Local News Roundup: Auction at the Epicentre; CMS teacher vacancies; Airline cancellations; Optimist Hall paid parking

After two postponed auctions, the Epicentre was finally sold at auction this week to the highest and only bidder, for a bid of $95 million. The buyer is the same bank that lent the money to the Epicentre’s former owner.

Get ready to open your wallet if you go to Optimist Hall after August 15. Parking fees will now be charged, to the tune of $18. Why the change?

With just a few weeks to go, there are still hundreds of teacher vacancies at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. We’ll have an update.

And a transportation update including a new light rail stop, news from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization and more.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and all the week’s top local and regional news on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

Guests:

Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”

Claire Donnelly, WFAE health reporter

Danielle Chemtob, investigative reporter with Axios Charlotte