Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup: Panthers Sale, NC Teachers Protest, City Budget Gets Review

The Panthers have a new owner. Lawmakers, back in Raleigh for the first day of the short session, confront teachers from across the state as well as another group of demonstrators in Raleigh asking lawmakers to address poverty. And, Charlotte residents weigh in on the proposed city budget and possible tax increase.

A panel of reporters joins Mike Collins to expand on those and other stories.

Charlotte Talks News Roundup: Facebook Data, School Safety, CMS Segregation

The Facebook data scandal finds its way to North Carolina. Republican senator Thom Tillis used the company at the center of the uproar, Cambridge Analytica, to target voters, as did the state Republican Party.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox offers a glimpse at post-Parkland security measures, as state lawmakers begin examining school safety.

A new report labels CMS the most racially-segregated school system in North Carolina, and says income-based segregation in the district is up sharply.

Mike Collins leads a discussion on the week’s news with our reporters roundtable.

GUESTS

David Boraks, reporter, WFAE

Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher, Q City Metro

Mary C. Curtis, columnist, Roll Call (@mcurtisnc3)

Ann Doss Helms, education reporter, The Charlotte Observer 

Charlotte Talks: Local News Roundup Recaps 2017’s Top Stories

What DIDN’T happen in 2017?

Charlotte grappled with its highest murder count since the early 1990s. Police were at a loss for an explanation for the sharp increase, which disproportionately impacted the African-American community.

The city’s first African-American female mayor, Vi Lyles, took office after unseating incumbent Jennifer Roberts in the Democratic primary. Young newcomers were elected to form a majority on the City Council.

The national reckoning with sexual harassment found its way to the Carolina Panthers front office, leading to the swift downfall of owner Jerry Richardson.

House Bill 2, which put transgender rights in the national conversation, went by the wayside.

new school superintendent, Clayton Wilcox, took the helm at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as the dust settled on a controversial student assignment.

Mike Collins and the reporters who covered these and other stories put it all into perspective.

GUESTS

Tom Bullock, reporter, WFAE (@TomWFAE)

Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher, Q City Metro (@glennburkins)

Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call columnist (@mcurtisnc3)

Ann Doss Helms, education reporter, The Charlotte Observer (@anndosshelms)

Charlotte Talks News Roundup

This week on the Friday News Roundup…

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools now has a new school board. We’ll go over the new leadership and find out how this board  may affect student assignment and education throughout the system.

Cardinal Innovations continues to make headlines after the state stepped in to remove its CEO and board after allegations of financial mismanagement. An update on the story.

Could City Council go back to televising its citizen comment sessions? We discuss what Council Member Braxton Winston is doing in support of that possible move.

Charlotteans near Park Road are upset about the closing of the Park Terrace Movie Theatre. Why the closure? What will happen next? We discuss what we know.

Light Rail is now 10 years old, and still growing. We take a look back at those first days of the Light Rail and why the opposition of public funding for the rail still exists.

We cover those stories and much more with Mike Collins and the roundup reporters on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

Guests:

Tom Bullock, reporter for WFAE

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for The Charlotte Observer

Mary C. Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and contributor at WCCB-TV

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Charlotte’s New Mayor, A Young City Council, Bonds Pass, More

On this edition of the local news roundup….

Local Elections wrapped up Tuesday evening, giving Charlotte its first female African American Mayor, in Vi Lyles.

The new Charlotte City Council is sporting several younger council members and keeps a Democratic majority.

Area towns elected new mayors and town boards.

The School Bonds passed, and a few new faces will be seen on the CMS School Board. We’ll talk through the results and the “what’s next” from this year’s election.

And now that this election is the books, Pat McCrory is making headlines, laying blame for his gubernatorial election loss last year and he hasn’t closed the door on a future run for office. We’ll talk about what he said, including his wife’s reaction to his chilly reception now that he’s back in the Queen City.

In the wake of the shooting at a Texas church last Sunday, houses of worship here in the Queen City are evaluating their security and safety. We’ll discuss that.

Those stories and much more with Mike Collins and a panel of Charlotte reporters on the Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE Reporter.

Ann Doss Helms, Reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Kirstin Garriss, government reporter for Spectrum News.

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for RollCall.com and WCCB.

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: NC Legislature Update; Cam Newton Makes Sexist Comment; More

On this edition of the local news roundup…

State lawmakers reconvened in Raleigh this week for another special legislative session. Overriding gubernatorial vetoesand a push to redraw judicial districts were topics that were tackled. We’ll talk about what, if anything, was accomplished.

The North Carolina Supreme Court dismissed a last-chance appeal to halt the I-77 toll lane project, ending the legal fight for the group Widen I-77. We’ll hear about the reaction from stakeholders.

Cam Newton’s comments about a female reporter went viral, causing widespread backlash and even talk that he’ll lose some of his sponsors. We’ll talk about what he said and the aftermath.

The homicide count in Charlotte for 2017 continues to rise, and this week officials changed the number from 2016 as well. We’ll discuss the change.

President Trump arrives in North Carolina this weekend for the first time since his election as president.

And we’ll bring you local politicians’ reactions to the mass shooting in Las Vegas and talk about the NRA and gun control with host Mike Collins and the roundup reporters on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE Reporter.

Sarah DeliaWFAE Reporter.

Mary C.Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Ann Doss Helms, Reporter for The Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Anniversary of Scott Shooting, No Prayer at City Council

Remembrances were in large supply this week for the anniversary of the shooting of Keith Scott that happened this week in 2016.

The Charlotte Citizens Review Board gave recommendations on policy for the department following its split decision last month on whether CMPD officer Brentley Vinson should have been disciplined in Keith Scott’s death. Chief Kerr Putney responded to those recommendations last week and we’ll go over a few of them.

The Police Foundation also released their recommendations this week. We’ll go through thoseas we wrap up a week of reflection about last year’s shooting and the protests that followed.

Monday’s City Council meeting opened without a prayer, which has been a longtime tradition for the council. Mayor Jennifer Roberts announced at the time that city attorney Bob Hageman had made the recommendations, but later, Hageman said there may have been some confusion between he and the mayor on this point. We’ll talk about what unfolded there.

Because of the national (and local) debate over Civil War Memorials, Historic Brattonsville has decided to cancel a planned Civil War Re-enactment for next month, citing that there were actually no Civil War battles at this site and because of a concern for visitor safety due to the political climate.

And just after we got through Hurricane Irma, Maria is on her way. We’ll talk about the current path of the latest hurricane, which is headed north after being destructive in Puerto Rico.

Those stories and much more with Mike Collins and local reporters on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

Guests:

David  BoraksWFAE Reporter.

Katie Peralta, Reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher of Qcitymetro.com.

Mary C.Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Eclipse Recap; Mayoral Debate; Confederate Monuments In NC

We all turned our eyes (protected, of course) to the skies to watch the solar eclipse on Monday. We’ll talk about local reaction to what we saw, especially in the prime viewing areas.

Most of Charlotte’s candidates for mayor participated in a Tuesday night debate—we’ll break down where they came down on issues like the I-77 tolls, and more.

Redistricting is in the news once again as new legislative district maps are released around the state to comply with a Supreme Court order that found that many North Carolina legislative districts were illegal racial gerrymanders. We’ll get a reaction from around the state.

Following the clash in Charlottesville, events continued around the nation, and here in Charlotte and around the state organized by a variety of different groups. In addition to those events, the president continued to defend his initial comments on the violence that happened in Charlottesville when he attended a rally in Phoenix.

And Wells Fargo employees in Charlotte and elsewhere are bracing for more negative headlines amid the account scandal review- we’ll update you on that.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE reporter.

Mary C. Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: PGA Championship in Charlotte; Citizens Review Board

This week on the Friday News Roundup…

The PGA has been here all week– officials have praised Quail Hollow and the red carpet treatment Charlotte has given the Championship. Despite the rain, we’re rumored to be getting good grades from PGA leadership as a host city.

This week, the Citizens Review Board looked in on CMPD’s internal exoneration of the officer who shot Keith Lamont Scott nearly a year ago, spending days of testimony behind closed doors.

The budget has been approved for CMS with teacher and principal salary raises topping the list of highlights. What did and didn’t make it into this year’s plan?

Governor Cooper was in town this week to announce the expansion of Allstate Insurance Company to Charlotte, which will bring 2250 jobs to the Queen City.

Mike Collins and our panel of Roundup Reporters fill us in on those stories and the rest of the week’s top local stories.

Guests:

Tom Bullock, WFAE Reporter.

Katie Peralta, Reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Mary C.Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Friday News Roundup: WFAE ‘Charlotte Talks’

Major League Soccer executives were in Charlotte this week to take a look at the Queen City’s viability as a MLS expansion team. What did MLS President Mark Abbott say during the visit? And what was the response from elected officials, the business community and soccer enthusiasts? We find out.

The Carolina Panthers announced this week that General Manager Dave Gettleman has been fired after four seasons with the team, which included a trip to the Super Bowl. Former General Manager Marty Hurney may be named the interim GM- what will this mean for the Panthers’ season? We’ll discuss.

In Charlotte Election news, Democrat Joel Ford has filed for mayor on Tuesday. Braxton Winston filed for City Council, and two area mayors are not seeking re-election

And city council member Dimple Ajmera raised eyebrows, especially among local Republicans with her statement on a local television show that Republicans who support Donald Trump have no place on city council or in the mayor’s race.

Host Mike Collins and the roundup  reporters bring us up to speed on the week’s news on the Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE reporter.

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Mary C.Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.