Uptown Charlotte Crackdown Nets 26 Juveniles

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) arrested more than 50 people, 26 of them 17 or younger, during a weekend push to make Uptown safer at peak nightlife hours.

Officers also seized 13 guns and made more than 200 traffic stops, part of CMPD’s broader Queen City Safe campaign against late-night disorder.

The effort follows a June “teen takeover” at Romare Bearden Park that drew more than 200 teenagers and ended in 24 arrests, with 13 parents cited under the city’s Youth Protection Ordinance.

That ordinance keeps teens ages 13 to 15 off public streets after 11 p.m. and children 12 and under off after 10 p.m. Lt. Brandon Overcash said the reception has been positive: “I’ve had more people come up to me and thank us for being here. They feel safer.”

93% Qualify for School-Choice Tax Credit

A new national analysis estimates that about 1.7 million North Carolina children, or 93% of the state’s K-12 population, qualify for scholarships under the new federal school-choice tax credit.

The Education Freedom Tax Credit, created by the tax law President Trump signed in 2025, allows donors to claim a dollar-for-dollar federal credit of up to $1,700 for gifts to scholarship groups, with credits available starting January 2027.

Because eligibility is pegged to local income, the ceilings run high, with a family of four able to earn about $396,900 in Wake County, for example, and still qualify.

North Carolina opted in after Republicans overrode Democrat Gov. Josh Stein’s veto in June. Senate Leader Phil Berger said families “want to have a choice in where to send their children to school.”

RNC Backs NC in Voting Case

The Republican National Committee filed a brief Thursday urging the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a North Carolina law that tightened same-day voter registration.

The provision, part of 2023’s Senate Bill 747, allows officials to pull a same-day registrant’s ballot from the count before certification if the first mailed verification card comes back undeliverable.

Three groups, including Democracy North Carolina and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, say the rule unconstitutionally burdens younger voters, who use same-day registration most.

A federal trial judge upheld the law in March, finding any burden “minimal” and justified by the state’s interest in election integrity, with no evidence of discriminatory intent. The plaintiffs filed their appeal in June, and the 4th Circuit has not yet ruled.

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➤ Statewide: Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted North Carolina’s 1st and 11th congressional districts from “Leans Republican” to “Toss-up,” citing weak fundraising and an ethics investigation dogging Rep. Chuck Edwards in the 11th district, where Democratic challenger Jamie Ager has out-raised him. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Democrats packed a sold-out Unity Dinner in Raleigh, headlined by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with former Gov. Roy Cooper, the party’s U.S. Senate candidate, also addressing the crowd. (More)

➤ Mooresville: J’Kobe Ramseur, 23, of Hickory, now faces first-degree murder after police say he shot his 19-year-old girlfriend, Justice Wells, as she drove on I-77 south in Mooresville, following weekend texts about a murder-suicide pact. Ramseur, who also shot himself, survived. (More)

➤ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Seth Elliott faces charges after allegedly using Flock and other law enforcement databases, at a college friend’s request, to identify an undercover officer’s vehicle. The friend was the target of a Watauga County drug investigation. (More)

➤ Buxton: Crews have begun a beach-nourishment project that will pump about 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the area’s oceanfront to shield homes on Hatteras Island from worsening erosion. (More)

➤ Buncombe County is asking residents to weigh in on a draft resilience and small-area plan for Swannanoa, one of the communities hit hardest when Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters tore through the mountains in 2024. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Panthers recently partnered with Make-A-Wish to give local 6-year-old Asher Harvey an “official” contract, letting him join the quarterback room for a day. (More)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes standout Alexander Nikishin addressed the trade rumors surrounding him for the first time, indicating he is not in a rush for a new contract and that his agent will primarily handle the matter. (More)

➤ Multiple North Carolina collegiate players are seeking a return to college sports after a federal court ruled that high school class of 2022 players are eligible for an extra year. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Soccer | Golf

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➤ Publix is recalling every lot of its GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Organic Whole Mixed Berries across eight states, including North Carolina, due to possible E. coli contamination. Shoppers can return the frozen berries for a full refund. (More)

➤ Lenovo will invest $145 million to double its Whitsett campus in Guilford County, expanding U.S. production of servers and AI hardware. The project is expected to grow the site’s workforce from about 600 to around 1,000. (More)

➤ State lawmakers earmarked $30 million to help the Kinston-based private-jet company FlyExclusive expand its maintenance and overhaul operation at the Global TransPark, the firm’s second round of state funding since it launched in 2015. (More)

➤ Culver’s filed plans for its first Wilmington restaurant, a roughly 4,500-square-foot location with a drive-thru off Market Street, as national chains keep flocking to the growing Cape Fear market. (More)

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➤ The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles reported that for the first time since 2009, a leatherback, the largest of all sea turtles, nested in Corolla and laid eggs on the beach on July 30. (Watch Video)

➤ A waterspout spun up off the coast near Sunset Beach on Saturday. Forecasters say it fizzled out over the water before it could reach land, so no tornado warning was issued. (More)

➤ The eighth annual North Carolina Film Festival returned to the New Bern Civic Center on Saturday, showcasing the work of 24 filmmakers. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ A gunman killed two people and wounded seven others at a newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, before taking his own life. (Hear More)

➤ Washington’s worst fire season in three decades has destroyed 600 structures around Spokane and pushed thousands of families from their homes. (Listen Now)

➤ A crime network tied to Iran is recruiting European teenagers as hitmen over social media, then abandoning them when they’re caught. (Tune In)

Have you ever dined at a Culver’s?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not yet

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you still write thank you notes?

1. Yes, on stationery: 35%
2. Yes, via email or text: 27%
3. Every now and then: 25%
4. Never: 13%

Where did the first Publix grocery store open in North Carolina?

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