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NC officials kicks off statewide campaign in Charlotte to combat state’s opioid crisis

More than a half-million people died from opioids between 2000 and 2015. Today, opioid deaths are considered an epidemic. To understand the struggle of a drug addiction, we take a closer look at what happens to the body. By

At first the pills were a welcome relief for Bryan Licsko, easing severe back pain after a car accident.

But pain relief quickly spiraled into addiction. Licsko got hooked on drugs like Percocet and Vicodin. Some mornings he wouldn’t even get out of bed unless he had his pills.

“I was in a really dark place,” said Licsko, 41, who has since kicked his addiction with help from a substance abuse program.

On Thursday, he’ll join North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and others to launch a statewide awareness campaign designed to fight opioid addiction, an epidemic that kills five North Carolinians a day.

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North Carolina is teaming up with the state’s two biggest heath care companies and dozens of other groups to roll out the program they’re calling More Powerful NC. Starting Thursday, a $2.5 million public awareness campaign kicks off on TV, radio and billboards.

“The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, is taking lives and wrecking families all across North Carolina,” Stein told the Observer. “We need a comprehensive approach that attacks this problem from all perspectives.”

Most of the advertising money will come from private sources, including Charlotte-based Atrium Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Another $365,000 will come from state and federal money allocated for opioid-related programs.

The crisis is as severe in North Carolina as it is across the country.

More than 2,000 North Carolinians died of an opioid overdose in 2017. That was a 32 percent increase from the year before. Mecklenburg County saw 179 opioid-related deaths that year, a number that’s risen steadily.

Over the last two decades, statewide deaths have topped 13,000.

The problem is getting worse. In the last decade, deaths by unintentional opioid overdoses have more than doubled.

By some measures, it’s worse in the Carolinas. According to Atrium, opioid-related deaths in North Carolina rose 18.3 percent from 2016 to 2017. They jumped 6.8 percent in South Carolina. The national average was 5.1 percent.

A 2017 survey for the Kaiser Family Foundation found that one in five Americans knows somebody who died from an opioid overdose.

Some areas are hit harder than others.

Last year, North Carolina’s Cherokee reservation was named one of 10 new High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas by the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy. The number of patients diagnosed with a drug problem jumped 300 percent between 2012 and 2018 at Cherokee Indian Hospital.

The General Assembly has addressed the issue through laws such as the 2017 STOP Act, which among other things tightens regulation on prescribing opioids. Stein said the new campaign is designed to help prevent addiction.

He said studies show that 85 percent of addicts never get treatment. On the website are tips on how to dispose of unused prescription medications, how to safely store medications and how to involve your company or your church.

Marcia Lee Taylor, executive vice president of the New York-based Center on Addiction, said public awareness campaigns that are “informed by research and have a clear and compelling call to action can be a very effective tool to educate the public . . . and change relevant attitudes and behaviors.”

Licsko turned to his church as well as to AA. He also found help through a program at Atrium Health Care, where detox drugs like Suboxone helped him get his life back on track. He believes the state’s new program can help others avoid falling into the grip of addiction.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you just stop?’” he said. “Unfortunately it’s not that simple. The drug changes the way your brain works. (The program) is helping get the conversation started in the community. It’s erasing the stigma around addiction and recovery.”

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NC could land another Amazon distribution center – Triangle Business Journal

Here’s a brief Italian lesson: "quattro" means "four" and, in the context of a local economic development project, could translate into a fourth Charlotte-area distribution center for e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc.

Project Quattro, which is the name of a site plan on a rezoning request filed by Charlotte Douglas International Airport that has also appeared in other city review documents, is pegged for a 108-acre site on the airport’s property at the southeast corner of interstates 85 and 485. The project is tied to Seefried Industrial Properties, an Atlanta developer that has built several distribution facilities for Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), including in Nashville, Tenn., and Richmond, Va. That same developer apparently also is building a 1 million-square-foot warehouse in Kernersville, according to the Triad Business Journal.

Several real estate sources with knowledge of the deal told the Charlotte Business Journal that Amazon is the user behind Project Quattro, which went before Charlotte City Council earlier this spring in a closed session. However, the number of jobs planned or the amount of incentives being sought locally and possibly at the state level are not yet known.

The rezoning petition calls to allow a building with up to 2.4 million square feet of gross floor area, though it’s not clear if Amazon would develop a facility of that size. Some sources say the project will be a multi-level distribution facility, which Amazon has been developing more frequently — in fact, Seefried’s project for Amazon near Grand Rapids, Mich., is expected to be a two-story building with additional mezzanine floors, with a total area "well in excess" of 1 million square feet and containing about 55,000 square feet of office space.

Amazon already has a significant distribution footprint in the region. It opened its first fulfillment center here in late 2014 in Concord. It also opened a receiving center in west Charlotte after leasing Wilkinson Falls in 2016. And last summer, it confirmed it would be building an $85 million, 1 million-square-foot distribution center in Kannapolis that will open next year and employ 600.

Attempts to reach Amazon this week and in March, when rumors began swirling about the company’s fourth center here, were unsuccessful. A call on Monday to Joe Scarborough, senior development manager at Seefried who is listed in Project Quattro city documents, was not immediately returned. The airport declined to comment.

Project Quattro documents filed with the city say the project includes a warehouse building with associated parking, landscaping and drainage. A separate city document and the rezoning petition indicates road projects are planned, including a new alignment for Tuckaseegee Road and improvements to the I-485 ramp along U.S. 74, in conjunction with Project Quattro.

A community meeting was held March 13 for the rezoning petition. Stuart Hair, economic affairs manager at CLT, said at the meeting that the property to be rezoned was acquired over a number of years in an effort to decrease the amount of residential land near the airport. It is part of a longer-term strategy to develop "underutilized land" owned by the airport, according to a meeting report. Hair declined to give details about the user or timeline at the meeting and said that "office and other uses that support or are complementary to the airport" may be developed on the remainder of airport land not being used for aeronautical activity.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport owns about 6,000 acres — about 2,000 of that is slated for complementary commercial development. Called Project AMP, the airport is hoping to generate revenue that helps fulfill the Federal Aviation Administration’s requirements of airport financial self-sufficiency, put vacant land into use and ensure that future development is appropriate for CLT’s growth.

At City Council’s public hearing for the rezoning petition on May 30, Hair said Project AMP was completed about a year ago and the airport is now working to implement it. The airport will sell land targeted for non-aeronautical uses to compatible land users, he continued.

The rezoning petition is expected to go before City Council again for a vote later this month.

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Podcast: Talking NC State hoops recruiting with Jamie Shaw

Don’t miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Click here to get your 30-day free trial!

West Charlotte High junior Patrick Williams is ranked No. 74 overall nationally by Rivals.com in the class of 2019.

NC State men’s basketball has added 10 newcomers for next year, and have begun recruiting in earnest for the class of 2019 and 2020.

The Wolfpacker co-editor Jacey Zembal is joined by Jamie Shaw of the Phenom Hoop Report to break down some of the recent additions to the NC State program, and discuss the various targets in the upcoming recruiting classes.

NC State already has made the top five for potential point guard

Wendell Moore

of Concord (N.C.) Cox Mill and shooting guard

Juwan Gary

of Columbia (S.C.) Gray Collegiate Academy. Additionally, junior small forward

Christian Brown

of Columbia Lower Richland had the Wolfpack in his top seven.

If the above player doesn’t work, click here to listen to the podcast or find us on iTunes.

The Wolfpacker Podcast is recorded at Amedeo’s every Tuesday starting at 12:30 p.m. in the Jimmy V room.

——

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Executive Voice: NC native now leads Tennessee bank with ambitions here – Triangle Business Journal

Bryan Jordan, CEO of Tennessee’s First Horizon National Corporation, the parent of both Capital Bank and First Tennessee, is passionate about banks, which he says “represent the circulatory system of the economy.”

“If you try to put it in human terms, when you have a dynamic, growing economy, it demands more banking resources, and I think that’s a good thing,” says Jordan, a native of Salisbury who graduated from Catawba College. “It’s an outstanding signal for the economy that we compete in every market we’re in. We think the better the banking system can be in any community, the better the community will be long-term.”

He was in Raleigh recently to announce that, through a partnership with financial nonprofit Operation HOPE, a HOPE Inside center would open inside Capital Bank’s north Raleigh branch on Falls of Neuse Road, providing free financial education to anyone in the community.

“We want to make sure we’re strengthening the economy from the bottom up and the top down,” Jordan says.

His outlook comes from growing up in banking – his father worked for Security Capital, which is now SunTrust. Though Jordan didn’t immediately follow suit – initially auditing banks through public accounting – he joined First Union in the 1990s, creating his own name in the banking industry.

He says his focus on relationship-driven banking hasn’t changed over the decades, but the way people bank has changed. Jordan says he believes banking is “at a significant inflection point” because of the influences of technology.

“It’s not just that technology is creating neat things,” he says. “That’s true, but what drives it is the way customers want to bank. Customers have much more desire to use tools on mobile banking and online banking and call centers and ATMs.”

Branch use is down, a trend Jordan welcomes.

“You want to meet customers the way they want to be served,” he says.

First Tennessee – soon to be called Capital Bank in North Carolina – faces a challenging market in the Triangle, where more and more banks are looking for a share of the market’s robust economy. First Tennessee is about to expand its product suite through the recently-completed deal for Charlotte-based Capital Bank. The deal further strengthens the North Carolina presence the organization created with its buy of Raleigh-based TrustAtlantic.

A bigger balance sheet comes with a bigger product suite. In the Triangle, that means businesses can leverage specialized business units.

“We bring specialized lending capabilities to meet the diverse needs of many different economies, so whether it’s tech or life sciences, we have the ability to finance businesses,” Jordan says, noting the deal brings in more “tools” that Capital Bank hasn’t had, such as asset-based lending. And Capital Bank brings a mortgage platform to First Tennessee, which sold its own mortgage platform a decade ago.

“We bring the capabilities of a big bank, but the community banking look and feel of a much smaller bank,” he says.

Jordan says to expect the combined bank to grow in North Carolina.

“There are, we think, very good opportunities for growth, not only here in the Triangle, but across the state,” he says. “There are a number of markets where we think we can expand our share over time.”

To help the bank grow, it plans to hire local bankers – attracting them with its “culture-first” mantra, Jordan says. “We believe that our employees, associates make all the difference and that, fundamentally, folks who care about their organization … do a great job of serving their customers,” he says. It’s a culture driven by relationships with customers. And it’s one careful to “empower” its hires, Jordan says. “I have the opportunity to write anniversary notes every month and the number of people who have been in the organization 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 years amazes me.”

The bank is not planning to grow, however, through another deal – at least not right now.

“I’m thinking about how we get this one done right, and really, how we capitalize on the opportunities that the Capital Bank integration being completed will afford us,” he says. “We think there are tremendous opportunities for serving customers in differentiated ways.”

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Trump administration selects 10 sites to test advanced drone use. One is in NC. | Charlotte Observer

The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected 10 sites to test advanced drone uses.

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced on May 9 that 10 areas would participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program.

The 10 areas are:

North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Durant, Oklahoma

City of San Diego, California

Virginia Tech – Center for Innovative Technology, Herndon, Virginia

Kansas Department of Transportation, Topeka, Kansas

Lee County Mosquito Control District, Ft. Myers, Florida

Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, Memphis, Tennessee

North Dakota Department of Transportation, Bismarck, North Dakota

City of Reno, Nevada

University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska

First announced last October, the White House initiative partners the Federal Aviation Administration with local, state and tribal governments which then partner with private sector participants "to safely explore the further integration of drone operations," according to the DOT announcement.

The program will help tackle the most significant challenges to using drones in national airspace, according to DOT, and will work to reduce risks to public safety and security.

Related stories from Charlotte Observer

How many drones are in your neighborhood? Now it might be harder to tell

The economic impact of the program, which will bring unmanned aircraft such as drones into national airspace, "is estimated at $82 billion and could create 100,000 jobs," according to DOT and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

“Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” said Chao. “The enthusiastic response to our request for applications demonstrated the many innovative technological and operational solutions already on the horizon."

While limited drone use already is legal in most of the United States, since drones fly at lower altitudes, the federal government and local governments will work together on specific regulation.

Ten areas were selected from 149 proposals.

The 10 selectees will work with the FAA over the next two and a half years to collect drone data involving:

Night flights

Flights over people

Flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight

Package delivery

Detect-and-avoid technology

Reliability and security of data links between pilot and aircraft

That data will help the DOT and FAA create new rules for drones that could allow more complex, low-altitude operations, accelerating the approval of operations that now require special permission and more.

According to the DOT, the program could create new drone opportunities for:

Commerce

Photography

Emergency management

Public safety

Agriculture and infrastructure inspections

Zipline, a company that provides drone delivery services in Rwanda and plans to expand to Tanzania, uses its drones to deliver medical supplies including vaccines and blood on thousands of flights every year.

The Silicon Valley-based startup company moved overseas so it could better develop and use its technology. Now Zipline has partnered with the NCDOT.

In April, one of Zipline’s drones was shown to deliver medical supplies at 79 mph.

“Today is an important first step towards bringing Zipline’s lifesaving drone delivery technology to the United States,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo said in a statement.

The NCDOT is working with Zipline and other companies to set up a network of distribution centers using unmanned aircraft such as drones to deliver blood and other medical supplies quicker.

Unmanned aircraft system companies including PrecisionHawk in Raleigh also are partnering with NCDOT to develop systems to track drones in flight.

Apple is another NCDOT partner in the project. Apple will work to improve imagery on Apple Maps in the state.

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Affordable housing fund on Charlotte City Council’s menu

Charlotte is running out of time to determine its affordable housing approach.

The budget for fiscal year 2019 must be approved by June 30, giving government officials six weeks to enact a plan that takes steps toward eradicating its housing dilemma.

During tonight’s meeting, District 2 council member Justin Harlow noted that “gentrification is everywhere in this city now.”

While the city expects to receive $12.2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, additional funds would be required to sustain their $4.9 billion from 2019-23 Community Investment Plan. While the five-year plan encompasses more than housing, $399.8 million would go toward street, neighborhood and housing bonds over the two general obligation bond referenda in 2018 and 2020.

Charlotte has changed significantly in the last decade. While its growth offers new opportunity in some areas, increasing property values and rents eliminate those opportunities just as quickly.

“I vividly remember it being 2010, and deciding to move my family from my native Illinois down South,” said James Ford, co-chair of the Leading on Opportunity Task Force and 2014 North Carolina teacher of the year. “I took my spring break, on an assignment from my wife, to spend that week finding us an apartment. My instructions were explicit: ‘make sure it’s affordable.’”

Ford explained that affordable for a teacher and social worker with two small children was easier to find back then than now.

“Preferably two-three bedrooms in a safe neighborhood for under $900 a month,” Ford said. “I found a beautiful complex in University City that had 1,300 square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room area and a washer and dryer. The rent was $850.”

Ford recalled how it allowed his family to “transition into the Queen City before becoming homeowners.” Today’s transplants do not have that luxury, as the same complex now costs $1,300.

“In under eight years, the rent increased by over 60 percent,” Ford said. “I say this, because for many in this city, it’s been happening for far too long. Families are being priced out of a city that they dearly love, placed in motels, piling on top of themselves in home rentals, and moving to neighboring counties.”

Ford noted the location of the Mecklenburg County Government Center as the “ruins of the old Brooklyn neighborhood,” a product on gentrification.

“The $50 million housing bond is a down payment, but ultimately it depends on our morals,” he said. “As the phrase goes, ‘you show them your budget, I’ll show you your priorities.’ We have to ask the questions, who are we? What is in our heart? Are we a Queen City of a feudal system where monarchs and lords rule over serfs and peasants condemned to a life of poverty and servitude? Or are we the Queen City, a community with an embarrassment of riches where opportunity abounds, and demographics don’t equal destiny. A place where everyone is a part of the royal family.”

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Spencer Boyd sports special colors to honor military at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Charlotte, NC (May 9, 2018) – Spencer Boyd and Grunt Style are proud to announce they will be running a special paint scheme Memorial Day Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway to honor our great nation’s military.

"The Memorial Day Weekend races at Charlotte are special for so many reasons," says Boyd. "NASCAR always does such a great job every week honoring our veterans and military members, but it goes to a whole other level when it comes to Memorial Day Weekend and the kick off to the NASCAR Salutes program. When the idea was brought up to run a special scheme at Charlotte, Grunt Style was all for it. I’m very fortunate to have a sponsor like Grunt Style who does so much for our Veterans, so this is definitely a special weekend for them as well."

Joining the scarlet and gold Camaro will be Calcutta Outdoors as a new sponsor to the No. 76 team. Calcutta is an outdoor coastal trading company that builds gear and apparel for those with a passion for the outdoors. Born in the back of a Florida bait and tackle shop over a quarter century ago, Calcutta was created with a rebellious spirit and an ambitious goal to offer hardworking outdoor products at a reasonable price. To this day, Calcutta products stand out in design, functionality and value. From nearly indestructible coolers and travel cups to rugged backpacks and utility bags to authentic apparel designed for the outdoors, Calcutta builds the products that fit your lifestyle. They’re on a mission to help you reclaim your free time and to declare mutiny on the mundane. If you’re looking to escape from everyday routine, you can depend on Calcutta gear and apparel.

"Calcutta is excited about this new partnership with Spencer and the No. 76 Chevy Camaro team. We’re looking forward to seeing him race in Charlotte and represent our brand."- Mitch Mitchell, VP of Marketing Calcutta Outdoors

Boyd will also team up with TAPS (Tragegy Assistance Program for Survivors) to honor USMC Cpl Edward N Beattie. Ed was killed in October of 2015 after injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident while serving at USMC Recruitment Depot Parris Island, SC. He was 26. Boyd will honor him by running his name on the car, as well as hosting his family at the track for the weekend. "I’m looking forward to meeting Cpl. Beattie’s family at Charlotte," says Boyd. "With the work that TAPS does in caring the families of America’s fallen heroes, I’m proud to raise awareness for what they do and be able to honor Ed at the same time."

Memorial Day Weekend is sure to be full of emotion for Boyd and the No. 76 Grunt Style team as they honor Ed and so many deserving heroes.

Spencer Boyd #76 Grunt Style Chevrolet at Charlotte SS Green Light Racing

— Spencer Boyd Racing —

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Who’s Charlotte’s Best Mom? Nominate A Mom Of The Year

CHARLOTTE, NC—Everybody thinks his or her mom is the best. Well, most people think that. But we want to hear why your mom in the greatest around. Send us your amazing mom stories and we’ll share the best ones with our readers leading up to Mother’s Day weekend.

Nominate the "Patch Mom Of The Year" by emailing a jpeg photo of your mom, along with the answers to the following questions, by Thursday, May 10, and she could be featured!

Mother’s name? Your name and relationship to the nominee? What makes your mom extra special? Don’t hold back on the details. Why do you feel your mom deserves the spotlight?

Please answer the questions and email your answers, along with a photo, to: [email protected] and give your mom the recognition she deserves.

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Charlotte Patch. Access Patch on the go with our iPhone app or our brand new app for Android phone users.)

Patch file photo

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‘The Headliners’ part 2: Previewing 35 events across NC in May: Connect X, CLT Venture Challenge + more

Keeping track with our initiative to spotlight North Carolina startup and tech events, WRAL TechWire’s weekly “Headliners” column is now divided into two parts—inside and outside the Triangle.

Following is a list of May meetups, conferences, workshops, socials and networking events happening in Asheville, Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad, and other areas throughout North Carolina.

To find out what’s happening this month in the Triangle, check out this post.

Another post previews hot events coming up in June. Recurring monthly meetups are also featured in a separate post.

These columns accompany our interactive calendar of tech and startup events. If you’d like to suggest an event to be added to the calendar, feel free to send me an email.

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* April 30, 6-8 p.m. @Forsyth Tech Small Business Center at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter

In observance of National Small Business Week, the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center will be hosting a discussion with author and entrepreneur Timogi Jackson about how writing a book can be a good channel for strengthening your business’s brand.

May 1, 8:30-9:30 a.m. @Forsyth Tech Small Business Center 525@Vine – Innovation Quarter

Network with peers and explore the best ways to create relationships and promote your business at this event hosted by the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center.

May 1, 4-8 p.m. @UNC Charlotte Center City

This event will showcase innovative ventures from researchers and students, followed by a keynote from NC IDEA President Thom Ruhe and a panel discussion featuring three Charlotte entrepreneurs—Lisa Ganderson of The Wed Clique, Rob Cummings of DealCloud, Inc and Ivan Howitt of InfoSense, Inc.

May 1, 5:30-7 p.m. @Forsyth Tech Small Business Center 525@Vine – Innovation Quarter

Join this monthly event for an evening of networking and community-building, plus a presentation sharing the success story of a local women entrepreneur.

May 2, 8:30-10 a.m.

Held on the first Wednesday of every month, 1 Million Cups Charlotte features a presentation from a local startup followed by a Q&A from the community. Free coffee is included.

May 2, 9-10:30 a.m. @Asheville Social Hall (RISC Networks)

Asheville’s entrepreneurial community meets weekly to hear local startups’ pitches and support one another in continuing to grow. For this week’s event, 1 Million Cups Asheville is hosting Safe Plus More following the startup’s third-place win at Hatch AVL Demo Day.

May 2, 5:30-7 p.m. @The Creative Community Lab

Applications are live for Creative Startups Winston-Salem’s eight-week virtual business accelerator. Drop by this info session to hear an overview of the program and learn how to apply. The application deadline is June 3.

May 2, 6-8 p.m. @Innovate Charlotte Venture Hub

At this event, part of Innovate Charlotte’s team mentorship program, serial entrepreneur Mac Lackey will share his experiences with mentorship and growing startup companies.

May 3, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @Winston Salem State University Enterprise Center

Learn the best practices involved with developing and maintaining successful businesses at this roundtable co-sponsored by The Winston Salem State University Enterprise Center, Woodforest National Bank and Kernersville Chamber of Commerce.

May 3, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

May 4, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. @UNC Charlotte Center City

UNC Charlotte’s Center for Biomedical Engineering and Science is hosting a full-day symposium featuring speakers from Levine Cancer Institute, Cannon Research Center and OrthoCarolina Research Institute, plus a keynote from Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine Director and Chair Anthony Atala, MD.

May 4, 12-1:30 p.m. @Advent Coworking

Applications are live for Creative Startups Winston-Salem’s eight-week virtual business accelerator. Drop by this info session to hear an overview of the program and learn how to apply. The application deadline is June 3.

May 5, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. @BLKTECHCLT Headquarters in Charlotte

In May’s BLKTECHCLT Learning Lab event, participants will learn the tools and techniques needed to create an interactive product mockup. They will also get to test their product and receive helpful feedback. This workshop is led by Quick Usability Founder Feleesha Sterling.

May 7, 8-10:30 p.m. @Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville

This event, hosted by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce aims to provide insight on how to create a healthy workplace environment for everyone. Panelists include Jackie Grant of Roberts & Stevens, Jessica Leaven of Grimes Teich Anderson LLP, Carol Steen of Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc., and Robin Sersland of Our Voice.

May 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Idea Tap is an opportunity for local startups to present their products/services to an audience and receive feedback on how to refine their pitches. The format involves: a five-minute pitch, a five-minute Q&A and five minutes of audience feedback. This monthly event is always free.

May 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. @BlackFinn Ameripub

With the aim of connecting local tech communities, this monthly event brings together IT professionals, service providers, startups and entrepreneurs for an event of networking and peer-to-peer exchange of ideas. Tickets are divided into five categories: tech professional, jobseeker, tech startup, recruiter and other/non-tech.

May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. @Winston Salem State University Enterprise Center

The Forsyth Tech Small Business Center and the Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce invite current and future entrepreneurs to join together at the Winston-Salem State University Enterprise Center to discuss how the two organizations can help grow their businesses.

May 8-10 @Moscone Center in San Francisco

Join the 14th annual Red Hat Summit for two days of exploring topics surrounding cloud computing, platform, virtualization, middleware, storage and systems management technologies.

May 9, 8-11 a.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

A handful of Queen City-based companies will headline May’s Charlotte PitchBreakfast, presenting their products and services for a total of five minutes, after which they will answer questions from the audience and a panel of experts. The goal of PitchBreakfast is to give startups a comfortable environment to test out pitches they can later present to investors.

May 9, 3-4 p.m. @The Garage at Packard Place

At this workshop, John Sotomayor, patent attorney and co-founder of SotoIP, will guide participants through the patent process—from planning to filing to following up to building a patent portfolio.

May 10, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

May 10, 6-7 p.m. @Venture Cafe

Applications are live for Creative Startups Winston-Salem’s eight-week virtual business accelerator. Drop by this info session to hear an overview of the program and learn how to apply. The application deadline is June 3.

May 14, 5 p.m.

Applications are officially open for NC IDEA’s Micro-Grants Pilot Program. Grants—$1,000 to $10,000—will be awarded to early-stage companies seeking to validate and advance their ideas. Recipients will receive mentorship and assistance from NC IDEA and access to its network.

May 15, 12-1:30 p.m. @Flywheel Coworking

Indeavor, a networking club offered to all Flywheel Coworking members, is an opportunity to get to know fellow entrepreneurs and swap helpful resources with one another. The lunches are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the the Center for Design Innovation in Winston-Salem.

May 16, 5:30-8 p.m. @Packard Place

On the third Wednesday of every month, the Queen City’s entrepreneurial community joins together for an evening of networking and connections over free beer and snacks.

May 17, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. @Winston Starts

At this workshop, participants will learn how to design an engaging, user-friendly website that represents their brand well.

May 17, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

May 18, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. @Camp North End Hygge

Three Charlotte entrepreneurs—Dina Carey of Milkful, Haley Bohon of Skillpop and Meggie Williams of The Waggle Company—return from the latest class of Techstars Austin to share the experience with the Queen City community.

May 21-22 @UNCW Swain Center

In this workshop, participants will learn the knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s marketplace with a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) credential.

May 21-24 @Charlotte Convention Center

The Connectivity Expo (Connect X) showcases the latest innovative connectivity solutions driving the future of communications. Sessions will cover a range of topics, from private LTE networks to macro cells to innovations in infrastructure to connected property. Keynote speakers represent industry-leading companies including Dish, Verizon, NASCAR and AWS.

May 24, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

May 28

Innovate Charlotte, an arm of the Charlotte Regional Fund for Entrepreneurship, is seeking applicants for its upcoming pilot program, which aims to serve entrepreneurs looking to bring their startups to the next level. Five companies will be admitted to the three-month mentorship program.

May 30, 6-8 p.m. @Hatch AVL

Entrepreneurs are invited to test and develop their pitch at this monthly event hosted by Hatch AVL. Presenters will receive helpful feedback from the audience, and the best-voted pitch will land a spot at 1 Million Cups Asheville.

May 31, 12-1 p.m. @Skookum Charlotte

Join an open tour of the Skookum office to get an introduction to the tech and ideas powering the community. The Skookum team will be available for any questions or comments participants may have. Lunch will be provided.

May 31, 5-8 p.m. @Bailey Power Plant in Winston-Salem

Held on a weekly basis, this Venture Café event series provides all sorts of programming for Piedmont Triad entrepreneurs and innovators. Every Thursday evening, the community gathers for networking, panel talks, workshops, presentations, product demos, interviews, and more.

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Two-year-old NC girl hit repeatedly with paintballs now afraid to go outside

A 2-year-old in Charlotte is the latest victim of teens firing paintball guns at each other during disputes.

The child was hit in the back by a “paintball missile” on April 16, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report. Police charged 17-year-old Keon Jaquez Broughton with assault on a child under age 12.

The report said the child was uninjured, but the child’s mother told Charlotte station WSOC-TV that her daughter had marks all over her body and needs counseling because she is afraid to go outside. The child’s mom told the station her daughter was hit nine times.

The girl was in a public area on Columbus Circle in west Charlotte when she was hit, according to the police report.

Paintball “projectiles” also smashed several windows on houses and defaced several cars, the police report said.

Broughton also was charged with resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. He is free on $1,500 bail pending a June court appearance, Mecklenburg County court records show.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have received more than 150 calls since Jan. 1 involving paintball gun complaints and have made 10 arrests, according to WSOC-TV.

In January, CBS News reported “an alarming rise” in eye injuries from BB, pellet and paintball guns.

The network cited a study published in the journal “Pediatrics” that found eye injuries from such guns increased nearly 170 percent over 23 years.

“These can be life-altering injuries: In a second, an injury can occur that will be with you the rest of your life,” the study’s senior author, Dr. Gary Smith, told The New York Times. Smith works at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

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Gov. Cooper seeks $130 million for safer NC schools. Here’s how he’d spend it. | Charlotte Observer

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled a $130 million school safety budget Thursday, offering a first glimpse at how the state might respond to the clamor for better protection in the wake of February’s mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school.

State lawmakers, who will convene May 16, are already holding study sessions on how to respond to gun violence in schools but have not released any budget plans.

Cooper released the school safety proposals at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough before unveiling his full budget proposal. The biggest spending, at $65 million, would go toward making buildings safer. The money would be available to K-12 schools, community colleges and universities for communication and camera systems, panic alarms, doors and other physical improvements to deal with possible attacks.

He calls for $40 million to go toward hiring more counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses, and $15 million for additional "innovative programs" to address students’ mental health challenges.

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"We should address both classroom security and youth mental health needs," Cooper said. "My budget takes meaningful steps to prevent school violence and protect teachers and students."

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper takes a tour of Cedar Ridge High School with school nurse Jennifer Pepin in Hillsborough, N.C., on Thursday, April 19, 2018, where the Governor announced his budget recommendations for improving school safety and youth mental health.

Gerry Broome AP Photo

The budget provides $7 million to increase the state allotment for school resource officers from $35,000 to $50,000 per high school, designed to cover the actual cost of hiring armed officers to patrol those schools. Another $3 million would go toward grants to hire such officers for elementary and middle schools.

Finally, the governor’s budget would provide $444,000 to support a web-based School Risk Management System that helps schools work with law enforcement and emergency staff to prepare for threats or attacks.

Cooper’s strategies are similar to those being discussed by local officials in Charlotte and Raleigh.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Clayton Wilcox is seeking just over $9 million from county commissioners to strengthen buildings. His plan also calls for $624,000 to hire five more CMS police officers, including one who will lead active shooter training, as well as two locksmiths and two electronics specialists to upgrade security.

Superintendents in Wake and CMS are seeking county money for more counselors, social workers and psychologists, with $5 million in Wake Interim Superintendent Del Burns’ plan and $4.4 million in Wilcox’s.

In March, Cooper had recommended policy changes to make schools safer, including stronger background checks for handgun buyers, raising the age for eligibility to buy assault weapons and enacting "extreme risk protection orders" that would let law enforcement temporarily confiscate guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Read More

CMS budget plan: Bulletproof doors, local teacher raises and $40M hike from the county Read More

School leaders want ‘stunning’ $58.9 million increase from Wake County taxpayers this year

Ann Doss Helms: 704-358-5033, @anndosshelms

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4421 Hampton Road, Clemmons, NC 27012

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Winter makes one more visit to the NC mountains

(Steve Ohnesorge | WBTV)

BEECH MOUNTAIN, NC (WBTV) –

People in the North Carolina mountains woke up to an April surprise as winter-like weather hit the area again.

Snow was falling, wind was blowing and temperatures hovered around freezing.

“It’s time for us to be done with this,” said mail carrier Phillip Simmons.

Winter will just not go away. Another snowy day in the mtns. At least it is not sticking to the roads! pic.twitter.com/wre6HxogAe

— Steve Ohnesorge WBTV (@WBTVSteveO) April 9, 2018

The storm Monday was no blizzard but an inch or more of snow collected on the grass and homes. Roads were clear for the most part, but salt trucks were making the rounds just in case.

School in Avery County was delayed for three hours. Simmons and others said they were tired of winter and ready for spring to finally take over.

Forecasters predict much warmer weather to move in by the weekend.

Copyright 2018 WBTV. All rights reserved.

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Here’s The Best Small-Town Bar In NC: Thrillist

CHARLOTTE, NC — Travel and entertainment website Thrillist.com recently compiled a list of the best small town bars in each state, and North Carolina’s was found in a town with a population of just over 4,000 in a 100-year-old converted bakery.

According to Thrillist, The Backstreet Pub in Beaufort has the distinct honor of being the best small town bar in the Tar Heel State.

The Backstreet Pub is located at 124 Middle Lane in Beaufort, North Carolina.

According to Historic Beaufort, The Backstreet Pub is known as "the friendliest, funkiest little bar," and "a year round party." With its nautical memorabilia on the walls provided by local Intercoastal Waterway sailors, the waterhole is considered a local hangout.

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"For fishermen and writers, waitresses and tugboat captains, retired spies, deep sea divers and just about anyone looking for a cold beer, a fine wine and some decent conversation. And, perhaps, a game of cribbage," Historic Beaufort said.

Here’s what Thrillist had to say about The Backstreet Pub:

"Located a stone’s throw from the water along North Carolina’s picturesque Inner Banks, this modest hideaway packs a whole lot of history, music, and booze into its two charmingly weathered stories. The century-old converted bakery is famous for its weekend shindigs, when bands banging out tunes from bluegrass to hard rock flood the brick-walled courtyard, a wave of local beach bums, curious tourists, and leather-necked fishermen towed in their wake. Whether or not the stage is rocking, this spot’s a hangout in the best sense of the word, a place where anyone off the street can come in, grab a beer, and make themselves right at home among the nautical tchotchkes, exposed wood beams, dusty books and board games, and reliably stellar company."

To find out other fun small town bars you may want to seek out, read the full list at Thrillist.com.

Patch Editor RJ Scofield contributed

Photo credit: Shutterstock

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5 North Carolina Communities Among Healthiest In U.S.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Five North Carolina communities ranked among the healthiest in the United States, according to rankings released by U.S. News & World Report on Monday. The rankings, compiled in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation, present a list of the 500 healthiest American communities.

U.S. News evaluated 3,000 communities across 10 categories to determine the rankings. In addition to the overall rankings, U.S. News also ranked communities across four groups: urban high-performing, urban up-and-coming, rural high-performing and rural up-and-coming. North Carolina communities also ranked in the two up-and-coming categories.

"Research has shown that in the United States, your ZIP code is a greater predictor of your life expectancy than your genetic code," Mark T. Bertolini, chairman of the Aetna Foundation and chairman and CEO of Aetna, said in a press release. "In other words, where you live has a significant impact on your overall health."

Here are the North Carolina communities that ranked among the 500 healthiest in the U.S.:

Orange County (214)Wake County (221)Transylvania County (328)Polk County (417)Union County (476)

Here are the North Carolina communities that were ranked in the urban up-and-coming category:

Transylvania County (5)Watauga County (16)Madison County (31)Haywood County (44)Jackson County (60)Camden County (66)Brunswick County (86)Carteret County (92)

Here are the North Carolina communities that were ranked in the rural up-and-coming category:

Yancey County (13)Mitchell County (42)Ashe County (63)Cherokee County (73)Swain County (75)Hyde County (92)

The top 10 healthiest communities in the U.S. are:

Falls Church City, VirginiaDouglas County, ColoradoBroomfield County, ColoradoLos Alamos County, New MexicoDukes County, MassachusettsFairfax City, VirginiaHamilton County, IndianaRoutt County, ColoradoOuray County, ColoradoLoudoun County, Virginia

The rankings were compiled by evaluating how communities performed across 80 metrics in 10 categories: population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality and infrastructure. U.S. News collaborated with the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) to collect and analyze data. The data was collected from government and private sources. (Read the full methodology here)

You can see the full rankings here.

Image: Patch file

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Craft brewers sue over NC law that takes away sales control

Once a North Carolina brewer sells about enough beer to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in any given year, state law says it must hand over distribution to another company. Attorneys for two growing craft breweries argued Tuesday that’s unconstitutional.

Lawyers for Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and Noda Brewing Co. filed a lawsuit in 2017 after failing for years to get state legislators to change the beer distribution law — a change opposed by beer wholesalers who represent one of the state’s most powerful political interest groups.

The Charlotte breweries claim the law is unconstitutional because once they’ve sold more than 25,000 barrels in a year, they’re required to give up pricing and sales control of their products to middlemen for virtually as long as their beers are brewed. Brewers hitting that limit must sell everything to a wholesaler, which then sells to stores or taverns.

"This is an economic protectionism scheme designed to enrich one private party at the expense of another; a private party that contributes millions of dollars in campaign contributions to this General Assembly," attorney Andrew Erteschik said.

The political-action committee affiliated with the North Carolina Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association gave more than $500,000 to political candidates of both parties and the parties themselves in the five years prior to this election year, according to state campaign finance records. Executives of the state’s roughly two dozen wholesalers gave more.

Officers of the wholesalers group, one of the state’s oldest trade associations, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Erteschik said the law violates constitutional provisions allowing people to enjoy the fruit of their labors by barring breweries that become successful from choosing whether to keep delivering their own beer through their own networks or making a business decision to outsource that work to others.

A state attorney defending the law said if the lawsuit isn’t dismissed, a special panel of three judges should examine the constitutional challenge to the overall beer distribution law, not just how it applies to a few breweries. State Justice Department attorney Matthew Tulchin also said alcoholic beverage and gambling businesses are in industries in which extra regulations are reasonable in order to protect broader community values.

Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour said he would consider the arguments and rule later.

North Carolina’s three-tier system of beer sales was created after Prohibition in the 1930s, in part to keep big breweries from limiting competition and consumer choice by locking up distribution. Since then, major breweries and in-state wholesalers have gotten vastly bigger through consolidation.

The law positions distributors to serve the growing craft beer market while overall sales have been flat for a generation. A new generation of brewers innovating with hops, malt and unexpected flavors like basil have been growing. Craft beer had 12 percent of the U.S. beer market in 2016, according to the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based trade group.

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Follow Emery P. Dalesio at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio

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