community
Around the Neighborhood: Coffee With a Cop
Coffee with a Cop brings neighbors and CMPD officers together over a cup of coffee at Ballantyne Summit Coffee, the second Friday of each month, 9 to 11 a.m.
Nell Thomas·Aug 8, 2026
Topic
Crime
Public safety updates, crime reporting, and safety information for the Ballantyne area and south Charlotte. Sourced from CMPD reports and official records.
community
Ballantyne's take on Uptown safety: what matters now
Uptown headlines, Ballantyne questions. Here's why Charlotte crime is down, why worry persists, and what neighbors can actually do next, with a link to the full Mercury analysis.
Nell Thomas·Oct 16, 2025
government
House Judiciary Field Hearing in Charlotte Highlights Clash Over Bail, Backlogs, 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, and what the numbers mean.
Jack Beckett·Sep 29, 2025
government
Waxhaw Ringleader Gets 15 Years for $17 Million Charlotte Bank-Fraud Scheme
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
government
ICE Raids Kings Mountain Factory: 30 Arrested in Identity-Theft Investigation
ICE agents arrested 30 workers at Buckeye Fire Equipment in Kings Mountain, triggering legal, economic, and human aftershocks felt all the way to Ballantyne.
Nell Thomas·Jun 28, 2025
government
Ballantyne Mail Carrier Caught in $1.9 Million Check Fraud
A Ballantyne mail carrier lifted more than 200 business checks worth $1.9 million, sold them to fraudsters, and now faces 27 months in federal prison, leaving local businesses asking: who's minding…
Nell Thomas·May 22, 2025
government
Party, Purse, Prison? Councilwoman's Indictment Roils Charlotte
Councilwoman Tiawana Brown is facing federal charges tied to COVID relief fraud. Lavish spending and a refusal to resign have left District 3 residents asking, "What now?"
Nell Thomas·May 22, 2025
community
Ballantyne Creek Becomes Biohazard After 1,200-Gallon Spill
After a grease-clogged pipe burst, over 1,200 gallons of sewage spilled into a Ballantyne creek. Nell Thomas digs into what went wrong, and what you can do to help.
Nell Thomas·May 2, 2025
community
Touchdown & TMI: Steve Smith Sr. Sued for Alleged Affair
Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. is being sued in NC under the 'homewrecker' law by a man alleging an affair with his wife, a Ravens band member.
Nell Thomas·May 1, 2025
government
18 Years on the Run Ends in LA: NC Murder Fugitive Finally Captured
He vanished for 18 years, until a fingerprint scan unraveled his secret identity 👀🚔. NC's most-wanted fugitive is finally in custody.
Jack Beckett·Feb 1, 2025