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Fire crews in McDowell County are working to contain two fires early Friday morning.

As of the 5:30 a.m. update Friday, officials confirmed fire crews had made good progress on the Crooked Creek fire and North Fork fire.  In a previous update, the McDowell County Emergency Management Administration said the Crooked Creek near Old Fort had spread to 200 acres and was 15% contained. The 5:30 a.m. update did not contain acreage and containment numbers, but officials said officials are working to get updated information.  

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/wildfire-mcdowell-conty-north-carolina/275-4b362012-e151-4505-86f0-5eaa8afa6971

PLUS: American Airlines flight 5342 midair crash | The latest here: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/national/all-flights-halted-at-reagan-national-airport-due-to-plane-crash-potomac-river-dc/65-e2090f2d-0bca-4a4c-944c-215a6398a52d

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education leaders voted to raise the district's minimum wage for staff.  

With the board's approval on Tuesday, some of the changes will start in February.

The vote comes after the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district worked with the firm Hurd Isenhour Lopes (HIL) Consultants in fall of 2023, having a compensation review for classified pay grades 1 through 9. This review looked at pay for both hourly and salaried employees across 390 different classified job titles across the different pay grades. The district said compensation for certified employees -- like teachers -- were not included in the study.  

The changes will be made during multiple phases over a several-year span, pending funding. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-vote-minimum-wage-increase/275-1b302d2c-f788-41c2-b9e5-ec28868ddd2a

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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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders are set to vote on Tuesday on whether to raise the district's minimum wage for staff.  

With board approval, some of the changes will start in February.

The vote comes after CMS worked with the firm Hurd Isenhour Lopes (HIL) Consultants in fall of 2023, having a compensation review for classified pay grades 1 through 9. This review looked at pay for both hourly and salaried employees across 390 different classified job titles across the different pay grades. The district said compensation for certified employees -- like teachers -- were not included in the study. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-vote-minimum-wage-increase/275-1b302d2c-f788-41c2-b9e5-ec28868ddd2a 

Republican candidate, Jefferson Griffin, is still seeking to reverse the outcome in the race for a seat on the state Supreme Court, even after two recounts showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs narrowly winning the election. Riggs remains on the court while the legal battles play out.

Litigation in state and federal court should decide the outcome of Griffin's efforts to have roughly 66,000 ballots thrown out. If the legal challenge succeeds, Griffin's lawyers say it would probably result in him claiming the seat. That would expand the high court's current 5-2 conservative majority.

The fight in the nation's ninth most populous state over the Supreme Court seat is being considered in two court systems. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments Monday about whether federal or state courts should handle the case.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/north-carolina-supreme-court-race-unresolved/275-6dfa4a74-ee5f-4c5c-85f0-7ea8f5b14ba4 

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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President Donald Trump is expected to visit western North Carolina on Friday in his first visit to the area during his second term as president, according to Buncombe County officials.  

The area was devastated by Hurricane Helene in late September, killing more than 100 people in the state and leaving thousands without shelter.  

Details on the presidential visit are limited, but Buncombe County officials released a statement on Thursday warning residents to be ready for increased traffic from 11-2 p.m. on Friday. 

Full story: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/trump-to-visit-western-nc-in-first-visit-as-president/275-45afb19e-9075-42f7-b4a8-587967af3951

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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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

Newly obtained search warrants connected to the disappearance of Madalina Cojocari reveal that, at least early on, the investigation centered around "believed sexual exploitation" of a minor child victim. Further warrants also unveiled more information about what investigators found as they began digging.

The warrants, obtained by WCNC Charlotte, also reveal, that in the days after Madalina Cojocari was last seen, her mattress, clothing, Halloween costume and family photos were burned in a fire pit outside a Cornelius home. 

The warrants say a carpet from the home's upstairs spare bedroom was also burned. Madalina’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, said during his trial in May of last year that Madalina’s mother Diana Cojocari was burning things more often during that time.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/madalina-cojocari-new-warrants-evidence-1-22-2025/275-efe8c78b-4ed3-47fc-b5c4-b1b97cfb4bb5

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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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

It's a snowy and icy Wednesday in the Charlotte area, after winter weather moved through on Tuesday. Now, the focus shifts to the chilly temperatures and road conditions during the morning commute.

Several school districts in the area are closed or operating under remote learning Wednesday, but despite the road conditions, many people still have to head into work. The WCNC Charlotte team is tracking the latest to help you stay weather aware as you start your day.

More weather news: https://www.wcnc.com/weather/

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.  
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

A cold front moved into the Carolinas Sunday night, delivering the coldest air of the season, including some of the coldest air we've felt in two years. However, the chances of seeing snow in the Queen City are pretty much gone.  

Despite the lack of snow, the Weather Impact team wants everyone to be Weather Aware due to the extremely cold weather impacting the region. 

Here are the impacts: https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/weather-impact/weather-aware-snow-chances-increase-for-carolinas-cold-air-rain-arrives/275-be9dcd8c-05d4-4f6a-80b2-d2e41185f512

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.  
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in as the 47th president on Monday, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country's institutions.

Trump is expected to act swiftly after the ceremony, with executive orders already prepared for his signature to jumpstart deportations, increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for government workers, promising that his term will bring about “a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.”

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/inauguration/trump-inauguration/507-b2988513-2c26-4eb6-aabc-534bf0b379d8 

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.  
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shared the city's crime data in a briefing on its 2024 End of Year Public Safety Report on Wednesday.  

The report gives an overview of public safety trends and police activities throughout last year.  

Charlotte saw a 3% decrease in overall crime in 2024, CMPD said. 

Chief Johnny Jennings attributed the overall decrease to the department's focus on juvenile crime, car thefts and street takeovers, which all fell during 2024.  

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-police-share-2024-public-safety-report/275-2abfdde9-0613-4890-bc07-11fb168c60a8

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.  
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.