Mecklenburg County will be getting more money to tackle the problem of teen violence.

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners recently unanimously approved thousands of dollars to fund violence prevention programs.

Across the Charlotte region, more kids and teens are involved in shootings this year. City and county leaders are working to combat the issue, and there's hope the new federal funding will help.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/violence-prevention-program-funding/275-053554ab-9266-424a-808a-3ef0aec995c7

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A vehicle speeding toward a U.S.-Canada bridge from the American side crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people and prompting the closing of multiple border crossings for hours. Authorities weren't sure what spurred the wreck but said there were no signs it was a terror attack.

The FBI's Buffalo office said late Wednesday that it had concluded its investigation: “A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified,” it said in a statement. “The matter has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.”

Much remained unclear about the incident at the Rainbow Bridge, which prompted concerns on both sides of the border as the U.S. headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. Both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were briefed soon afterward, and Trudeau excused himself from Question Period in the House of Commons to get further information, saying officials were “taking this extraordinarily seriously.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/border-crossing-closed-us-canada-bridge-explosion/507-8a6f7a1c-4586-4188-809b-96463d63fcf5

An effort to seek solutions for those facing substance abuse took shape Tuesday at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

The agency announced a new, free Narcan vending machine will be in its arrest processing center in collaboration with the group Carolinas CARE Partnership, which is providing the products.

The goal is to stop opioid overdoses for those recently released from jail before it's too late.

“The leading cause of anyone that is being released from incarceration is overdose," Patrice Brown with Carolinas CARE Partnership said. "And so this vending machine will hopefully help, just a little, it'll help that problem."

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/mecklenburg-county-sheriffs-office-unveils-new-narcan-vending-machine/275-c76990f3-6325-4d09-b8e8-36abdb3f6a31

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On Nov. 21, 2022, then-11-year-old Madalina Cojocari was last seen at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius, North Carolina, leaving her school bus just before 5 p.m. She has not been seen since.

It's been one year since Madalina disappeared. There are no new leads on her whereabouts, and the case remains relatively stagnant. Here's a rundown of what led up to this: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/cornelius-madalina-cojocari-missing-diana-cojocari-christopher-palmiter-1-year/275-fb443e04-cd7f-4db1-942c-90322ad9c364

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A suspect is in custody after investigators determined an apartment fire in west Charlotte was intentionally set, officials said. 

The Charlotte Fire Department responded to a fire at the Little Rock apartments just off West Boulevard around 6:30 p.m. When fire crews arrived, they found smoke and flames coming from a first-story apartment home. The fire was controlled by a team of firefighters in about 10 minutes, according to Charlotte Fire. 

Investigators say evidence they gathered at the scene indicated the fire was intentionally set. The suspect was taken into custody. WCNC Charlotte has reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police for more information. As of 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the suspect has not been identified. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/apartment-fire-arson-investigation-suspect-arrested/275-d44ff1b8-06d0-4ed1-820d-25364043f9da

More and more people in Mecklenburg County are having to move out of homes they can't afford. 

After a lull during the pandemic, eviction filings by landlords have come flooding back. Experts say it's driven by several factors, like high rents, and a lack of affordable housing. 

“We have got to do something as a county, as a city, to combat this issue," Jessica Gibson, executive director for the Just Do It Movement, said. 

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/markets/real-estate/affordable-housing-crisis/mecklenburg-county-rising-evictions-affordable-housing/275-8e2398a1-d161-46c4-8a52-ffa1486fe91a

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Another person has died from flu complications in North Carolina this week, bringing the state to four deaths this flu season. 

But it’s not the only respiratory virus to be wary of as we head into the holidays. 

COVID, the flu and RSV have all been on the rise, according to new state data.

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Questions have been raised after a video showing a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer repeatedly punching a woman in south Charlotte Monday surfaced. The video, posted and shared on Instagram, shows at least four CMPD officers Monday restraining a woman on the ground while a fifth officer can be seen punching the woman multiple times. In the video, another officer can be seen escorting a man away from the woman.

In the video, a small crowd can be seen yelling toward officers, who eventually grab the woman by each of her arms and escort her toward a patrol car.

"It was triggering it reminded me of George Floyd and immediately I began to weep," said Corine Mack, the president of Charlotte Mecklenburg NAAC

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/charlotte-cmpd-punch-restrain-resisting-arrest-woman/275-bbbe29fb-ac82-4f17-ba83-d4f486c44022

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Five projects to widen a section of NC-73 into four lanes will soon affect the daily commutes of drivers in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Lincoln counties. 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is hosting two public meetings in Huntersville on Tuesday, Nov. 14 to answer questions and provide updates on the multi-million dollar projects. 

Jen Goodwin, communications officer with NCDOT, said Huntersville is just one community that has been vocal about a need for traffic improvements.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/wake-up-charlotte/ncdot-public-meetings-huntersville-nc-73-improvements/275-b1c343d3-ab63-478d-a937-f36cf35aedbb

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!

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Parking violations in Charlotte may soon get more expensive.

Right now, if you park illegally at certain spots you can be fined $25. On Monday, the city council could raise it to $100.

“We are trying to find ways to keep our pedestrians safe,” Dimple Ajmera, a Charlotte City Councilwoman said.

This would affect people who park illegally on a sidewalk.

Read more: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/clt-city-council-to-consider-higher-fines-for-parking-violators-charlotte-north-carolina/275-53670bf4-38ad-4510-a900-b2f7be71a79f

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!

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