Latest news with #Charlotte-based
American Military News
11 hours ago
- Business
- American Military News
Duke Energy settles suit over data breach exposing thousands of customer accounts
Duke Energy has settled a class-action lawsuit over a data breach last year which exposed personal information to cybercriminals, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for Western North Carolina. The May 2024 data breach impacted thousands of customers of the Charlotte-based company, The Charlotte Observer reported in January. The case, with Matthew Saunders of St. Petersburg, Florida, as lead plaintiff, was filed in December. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the latest filings. There were at least 100 class members with total combined claims of over $5 million, according to the complaint. Tuesday's actions came after both sides told the federal court in March that they had reached a deal. Duke Energy also reached settlements in six other cases in the data security incident, according to court records. Saunders dropped all claims he brought against Duke Energy, according to a joint filing by both parties on Tuesday. Some of the information compromised in the data breach included names, account numbers, emails, Tax IDs and Social Security numbers, court records show. The information was used by cybercriminals who sold information to identity thieves, according to court records. Duke Energy said the claims were baseless and the company is satisfied to have the cases resolved and dismissed, spokeswoman Valerie Patterson said in a statement to the Observer. 'As we communicated to the customers who were potentially impacted by this incident, our thorough investigation revealed that no customer's personally identifiable information, as defined by state law, was exposed,' Patterson said. Duke Energy said it takes the security of its customers' information seriously and is providing free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to eligible customers that may have been impacted by this incident. 'We are pleased that many of our customers have accepted this offer,' Patterson said. Attorneys for both parties did not respond to requests for comment Thursday from the Observer. Lawyers for the plaintiffs accused Duke Energy of lacking adequate cybersecurity to protect customers from cyberattacks. They also alleged the company maintained, used, and shared personal information in a 'reckless''manner tightened and that Duke Energy transmitted personal information in a way vulnerable to cyberattacks. Data thieves engaged in identity theft and fraud because of the breach. This included the opening of new financial accounts, taking out loans, obtaining government benefits and acquiring driver's licenses using victims' names but with different pictures, according to court records. Concerns also arose about thieves committing future crimes and victims having to purchase monitoring services to protect against identity theft. Duke Energy notified data breach victims in December about the incident through email. Duke Energy is one of the country's largest energy companies. It serves 8.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, according to Duke Energy's website. Its natural gas utilities serve an additional 1.7 million in several states. The company employs 26,000 people. ___ © 2025 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Vote put on hold for agreement to put Discovery Place museum on Matthews Elementary campus
MATTHEWS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Most Matthews leaders were excited to make an agreement official that would put a Discovery Place Kids museum on a school campus, but that decision was deferred until next month. The town is preparing to enter a partnership with Charlotte-based Discovery Place and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Matthews Elementary School is slated to be rebuilt through the 2023 school bond, and the museum – which previously cemented plans to come to town – would go up along with it. But town Commissioner Mark Tofano made a last-minute request Tuesday to defer the vote. He says he has tweaks to request before the agreement is finalized. He also is the board member most personally affected by the project; his home on Trade Street is adjacent to it. The vote is now scheduled for the commissioner meeting on June 9. This will be the last meeting for Town Manager Becky Hawke, who is resigning three days later. Mayor John Higdon emphasized the vote must take place then, so Hawke can see the deal she's been so integral to come to fruition. Hawke said the two-week deferment would impact the project's long-term timeline. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Ripple Fiber Expands Debt Capacity to $350 Million to Fuel Nationwide Fiber Network Growth
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ripple Fiber, a Charlotte-based provider of high-speed fiber internet services, announced today it has secured a significant expansion of its existing credit facility to $350 million. Led and arranged by Post Road Group, the upsized agreement is a significant increase in the company's debt capacity and a vote of confidence, providing substantial resources to support Ripple Fiber's accelerated network deployment across the United States. 'This significant debt facility expansion represents a strong vote of confidence from our financial partners and reinforces our ability to execute our ambitious growth strategy,' said Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber. This substantial debt package is supported by an additional equity from Ripple Fiber's current sponsors. This commitment comes on the heels of the company's strategic merger completion with HyperFiber, which formally combined the companies under the unified Ripple Fiber brand and leadership. With this expanded debt capacity, Ripple Fiber is now exceptionally well-positioned to execute on its near-term build plan with operations in 10 states by the end of 2025. 'This significant debt facility expansion represents a strong vote of confidence from our financial partners and reinforces our ability to execute our ambitious growth strategy,' said Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber. 'Having recently completed our strategic merger with HyperFiber and now securing this enhanced financial flexibility, we are exceptionally well-positioned to accelerate our deployment of next-generation fiber infrastructure to communities nationwide and have ensured that our capital planning allows us to focus on speed of deployment.' The expanded credit facility and further equity commitment from Ripple Fiber's current sponsors provide the capital resources to maintain and enhance the company's position as one of the fastest-growing independent FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) providers in the country. Ripple Fiber has already deployed over 170,000 fiber passings across seven states, adding more than 100,000 passings and 13,000 subscribers in the last twelve months alone. The company has developed a clearly defined strategic growth path to expand its fiber footprint nationwide. 'As we've demonstrated our ability to efficiently deploy capital and achieve strong market penetration rates, our partners have enthusiastically increased their commitment to Ripple Fiber's growth story,' said Stuart van der Veen, Board Member of Ripple Fiber. 'The strength of the company's AI-driven market selection technology, coupled with a disciplined approach to capital deployment, enables us to ramp up our build engine and develop multiple markets concurrently. This expanded debt facility provides the runway we need to capitalize on the significant opportunities we've identified across our target markets.' Post Road Group, who has been a key financial partner to Ripple Fiber, continues its support with this transaction. 'Ripple Fiber is building critical infrastructure to connect communities across the country, and we're proud to support their continued expansion. The team has demonstrated strong execution, disciplined market entry, and a thoughtful approach to scaling. This expanded credit facility reflects our conviction in both the Ripple platform and the broader opportunity to deliver competitive fiber infrastructure to underserved communities nationwide,' added Sean Elliott, Vice President of Post Road Group. The increased capital will support Ripple Fiber's continued network buildout, which currently spans across North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan, and Massachusetts. The company is in the advanced stages of extending its footprint into four additional states as part of its national expansion strategy. Ripple Fiber's leadership team, with over 200 years of combined telecom industry experience and a proven track record of successful strategic transactions, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this expanded financial capacity to drive the company's ambitious growth trajectory. ABOUT RIPPLE FIBER Founded in 2021, Ripple Fiber provides thousands of homes with the brightest and fastest fiber internet solutions, powered by a 10Gig, 100 percent fiber optic network. With its patented technology driving rapid expansion, Ripple Fiber is redefining connectivity for its communities while remaining committed to promoting digital empowerment. Ripple Fiber believes the biggest wave starts as a ripple. For more information, please visit Post Road Group is an alternative investment advisory firm located in Stamford, CT with more than $2.4 billion in assets under management. Post Road originates and executes investments across four distinct complementary strategies: Corporate, Real Estate Credit, Real Estate Equity and Specialty Finance. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has invested and committed over $3.5 billion of capital on behalf of institutional investors across the world. Post Road's Corporate strategy makes private credit, private equity and structured equity investments in the Digital Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Media, Software and Business Service industries. To learn more, visit
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Lake Norman-area homes with public park, fishing pond approved by town planners
The Huntersville Planning Board endorsed a national homebuilder's plan Tuesday night for a 259-home community east of Interstate 77 that would include land donated for a town park and 10-acre public fishing pond. The board voted 4-2 in favor of a rezoning for the project proposed by NVR Inc., the parent company of Ryan Homes. Three members abstained. The town Board of Commissioners, which has final say, is scheduled to vote on the request June 17. Nine open spaces totaling 23 acres also would include pickleball courts, a recreational field, butterfly gardens, fire pit, dog park, a half-basketball court, a shade structure, splash pad and a playground with swings, Sean Paone, principal of project consultant Bolton & Menk, told the Planning Board. Natural wildlife corridors would cut through the 106 acres east of the intersection of Hambright Road and Everette Keith Road. NVR proposes a mix of housing types: 76 townhomes north of Hambright Road; 75 cottage homes south of Hambright; 99 homes near the southern and eastern parts of the property; and nine larger home lots beside Dogwood Lane, according to NVR's rezoning application . The development would include eight affordable housing units, or those affordable to teachers, police and firefighters. NVR also would extend Hambright Road, its application shows. 'We like to create great communities,' Scott Munday, Charlotte-based general manager of land for NVR/Ryan Homes told the Planning Board. 'We believe this community fits that bill exactly. 'It's highly amenitized, it's highly planned, and we think it would be very attractive to owners,' Munday said. 'And we believe it has a lot of benefits to the town as well.' NVR/Ryan Homes has developed 15 to 20 communities in the Charlotte metro area over the past five years totaling 5,000 lots, and 'each are to this level of detail and plan,' Munday said, referring to Everette Keith Residential. Board members who voted to recommend the rezoning said they liked the amenities and said the development appears to be a good fit with its surroundings. Board members against the rezoning sided with town planning staff concerned that the number of homes conflicts with zoning plans for the area.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Ransacking our streets': New U.S. Attorney outlines priorities in western North Carolina
Russ Ferguson was sworn in earlier this year as the new U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and Channel 9's Hunter Sáenz spoke with him one-on-one about what his office is prioritizing in the near future. Ferguson will lead about 100 federal prosecutors, and among the top crimes they'll be focused on are gangs, drugs, and child sexual abuse material. RELATED >> Russ Ferguson named as US Attorney For Ferguson, he's also defending his home turf. 'I was born in Presbyterian Hospital right down here, grew up in Charlotte, went to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools,' Ferguson told Sáenz. He's arguably at the pinnacle of his career after being appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. He said he remembers the call from her office. 'I was sitting in court and my phone was buzzing and buzzing ... it was some of the Justice Department saying the order has been signed by the Attorney General, when can you start?' Ferguson recalled. The former federal prosecutor was sworn in back in March, and he says he's going after crimes that keep families up at night. 'It's the gang activity, the cartels, the shootings into homes --which is largely connected to gangs-- the fentanyl and drugs that are ransacking our streets, and the predators that go after our children,' Ferguson said. Under Ferguson's leadership, his prosecutors have already put three gang members affiliated with MS-13 in prison for decades. But he says gangs full of juveniles are a problem here, too. 'We're not seeing the gangs grow exponentially by the day, because they're recruiting youth and taking direction from other countries, and that is much, much harder to enforce,' Ferguson said. We don't know the specific numbers when it comes to gangs, but one of the growing concerns his office will take on is AI child sexual abuse material. 'Every case we have had has had AI images along with real images, so it's the same perpetrators using AI that are using the images of real children,' Ferguson said. We reported back in April when a Charlotte-based CEO, Daniel Broadway, was convicted of having more than 30,000 AI-generated photos and videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as thousands of real photos and videos, too. 'Imagine being that victim walking into a grocery store knowing that anybody in there could have seen that photo of you,' Ferguson said. 'That is a life-changing thing that we have got to stop.' Right now, his office is using the obscenity law to go after those AI cases. Meanwhile, Ferguson says his prosecutors are still wrapping up COVID-19 fraud cases, some topping millions of dollars. They're already working on fraud cases after Hurricane Helene. (VIDEO >> Only on 9: District attorney says lack of resources delays justice in Charlotte)
