Local Government
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OPINION: Gov. Stein Should Veto Bill That Gives More Power to Hyper-Partisan Chief Justice Paul Newby
Before the far-right flank of the state legislature went home to focus on their reelection campaigns, they passed two more bills to give their friends more power. Many folks have heard of House Bill 958, which would shorten early voting and give State Auditor Dave Boliek and his partisan election…
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NC House Delays Vote on Hemp Ban as Advocates Pack Hallways
The NC House of Representatives will not vote on a bill that would ban intoxicating hemp products in the state until November. That’s after hundreds of hemp advocates filled the halls of the legislative building on Tuesday — and despite strong support for the bill by law enforcement leaders. Last…
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OPINION: North Carolina Just Closed the Door on My Business and Thousands Like It
In July, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a state budget. While there has been plenty of discussion around teacher pay raises and whether Charlotte will have to pay for canceling the I-77 toll lane project, not much has been said about the fact that the General Assembly quietly abolished…
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ESSAY: Why Community Organizing Is Front of Mind This Fourth of July
I arrived at my neighborhood meeting a little late, but that didn’t seem to surprise anyone. I took a seat and glanced at the agenda written in marker on butcher paper. Tonight’s topics: Neighborhood newsletter, traffic on Boyd Street, illegal dumping concerns, affordable housing conversation and the upcoming potluck. Over…
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Council Quickies: Robert Harrington Named Interim Mayor
Charlotte City Council’s regularly scheduled business meeting on Monday was a big one, as the body was responsible for appointing an interim mayor who will finish out Mayor Vi Lyles’ term when she steps down at the end of the month. Because the two appointment votes were disjointed, with unrelated…
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Top Candidates for Interim Charlotte Mayor Address Council Before Vote
Charlotte City Council held a special meeting on Thursday afternoon that allowed council members to engage with the five final candidates for interim mayor before an upcoming vote to appoint Mayor Vi Lyles’ temporary replacement. What’s next: Charlotte City Council is scheduled to vote on the interim mayoral appointment at…
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City Council Passes 150-Day Moratorium on Data Center Petitions
Charlotte City Council held a business meeting on Monday night, voting on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and an anticipated moratorium on data center petitions. Council voted 9-2 to approve the budget, with LaWana Mayfield and Ed Driggs casting the only No votes. You can read the budget in full…
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OPINION: To the Kid With More Heart Than Virginia Foxx
A Greensboro fourth grader named Christian wrote to his member of Congress, US Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 5th congressional district. She responded by saying he must have been “indoctrinated.” Jacob Brooks, who lives in the district, has a few words for the boy — and for…
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Charlotte Hemp Professionals Face Uncertain Future Under New Federal Rules
For Olivia Merlock, cannabis is not just a lifestyle but a livelihood. Now a senior manager with the Charlotte-based Hemp & Tea Company, the Vermont native entered the hemp industry in 2022 shortly after moving to Charlotte from South Carolina. She was working in the corporate world when she applied…
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Federal Judge Upholds NC Law Removing Voters for Undeliverable Mail
A federal judge upheld a 2023 North Carolina law allowing voter registrations to be denied after just one address verification card is returned as undeliverable, marking a second victory for the General Assembly’s ballot restrictions in a single day. Previously, voters would receive two mailed address verification requests from the…
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Election Results: Sheriff Garry McFadden Wins a Third Term
A few longtime local and state representatives fell in Tuesday’s primary elections, but perhaps the most embattled incumbent will remain in his role. With no Republican opponent to face in November, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden will serve a third four-year term after winning Tuesday’s primary with just a third…
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Council Approves Plan at Site of Burial Ground for the Enslaved
Charlotte City Council held a zoning meeting on Tuesday night, making a decision on a property that had been the site of a controversial rezoning petition nearly a decade ago due to the presence of an apparent burial ground for enslaved people at the site. Zoning meetings are split into…
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CMPD’s End-of-Year Report Shows Drop in All Crime Categories
CMPD released its annual end-of-year report on Jan. 15, showing a decrease in overall and violent crime stats in Charlotte in 2025. The report came a week before city officials were scheduled to testify in front of the NC House Oversight Committee (NC HOC) to answer questions about a perceived…
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Tracking Vehicle-Related Deaths on Charlotte Streets in 2025
Queen City Nerve’s mapping of traffic-related deaths on Charlotte streets, which we’ve carried out each year beginning in 2022, documented 63 fatalities resulting from car wrecks in the city in 2025. That’s a 20% drop compared to 2024 and the lowest total we’ve tracked in one year since 2022, which…
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Alma Adams on Defending Charlotte Against ‘Wannabe Dictator’ Trump and What Democrats Need to Do in 2026
On Dec. 18, US Rep. Alma Adams, whose 12th Congressional district covers most of Charlotte and some smaller splinters of Mecklenburg County, stood alongside dozens of her Democratic colleagues on the steps of the US Capitol to demand a vote on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits extension.…
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5 Things to Know: Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Decades-Long Fight
Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Decades-Long Fight After fighting for federal recognition for more than 100 years, the Lumbee Tribe of eastern North Carolina finally achieved that goal with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, garnering screams of joy from hundreds of Lumbee citizens…
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