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This week's show includes archival tape that involves Steve Smith and former Panthers backup quarterback Josh McCown. Greg and Ben also debate the Panthers' decision to cut Smith.

In more important matters, Greg, Lisa and Ben discuss the challenges that some immigrants have in paying for college, and why a solar energy idea was shelved.

Major construction of bridges and tracks for the blue line light rail extension will begin in the next few months. And with that, be ready to spend more time in traffic. Charlotte Area Transit System officials announced Friday that it's making a map available to give commuters a heads up on road and lane closures and turning restrictions during construction.

Google is still considering if it will bringing its ultra-high speed internet to cities like Charlotte. But if you don’t want to wait, you may not have to. This week, a small North Carolina Company announced it has already built a similar fiber optic network across the entire state. The company is called RST Fiber and we take a look at what they offer and one of the men behind it.

Duke Energy has announced plans to close many coal ash ponds across the state, including at the Riverbend Steam Station on Mountain Island Lake, after at least 30,000 tons of the toxic byproduct from burning coal spilled into the Dan River last month. City officials say Duke and another company have proposed that the airport use the ash.

The Panthers made it official Thursday, parting ways with the best player in franchise history when they released longtime receiver Steve Smith.

The Panthers made the announcement in a press release and are not expected to hold a press conference.

New leadership and a surprise merger of sorts. No we’re not talking about the latest on Chiquita banana.  In this installment of our Thursday political conversation Morning Edition host Kevin Kniestedt and WFAE's Tom Bullock talk about a week of good and bad news for the North Carolina Democratic Party. 

College is hard for many students and families to afford. But take federal financial aid out of the picture, plus in-state rates for public colleges and paying for school becomes nearly impossible. That’s the challenge for students in North Carolina who are here illegally or have deferred status. Some private colleges in the Charlotte area are reaching out to these students. 

A close vote that narrowly gave the state Department of Transportation approval to put up a noise wall along I-277 is now under review. 

Davidson-based nonprofit E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide) was founded in early 2013 to put computers in the hands of Davidson Elementary School students whose families could not afford them. One year, thousands of donated dollars, and hundreds of laptops later, the organization has nearly achieved that goal – in both Davidson and Cornelius. And co-founder Pat Millen is thinking even bigger – ending the digital divide throughout Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.