704 Unfiltered

The United States Postal Inspection Service is seeking information on a man accused of robbing a letter carrier about one week ago.

Investigators say the suspect robbed the carrier around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, along Castle Nook Drive. The neighborhood is in southwest Charlotte, off of Hamilton Road and near Steele Creek Road.

The suspect is believed to be about 6 feet 3 inches tall, in his late twenties, and weighing about 240 pounds. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. The suspect also drove away in a silver or gray Mercedes Benz sedan.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/usps-robbery-suspect-crime/275-670f82af-1b89-4ff4-bfcb-af9e940669ff

President Joe Biden and congressional Republicans are still far from resolving the looming U.S. default crisis, but a deal is still possible by the end of the week, GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared after an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with Biden and other Democratic leaders.

Meanwhile, Biden is cutting short a big, upcoming foreign trip because of the urgency of the talks. He will still attend a Group of Seven summit in Japan this week but will then hurry home rather than going to Australia and Papua New Guinea as planned.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/debt-ceiling-showdown-biden-congressional-leaders-to-meet/507-b5432573-2025-408f-bbb7-184fc5765306

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! 

The Mallard Creek area is seeing massive growth and interest from developers to build housing. 

On Monday, the Charlotte City Council discussed, among other things, two rezoning petitions that call for hundreds of townhomes in the Mallard Creek area.

One of these petitions would rezone a piece of land near the intersection of Mallard Creek and Galloway roads to be switched from single-family homes to urban residential. 

Specifically, the petition calls for 186 townhomes to be built at the site. Appaloosa Real Estate is the project's petitioner. City staff members do not recommend approval of the petition and many neighbors signed up to speak against it.

Homeowners that live next to where the proposed project would go told WCNC Charlotte the townhomes do not fit in the neighborhood of single-family homes and would worsen traffic.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/more-housing-development-could-be-coming-to-the-mallard-creek-area-charlotte-north-carolina/275-7888c959-04a3-4e5b-9917-ebd5cc5560a4

Police are searching for a man they say shot and killed someone during an argument at an apartment.

Officers were called to the Wimberly Crossing Apartments on 12th Avenue SE on Monday around 5:50 p.m. for reports of a shooting, according to the Hickory Police Department.

Wade McArthur Danner Jr., 46, was found with gunshot injuries at the scene. Catawba County EMS responded to the scene and pronounced Danner dead.

Witnesses told police that Danner was in an argument with Octavius Morgan, 30, before he was shot. Morgan fled the area before police arrived.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/man-dies-after-shooting-at-apartment-in-hickory-suspect-wanted-octavius-morgan-wade-danner-catawba-county-north-carolina-death-investigation/275-31b97300-256b-4641-9bed-568becfa8be7

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! 

Three people are dead after a chase that began in South Carolina ended with a crash in Shelby overnight Sunday, deputies said.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said it responded to a call about a shooting on Bridges Road in Blacksburg, SC just before 1 a.m. 

The caller, traveling in a Dodge Charger, indicated a white pickup truck was following them and shooting at the car, deputies said.

Around 1:10 a.m., the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office received a 911 transfer call related to the incident, with the caller indicating she was a passenger in the car that had been shot at.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/multiple-people-dead-blacksburg-south-carolina-chase-crash-shelby-deputies/275-1145de5b-560d-4ca6-8806-0ae2e5ccec11

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the state's new 12-week abortion ban, sending the legislation back to the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Cooper has supported abortion rights since becoming governor and vowed to protect access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. Cooper's action sends the legislation back to Republicans, who have enough seats in both chambers of the General Assembly to override the governor's veto authority.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/north-carolina-abortion-ban-governor-roy-cooper-vetoes-legislation-republican-genereal-assembly-vetoproof-majority/275-4bced26b-0b8c-48d4-bef1-4051c246a1af

And on our live chat portion of the show, we're discussing a new study that found couples who share bank accounts are more likely to be happy and stay together!

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! 

The toxicology report has been released for Jamie Lee Komoroski, the 25-year-old identified as the driver in a crash that killed a bride from Charlotte and injured her husband just hours after their wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Forensic Services Laboratory report, obtained by WCNC Charlotte, shows Komoroski had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.261%.

It's illegal in South Carolina to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. 

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) reports once BAC reaches 0.08%, a driver is three times more likely to have a collision than if the BAC were zero. That number goes up to 25 times greater with a BAC of 0.25%, according to SCDPS.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/toxicology-report-released-driver-charged-crash-killed-bride-wedding/275-84c6828c-6275-446a-af2a-062afe89e365

Leaders from the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County held a joint meeting Wednesday to discuss a proposed $400 million development that would bring a major tennis facility to the River District in west Charlotte. 

"Project Break Point" includes four tennis stadiums with seating capacities that range from 2,000 seats to 14,000 seats, as well as numerous practice courts across 50 acres. In total, the project would have more than 40 total tennis courts and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and a pickleball venue. 

Beemok Capital, the firm behind the proposal, also considered several sites from the complex, including Eastland Yards, but ultimately landed on the River District due to its proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and a larger plot of land.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-north-carolina-tennis-complex-professional-stadium-river-district-mecklenburg-county/275-adce2d66-70b5-47aa-8303-3a1b2a9802c0

A South Carolina man who was critically injured in a deadly crash caused by a suspected drunk driver is out of the hospital, family members said.

Aric Hutchinson and his new wife, Samantha, were leaving their wedding reception in Folly Beach when their golf cart was hit by a suspected drunk driver. Samantha Hutchinson died from her injuries, while Aric suffered two broken legs, multiple broken bones in his face and brain injuries. Two other people on the cart were injured in the crash.

Annette Hutchinson, Aric's mother, posted an update on GoFundMe that said Aric was released from the hospital while he continues his recovery. More than $690,000 has been raised for the family so far.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/south-carolina-groom-injured-deadly-crash-recovering-at-home-aric-hutchinson/275-dbc92a2c-5b2e-4c45-bc17-480fcf61efdb

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board meeting Tuesday saw tension rise as over 40 speakers expressed their concerns on a variety of topics, from book bans to student redistricting.

CMS School Board Member Jennifer De La Jara, an at-large member of the board since 2019, also announced that she would not be running for re-election.

She alluded to supporting a candidate who represents a new voice of the community in her farewell address.

“I would never suggest that anyone vote just on identity politics,” De La Jara said. “It is time that we make history. I will be supporting a strong Latina candidate who is a qualified thought leader and has a deep passion for advancing student outcomes and just happens to be bilingual and bicultural.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-school-board-meeting-speakers-hot-button-topics/275-320362ba-bed7-4347-b73f-87f83d645209

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 middle school student was charged after authorities say they brought a gun to class on Monday.

The incident happened at Sun Valley Middle School in Indian Trail. Students alerted a Union County Sheriff's Office school officer that there was a firearm on campus and officers were able to locate the suspect minutes later.

The suspect, a student at the school, did not have the gun in his possession when he was approached by police but the weapon was later found in his book bag in an empty classroom. Police describe the firearm as an unloaded, semi-automatic pistol. 

Officers also found a pistol magazine and a single round of ammunition stored separately from the gun in the book bag.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/gun-found-in-students-backpack-at-union-county-middle-school-north-carolina-indian-trail-sun-valley-middle-school-gun-on-campus/275-37f7c0bc-afb6-4a5a-89af-8da4e6cbebff

In response to the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate passing a bill that limits abortions to 12 weeks into a pregnancy, Governor Roy Cooper will be traveling the state to discuss women's reproductive health.

Cooper will visit the Davidson Town Hall on Tuesday, among other places, to voice his displeasure about Senate Bill 20, which passed through both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly last week.

Mecklenburg County was specifically targeted by Cooper for this roundtable because he has called out two representatives, John Bradford (R-98) and Tricia Cotham (R-112), from the county who voted in favor of the bill despite saying they would not support further bans in the past.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/gov-cooper-to-hold-womens-health-roundtable-in-response-to-abortion-restriction-legislation-north-carolina-roy-cooper-senate-bill-20-abortion-latest/275-0e0cf74d-bfc7-4397-936a-638269c29f5c

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! 

Police are investigating a shooting that left a juvenile injured on Sunday.

The shooting happened around Johnston Oehler Road near Mallard Creek Park on Sunday, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

CMPD says a large crowd was gathered at Mallard Creek Park just before the shooting, where a juvenile was reported to have been shot.

Medic says the person was taken to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

No further details are available at this time. Police have not listed any suspects or identified the victim.

This case remains under investigation by CMPD.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/juvenile-injured-in-shooting-near-mallard-creek-park-charlotte-north-carolina-crime/275-be190ba4-ad92-4eb8-a7ad-9c72c4ad9ee9

Charlotte leaders unveiled their proposed budget for the next fiscal year on Monday.

In a budget meeting, officials revealed the $3.3 billion proposal that would fund a slew of programs and infrastructure projects, raise salaries for city employees and police officers, and provide money for housing assistance.

City officials are emphasizing that the plan does not increase taxes but the city manager is warning it could be necessary in a future budget to sustain Charlotte's rate of growth.

"If we need more time to have a discussion about more revenue, I would hope that time starts tonight so that as we look at future budgets and having big audacious goals, we won't be able to do it with this type of budget I'm putting towards you tonight," Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-leaders-propose-budget-no-tax-increases-city-employees-receive-raises-charlotte-north-carolina/275-9ade8f35-6b3d-4f48-a9ac-bb41a4a1cd65

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! 

North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The ban is one of the least onerous of a slew of bills Republican-led assemblies have pushed through in recent months since the high court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion. Other states have banned the procedure nearly completely or throughout pregnancy.

While perhaps less restrictive, North Carolina's bill has far-reaching consequences. Before its passage, many women from nearby states with restrictive laws had traveled to the state for abortions in later stages of pregnancy.

Abortion-rights supporter Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has pledged to veto the bill, calling it “an egregious, unacceptable attack on the women of our state,” but GOP seat margins and assurances from chamber leaders indicate a veto will likely be overridden.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-approves-abortion-rules-governor-veto-ahead-health-politics/275-1ddd9c86-cf24-4db3-8247-da9c2caf805c

A man is in the hospital after a mid-morning shooting in Statesville.

The Statesville Police Department said it happened around 10:30 a.m. along Monroe Street near Opal Street. Officers say the 20-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to a hospital by private vehicle for treatment.

As of publication, the man's condition is not known. The investigation is active and ongoing.

Statesville police say they are continuing to investigate this incident and no further information is available at this time.

Wednesday morning's shooting is the second one being investigated in the city within 24 hours. Police said three people were hurt in a shooting Tuesday evening along 5th Street, including a teen.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/statesville-morning-shooting-crime-local/275-ff0b676c-ecab-4db8-b12c-b8db7f73352a