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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Democrat Vil Lyles beat out Republican mayoral candidate Kenny Smith to become Charlotte’s first female African American to take the city’s top office.
Our political contributor Mary C. Curtis stops by to discuss Tuesday’s election results, what’s next for the city, and who the new voices are in our city government.
CHARLOTTE, NC — Time is ticking for Charlotte to tell Amazon why it should it bring its second North American headquarters to the Queen City. The deadline to submit a bid is Thursday. Dozens of other cities are pulling out all the stops, fighting to become Amazon’s new location. The project is expected to bring 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars in direct investment. Critics say having an Amazon HQ in the city would raise taxes and real estate prices.
Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis talks about whether Charlotte could have a real shot at making the cut, and whether it’s worth it.
CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte is marking the one year anniversary of the deadly police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott and the days of unrest that followed. Hundreds of people stormed the streets of uptown in protest after CMPD Officer Brentley Vinsonshot and killed Scott, September 20th, 2016.
Scott’s death has since sparked concerns about race, equality, and opportunity in the Queen City as well as CMPD’s lack of transparency with the community. The situation also sent Charlotte into what many believe was long overdue conversation about race and social mobility in the city.
Political Contributor, Mary C. Curtis talks about the challenges Charlotte still faces a year later, what needs to be done in order to heal, and what community-police relations look like in Charlotte today.
CHARLOTTE, NC — Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles won the Democratic Primary over Incumbent Mayor Jennifer Roberts. Lyles will face Republican Kenny Smith in the General Election on November 7th.
Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis discusses what will be the key issues the General Election and why Roberts couldn’t hold off Lyles.
CHARLOTTE, NC — The Charlotte Citizens Review Board (CRB) is holding closed hearings this week to take another look at the evidence and circumstance surrounding last year’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.
The board will decide if the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was wrong when it decided Officer Brentley Vinson followed the department use of force policy when he killed Scott. The District Attorney determined that the shooting was justified
Scott’s death sparked protests and violent riots across Charlotte.
There has been calls for decades for the CRB to have more power. They can make recommendations to adjust police training, policy and procedures, but cannot reverse the decision by Chief Kerr Putney and the DA not to charge Officer Vinson.
If the CRB decides the shooting isn’t justified, the Chief Putney and the City Manager will re-evaluate the case.
Is this the kind of case that could lead to the CRB getting more authority?
Political Contributor, Mary Curtis weighs in.
CHARLOTTE, NC: Soccer fans are becoming more vocal about bringing a professional team to Charlotte. But a MLS team could be a victim of other funding priorities.
City leaders will talk about money for a new stadium during an economic development meeting on Thursday.
How has Charlotte handled funding for other sports franchises in the past? What is the main issue that needs to be addressed for city leaders to get on board?
WCCB’s political contributor, Mary C. Curtis, weighs in.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this very blue city, in a state that went red for Donald Trump while sending a Democratic governor to the statehouse, a crowd estimated at more than 10,000 filled the streets at Saturday’s Women’s March. It was one of many across the country, sending a message that the story of Election 2016, far from being over, is just beginning.
The winding route took marchers — more than double in number than expected — past signposts of a region that has seen its share of divisions, but has made steady if shaky progress.
It wasn’t really a surprise. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray laid out a careful case for why his office, following an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, decided not to charge Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson in the shooting death of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, who is African-American. Murray said he found no legal wrongdoing. Scott had a gun, Murray said the evidence showed that Scott didn’t drop it when officers shouted at him to do just that, and Vinson said he felt he had no choice, that he and his “buddies” were threatened.
CHARLOTTE, NC –We’ll learned today that the Mecklenburg County district attorney will not charge Brent Vinson, the CMPD officer who shot and killed Keith Scott back in September. Scott’s death sparked peaceful protests and riots here in Charlotte and across the country. The DA announced his decision after meeting with the Scott family Wednesday morning. WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis weighs in.
