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Bus lanes along East Independence Boulevard could reopen in early 2024.

Wednesday night, Charlotte's Metropolitan Transit Commission approved $550,000 in additional funds to complete the project.

The project was initially expected to cost about $750,000 and restore access for buses and emergency vehicles to lanes closed since 2017. According to the resolution set forth by the City of Charlotte, work was expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

An NCDOT spokesperson did not say Wednesday night why the project was not finished as planned last year. The project, which is expected to be funded by the CATS Capital Investment Plan, is now expected to cost $1.3 million.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/traffic/independence-boulevard-bus-lanes/275-4deb1483-00e5-4a0f-af14-30ba700fa9dd

The Mega Millions jackpot is inching closer to $1 billion after no one won the $820 million prize Tuesday. The jackpot now sits at $910 million for Friday night's drawing.

Two players won at least $1 million: a ticket in Maryland matched five white balls but not the Mega Ball, and another in Texas is worth $4 million thanks to the added Megaplier.

The prize is now the eighth-largest U.S. lottery prize and the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history. July has been a hot month for lottery prizes after a ticket sold in downtown Los Angeles won the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot. 

Mega Millions hasn't seen a grand prize winner since April 18, when a 71-year-old man from New York won the state's largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. Johnnie Taylor of Howard Beach in Queens, New York, won $476 million but opted for the cash option — a lump sum of more than $157 million after taxes.

Since mid-April, there have been 28 drawings without a grand prize winner. 

Winners almost always take the cash option, but they do have a choice to instead get the full amount in regular payments over 29 years. The cash option for Tuesday's drawing is $422 million.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/mega-millions-winning-numbers-tuesday-july-25-2023/507-b22fb8c6-e8df-4539-9a6f-6149863776fb

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!

ESPN's iconic "College GameDay" show will roll into the Queen City for the season-opening matchup between the North Carolina Tar Heels and South Carolina Gamecocks, the network announced Monday. 

The Tar Heels and Gamecocks will face off in the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. "GameDay" will be held at nearby Romare Bearden Park on Sept. 2, where it's previously welcomed guests for the huge Clemson vs. Georgia game in 2021, as well as ACC championship games. Rece Davis will be joined by Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee, as well as Lee Corso, who will put on a mascot head for the first time in 2023 at the show. 

Both teams enter the season with high expectations due to experienced quarterbacks. UNC's Drake Maye is one of the preseason Heisman favorites, while South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler showed flashes in wins over Tennessee and Clemson last season. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaaf/espn-college-gameday-charlotte-north-carolina-vs-south-carolina-college-football-2023-romare-bearden-park/275-42e77e50-b46d-4ad8-b651-e59bc8de7383

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! 

A vigil was held at Camp Greene Park on Sunday to remember a woman who was killed nearly a week ago.

Family and friends honored Tyra Crosby, the 25-year-old woman who died after being shot on Tuesday, July 18 at a home on Porter Street. 

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Stephanie Alexander, 51, came home to find Crosby in her home early when she shot and killed Crosby. Crosby's family told WCNC Charlotte that Crosby was invited over by Alexander's husband. 

One by one, Crosby's loved ones shared stories and memories. They described her as a beautiful soul and an angel that will watch over everyone. 

“But I am so grateful for whatever god sent her to do, she accomplished that mission," Hoskins said. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/community-holds-vigil-in-honor-of-woman-shot-and-killed-in-northwest-charlotte-north-carolina-tyra-crosby-stephanie-alexander/275-67bcfc7b-dfbf-47fb-a038-d8c6474d030d

The White House on Thursday expressed deep concern about the well-being of a U.S. soldier who bolted across the heavily armed North Korea border earlier this week as North Korean officials have yet to respond to U.S. requests for basic information about the AWOL soldier.

The history of rough treatment of Americans detained by North Koreans — including the 2017 death of a 22-year-old student after he was flown home in a vegetative state after 17 months in captivity — is top of mind as U.S. officials seek answers about Pvt. Travis King.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/north-korea-us-soldier-across-border/507-a6a73bd3-e0a6-4c33-98d4-f017cdcef368

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! 

Investigators are continuing to try and find out what happened to Madalina Cojocari, a Bailey Middle School student who went missing in November 2022, but say that reported sightings of her have proved not to be her.

The Cornelius Police Department says they have received numerous tips about possible sightings of Cojocari but all have been determined to be false. This announcement comes just two days after search warrants relating to her disappearance were unsealed in Mecklenburg County.

In the search warrants, investigators describe a lead on a child that looked like Cojocari with her only known blood relative in the United States. Police also said they were looking into a tip of a possible Cojocari sighting in California earlier this month.

However, police doubled down on Thursday, saying that Cojocari was last seen getting off a school bus on Nov. 21, 2022.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/cornelius-police-say-reported-madalina-cojocari-sightings-were-not-her-north-carolina-missing-girl-diana-cojocari-christopher-palmiter-disappearance/275-fe3c72d9-746a-49ff-8521-46c7904fb201

A month has passed since a mobile home park in Kannapolis was flooded due to torrential rain. Dozens of residents had to evacuate and power was knocked out for days. 

The city of Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, and the Red Cross asked Camino to help because of its extensive experience working with the Latino community for the last 20 years. 

The organization has been sending out team members on a weekly basis to check in with neighbors. 

Deidre John, Camino's director of community outreach and engagement, told WCNC Charlotte they assisted 26 families, or a total of 80 people, to move back home. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/kannapolis-flooding-latino-community-local/275-416eadc1-829a-49a5-b798-08b794e8c20b

 Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh is serving out a double life sentence at a South Carolina prison. The disgraced lawyer was convicted of murder in March of this year for the shootings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Hours ago, pictures began circulating online, showing what seems to be selfies Murdaugh has taken while in prison. 

The images have generated lots of online conversation, with people wondering where these pictures came from. Is it contraband? Is it legal? Is it really Murdaugh? 

News 19 went searching for answers and found that yes, it’s totally legal. In fact, the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) tells us it’s a service given to all inmates.

The pictures of Murdaugh were released after a Freedom of Information Act request was filed, which provides the public the right to request access to federal agency records. The SCDC tells News 19 that every inmate is issued a tablet, which they can use to make monitored telephone calls, take classes, read books, subscribe to entertainment that is pre-approved and receive messages from the institution. The department says they are not connected to the internet or to social media.

These tablets are from ViaPath Technologies, the department’s telephone partner, formerly called GTL. According to a statement from the company, it serves more than 2,100 facilities and over 1.6 million inmates in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/photos-circulating-online-inmate-alex-murdaugh-appears-selfies-inside-prison/101-24005ef8-01f5-4e22-9072-47618082b9bf

A man was arrested after police say he impersonated a medical professional and performed an illegitimate medical exam on a woman.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said that a woman reported the incident on Tuesday, July 11. She told officers a person impersonating a medical professional gave her a medical exam at her home on Teal Point Drive. The type of exam given was not released, however, this incident has been labeled as a sexual assault investigation.

The impersonator was identified as Daniel Pitti-Casazola, 41. Police said that Pitti-Casazola was working as a Spanish language interpreter with the Mecklenburg County Public Health Department at the time of the incident.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/mecklenburg-county-health-worker-accused-of-sexual-assault-posing-as-medical-professional-charlotte-north-carolina-daniel-pitti-casazola/275-2b83d04a-af61-4c9b-8b73-cbe9aa3c3ea8

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!

Air quality in Charlotte is now "unhealthy" for some members of the general public and not just those who have health-related sensitivities. An Air Quality Alert is in effect through midnight for all North Carolina counties. Smoke from the fires in Canada is once again having an impact on the area. Expect reduced visibility and air quality concerns for sensitive groups. 

Plus, Richard DeVayne joins the show from east Charlotte, where a child was rescued and a woman was taken to the hospital after a SWAT situation Monday night. When officers were approaching the apartment, a person fired at least one shot inside the apartment, according to CMPD.  Officers entered the apartment and saw a woman reaching for a gun, and told the woman to stop moving, according to CMPD. At that point, CMPD says, one officer fired his weapon.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/suspect-barricaded-after-shooting-in-southeast-charlotte-police-say-krefield-drive-independence-blvd/275-5f688463-d5b8-47c9-bcd0-c8e25e7c9ed7

Plus, we have the top headlines across the Charlotte area in your morning rush.

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! 

Alexander Rescue Squad announced the search is over for a missing woman who was swept into Duck Creek Saturday night. 

Officials said Lisa Riahi, 49, was in a vehicle with a passenger on Dover Church Road when the roadway began to flood. The two people tried to exit their vehicle while it was in the water. 

The other passenger, officials said, grabbed onto a tree for about 30 minutes when someone passing by spotted him and called 911. The rescue squad was then called out to the scene. The man was rescued at around midnight Saturday evening but they could not find Riahi. 

The search for the Riahi ended sometime Sunday morning when they recovered her body. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/swept-into-duck-creek/275-f600adf2-542c-42b1-99dd-01ef5e8cf9eb

: 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! 

Leaders at Union County Public Schools met to discuss increasing the number of school resource officers at Thursday night's Board of Education meeting.

Before the meeting, only one deputy was assigned to two elementary schools at Union County Public Schools.

Now, the goal is for every school to have an officer, and only six of the 39 Union County officers will have to work at two schools.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/union-county-public-schools-increasing-school-resource-officers/275-2a1f7b8a-2633-4c80-9f88-aeeba4dba090