Staff Writer
Staff writer for Mercury Local covering government, elections, public safety, and development across multiple publications. Beckett has filed more than 600 stories on local policy, crime, zoning, and civic accountability in Connecticut and the Carolinas.
Superintendent Crystal Hill's final Program Choice plan, presented to the CMS Board of Education April 28, would consolidate the district's choice programs into six themes, cut programs at 11 schools,
Apr 29, 2026
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted 8-1 Tuesday night to deny Superintendent Crystal Hill's $2.1 billion budget and gave her two weeks to come back with a revised version — with
Apr 29, 2026
The Charlotte City Council deadlocked 5-5 Monday night on whether to even schedule a public hearing on a temporary moratorium for new data center approvals. Mayor Vi Lyles broke the tie, voting no. Me
Apr 28, 2026
Sam Surridge entered for the second half on Saturday at GEODIS Park, scored twice, and walked off tied for the MLS lead in goals. Charlotte FC conceded four for the second straight road match, complet
Apr 27, 2026
Charlotte Water shifted to voluntary water restrictions on Monday, April 20 — the first time since 2023 — after the Catawba-Wateree River Basin moved to Stage 1 of its regional Low Inflow Protocol. A
Apr 26, 2026
After losing her March primary to Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler by nearly 48 points, the seven-term Charlotte representative re-registered Unaffiliated on Friday. She has not said whether she will caucus wit
Apr 25, 2026
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted 9-0 in an emergency meeting to convert May 1 from a student instructional day to a teacher workday, after district staffing data projected 1,934 unfi
Apr 24, 2026
Charlotte FC out-shot Orlando City 15-11 and held more of the ball at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando put six shots on target and scored four of them. Final 4-1, with Martín Ojeda getting a brace and substi
Apr 23, 2026
Charlotte closed the AHL regular season with a 4-for-8 power-play clinic and opened the Calder Cup First Round 8-1 over Springfield. One more win on Friday and the Checkers advance.
Apr 23, 2026
Council Member LaWana Mayfield built Charlotte's Faith in Housing initiative. Monday night she voted against one of its petitions — and told the chamber from the dais why the label alone doesn't get a
Apr 23, 2026
Six scoreless innings from Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples. Five runs in the next two. Nashville 5, Charlotte 1 in the homestand opener.
Apr 22, 2026
Council Member LaWana Mayfield, the architect of Charlotte's Faith in Housing initiative, voted against a Faith in Housing petition Monday night. Both rezonings passed. The second carried on the bare
Apr 22, 2026
An 89th-minute header from Aby Baisden locked in Ascent's second consecutive playoff spot and extended the team's unbeaten run to eight matches.
Apr 20, 2026
SMBC Group, the banking arm of one of Japan's three largest financial institutions, has committed to 2,000 jobs in Charlotte over six years in exchange for an estimated $76 million public incentive pa
Apr 20, 2026
Yaniv Perets's 39 saves gave him his first professional shutout, in his eighth AHL game. Charlotte's third-place Atlantic slot is locked either way.
Apr 19, 2026
Chief Estella Patterson reported violent crime down 21 percent and overall crime down 9 percent across Charlotte-Mecklenburg in 2025, but warned that roughly 270 CMPD vacancies and an unfunded ETJ man
Apr 19, 2026
Kristijan Kahlina made seven saves, Idan Toklomati broke the deadlock, and Kerwin Vargas came off the bench to finish it. Five months after New York City FC ended their 2025 season, Charlotte won 2-1
Apr 19, 2026
The state funds 78 percent of CMS positions. The county funds 2,707 more. Superintendent Crystal Hill showed the board what happens if either side flinches.
Apr 18, 2026
The Orlando Magic outscored Charlotte 38-16 in the first quarter and led 68-37 at halftime — the largest halftime margin in the six-year history of the Play-In Tournament. The final was 121-90. Charlo
Apr 18, 2026
Charlotte tied Jacksonville twice on Wednesday night. Both times, the Jumbo Shrimp pulled ahead again. The go-ahead run scored on a dropped fly ball — off the glove of the player who five days earlier
Apr 16, 2026
Charlotte FC rested nearly every regular starter, played Wednesday night at a 3,684-seat complex in Matthews, and still put six goals past Charlotte Independence in the first official competitive matc
Apr 16, 2026
Sixty-three percent of K-2 students across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are at or above benchmark on the DIBELS early literacy assessment — the highest mid-year mark since the district adopted the as
Apr 15, 2026
International migration to Mecklenburg County dropped 41 percent in a single year — from 22,545 new residents to approximately 13,000. The decline, presented to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Comm
Apr 15, 2026
LaMelo Ball scored 30 points with 10 assists and hit the go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime. Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell at the buzzer as Charlotte beat Miami 127-126 in the So
Apr 15, 2026
Jacksonville shut out the Charlotte Knights 3-0 on Tuesday at VyStar Ballpark. Two home runs in the sixth inning were the only scoring in a game where Charlotte managed three hits and struck out 13 ti
Apr 15, 2026
Charlotte City Council reviews $20.85 million in Housing Trust Fund staff recommendations — four rental projects, nine homeownership proposals — as council members push back on rezoning timing, geogra
Apr 14, 2026
The first CATS budget built on the new 1% sales tax totals $571.7 million. Council rejected criminalizing street vendors. Staff recommended thirteen of eighteen housing trust fund proposals. The Stell
Apr 14, 2026
Charlotte hosts Miami in a single-elimination play-in game Tuesday at 7:30 PM. The Hornets finished 44-38 after starting 4-14. The Heat won the season series 3-1. One game from the franchise's first p
Apr 13, 2026
Sandis Vilmanis set a franchise record with four goals as the Checkers routed Hershey 6-1. Charlotte is 12-3-1 since March 1 and locked into the Calder Cup Playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
Apr 13, 2026
The Hornets closed the regular season with a 110-96 win over the Knicks, finishing 44-38 and clinching home-court advantage in the play-in tournament. Charlotte hosts Miami on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in
Apr 13, 2026
The Knights erupted for seven runs in the third inning — highlighted by homers from Pereira and Kelenic — to crush Memphis 13-4 and split the six-game homestand. Charlotte opens at Jacksonville on Tue
Apr 13, 2026
Charlotte's five-game winning streak ends as Hershey's Bogdan Trineyev and Louie Belpedio score in the first two periods. Mikulas Hovorka's third-period goal wasn't enough in a 2-1 loss at Bojangles C
Apr 12, 2026
Nashville SC rested seven starters for Champions Cup and still beat Charlotte FC 2-1 at Bank of America Stadium. Eddi Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek scored for Nashville; Archie Goodwin's 90th-minute pena
Apr 12, 2026
Tanner McDougal struck out eight in six innings, but home runs from Bligh Madris and Joshua Báez powered Memphis to a 6-4 win in Game 5 at Truist Field. The Redbirds lead the series 3-2 heading into S
Apr 12, 2026
JR Motorsports placed four entries in the top five at Bristol. The Mooresville operation's organizational depth — from Rodney Childers' strategy call to the talent corridor that feeds it — is the real
Apr 12, 2026
Detroit beat Charlotte 118-100 on Friday night, with the Hornets scoring just 10 points in the fourth quarter and shooting 2-for-19 from three after halftime. The loss locks Charlotte into the play-in
Apr 11, 2026
After spending $165 million on defense in free agency, the Carolina Panthers pick 19th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft — and the choice reveals everything about how GM Dan Morgan views Bryce Young's sit
Apr 9, 2026
Mecklenburg County voted unanimously to spend $4.5 million on the former Smith School at 1600 Tyvola Road — a site CMS vacated five years ago over a cancer cluster investigation — for future housing.
Apr 8, 2026
Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell directed staff to explore litigation options against the state of North Carolina after a briefing on four property tax bills advancing through the Gene
Apr 8, 2026
Memphis scored six runs in the sixth inning to blow open a 1-0 game and beat the Charlotte Knights 9-4 at Truist Field. Korey Lee hit his first home run of the year in the eighth, but it was too late.
Apr 8, 2026
The Celtics won the season series 2-1, but the pattern matters more than the record. Both Boston victories followed the same arc: Charlotte built a lead, then the Celtics made a second-half change the
Apr 8, 2026
Charlotte dropped from the eighth seed to the ninth after Tuesday's loss in Boston. The difference is structural: at eighth, you get two play-in games. At ninth, you get one. Here's what the standings
Apr 8, 2026
LaMelo Ball scored 36 points with six threes against Boston on Tuesday, but his last field goal came with 8:13 left in the third quarter. Jordan Walsh shut him down, Charlotte scored 15 in the fourth,
Apr 8, 2026
Mecklenburg County residents ranked affordable housing as their top budget priority for the second consecutive year. But willingness to accept a tax increase to fund it dropped to 48.8 percent — and l
Apr 8, 2026
A Mecklenburg County employee told the board that more than 45 people a day are still coming to the closed Catherine M. Wilson Center on Billingsley Road. He asked why the county cannot spend $40,000
Apr 8, 2026
Lance Sotelo was 25 years old when a driver ran a red light on The Plaza in January and hit him. Charlotte's Public Safety Committee has revisited the city's red light camera program — off the street
Apr 8, 2026
Charlotte received 18 proposals requesting more than $45 million for its Housing Trust Fund — but only has $28.7 million to give out. The council votes April 27.
Apr 7, 2026
Carolina Ascent FC extended their unbeaten run to six matches with a 2-1 win at Tampa Bay Sun FC on Sunday, as Lily Nabet scored her first professional goal. The result keeps the Ascent third in the G
Apr 6, 2026
Charlotte FC beat the Philadelphia Union 2-1 at Bank of America Stadium on a rainy Saturday night. Ashley Westwood opened the scoring in the 30th minute, Danley Jean Jacques equalized in the 78th, and
Apr 5, 2026
LaMelo Ball scored 35, Miles Bridges went 10-for-12, and Charlotte beat Minnesota 122-108 to move within half a game of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Apr 5, 2026
Trevor Carrick scored the winner in the third period and Gracyn Sawchyn returned from an 88-day absence with two assists as Charlotte extended its road winning streak to four games.
Apr 4, 2026
Charlotte beat Indiana 129-108 for its eighth win in ten games, improving to 42-36 with four games remaining. Five Hornets scored in double figures in a balanced, system-driven performance.
Apr 4, 2026
Charlotte SHOUT! returns April 3–19 with more than 200 events across Uptown — from all-day jazz and whole-hog barbecue to 20-plus art installations and six nights of free live music. Most events are f
Apr 3, 2026
Kon Knueppel made his 261st three-pointer to break Kemba Walker's Charlotte Hornets franchise record in a 127-107 rout of the Phoenix Suns. Miles Bridges led with 25 points as Charlotte improved to 41
Apr 3, 2026
The Charlotte Checkers won their third straight game Wednesday night, defeating the Rochester Americans 5-3 at Blue Cross Arena behind Jack Studnicka's 28-second opener, Ben Steeves' milestone 20th go
Apr 2, 2026
Charlotte FC are 2-1-2 through five matches with eight points and third in the Eastern Conference. Pep Biel has four goals from midfield, the 6-1 Red Bulls rout set a club record, and Wilfried Zaha's
Apr 1, 2026
The Panthers committed $165 million to edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd before the free agency negotiating period was 24 hours old. With Derrick Brown, Nic Scourton, and Jaycee H
Apr 1, 2026
The Checkers are 39-21-5, locked into third in the Atlantic with home ice secured, and closing the regular season with seven consecutive home games at Bojangles Coliseum. The defending Eastern Confere
Apr 1, 2026
Brandon Miller scored 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting as the Hornets routed the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center, snapping a two-game losing streak. Charlotte moves to 40-36, tied with Miami in the play-i
Apr 1, 2026
The Family and Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee is drafting the district's first standalone family engagement policy — and discovered there are no written rules for how board members use district
Mar 31, 2026
Charlotte went 12-for-43 from three against a Boston team missing Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 32 as the Celtics won 114-99. The Hornets drop to 39-36 with seven g
Mar 30, 2026
Charlotte swept Durham with a 19-2 blowout, an extra-innings walk-off, and a ninth-inning walk-off. The pitching staff allowed six runs in 29 innings behind top prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz.
Mar 30, 2026
Charlotte blows a 13-point second-half lead as Joel Embiid scores 29 and blocks Brandon Miller's potential game-tying three. The 76ers walk out of Spectrum Center with a 118-114 win that snaps the Hor
Mar 29, 2026
The original plan was 29 miles of light rail from Belmont to Indian Trail — through the airport, through Uptown, and into Union County. Charlotte got federal money. What followed was a lesson in what
Mar 28, 2026
Charlotte owns the railroad tracks, has a design contract, and a state law mandating the Red Line gets built before anything else. What it doesn't have yet is a train — and this commuter corridor has
Mar 28, 2026
By July 1, 2026, CATS as a City of Charlotte department will cease to exist, absorbed into the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. Here's how Charlotte's transit system went from city de
Mar 28, 2026
Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-cent sales tax increase in November 2025. The PAVE Act splits the revenue 40/40/20 between roads, rail, and bus service — generating roughly $490 million annua
Mar 28, 2026
Charlotte Gateway Station has $80 million in completed rail infrastructure and no station building. Phase 1 is done. Phase 2 has no start date. Here is why the project stalled — and how the MPTA may f
Mar 28, 2026
The Charlotte Knights opened the 2026 International League season with a 19-2 demolition of the Durham Bulls at Truist Field. Six home runs, 11 runs in the fourth inning, and dominant pitching from Wh
Mar 28, 2026
Charlotte City Council approved $25 million for Bojangles Coliseum HVAC repairs. Two days later, the Checkers clinched their eighth consecutive Calder Cup Playoffs berth. The 70-year-old building and
Mar 28, 2026
The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) is Charlotte's new regional transit authority, created after voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2025. It assumes control of CATS
Mar 28, 2026
Ricky Robbins, the CMPD sergeant who came within 2,717 votes of unseating Garry McFadden in the March primary, starts as Mecklenburg County's chief deputy on April 1. The last two people who held the
Mar 27, 2026
Kon Knueppel scores 26 with six threes as Charlotte snaps New York's seven-game winning streak, pulling into a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference with five straight wins.
Mar 27, 2026
Elaine Powell, District 1 commissioner on the Mecklenburg BOCC, will not seek a fifth term after more than 30 years of public service. She chairs the Environmental Stewardship Committee. Her seat open
Mar 27, 2026
George Dunlap, who has represented District 3 on the Mecklenburg BOCC for 17 consecutive years, was elected NACo First Vice President in July 2025 and is ascending to the presidency. The large urban c
Mar 27, 2026
Joel Embiid returned from a 13-game absence and dropped 35 on the Bulls. Saturday he brings the 76ers to Spectrum Center with the play-in on the line. One game separates Charlotte from the seventh see
Mar 26, 2026
Commission Chair Mark Jerrell delivered his 2026 State of the County address, covering $390 million in new economic development projects, $334.6 million in housing investments since 2018, a record MEC
Mar 26, 2026
The Charlotte Hornets routed the Sacramento Kings 134-90, tying a franchise record with 26 three-pointers and extending their winning streak to four games. LaMelo Ball passed Dell Curry for second on
Mar 26, 2026
Mecklenburg County's $64.5 million Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center drew fewer than 150 visitors per day in its first eight months. Three commissioners now want to rethink the half-billio
Mar 25, 2026
Mecklenburg County's CFO recommended shifting one cent of the property tax rate — roughly $30 million per year — from the capital improvement plan to operating, triggering a full pause on the five-yea
Mar 25, 2026
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is asking Mecklenburg County for $698.6 million to fund a $1.97 billion operating budget — including a fourth consecutive 5% teacher supplement increase — while North Car
Mar 25, 2026
The Charlotte Knights open their 2026 season Friday at Truist Field against the Durham Bulls. First pitch is 7:04 p.m. Here is what to know before you go.
Mar 25, 2026
Charlotte enters Tuesday at 37-34, one game out of the 8th seed, with Philadelphia and Boston both on the schedule before March ends. The math is workable. The question is whether the Hornets can hold
Mar 24, 2026
Charlotte City Council approved the Crosland Southeast affordable housing project 6-4 at the March 23 zoning meeting. The four no votes came from council members who champion equity — arguing East Cha
Mar 24, 2026
City staff proposed cutting Charlotte's affordable housing bond from $100 million to $50 million in the FY2027 budget. Council members from across the dais rejected the number, with Mayfield requestin
Mar 23, 2026
At Monday's FY2027 budget workshop, Council Members Anderson and Graham pushed for a Gateway Station progress update and connected it to the stalled CTC redevelopment and the former EpiCentre. With PA
Mar 23, 2026
The Checkers swept Lehigh Valley twice at Bojangles Coliseum. Charlotte FC set a franchise record with six goals against the Red Bulls. The Hornets blew out Memphis. Here is where Charlotte's teams st
Mar 23, 2026
Hendrick Motorsports wants to rezone 22 acres near Charlotte Motor Speedway for manufacturing and fabrication. The expansion would grow the largest NASCAR campus in America. Here is what is being prop
Mar 20, 2026
Dan Morgan spent $165 million on defense and filled the center hole with Luke Fortner. Every Panthers signing, trade, and departure this offseason — tracked and analyzed. Updated March 22.
Mar 20, 2026
Charlotte FC returns Wilfried Zaha and permanently signs Pep Biel after a record-setting 2025 season. Three straight playoff appearances and the best roster in club history. Here is everything you nee
Mar 20, 2026
Opening Day is March 27 at Truist Field. The Charlotte Knights open against Durham with one of the most prospect-loaded rosters in years — Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, and more White So
Mar 20, 2026
Charlotte is home to an AHL hockey team and most people don't know it. The Charlotte Checkers — affiliate of the Florida Panthers — play at Bojangles Coliseum, won the Calder Cup in 2019, and are one
Mar 20, 2026
The Charlotte Hornets are 37-34 and fighting for a play-in spot — their first postseason appearance since 2016. Updated after the March 21 blowout win over Memphis. Here is where they stand, what has
Mar 20, 2026
The state is ranked first for business. Four commissioners spent the end of a long meeting sitting with what that means for public schools.
Mar 19, 2026
A CMS teacher brought documented facts and a specific ask to the Mecklenburg County Board. The board did not respond. Three hours later, four commissioners said the same things he'd said — to each oth
Mar 19, 2026
The state ranks first for business and last in school funding. On Tuesday night, Mecklenburg's board said both things out loud.
Mar 19, 2026
A 23-vote margin in the NC Senate District 26 Republican primary has triggered a recount that could reshape leadership in Raleigh and ripple into Charlotte policy.
Mar 18, 2026
Charlotte City Council spent Q1 2026 juggling a razor-thin budget, a toll lane revolt, affordable housing policy, and a transit authority handoff with a July deadline.
Mar 15, 2026
A quiet UDO change lets farmers markets operate by right in Charlotte's industrial zones — and at least one council member says that's the whole point.
Feb 18, 2026
New CMPD Chief Stella Patterson told state legislators violent crime is down 29% in Charlotte, but residents still feel unsafe. Bridging that gap defines her first 90 days on the job.
Feb 10, 2026
