WFAE Local Content

Lake Norman is looking more colorful these days. Bright green, deep red and milky blue algae is blooming in northern parts of the lake — but these bright colors don’t bring good news.

Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown and her two adult daughters were indicted in May. The U.S. Attorney's Office says the women fraudulently obtained $124,000 in COVID-relief loans.

The long-discussed transit plan may be coming to a ballot near you. The referendum for a one-cent sales tax for transit has one more hurdle to clear: the Mecklenburg County Commission. If they say yes, you’ll be asked to vote on it in November. But not everyone is on board for what has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We’ll talk about pros and cons.

California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newson is touring right-leaning counties in South Carolina on Tuesday and Wednesday, part of an effort to reach out to voters ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

The Charlotte Area Transit System has shut down the North Mecklenburg Village Rider and the Davidson Shuttle as it transitions those areas to CATS Micro, the on-demand public shared ride service. CATS is offering a second round of free rides on Micro through July 13. This is the first of 19 total microtransit zones planned for the county.

Central Piedmont Community College has received a $474,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand its Artificial Intelligence (AI) associate degree program, a step the college says will help meet Charlotte's growing demand for AI-skilled workers. CPCC says AI roles are growing in Charlotte at twice the national average.

Gov. Josh Stein is scheduled to visit Alamance County on Tuesday morning to survey damage from Tropical Storm Chantal.

Mosquito-eating bats eat nearly their entire body weight in insects every night, but bats are under threat of extinction. We look at efforts to reverse the trend.

CMPD arrests 15, seizes 10 guns on July 4. Johnson C. Smith University placed on probation by its accrediting agency. Monroe Mayor Robert Burns faces a no-confidence vote. CATS begins transitioning to CATS Micro in North Mecklenburg County. The rise and fall of Tiawana Brown.

A state investigation. Ethics complaints. And a sudden resignation. Greensboro City Council has a lot on its plate ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

In North Carolina, Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is likely to have a big impact on everything from Medicaid expansion and food stamps to the 2026 Senate election and state politics. NC Newsroom's Adam Wagner joined WFAE's Marshall Terry to discuss.

Charlotte's Johnson C. Smith University has been placed on probation by its accrediting agency, citing concerns over the school’s financial oversight.