Thursday marks six months since Helene tore through the Carolinas. To honor those lives lost from the tragedy, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein will visit Fairview to commemorate the somber anniversary. 

Today on WCNC Charlotte and WCNC+, we will take a closer look at the rebuilding process already underway across western North Carolina.

MORE NEWS: wcnc.com

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Tariq Bokhari is leaving his role as a member of Charlotte's city council to take on a transit role within President Trump's administration.

Bokhari confirmed details to WCNC Charlotte Tuesday afternoon, saying he will become the deputy administrator for the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA, which falls under the federal Department of Transportation, is largely responsible for awarding grants for transit projects.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/tariq-bokhari-federal-transit-admin-job-3-25-2025/275-56151a10-3e98-4d79-87fa-0a19f9b1fd95

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Though he has said federal funding for student financial aid will not be impacted, Charlotte students and educators are bracing for that to change.

Greater Steps Scholars provides scholarships and mentors for low-income students in subsidized Inlivian housing.  

"A lot of our students would not have been able to go to college. We don't like to take credit for their hard work. All of our students are in school on their own merits," Executive Director Aisha Strothers said. "I don't know many families that can afford college out of pocket without assistance at this time."

They do not get funding from the federal government but help supplement federal programs many of their students rely on, like Pell Grants. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/nc-college-students-fafsa-changes-3-24-2025/275-c8fb67da-659f-417a-bdc8-5abd519b9fe0

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The Charlotte Fire Marshal's Office issued a citywide burn ban in coordination with state officials amid an elevated fire danger across the Carolinas.  

A burn ban was already in effect for all 100 North Carolina counties, but the Charlotte ban includes a restriction on any fires within 100 feet of any occupied dwelling. The order bans all open burning in Charlotte city limits. The combination of low humidity, dry conditions and gusty winds has helped spark numerous wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-north-carolina-citywide-burn-ban-elevated-wildfire-danger/275-7de45db2-52dd-44ef-89d4-34c006277876

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday instructing the Secretary of Education to reduce positions in the department, prompting concerns from federally funded educational programs about their future.

The order, part of Trump's broader effort to reduce the size of the federal education bureaucracy, has raised questions about funding for programs that serve disadvantaged students.

"It's devastating, and I don't think it's going to prepare a progressive workforce," Tamesha Hughes, the founder of Hughes Elite Scholars said. The program is a federally funded non-profit that partners with Upward Bound to help high school students at Ashbrook High School pursue higher education.

Hughes' organization operates on a million-dollar budget from federal sources. "We don't just talk about college; we prepare them for life," Hughes said.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/educators-fear-federal-cuts-students-unprepared/275-50e0b314-2db9-4e29-913f-a29bc8bbe63b 

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While the NCAA Tournament captivates the nation this week, Charlotte is preparing to host another significant collegiate basketball event: the inaugural Black College Invitational Championship (BCIC).

The four-day tournament featuring teams from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) begins Thursday at Bojangles Coliseum, with 16 teams each in both men's and women's brackets competing for the championship title. Charlotte's own Johnson C. Smith University is among the participating schools.

"This is HBCU March Madness," said Dr. Wes Bellamy, organizer of the tournament. "These HBCUs deserve to be able to play postseason basketball."

Bellamy organized the event to showcase HBCU athletic programs on a prominent stage in a major metropolitan area. He explained that the decision to select Charlotte was strategic.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/sports/charlotte-nc-black-college-invitational-championship-3-19-2025/275-d20a307c-b5e4-43cb-9312-86e7c804106b

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U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) and other law enforcement agencies arrested 24 people who were in the country illegally during a Charlotte operation, officials announced Tuesday.  

In a news release, ICE said the operation ran from March 1-8. Charges for those who were arrested include 13 aggravated felonies or other violent offenses, three illegal weapons offenses and one assault on a federal officer. Two of the suspects are affiliated with the MS-13 gang, ICE said. ICE didn't release the names of any of the people who were arrested.  

ICE claims that six of the suspects had active immigration detainers that weren't honored by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. The agency said there are 18 additional suspects still at large who also had detainers that weren't honored. 

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Huntersville leaders are expected to officially decide on the fate of the Birkdale Village expansion on Tuesday night. WCNC Charlotte's Destiny Richards is in Huntersville, breaking down why the proposal has been controversial. 

Supporters of the project are embracing what this expansion could bring to the Huntersville area, while those against it believe it would only mean more overcrowding.

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The future of Bank of America Stadium could take another step forward Monday night as Charlotte City Council considers a rezoning petition tied to planned renovations.

Tepper Sports and Entertainment, which owns the stadium, filed the petition in December to bring the venue into compliance with Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance.  

While the city already approved $650 million for renovations last year, the rezoning petition sheds light on what’s in store for the stadium and the surrounding area.

If approved, the renovations will bring significant changes both inside and outside the stadium. 

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The Office of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis said the number of death threats and disturbances its seen have staff worried about safety.

Local Democratic groups said this is not their intent, that death threats do nothing but hurt their pushes for change.

There have been several protests outside Tillis' office in recent weeks pushing back against President Trump's policies and Elon Musk's position. 

Tillis' office said both the senator and his staff have received a large number of death threats. Something Guilford County's Democratic Party Chair, Kathy Kirkpatrick disagrees with.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/senator-thom-tillis-greensboro-politics-guilford-county-democratic-party-indivisible-protests-rallies-town-halls-north-carolina-trump-musk/83-adf0ea9b-8e3c-4b68-a3ca-149f2bd28e1f 

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.  
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