704 Unfiltered

The U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert says he believes delivery of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be able to start Sept. 20 for Americans who received Pfizer doses, while Moderna’s may end up rolling out a couple weeks later.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that it is still the Biden administration’s plan “in some respects” to begin the third doses the week of Sept. 20, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/us-hopes-start-covid-boosters-sept-20/507-6b66a29d-4d83-4439-90b0-0da3108b7892

Authorities are continuing to investigate after an officer-involved shooting was reported on Sunday, Sept. 5, in Conover. 

According to a news release from the Conover Police Department, officers responded to the 300 block of 4th Avenue NW for a call about a "family matter" involving an 80-year-old father and his 50-year-old son, Clegg Johnson. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/officer-involved-shooting-conover-north-carolina/275-919f0dcc-7022-492d-973f-0ac397abbeb0

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Another Fort Mill school is transitioning to remote learning due to COVID-19 cases, the district announced Thursday. 

Pleasant Knoll Middle School will go remote for all students beginning Friday, Sept. 3 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases that indicate community spread within the school. Students will remain in virtual learning for 14 days, which is the recommendation by South Carolina health officials. Students will return to in-person learning on Friday, Sept. 17. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/pleasant-knoll-middle-school-fort-mill-virtual-learning-covid-community-spread/275-3fdc1b6a-68de-486f-97af-3c024c83d5d9 

The 2021 Cabarrus County Fair was canceled Thursday due to rising cases of COVID-19 and low vaccination rates across the county, officials said. 

The decision to cancel the fair, which was scheduled to run from Sept. 10-18, was made with public health and emergency management officials. This is the second cancellation since the fair began in 1953. In addition to canceling the fair, Cabarrus County officials have reinstituted mask requirements for staff and visitors at all county facilities. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/cabarrus-county-fair-canceled-coronavirus-rising-cases-vaccination-rate/275-db3e9df4-1349-4dd8-b11a-7991c63c661f

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Starting Thursday, an Iredell-Stateville middle school is going completely virtual after over half the student body was forced to quarantine. 

The district said nearly 60% of students at East Iredell Middle are sick or may have been exposed to COVID-19. 

The latest on schools and COVID-19: 

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/masks-in-schools-north-carolina-districts-discussing-mandate/275-c1933ffd-836e-4f52-86ca-69eae948f0c3

There's a new push to ensure safety at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. The school district announcing students will soon be checked for weapons. 

On Monday, families were notified that safety screenings will be resuming via phone and email. 

This after CMPD and school officers responded to four serious crimes involving guns, during the first week of school.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-will-soon-check-students-for-weapons-after-incident-during-first-week-of-school/275-90861858-25a5-456d-95a5-73f0ba2cf325

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

 The Education Department announced Monday that it’s investigating five Republican-led states that have banned mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Those states have barred schools from requiring masks among all students and staff, a move that the department says could prevent some students from safely attending school.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/statewide-school-mask-bans-prompt-federal-civil-rights-inquiries/507-33d63a38-4a6e-4d7b-8066-ee13513a0d13

South Carolina students have completed two weeks of school now, and since day one, there have been thousands of students just in the greater Charlotte area alone that have tested positive or been forced to quarantine.

It has been a rough start to the year here in Fort Mill -- they’ve had classes quarantine, an entire school go virtual. Some of the parents of kids in those classes tell WCNC Charlotte they're concerned about what the future holds. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/fort-mill-school-district-parents-concerned-covid-19/275-d9c1b570-2d6f-4340-b45d-5a9c25ec7b01

The United States ended its nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan Monday and the Department of Defense has released the name of the final service member to step foot off Afghan soil.

Hours ahead of President Joe Biden's Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the U.S. war, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants. 

The demand for COVID-19 testing has skyrocketed. Not only because cases are rising and more people are experiencing symptoms, but because many places are requiring proof of a negative test.

At this point of the pandemic, the workers at StarMed's Tuckaseegee Road location have COVID-19 testing down to a science. They've been nonstop -- compared to just a month ago, there are four times as many people getting tested each day.

The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Roughly 3.5 million people in the United States said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to Census Bureau data from early August.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/supreme-court-allows-evictions-to-resume/507-ca551121-96f9-4b62-a67a-11de42277fb7 

Federal aviation officials fined a woman $17,000 for drinking alcohol not served by the airline, vaping and refusing to wear a mask on a flight from Florida to North Carolina.

The Federal Administration Administration said the woman on a Republic Airways flight in February was drinking alcohol that wasn’t served by the airline, interfering with crew members, trying to use a vape pen and was not complying with the federal face mask mandate.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/passenger-clt-fined-17000-airline-faa-travel-charlotte-north-carolina-key-west-florida/275-e6122be4-20d4-49b3-a8dd-10471e979780

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

 Forest Creek Middle School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, will transition to remote learning for all face-to-face students due to a rise in COVID-19 cases within the school. 

All students will remain in virtual learning for 14 days, as recommended by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Students will return to in-person learning on Thursday, Sept. 9. All afterschool activities, sports, and clubs are canceled during that 14-day period. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/forest-creek-middle-school-fort-mill-south-carolina-remote-learning-covid/275-87e9d98b-d4f5-4a95-b991-31ef2dc6c90c

he town of Blowing Rock in North Carolina is putting a mask mandate in place. It will go into effect on Friday at 5 p.m.

Under the new mask mandate, face coverings will be required while indoors in any public space in the town. 

Nearby, Boone put a similar rule into place a few weeks ago. Boone was among the first in the state to re-implement a mask mandate; Boone's Mayor announced the state of emergency and indoor mask mandate back on Aug. 6. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/blowing-rock-mask-mandate/275-b37abb75-ed96-4458-a804-c8f2e676cba9

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

The Lancaster County community mourning the loss of their own after beloved paramedic Richard Mckinney passed away after battling COVID-19.

Family and friends said McKinney, an 8-year veteran with Lancaster County EMS first got the virus at the start of August, then days later his symptoms became so severe he had to be hospitalized and placed on a ventilator.

“It’s serious and anybody can get it," said community member Deidrea Hall. "He’s an EMS so he knew how to protect and everything but he still caught it and paid the price.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county-paramedic-dies-after-battle-with-covid-19-richard-mckinney/275-80391641-cc39-4945-9bce-20509ff90f62

A new vaccine incentive program is taking shape in Gaston County, county leaders confirmed Tuesday. 

The incentives come as the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread across the Carolinas. In an effort to keep county employees safe, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to provide $250 to any Gaston County employee vaccinated by Oct. 15. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/gaston-county-vaccine-incentives-employees/275-c3b1e1e1-a220-4e57-bc84-7886b6f92394

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Rock Hill Schools Superintendent Bill Cook is stepping down from his position. He made the announcement at the Rock Hill Schools Board meeting Monday night. The board voted to authorize his recognition, releasing him from his contract.

"After careful and prayerful reflection, I have decided that it is time for a transition for me personally and professionally," Cook said at the meeting. 

Cook said his time with the district and his three years as superintendent has been the highlight of his career, and he has mixed emotions about stepping down. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/rock-hill-schools-superintendent-resign/275-f5010a95-64ef-4683-a2a4-5004dbff86dc

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she hopes to keep employees working and able to serve the community in a safe way. 

It's why city employees will soon get paid $250 if they've been fully vaccinated or get a vaccination by Sept. 30. If 75% of the city's workforce is vaccinated by that date, all inoculated employees would get an additional $250.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/city-charlotte-vaccine-incentives/275-9123cb99-6328-4ca1-bcea-b9d77e9330af

A handful of LGBTQ pride events in Charlotte will now move from their original August dates to later ones in the fall.

Charlotte Pride announced the change for three of their events on Monday, saying they want to give people more time to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Concerns around COVID-19 surges, especially the delta variant, are a primary part of the rescheduling. However, organizers say a previous structuring of the events into a four-month-long Pride Season allowed them this flexibility.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-pride-events-postponed-covid-19-lgbtq/275-2c3b7f21-494a-406d-91d7-7c6a5cdd6981

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Thousands of North Carolina students will return to school this week, but the Charlotte Mecklenburg Association of Educators, or CMAE, said the state’s teachers aren’t being paid enough.

On Sunday, CMAE held a press conference and said there’s a teacher shortage that will get worse unless the state raises salaries. The group says data collected by the US Department of Education warns of math, special ed, and elementary teacher shortages, adding that North Carolina teachers are some of the lowest paid in the country.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/cmae-seeking-salary-raise-ahead-school-year/275-581eed77-8227-46eb-9c65-a9bb7f4a0bb2

Fort Worth-based American Airlines is among the six commercial carriers being enlisted to help with the evacuation of Afghanistan refugees.

In a statement on Sunday, American said it would be ready within 24 hours to send three widebody aircraft to military bases and "other secure transit points" on the Arabian Peninsula and in Europe.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/american-airlines-six-dfw-commercial-carriers-enlisted-to-help-with-afghanistan-evacuation/287-5c4b5555-14fe-4259-8d8b-7d0e4102bb63

 The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners recently voted in favor of enacting a county-wide mask mandate that will be effective on Aug. 28, 2021. Notably, Health Director Gibbie Harris said private schools will also need to follow the mandate.

However, the superintendent of at least one private school system in the county says they're exempt, despite what Harris said verbally.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/mecklenburg-area-catholic-schools-mas-policy-letter/275-ea2d81cd-228e-463c-b638-c3630087f7e9

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

The COVID-19 vaccines have been incredibly effective at keeping people out of the hospital. 

So why do we need a third dose? Let's connect the dots. 

Boosters are pretty common when it comes to vaccines. For example, tetanus shots require a booster every 10 years.

That's because, over time, the immunity you get from some vaccines starts to wear off.  

 A Rowan County Fire Department is temporarily shutting down after multiple reported COVID-19 cases within the department's staff.  

Operations were suspended starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and fire officials believe operations should resume Aug. 26, if isolation requirements and recovery for staff are met.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/landis-fire-department-temporarily-shut-down-covid-19/275-ec776e28-4187-4fce-a839-8ac7bb414e8a

The Clover School District announced it will change start times for middle and high school students after buses were overcrowded during the first week of school. 

The district said that over 1,000 additional students who weren't registered rose the buses to school Monday. Now, middle schools will start at 8 a.m., while high school students will start at 9 a.m. each day. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/overcrowded-school-buses-clover-south-carolina-district-changes/275-ed21375b-7a1c-4ca4-8737-4d71e3288cd6

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!