NATIONAL COVERAGE
- Charlotte Just Changed Who Gets to Sell You a Tomatoby Jack BeckettA 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.
- Charlotte Crime Down 29%, But Perception of Safety Remains Challenge for New Police Chiefby Jack BeckettNew 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.
- Two Half Days Become Full Ones: CMS Board Acts After Storm Chaosby Jack BeckettCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools voted unanimously to convert two early release days into full school days after winter storms disrupted eight consecutive days of instruction.
- We Won’t Publish Guilt-by-Proximity Headlinesby Peter CellinoWhen an unaccepted invitation becomes a headline, journalism slips into insinuation. Here’s why The Charlotte Mercury won’t publish proximity stories without evidence.
- CMS Board of Education Meeting Recap: New Principals Named, Literacy Data Reviewed, 2027–28 Calendar Options Releasedby Jack BeckettCMS leaders outlined 3–5 reading progress targets, named new school leaders, and launched a community survey for two 2027–28 calendar options after a virtual Board meeting.
- Charlotte Democratic Primary 2026: Stein Endorses Challenger to Incumbent Cunningham in High-Stakes House Raceby Jack BeckettGovernor endorses challenger to 7-term Charlotte incumbent who votes with GOP 84% of time. March 3 primary will decide whether Democrats can restore veto power.
- Bokhari and Egleston Join The Southern Group to Open Charlotte Lobbying Officeby Jack BeckettTariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston will lead The Southern Group’s new Charlotte office, arguing the city’s business community needs steadier influence in Raleigh.
- Charlotte City Council Approves $4.3M Transit Authority Start-Up, Advances Infrastructure Contracts, Defers Gateway Station Parking Leaseby Jack BeckettCouncil approved $4.3M for a new transit authority start-up and major infrastructure contracts, while deferring a Gateway Station parking lease and a Norland Road path item.
- What You Need to Know About Charlotte’s New Transit Authorityby Jack BeckettTransit power explained Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have quietly crossed a governance threshold that will shape transportation, land use, and public spending for a generation. On December 18, the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority convened for the first time. The meeting was ceremonial in form, procedural in substance, and consequential in effect. By the time the gavel fell, a new regional power center was fully constituted, officers elected, governing rules adopted, and the legal groundwork laid for one of the largest…
- Mecklenburg Commissioners Hear Housing Appeals, Reset A Home for All, and Approve SoFi Incentiveby Jack BeckettA holiday meeting turns serious fast: homelessness strategy shifts, Atrium’s housing claims, board appointments, and a divided vote on a SoFi incentive package.
- Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting, Dec. 15: Displacement Vote, Brookhill Overlay, TOD Disputes, and Growth Pressuresby Jack BeckettCharlotte’s last zoning meeting mixed holiday cheer with hard votes on displacement, traffic, TOD, and school crowding. Here is what passed, what failed, and why it matters.
- Cancel Culture Isn’t Justice: Why Charlotte Should Pause, Read, and Protect Due Processby Jack BeckettCharlotte should slow down. We can condemn alleged crimes without destroying innocent people or local businesses. Due process, context, and fairness still matter.
- CATS hires an out-of-state firm to tell us what we apparently don’t know ourselves.by Peter CellinoWhen the city is facing a real crisis of confidence in its transit system, a $3.4 million marketing contract for an out-of-state agency isn’t just tone-deaf. It’s the civic equivalent of leaving your house unlocked, then paying someone from Austin to tell you how to jiggle the doorknob.
- Why Scout Motors Picked Charlotte For Its U.S. Hub And What Mecklenburg County Put On The Tableby Jack BeckettScout Motors picked Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood for its U.S. hub, promising 1,200 high-wage jobs and $200 million in investment in exchange for performance-based public incentives.
- North Carolina Opens 2026 Election Filing: What It Means for Charlotteby Jack BeckettNorth Carolina’s 2026 election cycle officially began at noon on Dec. 1 as candidate filing opened statewide. Here’s what Charlotte residents should know before the Dec. 19 deadline.