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: CMS continues superintendent search as Gaston County’s superintendent resigns; Tricia Cotham sponsors private school voucher bill; NC legislature bill on trans athletes and more

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup…

The search for a new CMS superintendent continues, as the board receives candidate bios, and over in Gaston County, the superintendent resigns.

Plus, potential boundary changes in the southern part of the CMS district are cause for concern among many parents and students. We’ll bring you up to speed on those and other education headlines.

The North Carolina legislature advances a bill barring trans-athletes.

A new North Carolina bill would make drag shows where minors can see them, illegal. We’ll talk about what the bill, which was filed Tuesday, says.

Mecklenburg County’s air quality report came out this week, and we got an “F.” We’ll look into what the grade really means and what officials are saying.

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”
Katie Peralta Soloff, reporter for Axios Charlotte
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter