Curfew, Traffic, $425 Million: What Ballantyne Should Know
Charlotte Council did not vote on the curfew. It sent cumulative traffic impacts toward committee, while a $425 million bond package moved closer to…
Jack Beckett·Aug 11, 2026
News
Zoning votes, city council, and the policy that shapes your commute
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CMS 2026-27 School Year: Key Dates and What Changed
CMS opened the 2026-27 year on August 25. Here is the one-page version for families: every break, workday and early release day, plus what actually changed this year.
Nell Thomas·Aug 25, 2026
Latest News
I-77 Toll Lane Fight Returns, and Mecklenburg Has a Vote
The I-77 toll lanes the regional board killed in May are up for a revival vote on September 23, under a state budget with a $64 million penalty…
Nell Thomas·Jul 16, 2026
CATS Changes Hands July 1: What Ballantyne Should Know
Starting July 1, a new regional authority takes over Charlotte's buses and trains, and the one-cent tax that funds them.
Nell Thomas·Jun 29, 2026
What the New I-77 Bill Means for South Charlotte's Commute
The bill now moving through Raleigh does not change the I-77 South commute: it freezes the killed toll project until 2027 and hands the region an…
Jack Beckett·Jun 17, 2026
What the I-77 Toll Lane Reversal Means for the Region
The region's biggest transportation decision this month: CRTPO withdrew support for the I-77 South toll lanes, ending a $3.2 billion expansion…
Jack Beckett·May 23, 2026
Charlotte Week in Review: Water, Data Centers, Budget, CMS
Six takeaways from a heavy week at city hall: Stage 2 water restrictions, a unanimous data-center moratorium, a $4.5 billion budget hearing, the NC…
Jack Beckett·May 16, 2026
Drought Escalates: Ballantyne's Watering Rules Go Mandatory
Charlotte Water's voluntary drought restrictions are being replaced with mandatory rules on Friday, May 15.
Jack Beckett·May 10, 2026
Lyles Is Stepping Down: What It Means for South Charlotte
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles will resign June 30. The Charlotte Mercury has the full appointment-process story; this is the south-Charlotte read, five…
Jack Beckett·May 8, 2026
Atrium-WakeMed Deal: What Ballantyne Readers Need to Know
Atrium and WakeMed announced a strategic combination Friday that would put Atrium in corporate control of Raleigh's hospital network.
Jack Beckett·May 1, 2026
CMS Board Rejects $2.1B Budget: What Ballantyne Should Know
Quick read for Ballantyne families: CMS denied Hill's $2.1B budget 8-1; revised version due May 12.
Jack Beckett·Apr 29, 2026
Charlotte Council Ties 5-5 on Data Center Moratorium Hearing
Charlotte City Council deadlocked 5-5 Monday night on whether to schedule a public hearing on a temporary data center moratorium.
Jack Beckett·Apr 28, 2026
Charlotte's Stage 1 Drought: What It Means in Ballantyne
Charlotte Water moved to its first voluntary water restrictions since 2023 on Monday, April 20.
Nell Thomas·Apr 26, 2026
Carla Cunningham Goes Unaffiliated: Three Things to Know
State Rep. Carla Cunningham re-registered Unaffiliated on Friday after losing her March primary by nearly 48 points.
Jack Beckett·Apr 25, 2026
Ballantyne and Uptown Safety: CMPD Says Crime Is Down
Uptown headlines, Ballantyne questions. Here's why Charlotte crime is down, why worry persists, and what neighbors can actually do next, with a link…
Nell Thomas·Oct 16, 2025
House Hearing in Charlotte Clashes Over Bail and Crime Data
A House field hearing in uptown Charlotte put grief, policy, and statistics on the record as witnesses and lawmakers sparred over bail, court delays…
Jack Beckett·Sep 29, 2025
This Week in the Mercury: Transit Tax, Races, Zoning Fights
A quick, smart tour of what The Charlotte Mercury published this week, from the transit tax and district races to zoning fights and ABC holiday…
Nell Thomas·Aug 24, 2025
NC Robocall Crackdown Targets 37 Providers With FCC Backing
North Carolina's attorney general joins 50 states in a sweeping crackdown on illegal robocalls, targeting 37 telecom providers with FCC-backed…
Jack Beckett·Aug 8, 2025
Top Chef Season 23 Sets Its Table in Charlotte, Greenville
Bravo's Top Chef parks its knives in Charlotte for Season 23, spotlighting the Queen City's booming food scene, and giving local chefs a shot at…
Jack Beckett·Jul 23, 2025
Charlotte Ballots Set; Stein Vetoes Puppy-Mill Clause
Ballots set, mayors plot, puppy-mill politics bite back, and CMS loses its loudest trustee.
Jack Beckett·Jul 20, 2025
CMS Fights to Unfreeze $12 Million in Federal Grants
Federal freeze puts $12 million CMS grant on ice, forcing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to choose between understaffed classrooms or fresh debt.
Nell Thomas·Jul 17, 2025
NC Towing Reform Bill Could Save Ballantyne Drivers Big
A proposed NC bill would cap towing fees, limit mileage, and force new transparency, potentially ending predatory late-night tows in Ballantyne and…
Nell Thomas·Jul 13, 2025
USPS Audit: 74,000-Plus Mail Pieces Stuck in Charlotte Area
An inspector-general audit uncovered 74,000+ undelivered letters and packages clogging Charlotte-area post offices.
Nell Thomas·Jul 11, 2025
Waxhaw Ringleader Gets 15 Years for $17 Million Loan Fraud
Waxhaw's Kotto Paul gets 15 years for a $17 million loan-fraud spree that snared eight cohorts and 17 banks, rattling Charlotte's financial core.
Nell Thomas·Jul 10, 2025
Ballantyne Week: Mortgages, Health Scores, a Sheriff Race
Miss a headline? From mortgage wins to a sheriff showdown, here's every Ballantyne story we served between June 30 and July 7, plus a cool nod to…
Nell Thomas·Jul 7, 2025