Charlotte city leaders disappointed with Visitor's Authority

Submitted by Dedrick Russell on Thursday, May 16th, 7:09 pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Charlotte city council members are disappointed at Charlotte Regional Authority (CRVA) CEO's presentation about the economic impact the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball tournament had on Charlotte this year.

The tournament happened back in March and still no numbers to reflect how the city profited.

CRVA CEO Tom Murray says it's taking longer because a third party is helping to crunch the numbers.

"We're having our work analyzed and blessed," Murray said. "By the economic organization that did the Democratic National Convention study."

Members of the city's Economic Development Committee clam by now they would have had a full breakdown of how the CIAA did, not a one page sheet paper of information that was handed to them at Thursday's meeting.

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Mecklenburg Co. announces new DSS director

Submitted by Nick Needham on Thursday, May 16th, 5:48 pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Mecklenburg County has a new director for the Department of Social Services.

Interim County Manager Bobbie Shields announced that Peggy Eagan will start as director on June 17.

"I have an entire process that I'll put in place to assess every nook and cranny of DSS" Eagan says. "I believe in effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and accountability and I will apply those across the board in all five divisions I will be responsible for."

Mecklenburg County DSS has a budget of more than $161M; with 1,200 workers, and 256,000 people receiving service of some sort.

Eagan, a licensed social worker with 30 years experience, will make $158,000 a year, and oversee Public Assistance programs; Services for seniors and adults with disabilities; protective services for children and adults.

The county wants her to form a new organizational model for Human Services.

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PPP Poll: Majority of county voters support decision to fire Harry Jones

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 2:31pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- A new Public Policy Polling survey of Mecklenburg County voters finds that Commission Chair Pat Cotham is quite popular with voters in the county, and that they support the board's decision to end County Manager Harry Jones' employment last week.

The PPP Poll was released on Thursday and interviewed the respondents on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Key findings from the poll include:

-46% percent of voters in the county approve of the job Cotham is doing to just 26 percent who disapprove. Cotham is drawing support across party lines for her leadership. Democrats approve of her by a 50/23 margin, independents do so by a 43/29 spread, and Republicans do 42/28. Cotham has solid personal favorability numbers as well at 42/25.

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Severe weather spotter training classes offered

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Thursday, May 16th, 2013, 12:05pm

Severe weather spotter training classes offered

Severe weather season is underway in the Carolinas and the National Weather Service is looking to train severe weather spotters in our area.

The first of two classes in our area will be offered Thursday evening, May 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Iredell County Agriculture Center. Classes are about two hours long and covers the basics of thunderstorm development, fundamentals of storm structure and how to identify potential severe weather features.

The class is free, but you will need to register by calling 704-878-5097. For directions and more information, click here.

The next class will be offered in Union, SC on Tuesday, May 21st.

For more information on the SKYWARN program, click here.

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Police looking for man who robbed bank, credit union

Submitted by John Cominsky on Wednesday, May 15th, 8:26 pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Authorities in Charlotte are looking for a man they say robbed a local bank and a local credit union, one while dressed as a woman, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

The first robbery happened May 9, at the State Employees Credit Union around 4:30 p.m.

Police say a man, dressed as a woman, handed the teller a note demanding money. He was given the money and left the scene.

In the first robbery the man was wearing a black dress with white polka dots, a black curly wig, pink bedroom slippers, and dark colored socks.

The second robbery occurred May 15, at the SunTrust Bank on Galleria Boulevard at approximately 2:15 p.m.. Officials say the robber passed the teller a note demanding money, received an undisclosed amount of money and ran away from the scene.

In the second robbery, he wore khaki pants, a white t-shirt, a brown baseball hat, and workman's boots.

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Forbes names Charlotte #8 on its Best Big Cities for Jobs list

Submitted by Melissa Hankins

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013, 6:44pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- When a community is rocked by recession - and as a bank town, we certainly were - recovery feels tedious.

But over the past few years, the jobs have been trickling back to Charlotte.

And now Forbes Magazine is patting us on the back for it, naming us number 8 on its list of Best Cities for Jobs.

A bout of hiring happening now is making Charlotte more diverse than it's ever been.

Insurance giant Metlife says it will add 1300 jobs to the marketplace.

Chamber of Commerce folks have been recruiting in China - the effort is working.

The largest IT firm in China - Pactera - just said it will hire 200 in Charlotte.

Since 2009, virtually every business sector here has been on the rebound.
And the evidence is finally surfacing.

At a job fair earlier this month, hundreds of jobs up were up for grabs at companies like Time Warner Cable, GE, and Verizon.

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Foxx to appear before Senate committee for DOT gig next week

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013, 4:32pm

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx is set to take questions during his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Transportation position next Wednesday, May 22nd.

Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV, head of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.

The full committee hearing is slated to start at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The list of senators slated to question Foxx include South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. No North Carolina senators are on the list.

Foxx has meetings scheduled with several members of the committee ahead of the hearings this week in Washington.

President Obama nominated Foxx to head the DOT last month.

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