Go vote!

If you're up for a bit of rabble rabble and marching, there's also a march today.

Grainy from distance and old phone but thought it looked kinda cool with the mono filter.

Saw the hiring announcement on my kiddos school page and thought I would share. There are 3 more hiring events this year. I read somewhere that there are about 100 openings for bus drivers.

Application page:

https://www.cmsk12.org/operations/transportation-services/become-a-driver

Felt like 2am real fast

Hi. Long story short I am 46 and in surgically induced menopause. I also have a pituitary tumor. Both of these things cause weight gain. I just moved to Charlotte and I am looking for unique fitness classes that are ok with a fatty just starting out. I am interested in martial arts, dance, anything that isn't just running on a treadmill.

Gotta love this side of town. So wholesome in a way.

**its hard for me to wrap my head around standing outside for hours to buy...groceries.

For the NY transplants though--- its a big deal. I get it. Happy for them!

hey everyone! Starting today, I’ll be longboarding around the Ballantyne area. If anyone ever wants to join me for a ride, you’re more than welcome!

I’ve been thinking about exploring the Waverly area. I’ve noticed it tends to be pretty quiet after 4 PM, with very little traffic. The pavement is also nice and flat, and there are some decent turns to ride through.

If anyone’s interested in joining for a ride sometime, feel free to reach out!

Looking for a good bowl of random stuff that is delicious, grains/protein/veggies/amazing sauce/etc

I moved here from a small town in Indiana about two years ago, and I’ve realized I keep going to the same handful of places. This fall I’m making a real effort to get out and actually explore.

What would you send a friend to?

• A local restaurant (no chains)
• A bar or brewery with a good vibe for meeting people
• Something fun to do on a weeknight
• A gym, class or run club that’s welcoming if you show up alone
• A hidden gem or a spot that just opened

Full disclosure: I make short videos about Charlotte spots, so some of these might end up in one. Not posting any links here, I just want the locals’ list. I’ll come back and report on what I try.

The hot topic at my office today has been this huge crane at the baseball stadium. After some googling, we figured out that they are setting up for a Charlotte symphony orchestra concert (and some of that will probably stay for Light the Knights). But none of us can figure out why they need this huge, at least mid-rise building sized crane. It’s been out there all day and we haven’t seen it actually lift anything.

Feels like ninety degree today.

Has anybody had any luck getting into a show at the Evening Muse on the day of the show when it is sold out?

The late show on Friday night is sold out on Eventbrite, but I was curious if they still allow purchase at the door on the day of the show.

Good Day Charlotte Magic Community!

I have the pleasure of having met many of you through my events at Protagonist Beer, or through the greater Charlotte magic community.

I am here today to ask this community to show up and support an amazing charity event on Oct. 28th (2 weeks!!!) At Wooden Robot Brewery.

I have been asked to co-host the event with some very good friends and huge supporters of this community and I am hoping to see an amazing turnout.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Deen9O0xlKI/?dlrf=MTFlM3BubHA0M2ljNg==

Dan Wade Memorial MTG tournament | Cosmic Hearth Games

https://www.cosmichearthgames.com/product/dan-wade-memorial-mtg-tournament/GMCBPX2KJKU4PPIGTX3IGROS?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=true

Tuesday night's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education meeting (video) was the first regular meeting since the board voted 5-4 on Sept. 22 to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill. It also came after the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed an investigation involving the district, and the State Auditor's Office said it is looking at financial irregularities. Here is what named outlets reported.

The public comment period

WCCB reported that more than 50 people signed up to speak. Several asked the five members who voted to fire Hill (Stephanie Sneed, Shamaiye Haynes, Dee Rankin, Liz Monterrey Duvall and Charlitta Hatch) to resign. A parent who started an online petition to that effect read from it; WCCB, Queen City News and WCNC put its signatures above 1,000, and the Charlotte Observer reported more than 1,500 across two petitions.

Other speakers took a different view. WCCB reported that some asked the public to wait for the FBI, SBI, state auditor and DPI reviews to finish, and one speaker rejected the calls for Sneed to step down. Some questioned the $379,000-plus spent on the investigation of Hill; WCCB also reported the district owes Hill a year of pay because she was fired without cause.

What board members said

Sneed, who stepped down as chair on Sept. 22 but kept her District 4 seat, told the board she has faced "threats against my safety." Per the Observer, she added that "an investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing. An allegation is not a verdict," and said her "work for the community cannot be erased."

Haynes said she will stay on the board. Vice Chair Monterrey Duvall apologized "to our CMS staff, educators, families and communities for how the events of the past several weeks have unfolded," and called the investigations "the elephant in the room," saying they should be allowed to play out.

Chair Rankin spoke about the 18-page report on the summer investigation of Hill, which the board released Sept. 22 and tabled for further discussion. You can read the public report itself (the Sept. 24 revision, on the board's Diligent site). According to the Observer, Rankin said the board is taking its recommendations seriously and has formed a working group to carry them out. He named conflicts of interest in contracting, workplace culture, a way for staff to raise concerns, and how vacancies and reassignments are handled as the focus, and said a public work session is planned.

What comes next

Acting Superintendent Melissa Balknight has agreed to stay until a permanent superintendent is hired, announced Oct. 8. WCCB called forming a search committee the board's next big task.

The search itself got its start at the board's Sept. 29 special meeting, where the board voted 6-2 to approve a charter for a superintendent search ad hoc committee. WFAE reported that Witherspoon and Hatch voted no. What the charter and the meeting show:

• The committee is an advisory panel: four board members appointed by the chair, with the chair also a voting member. It oversees the selection and hiring process, meets in closed session to the extent North Carolina law allows, and dissolves once the board approves a superintendent's contract. The chair sets the meeting schedule and publishes it on Diligent and the board's web page. (charter)
• At the meeting, several members called it a first step, not a decision. Lenora Shipp said "this is a process, not an event." Monterrey Duvall said no superintendent has been picked or discussed. Rankin said the board plans to involve the community, staff, students and families.
• Witherspoon said he wasn't clear about the process and that moving now "signals the wrong thing to the community" so soon after Hill's firing. Hatch supported creating the committee but said the board should also say how it will address its own governance and policies, and asked whether the charter should cover that. Rankin said that work is separate from the search committee, that hiring is "far down the line," and that he would commit as chair to getting the board's own work done with everyone's commitment.
• Rankin has said the board will likely hire an outside search firm; WSOC reported it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Not reported yet

No outlet has reported what happened with the Runnvation LLC invoice. WFAE said before the meeting that it had gone from the consent agenda to the action list and then back to consent, and the board's posted agenda lists it as consent item 2.J. The board's video shows the consent agenda was approved after a member raised a point of order about whether everyone had the updated list, but it does not name the individual items, so I can't say how members voted on that invoice. On the Hill report, the video shows the board took no vote; a statement was read and the item closed. Official minutes have not been posted yet.

Sources

• CMS Board of Education: Business Meeting video, Oct. 13, 2026 (YouTube, @cmsboe)
• CMS Board of Education: Special Meeting video, Sept. 29, 2026 (YouTube, @cmsboe)
• CMS Board of Education: Charter for Superintendent Search Committee (Sept. 29)
• CMS Board of Education: Public Report Regarding Superintendent Investigation (Sept. 24 revision)
• Charlotte Observer: Sneed defends choices, reports threats
• WCCB: Community members voice concerns at CMS board meeting
• Queen City News: CMS board faces calls to step down amid multiple investigations
• WCNC: CMS parents demand accountability after Dr. Crystal Hill's termination
• WFAE: Does this unpaid invoice reveal more financial issues at CMS?
• WFAE: A divided school board begins search for new CMS superintendent
• WSOC: CMS board approves advisory panel for superintendent search

Subject: LOCAL CONSUMER ALERT: Ticketmaster quietly blocking Ed Sheeran refunds after lineup collapse ($465 dispute)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ticketmaster Accused of "Running Out the Clock" on Ed Sheeran Fans Following Total Lineup Collapse

Consumer files formal complaints with NC and CA Attorneys General after ticketing giant quietly cuts off refunds for altered "Loop Tour" without notifying ticket holders.

October 13, 2026  — Following the highly publicized backstage drama where all original opening acts abruptly quit Ed Sheeran’s "Loop Tour," a major consumer protection battle is brewing over how Ticketmaster is handling ticket holders left holding the bag.

A local consumer has come forward to expose what they call predatory, deceptive, and unfair business practices by the ticketing monopoly, which is allegedly trapping fans in a $465.80 dispute by using a "secret" deadline to deny refunds.

After multiple attempts to resolve the issue starting October 3, Ticketmaster informed the consumer that refunds are being denied because an unannounced "refund window" closed on September 30. Crucially, Ticketmaster never sent an email, app notification, or alert to ticket holders warning them that this window existed or was closing. When pressed on why consumers were kept completely in the dark, Ticketmaster has repeatedly stonewalled the customer using automated, canned replies.

"Ticketmaster shouldn’t be allowed to quietly run out the clock on fans who paid hard-earned money for a lineup that no longer exists," the consumer stated. "They are actively hiding the mechanisms for refunds to protect their bottom line at the expense of everyday music fans."

The issue has already escalated to state regulators. Formal consumer protection complaints have been officially filed with both the North Carolina Attorney General’s office and the California Attorney General’s office.

This is not the first time the "Loop Tour" ticketing practices have faced government scrutiny. In Massachusetts, overwhelming consumer pressure forced the state Attorney General to intervene, successfully securing full refunds for affected fans. This precedent raises a critical consumer equity question: why are concertgoers in other states being denied the exact same baseline protections?

The consumer has retained complete copies of all digital correspondence, automated rejections from Ticketmaster, and timestamped proofs of their Attorney General complaints. They are currently available for on-camera or phone interviews to expose this lack of corporate transparency and help warn other local ticket holders.

Vote AGAINST all three!

Income tax cap: Lowers the existing cap from 7 to 3.5 percent

• It is not a tax cut. It applies to both the corporate and personal rate. Both rates are already scheduled to be below 3.5 percent next year.
• The NC General Assembly has been cutting income taxes for 13 years. This has disproportionately benefitted large corporations and those with high incomes.
• State revenue is falling as our population and costs grow. This is unsustainable and has led to underfunding of services and programs, and local governments paying for what are supposed to be state costs.
• Income tax cuts lead to increases in fees and sales taxes, and cuts to services.
• The income tax amendment would lock us into this situation effectively permanently.
• NC has never had a rate this low, and it will be locked into the constitution. This leaves the state unprepared for economic downturns and unforeseen circumstances like natural disasters.

Property Tax Levy Limit: Caps what local governments can collect, NOT your bill

• It is not a cap on an individual’s property tax bill. It is a cap on the total revenue a local government can collect in property taxes.
• State lawmakers already have the power to set a levy limit. Don’t need a constitutional amendment.
• Increasingly, local governments have been taking on costs that are supposed to be covered by the state and/or federal government. This amendment is likely to lead to service cuts as local governments struggle with state and local revenue constraints.
• It does not address housing unaffordability and would disproportionately benefit large corporate landowners like tech companies and corporate landlords.
• What the limit would be and how it would be derived is not public.

Before voting, consider the impact these amendments will have on your community:

• Who would benefit from these changes and who would be negatively impacted?
• What would these amendments mean for the funding of quality of life services my family and community rely on, like emergency services, community centers, libraries, public schools, water and sanitation…?
• How would these revenue constraints impact the ability of the state and local governments to provide services for a growing or aging population and respond to natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances in the future, especially as costs rise?
• What are specific projects prioritized by our community that are most at risk for delay or cancellation if state funding is uncertain and local government cannot collect sufficient revenue from property taxes to supplement decreases in state investment? 
• How have state and federal funding levels changed over the last 5-10 years? What state funding responsibilities has my local government taken on over that same period?
• What specific funding shortfalls are we experiencing now,

including staffing shortages, school closures, or services interruptions?

• What are the other methods of generating revenue if income tax and property tax revenue is constrained. Will our locality be forced to rely more on unpopular fees?

Learn More:

• https://ncvoteagainst.org
•  https://ncvoteagainst.org/faq
• https://ncbudget.org/amendments/
• https://nchousing.org/no-real-relief-levy-limit-will-reduce-county-budgets-by-hundreds-of-millions-without-helping-homeowners/

NC Budget & Tax is hosting a webinar on 10/15 at 6pm. RSVP here: https://secure.everyaction.com/WC2gye__WEecipXZrtMWBg2