Latest news with #Mecklenburg
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Karl Mecklenburg weighs in on Broncos ahead of 2025 season: Consistency is key
By Karl Mecklenburg When does the football season start? The easy answer is the first regular season game, but maybe it's the first preseason game, or maybe it's when training camp starts. It could be the first mandatory minicamp. I believe the football season starts the moment that last year's season ends. That's when the evaluation and adjustment for the next year begins. Players leave, coaches move, and draft choices and free agents are added in response to the evaluation. When a football team has a vision for what it wants to be, this between seasons time is when gains are made. When they don't have that vision, or when the vision is constantly changing, the offseason can be a period of chaos. This is the first time since 2014 that a Denver Broncos regular season will start with the same head coach and same quarterback as they had last year. That's eleven offseasons without a consistent plan. Consistency allows for growth in a football team and in any organization. In my twelve years with the Denver Broncos, we had two owners, two head coaches, and one quarterback. Leadership and vision were consistent. We knew who we were, and because of that we were able to win consistently. We had two losing seasons in those twelve years. I'm excited for this year's team and for Bronco fans. The recent resigning of team leaders Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen are great signs of the Bronco organization's commitment to consistency. Great teams reward top performers. Zach and Courtland are not only top players, they're leaders on and off the field, and examples of what buying into the Broncos culture looks like. This season I'm anticipating a return to Bronco's dominance in the AFC West, and consistent long-term competition for championships. Go Broncos! Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages and it was re-shared here with permission. Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where do Charlotte City Council candidates stand on new transportation tax?
A majority of Charlotte City Council candidates said on Saturday they support the proposed 1-cent countywide sales tax referendum expected to land on voters' ballots this fall. Two candidates said they did not support the measure, while a handful of others declined to take a firm stance. The referendum would raise billions of dollars to overhaul the region's transportation system by expanding rail lines, addressing a backlog of road projects and improving the bus system. Critics argue the tax won't benefit all people equally and could have unintended consequences. Eighteen candidates who face primary elections in September spoke on Aug. 2 during a forum hosted by the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. At least five incumbents, including five new candidates said they supported the tax. The issue hits close to home for at-large Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera. Her family relied on public transportation to travel to work, school and everything in between, she said. 'Our public transit system is broken. It is not safe. It is not reliable,' Ajmera said. 'We can't afford to have this kind of system that fails working families. Not everyone has a car in the city of Charlotte.' The tax is estimated to raise $20 billion over the next 30 years. If passed, 40% of the new money would go toward road projects, 20% to the region's bus system and 40% to transit projects, including rail. A 27-person board of trustees will lead a newly established public transportation authority to oversee the funds. The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners will vote Aug. 6 on whether to place the referendum on ballots in November. Ajmera's fellow at-large council members James 'Smuggie' Mitchell and LaWana Mayfield, District 1 councilwoman Dante Anderson and District 5 councilwoman Marjorie Molina also backed the tax. City council will be responsible for appointing some of the trustees on the transit authority. Mayfield advocated for an interview process so council members can get a better idea of who is the right fit for the role. Challengers who supported the tax include District 3 candidate Montravias King; District 4 candidate Wil Russell; and at-large candidates Matt Britt, Will Holley and Namrata Yadav. Yadav said she would ensure the transportation authority has trustees who actually ride public transit and contractors that are from the communities being served by public transportation. 'Do I think it's perfect? No. But do I think this investment is required for a city, especially a city that's the 14th largest in the country? Yes, it is,' Yadav said. 'We need to act like a big city. We need this transit to go through. We need to make sure it goes through in a very accountable way.' Only 2 Charlotte City Council candidates stand against new transportation tax District 5 candidate J.D. Mazuera Arias was the first person to break from the pack and oppose the referendum. People in his district feel they would be left out of the plan, he said. The Metropolitan Transit Committee in May selected a transit plan that would expand train lines across the county but leave most of east Charlotte untouched. The plan builds the Red Line commuter rail from uptown to Lake Norman-area towns, extends the Blue Line to Carolina Place in Pineville, extends the Gold Line streetcar from the Rosa Parks Community Transit Center to Eastland, builds the Silver Line from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to Bojangles Coliseum and includes improvements to the bus system. Molina, the District 5 incumbent who is facing Mazuera Arias in a head-to-head campaign, supported the plan. Her district stretches nearly to Cabarrus County, which raises questions of feasibility. 'There is no way to get rail out there,' Molina said. At-large candidate J.G. Lockhart was the only other person to oppose the 1-cent tax. The plan is not equitable for Charlotte, he said, which accounts for the overwhelming majority of Mecklenburg County residents and will therefore carry the tax burden to the benefit of neighboring towns like Pineville and Huntersville. 'We want to Band-Aid Charlotteans with a few more bus routes and microtransit. It's not gonna work,' Lockhart said. 'It is not for Charlotte. I promise you that.' Citing displacement, candidates remain neutral on 1-cent sales tax Six candidates stayed neutral, including District 1 candidate Charlene Henderson El, District 3 incumbent Tiawana Brown and challengers Joi Mayo and Warren Turner and District 4 incumbent Renee Perkins-Johnson. Incumbent councilwoman Victoria Watlington was the only person in a crowded pool of at-large candidates who remained neutral or undecided. 'We have always got to make sure that we are not putting in front of the community false choices,' said Watlington, who formerly served District 3 in west Charlotte, where concerns about displacement are especially strong. 'We need to make sure that we work with you to ensure that the plan that's on the table is the best plan for us, not just a good enough plan.' Mayo said west Charlotte does need more investment in transportation infrastructure, but the threat of displacement from the 1-cent tax plan gives her pause. The Silver Line that would run down West Boulevard means that some of Charlotte's most vulnerable residents could be forced to move if the city doesn't come up with a mitigation plan, she said. Mayo suggested the city set aside land for affordable housing and invest in workforce development initiatives to help people in the area who might be affected. King, who is running against Mayo in District 3, said that although the plan is not perfect and will likely uproot some people, the city has 'tools in our toolbox' to address displacement. He was the first candidate to throw firm support behind the referendum Saturday. 'Our city cannot afford to do nothing,' King said. Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
31-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Investigation clears owners of historic Maine schooner which suffered deadly mast collapse, killing passenger
They did not recommend any disciplinary action or criminal prosecution against the ship's operators or crew, according to the report. Advertisement The Grace Bailey set out on a four-day excursion from Rockland Harbor on Oct. 6, carrying 26 passengers and seven crewmembers, per the report. It was returning to port on the morning of Oct. 9 when passengers on deck reported hearing noises from the sailing vessel's rigging. Scanning the rigging, the crew noticed the mainmast starting to bend, per the report. As the captain ordered everyone on deck to get down, the mast collapsed to starboard, striking six passengers including Mecklenburg. Bleeding from the head, Mecklenburg began to lose consciousness. After receiving CPR, a Coast Guard crew arrived and took her ashore, where she was pronounced dead. The final report found that the mast collapse was caused by severe internal rot, rather than improper rigging or operational stress. The rot went undetected by numerous inspections, a lapse the report attributed to inadequate methods and procedural limitations. Advertisement As required by law, the Grace Bailey underwent regular inspections by Coast Guard surveyors, according to the report — including in May 2023, four months before the collapse. These inspections, however, were limited to visual reviews, conducted from deck level. The report noted that Coast Guard inspectors, by regulation, are restricted from climbing masts on third-party vessels without express authorization. From the deck, there were 'no obvious visual signs' to indicate anything seriously wrong with the mast to warrant further inspection, the report said. Investigators, however, later found that the rot had spread to several areas of both masts. While the rot was masked by a thin layer of 'seemingly sound' exterior wood, a closer inspection of the masts would likely have detected the rot with physical methods, the report said. The Grace Bailey's masts were replaced in 1993, and were temporarily removed, or unstepped, for further repairs in 2014. Federal regulations recommend that wood masts be unstepped for inspection every ten years, meaning the Grace Bailey was nearing its next recommended unstepping in 2024. In a memorandum attached to the report, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Wayne R. Arguin said the agency would review the minimum frequency for mast inspection, and explore new, non-invasive methods to test wooden masts for rot. The report also recommended that the Coast Guard consider 'appropriate recognition' for Grace Bailey passengers who provided emergency medical aid to Mecklenburg and the other injured passengers, as well as 'Good Samaritans' who arrived to help. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
With No Ceasefire in Sight, Patriot Missiles are Vital To Ukraine
MECKLENBURG, GERMANY - JUNE 11: Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stands in front of a ... More Patriot anti-aircraft missile system during his visit to a military training area on June 11, 2024 in Mecklenburg, Germany. Zelensky is in Berlin to also attend the Ukrainian Recovery Conference. Germany is the second biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine. (Photo by Jens Büttner - Pool/Getty Images) Donald Trump just announced that the U.S. will be sending much more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot Missile Defence systems. Though Trump had initially slowed down air defence aid to Ukraine (with its last major shipment in January), after weeks of heavy Russian aerial attacks, the administration is making a U-turn. While not a game-changer in the war in Ukraine, the delivery of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems is by far the most powerful tool Ukraine has to protect its skies from Russian aerial attacks. Without Patriot missile defence systems, Russia can continue its devastating aerial bombardments---not only on major Ukrainian cities but on vital infrastructure, including weapons factories and power plants. As of 2025, Russian missile strikes had destroyed 80% of Ukraine's thermal generation capacity, while Ukraine's most notable hydroelectric power plants had also been damaged. Russia also continues to target Ukraine's natural gas infrastructure and its energy grids. These attacks don't just cause blackouts—they risk triggering large-scale industrial disasters, and regional flooding. Additionally, as Russia has lost a staggering number of troops (reportedly 780,000 have been killed or injured), it has escalated brazen attacks on Ukrainian civilians, which further highlights Ukraine's need for robust air defence. Though Ukraine is also dealing with its own fatigue, its ability to shoot down Russian drones and cruise missiles has remained impressive. Ukraine intercepted about 70-80% of Russian cruise missiles in the early part of the war. And thus far, the Patriot missile system has performed extremely well in Ukraine, defending against Russian-made Kinzhal and Iskander ballistic missiles. The Russians initially boasted that the Kinzhal was impossible to intercept due to its reported speed of up to 7,700 miles per hour (or Mach 10), but Patriot systems in Ukraine have repeatedly proven effective even on hypersonic missiles —going beyond what the Patriot was designed to do. Additionally, when Ukraine deployed a Patriot system near the front line in February of 2024, it shot down more than 10 Russian aircraft in one month. Ukraine has also managed to thwart attempts to destroy the air defence systems themselves. On June 28th, 2023, Russia used some of its most advanced and expensive missiles to try to damage Patriot batteries protecting Kiev, but the Patriot system shot down the 34 Iskander and Kinzhal ballistic missiles fired. Ukraine has also found creative ways to protect the Patriot systems—such as by using steel plates on the exterior of the control units of the batteries to protect from missile shrapnel and blasts. What is the Patriot Missile System? A Patriot missile system, first deployed in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, consists of radar, a control station, a power generator and as many as eight launchers which hold four interceptor missiles. Patriot missiles are uniquely equipped at stopping ballistic missiles in flight—the toughest challenge for any air defence system-- as they fly far from the earth's surface and come down several times faster than the speed of sound to strike their targets. As cruise missiles and drones are slower and fly nearer to the ground, there is more time for air defence missiles systems to hit them out of the sky. There are two main types of Patriot missile systems that are critical to Ukraine-- PAC-2s (which shoot down cruise missiles) and PAC-3s (which shoot down ballistic missiles). PAC-3s are designed to hit to kill, by physically flying into the missiles and destroying explosives and the chemical charges that a missile is carrying, rather than being shot into the sky to explode which might send shrapnel into incoming aircraft. The Patriots are the only air defence missiles systems in the world that have this capability. PAC-3s are also more manoeuvrable than PAC-2s, and much lighter. The closest air defence systems to Patriot systems that Ukraine has in its arsenal are Soviet era S-200s and S-300s, Norwegian NASAMS, German Iris-Ts, and the French-Italian SAMP/T, a land-based system from Aster. In comparison, to much less costly NASAMS system which can handle cruise missiles, the Patriot system is better equipped to intercept ballistic missile threats. Though Ukraine has increased its domestic weapons production in the last three years, there is no domestically made equivalent to the Patriot system. Developing these types of systems is time consuming and incredibly expensive, involving testing and debugging, with the physical hardware of the anti-ballistic missiles taking years to build. Building its own domestic and anti-ballistic defence systems is out of Ukraine's capacity at the moment—and as such, Ukraine has focused on the development of cruise and ballistic missiles--namely the Neptune and Hrim-2 —since the war's outset. Though these missiles were critical to Ukraine's Kursk offensive, Zelensky has underscored Ukraine's need for air defence systems from Western allies. Is Russia running out of missiles? Given the scale of Russia's missile campaign, it remains uncertain if the Kremlin can maintain its current stockpile. Russia has periodically run out of missiles especially during the first year of the war. By 2023 missile stockpiles declined again and Russia began using cheaper drones rather than costly missiles. Since then, Russia has amped up its production of missiles (producing 40-50 Iskanders a month) and turned to North Korea and Iran. As of early July 2025, Russia has about 300 short-range ballistic missiles—including 250 Iskander missiles and 50 North Korean KN-23 missiles. This still represents a drop from 580 missiles, Russia's estimated stockpile in May, demonstrating how quickly its stash of missiles depletes. A costly but vital system Patriot missiles have played an important role in Ukraine's defence, intercepting some of Russia's most expensive and advanced missiles. But operating these Patriot systems requires regular maintenance, trained personnel, and those trained also need to be judicious about when they are used. Just one Patriot interceptor missile reportedly costs $4 million, while the entire Patriot system costs over $1 billion ($400 million on systems hardware of launchers, radar and control units and $700 million on missiles). Ukraine faces challenges in maintaining a stockpile of interceptor missiles and there are logistical challenges of distributing the missiles to Ukraine. As Patriots are so expensive, they cannot be deployed on a massive scale, and it has been estimated that Ukraine would need 25-30 Patriot systems just to defend its major cities and critical infrastructure. Though the US has concerns that it may run on out of these Patriot missile systems, it has sold them to other countries (such as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, Poland, Greece, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Israel) which could be willing to transfer a few of their reserves to Ukraine. While the Patriot systems are not a silver bullet in Ukraine's war with Russia as coverage will be limited, having these systems in place ensures that civilians, and critical infrastructure such as power grids and defence factories are protected. As Russia has no interest in a ceasefire, the Patriot system is a critical tool to ensure Ukraine's survival.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Candidate filing opens for 2025. Who's running for Charlotte, CMS, Mecklenburg seats
Incumbents and newcomers alike gathered alongside family, friends and advisors Monday at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections as candidate filing opened for the 2025 local election. The filing window officially opened at 8 a.m. Monday for candidates looking to run for municipal office in Charlotte and Mecklenburg towns or for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education later this year. The filing period runs for about two weeks. Some, including Montravias King, were at the Board of Elections first thing to make their candidacy official. King is running as a Democrat in west Charlotte's City Council District 3. Although he's expected to face indicted incumbent Tiawana Brown, King told reporters he doesn't intend to focus his campaign on the allegations against her. Candidates in other closely watched races filed Monday, too, including Kimberly Owens. A real estate attorney, Owens is running as a Democrat in south Charlotte's City Council District 6. Longtime Republican representative Tariq Bokhari, who won his last two elections by less than 500 votes, stepped down earlier this year for a job in the Trump administration. 'I want to bring a practical skill set to Charlotte,' Owens told reporters after taking pictures with local leaders including Huntersville Mayor Christy Clark, former state House candidate Nicole Sidman and LGBTQ rights advocate Cameron Pruette. Incumbent Matthews Mayor John Higdon filed for reelection alongside multiple candidates for the town's Board of Commissioners. Despite his outspoken opposition to Charlotte's transportation plan, Higdon said he doesn't plan to focus on a related referendum in his campaign. 'I've been the fire brand for a year complaining about it and trying to get it killed in Raleigh. And, you know, my side lost. So it's time to move on, let the people decide,' he said, adding he expects many in Matthews to vote against the referendum but expects it to pass countywide. By 2 p.m. Monday, 15 candidates filed, according to the Board of Elections' tracker. In past years, as many as 25 to 30 candidates have filed in the first hours of the filing window, board spokeswoman Kristin Mavromatis said. But she expects to see a steady stream of candidates coming in throughout the filing period before a final surge in the hours before the deadline to enter a race. Candidate filing closes at noon July 18. Primary elections are scheduled for Sept. 9, and the general election is Nov. 4. Here's an updating list of who has filed: Charlotte mayor Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel (Democrat) Charlotte City Council District 3 Montravias King (Democrat) Charlotte City Council District 6 Kimberly Owens (Democrat) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education District 1 Bill Fountain Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education District 2 Shamaiye Haynes Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education District 6 Anna London Cornelius mayor Denis P. Bilodeau Davidson mayor Rusty Knox (Incumbent) Davidson Board of Commissioners Connie Wessner Matthews mayor John Higdon (Incumbent) Matthews Board of Commissioners Susan Chambers Brian Hacker John Tonello John Urban (Incumbent) Mint Hill Board of Commissioners Twanna Henderson (Incumbent)
