704 Unfiltered

It's a vision of progress for SouthPark.  

City leaders, in partnership with SouthPark Community Partners, unveiled a quarter of a billion-dollar plan to enhance the SouthPark area by 2035.  

The SouthPark Forward 2035 Vision Plan will enhance walkability and safety. It will also connect parts of the area to the center and make it easier for small businesses to thrive from the increased foot traffic.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/southpark-madison-park/southpark-2035-development-charlotte-north-carolina/275-1e1dd5bb-2969-4866-a924-135705680fbb

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

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Piedmont Lithium is one step closer to making its mining operation in Gaston County a reality. The company announced Monday that the state approved its mining permit two and a half years after it applied. 

People in Cherryville have been pushing against the proposed lithium mine for the last few years. However, several people WCNC Charlotte spoke with on Main Street said the project is too divisive of an issue to share their opinions on camera.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/lithium-permit-gaston-county-north-carolina/275-cc167294-17e7-459d-843e-20b7333c72f8

Plus, Richard DeVayne has the very latest on a deadly crash involving a pedestrian on the I-485 inner loop in northeast Charlotte. The crash happened around 4 a.m. near University City Boulevard. It's unclear if any charges will be filed. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/deadly-crash-inner-loop-interstate-485-charlotte-north-carolina/275-db222397-aa0e-450f-a169-3d4fb26abda1

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

It’s a trend schools across the country are seeing -- chronic absenteeism.  

According to the New York Times, chronic absenteeism is typically defined as missing at least 10% of the school year -- or about 18 days. In a new report from the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, 26% of public school students were chronically absent last year. That’s compared to 15% in 2019.

So what’s behind the big jump? Well, the years of the data used is our first clue.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/why-are-school-absences-on-the-rise/285-381d5e0b-25f7-4d3c-abd7-688481ca9d89

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter

In an exclusie interview with WCNC Charlotte, Mayor Vi Lyles voices her concern about a 1-cent sales tax getting on the ballot come November. The proposed tax would help fund some of the city's major transit projects, including the Silver Line. Lyles says securing the funding quickly is essential for getting those projects complete on time. 

A Rowan County school is closed Friday after a strong thunderstorm ripped the roof off a building on campus. Richard DeVayne has the latest update on that, plus recaps the impacts felt across the Charlotte area from Thursday's storms, which took down trees and knocked out power for thousands of people in the metro. 

The click is ticking for people to file their income taxes, but what happens if you don't meet the April 15 deadline? Sarah French connects the dots on Tax Day and why the penalty can cost much more than you might expect. 

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

North Carolina leaders are pushing for more resources for child care. With pandemic-era federal funding set to end in June, the Department of Health and Human Services reports 300 North Carolina day cares have been forced to close over the past year. Now, there’s a push to help centers get the support they need.

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter

Charlotte is ready for major renovations at two of its largest sports venues, but as the Queen City looks to welcome in a new era of entertainment for fans, there are questions about who's paying for those upgrades.  

The price to build arenas is rising exponentially and it may not be worth it.  Let's connect the dots.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/connect-the-dots/sports-stadium-upgrades-taxpayer-money-spectrum-center-charlotte-north-carolina-hornets-panthers-bank-of-america-stadium/275-3fa51bbf-75f9-4c45-b174-ac2e3329faa9

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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 man charged with killing a Charlotte mother and her two young children before getting caught in California last month will remain in jail without bond due to being a "tremendous danger" to the city, a judge ruled on Monday.  

(Warning: Story contains graphic details or images)  

Benjamin Joseph Taylor is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Markayla Johnson and her two children, 4-year-old Miracle Johnson and 7-month-old Messiah Johnson. Taylor was booked in the Mecklenburg County jail on Friday after he was transferred into the custody of U.S. Marshals by officials in Imperial County, California.  

An affidavit obtained by WCNC Charlotte on Monday revealed new details on what investigators found when searching Johnson's home. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/benjamin-joseph-taylor-murder-suspect-markayla-johnson-charlotte-north-carolina-investigation-bond-denied/275-d36176c9-951c-4354-9671-2fd556dd6aaa

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter

Across much of the United States on Monday, a solar eclipse will cause a spectacle and spark scientific insight.

A four-minute period of complete darkness will occur along the path of totality from Texas to Ohio and into New England. An estimated 31.6 million people live in the path of totality this year, according to NASA. That compares to 12 million people in 2017, when the path of totality came directly through the Carolinas.

In 2024, places like Charlotte, North Carolina, which saw near-totality in 2017, will only reach a peak of 80% totality around 3:11 p.m. Monday. Let's take a closer look at what you need to know.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/world/solar-eclipse/everything-need-know-solar-eclipse-april-8/275-defb13b1-0ca6-4bbd-93b9-1bac2e828d9d  

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter

A Chester County teen's family is still in disbelief after he was shot and killed Tuesday night.  

Chester Police said its officers responded to a shooting near Spring Street and Gadsden Street a little before midnight on Tuesday night. When they arrived, they found a teen performing CPR on Donovan Browning. The 16-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Chester police arrested 18-year-old Connie Di'rose Miller in connection with Browning's death. Miller is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. 

His family spoke with WCNC Charlotte. Donald Browning says his family is in utter disbelief and can't help but question why this happened. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/deadly-shooting-kills-teen-chester-south-carolina/275-93d5bab1-c1ab-4d9c-bdbd-f1fcd8d1b42f

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter

Vice President Kamala Harris is making another trip to Charlotte to discuss the White House's investment in climate action under the Biden administration.  

On Thursday, Harris will be joined by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who is a native North Carolinian. This week's stop marks the fourth trip to North Carolina for Harris this year. Harris and President Joe Biden were in Raleigh last week to promote the expansion of Medicaid, lowering prescription costs for seniors and expanding the Affordable Care Act. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/kamala-harris-charlotte-visit-climate-change-investment/275-3c9714cd-17b2-4e46-881c-74d5d9b44cf1 

Watch WCNC Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m.

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with 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.

Click here to sign up for the daily WCNC Charlotte newsletter