV chief investigative reporter
Ely Portillo, senior editor at WFAE News

Local News Roundup: City Council chamber cleared after protests; bodycam footage released in controversial arrest; Tricia Cotham has a Democratic opponent

Mayor Vi Lyles had to order the emptying of the council chamber during Monday night’s City Council meeting, as pro-Palestinian audience members shouted at a speaker defending Israel.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released the body camera video from the controversial arrest at a Charlotte bus stop last month. The video, released on Tuesday, led to an announcement by Chief Johnny Jennings that disciplinary action will be taken against one of the officers involved in the incident.

Two local Democrats have thrown their hats in the ring to run against Tricia Cotham for the North Carolina House in 2024. Nicole Sidman works at Temple Beth El in Charlotte. She filed to run Thursday, joining Yolanda Holmes as the two Democrats running in the March primary. Holmes previously ran against Cotham in 2022 when they were both Democrats in a primary election.

Van Brett Watkins, the convicted hitman who shot Ray Carruth’s pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams back in 1999 has died in a North Carolina prison. We’ll talk about reaction to his death.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

· Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
· Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
· Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter

Local News Roundup: County Commission approves $10 million for Discovery Place Nature; Dante Anderson is new mayor pro tem; Patrick McHenry not seeking re-election; CMS approves budget

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup…

More plans are ahead to replace Charlotte’s Discovery Place Nature Museum in Freedom Park — with a hefty price tag. We’ll hear about the contentious debate that led to county commissioners agreeing to pay $10 million more towards the museum, and why that still may not be enough.

Dante Anderson is the new mayor pro tem after a contentious debate at City Council this week. We’ll talk about the vote.

We learned this week that North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry will not run for re-election. We’ll discuss what this might do to the political picture in the state.

We’re near the end of the second academic quarter for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, but the school board this week approved the budget for the current school year. We’ll discuss the reasons for the delay.

Most North Carolina Democrats voted in favor of an antisemitism resolution this week. We’ll talk about what the resolution says and who voted.

And former North Carolina Senator Fountain Odom has died. We’ll have a remembrance.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on this week’s Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for investigations & chief investigative reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter

Local News Roundup: Panthers owner fires another coach; DA drops charges in viral CMPD punching incident, and judge rules body cam footage released; CMS teacher accused of sex with a student

David Tepper fires another coach this fall — this time it’s Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich after just 11 games and a 1-10 record. The move sparked criticism from many, including Charlotte Observer reporter Scott Fowler. We’ll talk to him about the latest in a disappointing Panthers season.

Charges have been dropped against a Charlotte woman who was punched by CMPD officers in a viral arrest video, the Mecklenburg DA’s office announced on Tuesday. And on Thursday a judge ruled that the body camera footage from the incident be released.

A CMS high school teacher has been arrested and accused of sexual activity with an 18-year-old high school student.

Charlotte-based Bank of America is closing more than 100 branches across the country by the end of the year. We find out why.

And a major donation this week for people in Charlotte’s North End.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories, an update on City Council and more, on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for Investigations & chief investigative reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
David Boraks, WFAE climate reporter
Scott Fowler, sports columnist for the Charlotte Observer

Local News Roundup: CMPD responds to viral video; CATS names new management company; new fines for illegal parking; drought continues in NC

A viral video of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers punching a woman restrained by several officers during an arrest surfaced earlier this week. CMPD released a statement saying that the woman was resisting arrest and Chief Johnny Jennings released his own statement.

Charlotte City Council voted unanimously this week to raise the fine for illegal parking in uptown. We’ll bring you up to speed on that and other city council news.

The Charlotte Area Transit System has announced the name of the company it has chosen to operate the Charlotte bus system. National Express Service would now run CATS, instead of RATP Dev. Council will vote later this month to make it official.

Fires continue to spark in western North Carolina, as drought and higher temperatures persists.

And after a disappointing fall so far for pro sports in Charlotte — the Queen City has a new team. The Carolina Chaos Lacrosse team joins the Premier Lacrosse League.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
David Boraks, WFAE climate reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte