WFAE

01/15/2026

Attorney Faith Fox said the family wants the video to be made public, and for the administrator, who still works at the school, to face consequences.

The mother of a 13-year-old boy is calling on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to release surveillance video that they say shows an administrator at Renaissance West STEAM Academy assaulting her son.

01/14/2026

The Trump administration has told states to stop the long-standing practice of taking Social Security benefit checks from some children and youth in foster care.

There's a growing move to end what some call "the orphan tax" and stop states from taking benefit checks from children and youth in foster care.

01/14/2026

A former information technology employee is suing the town of Mooresville, alleging he was wrongfully terminated after reporting the existence of security footage allegedly showing Mayor Chris Carney walking through the Town Hall hallways late at night without pants on.

01/14/2026

A group of Buddhist monks is walking through the Charlotte area this week as part of a 2,300-mile peace walk from Texas to Washington, D.C.

01/14/2026

A group of Buddhist monks is walking through the Charlotte area this week as part of a 2,300-mile peace walk from Texas to Washington, D.C.

The monks began their journey in October and arrived Tuesday night at Catawba Baptist Church in Rock Hill, where thousands of people gathered to welcome them.

Brandy Williams of Charlotte was among those waiting for the monks’ arrival.

“I really want the world to be in a better place,” Williams said. “I just want to walk and just be in their path to receive their blessing and be a part of the peace walk.”

The monks are expected to stay overnight in Charlotte on Wednesday before continuing the next leg of their journey north.

Organizers say the walk is meant to promote peace, mindfulness and compassion amid ongoing global conflict.

WFAE will be following the monks in Charlotte on Wednesday.

📝: Julian Berger
📸: Julian Berger

01/14/2026

🗳️ Meet the candidates for Mecklenburg County sheriff

In partnership with the League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, WFAE will host a candidate forum at the WFAE Center for Civic & Community Engagement in uptown Charlotte. The forum will also be livestreamed.

Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins will moderate the discussion.

🗓️ Tuesday, Feb. 3
🚪 Doors open at 6 p.m.
🕖 Forum begins at 7 p.m.

All four candidates are Democrats and will compete in the Democratic primary on March 3:

• Garry McFadden, incumbent, seeking a third term
• Rodney Collins, retired chief deputy with 30 years at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
• Antwain Nance, former Mecklenburg County Detention Center officer
• Ricky Robbins, retired CMPD sergeant with more than 30 years of experience

🎟️ Tickets are available at WFAE.org, or watch the forum live via our livestream.

01/14/2026

Mecklenburg County is seeing a sharp increase in vaccine-preventable diseases as childhood vaccination rates decline and more families claim exemptions, county health officials said Tuesday.

01/14/2026

At the first Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board meeting of the new year, the board’s newest members acknowledged recent glitches with the district’s school choice lottery system.

New board members Charlitta Hatch, Anna London, Shamaiye Haynes and Cynthia Stone all called for improved communication with families after a series of glitches caused frustration for parents who participated in the lottery last week. London said she’d continue to escalate concerns and push for better communication with families.

“Families do deserve transparency that builds trust; they deserve systems that work consistently, not just in moments of calm but especially in moments of challenge,” London said.

Hatch said she understood the lottery was “deeply personal” and that “when something doesn’t go as expected, it creates stress and uncertainty.”

Full story: WFAE.org
📝: James Farrel
📸: WFAE

01/14/2026

Listen to today's NewsWorthy: Gov. Josh Stein is imploring state lawmakers to pass a budget. A Superior Court judge will consider the petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden. Elon University will open a full-time law school on the Queens University campus. A group of Buddhist monks walking the country for peace have reached Rock Hill.

Gov. Josh Stein is imploring state lawmakers to pass a budget. A Superior Court judge will consider the petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden. Elon University will open a full-time law school on the Queens University campus. A group of Buddhist monks walking the country for pe...

01/14/2026

With another shutdown looming and new federal guidelines, what to expect in North Carolina as Congress returns to session

01/14/2026

Over the weekend, Grateful Dead fans the world over mourned the loss of an icon: Bob Weir, guitarist and founding member, had died at 78, leaving listeners and collaborators caught off-guard. Since the 1995 death of lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia, Weir had been dedicated to carrying on the band's legacy by way of various projects, presenting Dead songs in new configurations to audiences big and small.

The Grammy winner and Blue Note label head recalls the unique challenges and rewards he faced when the late Bob Weir recruited him for an intimate new project in 2018.

01/14/2026

Elon University said Tuesday that it has applied to the American Bar Association for approval to launch a full-time, 2.5-year law school in Charlotte, in addition to its existing four-year, part-time program in Charlotte and another full-time law program in Greensboro.

Elon University announced Tuesday it applied to the American Bar Association for approval to launch a full-time, 2.5-year juris doctor law school in Charlotte.