Unemployment was down in Mecklenburg County for October. The county’s 5.6 percent jobless rate is seven tenths of a point lower than the month before. It’s down 1.8 percentage points from October of last year.
The North Carolina Commerce Department says unemployment fell in October in 99 of the state’s 100 counties. It remained the same in Graham County in the western part of the state. Graham county also has the highest jobless rate in North Carolina: 11.2 percent. The statewide average unemployment rate in October was 5.5 percent.
Panthers QB Newton In Fair Condition After Uptown Wreck
The Carolina Panthers say Quarterback Cam Newton is in fair condition at Carolinas Medical Center and will spend the night there for observation. Newton was taken to the hospital in an ambulance after he was in a car accident around 12:30 this afternoon.
CMPD says the two car accident was on the South Church Street bridge uptown near Bank of America stadium. The driver of the other car was also taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Photos from the crash scene show Newton’s truck on its side with part of roof of the passenger cab collapsed. Another photo shows Newton smiling after the accident as he propped himself up on his arm.
City, Charlotte Fire Department Did Not Get Permits To Renovate Building
The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Fire Department did not get the necessary permits to renovate a building on North Graham Street. The Charlotte Observer reports that’s despite a former fire department employee and a city council member questioning the building’s safety and whether the city had followed regulations.
Former fire department employee Crystal Eschert says she was fired in September in retaliation for being a whistleblower. The city says she was let go for an offensive Facebook post related to the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Building Education Center
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center plans to build a $100 million medical education center in downtown Winston-Salem. The Winston-Salem Journal reports Wake Forest plans for medical students to start using the building in the summer of 2016. The rest of the complex will house offices, labs and possible retail space.
Wake Forest’s medical school has been in the Bowman Gray building since 1969. Medical School Dean Dr. Edward Abraham says the old building is outdated.
SC Rejects Challenge To Gold Mine Permit
South Carolina environmental regulators have rejected a challenge to a permit for a gold mine in Lancaster County. The State newspaper reports The Sierra Club challenged the permit because it says the $60 million Romarco Minerals has to set aside for possible environmental cleanup isn’t enough. Romarco plans to reopen and expand the Haile gold mine in a rural part of the county.
Wells Fargo Moving Some Jobs To Charlotte
Wells Fargo is moving some legal processing jobs to Charlotte. The Charlotte Business Journal reports San Francisco based Wells Fargo is eliminating 120 positions in Philadelphia in a department that processes outside legal requests for customer records. Some those jobs will move to Arizona.
UNCW Cutting Four Sports Programs
Wilmington is cutting four sports programs. Athletic Director Jimmy Bass says effective next fall, the school will eliminate men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, women’s indoor track and field, and men’s cross country. The school is eliminating four coaching positions as a result.
Interim Chancellor William Sederburg says an analysis of UNCW’s Title Nine (IX) obligations along with financial and facility conditions left the school no choice but to do away with the programs. The school says it will honor scholarship commitments to affected student athletes through their scheduled graduation dates.
Family Of Man Shot And Killed By CMPD In 2012 Sues
The family of a man shot and killed by Charlotte police more than two years ago is suing the city. The Charlotte Observer reports 26-year-old Clay McCall was shot in September of 2012, as he ran at officers with garden shears. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say McCall had a history of mental illness and violence. They say he was agitated, disoriented and uncooperative during the confrontation. The Mecklenburg County district attorney's office says the officer was justified in shooting.
Charlotte attorney Matt Newton, who is Clay McCall’s brother, says McCall was calm and cooperative with police the morning of the shooting and that he was shot even though he posed no threat. Newton’s court filing accuses the officers, Police Chief Rodney Monroe and the city and county governments of wrongful death and negligence.
Council Approves $16 Million For Bojangles Coliseum Renovations
Charlotte City Council Monday night approved $16 million in renovations and upgrades for Bojangles Coliseum. The project includes new seats, an improved scoreboard, and a facelift for the building’s exterior. The Charlotte Checkers hockey team will play its games at the Coliseum starting next fall. The renovations are being funded through hospitality tax money.
SC Approves $12 Million In Reserve Money For South Carolina State University
South Carolina’s financial oversight board yesterday approved giving $12 million in reserve money to South Carolina State University over the next three years. The Budget and Control board voted to take the money from tax collections that came in above expectations.
South Carolina State has had financial problems recently, and some state leaders have questioned the solvency of the historically- black school in Orangeburg. Governor Nikki Haley calls the decision irresponsible, because she says there’s no accountability attached to the money. State lawmakers will ultimately decide whether South Carolina State will have to repay any of the $12 million.