The Charlotte Ledger

From struggles to strength, this mother and daughter have used their experience to raise awareness for mental health. Haley Weaver, who used to draw as a way to cope with her childhood anxiety, has published an illustrated memoir called “Give Me Space But Don’t Go Far — My Unlikely Friendship with Anxiety.” Her mother, Kate Weaver, closed her portrait photography business after 20 years to volunteer with the Charlotte chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Earlier this year, she was named its first executive director. Together they share their personal stories of what it’s like to live with anxiety, or what Kate described as a “permanent, imperfect roommate.” ??Photo by Ken Garfield ? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eneHrrQm #thecharlotteledger #NAMI #cltledger #cltnews #mentalhealth?

Lawrence Toppman has been reviewing the arts in Charlotte for 40 some odd years. Think some sappy movie is going to bring him to tears? Heck, no. But you know what did? Outer space. Read his compelling take of Blume Studios' virtual reality immersive experience called “Space Explorers: The Infinite.” Here's a taste: I wept. I’d expected other reactions — awe, delight, wonder, slack-jawed stupefaction that makes you glad everyone’s wearing virtual reality goggles and can’t see you — when I attended?“Space Explorers: The Infinite,”?the first immersive event at newly opened Blume Studios. I had all of those feelings. But I hadn’t expected tears. This experience, which takes you aboard and outside the International Space Station with 360-degree clarity, reminded me of the fragile beauty of our blue planet, which we’re slowly turning into an oven. I responded to the kind of cooperation between nations we so seldom see 250 miles below on Earth. As I watched planets and stars dance to the music of the spheres, I realized God or Accident or Whatever You Like created a celestial spectacle we scarcely imagine. -- LT ??Photo courtesy of Blumenthal Arts ? Read the full review here: https://lnkd.in/eT99t8cy #thecharlotteledger #blumenthalarts #cltledger #cltnews #theinfinite

If you're interested in keeping up with Western North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, check out recent editions of The Charlotte Ledger's Mountain Updates newsletter, written by yours truly. It's free to sign up and promises to give you the need-to-know info in a concise, digestible format. Here's today's edition: https://lnkd.in/eV52H6hY Photo details: Black Mountain Presbyterian Church has become a relief hub in the valley. The sanctuary, fellowship hall, narthex, offices and even the bathrooms are full of donated supplies. (Photo courtesy of Black Mountain Presbyterian Church)

As people in the N.C. mountains face new challenges recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, The Charlotte Ledger wants to keep you informed about this vital story playing out just to our west. We have introduced Mountain Updates, a free email newsletter to get you up to speed on the most significant and interesting developments on the severe flooding in Western North Carolina and its aftermath. At a time when there are more sources of information than ever before, Mountain Updates will provide clarity and context for people who want more details about what’s happening — without doom-scrolling through social media or sifting through dozens of websites. We share reliable information from trusted sources. This temporary or “pop-up” newsletter comes out each afternoon. As the situation stabilizes, it will become less frequent. ?? Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr. For more information and to sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eSin4TyB #thecharlotteledger #helene #cltledger #charlottestories

My latest article for The Charlotte Ledger. A Fall Concert Roundup. There's a slew of great shows happening in Charlotte. I hope you can see a bunch of them. Big thanks to Doug Miller for the edit and to Tony Mecia and Cristina Bolling for the opportunity. #queencitymusic #supportlocalvenues

It's 40 Over 40 Friday! Where we celebrate local unsung heroes aged 40+ who are doing great things in our community. This week we are highlighting 2024 winner Angelica Figueroa, business relationship manager at Sharonview Federal Credit Union. Angelica significantly impacts Charlotte through community service, leading financial literacy workshops and supporting various social causes, demonstrating profound commitment and leadership. Subscribe to The Charlotte Ledger today to receive exclusive updates about the 2025 40 Over 40 Awards!

?? On the podcast: Leadership lessons from Hugh McColl ? Hugh McColl Jr., the former chairman and CEO of Bank of America, is a pillar not just of the Charlotte business community but the city itself. ?His work in consolidating the banking industry in the 1980s and 1990s?transformed Charlotte into the financial hub it is today. He was also a part of the group of influential Charlotte leaders that pushed to improve the arts and revitalize uptown, among many other civic projects. In September, McColl, 89, was interviewed in front of an audience at Queens University of Charlotte at an event called “Legacy of Leadership: A Conversation with Hugh McColl.” The Charlotte Ledger received permission from Queens to share the audio of the event on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast. This is a unique opportunity to hear McColl talk about growing up in the small town of Bennettsville, S.C., learning leadership principles in the U.S. Marines, and executing those while building one of the country’s biggest banks. He was interviewed by Will Sparks, who is the Dennis Thompson chair and professor of leadership at the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. McColl spoke on the occasion of the launch of a newly designed MBA program from the McColl School of Business. Find out more at?www.queens.edu/mba. ?? Photo courtesy of Queens University of Charlotte. You can listen to this episode of 'The Charlotte Ledger Podcast' by searching wherever you get your podcasts or right here ??: https://lnkd.in/dVyXc-ZE . . . #thecharlotteledger #ledgerpodcast #charlottenc #cltstories #charlottepodcast

Today's edition of our new Mountain Updates pop-up newsletter is out, with the latest information on the developments in Western North Carolina: ?? Visit North Carolina offers tips on travel —?where is sensible to go, where is not ?? Appalachian State pushes back the restart of classes ?? What the "Waffle House Index" says about the pace of the recovery ?? Route recommendations for travel to Tennessee from NCDOT ?? N.C. deaths linked to the storm hit 100 ?? Mitchell County shows "mountaineer spirit" ?? What the NC DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY says is the best way to help And more. Right now, this newsletter comes out every afternoon. Buncombe County native Lindsey Banks is heading up this effort for us. Today's edition: https://lnkd.in/eFqnRAb5 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eBzqbDy6

Stephany Zamora, a 61-year-old resident of Laguna Beach, California, embarked on a 5,300-mile bus journey across America in 2021 to explore how the growing crisis of trust in media threatens our democracy. Her journey culminated in a one-hour documentary titled "Trustworthy." QCity Metro is hosting a screening of "Trustworthy" in Charlotte on Tuesday (October 8), followed by a community conversation — and you're invited to join! The documentary is nonpartisan and aims to explore how the growing crisis of trust in media threatens our democracy. It explores the role of social media and the influence of other countries on our media. Zamora's documentary is a call to action for us to take responsibility for our media consumption and to take steps to ensure that our media consumption is trustworthy. Details: https://lnkd.in/g-vA4JiQ RSVPs requested (free): https://lnkd.in/gQrFwGAP

The fate of the city of Charlotte’s $25 billion transit plan, which calls for a referendum on raising the Mecklenburg sales tax to pay for rail, buses and road-related projects, rests with others, such as state legislators, county commissioners and voters. City leaders have made some significant steps that materialized last month — such as?buying the tracks for the Red Line?to northern Mecklenburg and?securing the backing?of five of the six Mecklenburg towns. But there’s only so much the city can do. Asked if there is a new timeline for the transit plan, Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles replied: “There is no timeline, because we’re not in charge of that timeline.” Find out more in the latest edition of Transit Time, plus get the lowdown on SouthPark’s plan to launch ?a free Uber-like service that will pick up and drop off people within the area’s business district. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dq7rYnWQ #thecharlotteledger #transittime #cltledger?