Latest news with #Charlotteans
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hugo, Florence, and Cape Verde: Why we name hurricanes
Thirty-five years ago, the worst storm to hit the Queen City made landfall. Even though Hugo was a category one hurricane by the time it hit Charlotte, it carried winds close to 100 mph with it. The winds were so strong they wiped out almost the entirety of the city's tree canopy and left 85% of Charlotte's residents without power. Four people in the metro were killed, it took months before life for most Charlotteans went back to normal. Duke Energy told us last fall that since Hugo, their storm response team has grown -- communication, technology and meteorology have all improved. But they face one problem: so many people are moving to Charlotte. So while emergency responders prepare to keep up with the boom, there's more people that will need protection from storms like Hugo, which was what's called a 'Cape Verde storm.' When we get to the months of September and October, we arrive at our most dangerous time. Not only is it prime time for hurricanes, more start forming off of the coast of Africa. These Cape Verde storms develop near those islands and travel across the entire warm ocean, strengthening with each mile they travel. By the time they reach the U.S. mainland, they are monsters. Hurricane Florence in September of 2018 was also known as a Cape Verde storm, and the Carolinas are still dealing with the impacts from that. Florence is a good reminder that each storm has its own characteristics - that there is no single specific type of storm. They come in all shapes and sizes and each offer different kinds of deadly threats. Consider this - in that year of 2018 we also had Hurricane Michael that slammed into Florida as a category five storm. Florence was a 'mere' category one when it hit Wrightsville Beach. Who claimed more lives? Florence. Why? Michael raced through the south. Florence moved through our region at an astonishingly slow two miles per hour. That's why they get a name, each storm is different: different sizes, different shapes, different speeds, and many different ways they can threaten your family and your property. And all it takes is just one. The time to be ready is now. (VIDEO: Asheville-based businesses struggle to recover months after Hurricane Helene)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group says increase of ICE arrests in Charlotte is leading to more calls for help
The Carolina Migrant Network says they've received a big influx of calls after a recent ICE operation in the Charlotte area. The group says they've received 133 calls in just the past week. That's compared to them getting five to 10 calls during a normal week. Dozens of people attended a conference on Monday to speak out against ICE arrests, including Stefania Arteaga, the co-founder of the Carolina Migrant Network. 'What is happening is harassment, it's an attack, and it's absolutely violent at every level,' Arteaga said. 'We know that community members are scared to take their kids to school, go to the grocery store, to do everything we take for granted ... we've seen detentions in close proximity to schools, not just one, but a couple.' Last week, Channel 9 heard from parents at Charlotte East Language Academy upset about a video they say shows an arrest near the school drop-off line. PREVIOUS STORIES: PTA says student's parent was detained near school in east Charlotte ICE releases information on arrest made near east Charlotte school drop-off line Man accused of threatening to kill CMPD, ICE officers, referencing deadly Charlotte ambush The daughters of Jose Martinez Hernandez spoke out of Monday and said ICE arrested him last week on his way to a construction job. She says she now has to work in construction to support her 10 brothers and sisters. "For the first time in my life, I saw my father cry. The man who had always been our rock, our provider, was reduced to tears -- and it shattered our hearts," Joanna Martinez said. Carolina Migrant Networks says the issue affects all Charlotteans, not just immigrants who are here illegally. 'We don't feel safe when unmarked vehicles with undercover agents who do not state who they are are stopping our neighbors,' Arteaga said. Channel 9 has repeatedly asked ICE for information about the arrests near the language academy, but we've not gotten clear answers. We're also asking about Hernandez's arrest, how many arrests ICE has made in Charlotte over the past week, and whether the perception of the uptick is real. We'll bring you an update when we hear back. (VIDEO: ICE releases information on arrest made near east Charlotte school drop-off line)
Axios
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Charlotte-made board game Squabble Squares debuts with tournament
Squabble Squares is a new strategy-based board game created by a Charlotte couple. Why it matters: They're celebrating the game's launch with a public tournament at Resident Culture South End this Sunday, May 18. Backstory: Founders Ben Moomaw and Heather Bard created Squabble Squares out of pandemic boredom. While staying in a mountain cabin one weekend, the two spontaneously made up a game using the tile squares on the kitchen countertop. What started as throwing dice on those squares turned into the building blocks of the game. Over the next year, they added more rules until they had something ready to debut. "I started bringing it out at house parties and people would play for hours." Moomaw tells Axios. The game has become a favorite among their friends, and they're hoping the tournament will make it a favorite among Charlotteans too. What to expect: A fast-paced, interactive and tile-based tabletop game, Squabble Squares is very much an original, but it has elements of Trouble, Connect Four and Sorry, says Moomaw. How it works: The object of the game is to roll your die onto the playing field and control the squares. The higher the value, the stronger the square. You can win three ways. Bingo: Control four squares in a row — horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Domination: Control seven squares by having seven of your dice on the board. Four-of-a-kind: Complete four of a kind in any row, column or diagonal. If you go: Registration will be open from 1–1:30pm. The tournament will start soon after. It's free to sign up and play. Walk-ins will be accommodated, but you can register here for an earlier spot.
Axios
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Weekender: 30 things to do in Charlotte this weekend, including PGA Championship and festivals
It's going to be another busy weekend for Charlotteans with a list of events this month from PGA Championship to Ballantyne's Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival. Friday, May 16 ⛳️ Check out the PGA Championship in Quail Hollow. | Prices vary | Runs through Sunday | Details 🏒 Cheer on the Checkers in their playoff game against Hershey at Bojangles Coliseum. | $29+ | 7pm | Details 🍿 Bring a blanket or chair to watch a film screening of "Cool Runnings" in the courtyard at Rally in LoSo. | Free | 7:30pm | Details 🛍️ Shop from a vintage night market in the Boileryard at Camp North End. | Free | 6-9pm | Details 🎶 Vibe to live music at Camp North End after work. | Free | 6-9pm | Details 📚 Listen to poets read selections from their collections at That's Novel Books in Camp North End and stick around for an open mic night where you can share your talents with the audience. | Free | 6-8pm | Details 🏌️ Practice your swing with golf simulators at HopFly Brewing Co. plus stick around for golf vendors, themed cocktails and a chance to win tickets to the PGA Championship. | Free | 4-9pm | Details 🎷 Vibe to contemporary jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows at Middle C Jazz. | $53+ | Times vary | Details 🎪 Take the entire family to see the UniverSoul Circus at Route 29 Pavilion in Concord. | $41-$78 | Runs through Sunday | Details 🥅 See Charlotte Independence play One Knoxville SC at American Legion Memorial Stadium. | $13-$18 | 7pm | Details 🏃♂️ Team up with friends to participate in a 24 hour relay race that include camping and food at the Whitewater Center. | $150 | 3:30pm | Details 🎤 See Billy Idol make a tour stop in Charlotte at PNC Music Pavilion. | $43+ | 7:30pm | Details 😆 Laugh at jokes from comedian Funny Marco at Comedy Zone. | $42+ | Times vary | Details Saturday, May 17 👕 Head over to TAOH outdoor Gallery in NoDa for live painting, a spray paint workshop, T-shirt making workshop, food trucks and more for | Free | 12-4pm | Details 🤣 Laugh the night away at Watershed Charlotte and enjoy follow up discussions aimed at raising awareness on mental health issues. | $15 | 7pm | Details 🌸 Stop by Sycamore for their Spring Fest for live music from bands, dog adoptions and drink specials. | Free | 12pm | Details 🥐 Grab a bite from an Ashik Bakery + Caffeto pop-up at Grow's plant shop. | Free | 11am | Details 👯♀️ Party to music from DJs with Souled Out Dates at Camp North End. | Free | 3-10pm | Details 🎉 Attend One Fest at Lenny Boy Brewing for 80+ classes and workshops, live music, yoga, arts and a marketplace | $0-$189 | 10am-10pm | Details 🧘 Bring a yoga mat to stretch in an outdoor yoga flow at the Big Moon Green in Romare Bearden Park. | Free | 9am-10:30am | Details ⚽️ Cheer on Charlotte FC as they take on Chicago Fire FC at the Bank of America Stadium. | $41+ | 7:30pm | Details 🍽️ Eat your way through a Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival with live music at Ballantyne's Backyard. | $45+ | 12-6pm | Details 🇯🇵 Pull up to a Japan Fest at Urban District Market with food, games, demonstrations, performances and contests. | Free | Runs through Sunday | Details 🌷 Go on a self-guided tour of private gardens and courtyards across Uptown's Fourth Ward, all paired with food and cocktail tasting along the route. | $36.30 | Runs through Sunday | Details Sunday, May 18 🍽️ Eat a Spanish-themed four course dinner for Sunday supper at L'Ostrica. | $75 | 5:30pm | Details 🕯️Create a custom candle with Paddywax at Wooden Robot Brewery. | $20 | 1pm | Details 👯♀️ Catch an aerial dance show with brunch, a tiny tattoo pop-up and giveaways at Monday Night Brewing Garden Co. Proceeds benefit non profit kitten rescue Inked Kittens Club. | $30 | 11:30am-1pm | Details 🧘 Unwind with a yoga flow followed by brunch at the Whitewater Center. | $50 | 9:15am | Details 🍾 Have a Sunday fun day experience with brunch, drink specials and music from a live DJ at STATS. | $0-$100 | 12-9pm | Details 🎶 Relive the 90s in a day party with music from a live Dj at Alibi Patio & Garden. | Free | 4-9pm | Details
Axios
15-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
$6M building transformation adds affordable housing in Elizabeth
A $6.03 million undertaking will transform Caldwell Presbyterian Church's former education building into 21 affordable studio apartments in Elizabeth. Why it matters: Charlotte continues to grapple with affordable housing. Twenty-one units won't solve the city's problems, but it is an example of what can be done to address it, according to Caldwell Presbyterian's Rev. John Cleghorn. State of play: Easter's Home, as the apartments are known, is expected to open this summer. The project is a collaboration between the church and Roof Above, a local nonprofit that will oversee day-to-day operations. They've collaborated with DreamKey Partners to create Caldwell Housing Inc., which will operate as Easter's Home, Cleghorn says. How it works: Easter's Home will serve 21 individuals making 30%-50% of the area median income (AMI). Residents will sign a lease and pay roughly 30% of their adjusted monthly income, with the rest of their rent paid for through federal housing assistance. Each apartment is 400 square feet and includes a bathroom and kitchen, including appliances. Furniture will also be provided. There will be a shared laundry unit. Residents will be connected with a Roof Above case manager and offered additional services to help them get on their feet. Involvement with the church will not be required for residents, but they are more than welcome there, says Cleghorn. The building will be staffed by Roof Above 24/7. Driving the news: Easter's Home is currently collecting supplies for welcome kits for residents through June 1. You can donate everything from paper towels to toothpaste. It costs roughly $700 to furnish a single unit with household supplies, Caldwell Housing board member and former Wells Fargo executive Elli Dai tells Axios Charlotte. "We really want our residents to step in and just immediately know that they are home," Dai said. This is a tangible way for Charlotteans to help address housing insecurity in their community, according to Dai. There will also be future ways for Charlotteans to volunteer. Between the lines: Easter's Home is at 1615 E. Fifth St. near the CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, which provides residents with access to medical services and free transportation, Dai says. It's also next to Independence Park, which connects to Little Sugar Creek Greenway, giving residents access to nearby amenities. By the numbers: Here's a breakdown of project funding: Caldwell Presbyterian Church provided: $800,000 Myers Park United Methodist Church grant: $1 million North Carolina Housing Finance Agency: $600,000 Merancas Foundation grant: $500,000 City of Charlotte Housing Trust Fund grant: $630,000 American Rescue Plan Act Grant through Mecklenburg County: $2.5 million Zoom in: Easter's Home, which also has Biblical connotations, pays homage to a woman named Easter who was enslaved on the Caldwell family's plantation in northern Mecklenburg County. The Caldwell family donated a significant amount of money to what was then John Knox Presbyterian Church in the 1920s. The church was renamed Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian. "Easter's Home is meant to bring visibility to her life and others enslaved by the Caldwells and to symbolize God's Easter promise of grace, renewal, resurrection and reconciliation in Christ Jesus," according to the Easter's Home website.
