Today is the day. Groundbreaking at 10 am

A New Era: Ahead of revitalization, Charlotte residents fondly remember Eastland Mall

wsoctv.com/news/local/lea… The site plan for Eastland:

Tepper’s portion is now listed as “future development”

CMS will meet shortly. The meeting is virtual because City Manager Marcus Jones is not letting the public in the Gov Center. Watch live here: facebook.com/cmsboe The CMS meeting is flying by. They may actually get to the back to school presentation at a decent hour.

As of yesterday, Atrium Health CEO Gene Woods says 153 patients were on ventilators. 144 were not vaccinated Atrium’s Dr. Katie Passaretti says 94% of hospitalizations in August have been in unvaccinated individuals.

Charlotte City Council is about to start. Watch live here #CLTCC: charlottenc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.ph… Greg Phipps and Larken Egleston are the only two councilmembers in person. Everyone else is virtual. Councilmember Victoria Watlington is absent due to the loss of a close friend #CLTCC

BREAKING: Governor Roy Cooper says he anticipates lifting social distancing and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 Governor Cooper says the goal is for 2/3 of adults to be vaccinated

No Mecklenburg County long term care residents have died of COVID-19 since February #MeckBOCC Charlotte hospitals are not seeing increases in patients in the ICU due to COVID

Just announced: The Mecklenburg County Health Department is closing Bojangles Coliseum for vaccine appointments on May 22 #MeckBOCC The county is launching a partnership with Action NC for grassroots canvassing about vaccine availability and information #MeckBOCC

Thread: I spoke to Gibbie Harris today about Mecklenburg County's vaccination rate. Mecklenburg County is lagging behind several neighboring counties right now. Here is a look at the data, per NCDHHS

Full vaccinations:
Meck- 10.5%
Union- 11.1%
Gaston- 11.6%
Lincoln- 12.2%
Iredell- 12.3%

Wake- 13.7%

Partial:
Meck- 16.8%
Union- 16.6%
Gaston- 17.4%
Lincoln- 18.3%
Iredell- 17.5%

Wake- 22.5%

NEW: Atrium Health has announced the new medical school will be located in Midtown at Baxter & South McDowell Streets

This will be the first 4-year medical school in Charlotte

Atrium is partnering with Wake Forest Baptist and the Wake Forest School of Medicine @wsoctv Construction on the Wake Forest School of Medicine Charlotte campus will start early next year. First class of students in 2024

DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Numerous openings for tomorrow for EVERYONE 16+

signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4daca7… You do not have to be a Davidson County resident. If you are in Groups 4b or 5 and can get to Davidson Co tomorrow, you can get a vaccine appointment if you sign up here: signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4daca7…

BREAKING: Governor Roy Cooper is lifting more restrictions in North Carolina. Museums, aquariums, retail businesses and salons can open at 100% capacity

Restaurants, gyms and breweries- 75% indoors, 100% outdoors

Bars/ sports arenas- 50%

Effective Friday. Mask mandate remains Effective Friday- On-site alcohol sale cutoff is lifted.

New mass gathering limits:

50 indoors
100 outdoors

Tonight's Charlotte City Council meeting will be a doozy. Pour a glass of wine and get ready for more than 100 speakers on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Tweets in the thread. Watch live, starting at 5, here #CLTCC: facebook.com/CLTgov/ East Charlotte residents: you are about to get your second lane on Central Avenue back.

City Manager Marcus Jones says the bus-only lane pilot will conclude at the end of the month. CATS will analyze data from the 6 month pilot and apply it to Phase 3 of the Gold Line #CLTCC

Thread: Ultimately the story boils down to this- The COVID-19 vaccine is limited and coveted right now. Atrium has it. They are scheduling non-patient facing employees to get vaccinated. Plenty of high and at risk groups and people are waiting for their turn. 2. Kudos to @Hunt_Saenz for breaking this today and asking these questions. @NickOchsnerWBTV has a great story too. @TinaTerryWSOC9 also has had great stories on the vaccine distribution process.

CMPD Deputy Chief Jeff Estes has retired. Deputy Chief Steven Brochu is taking over his duties as the lead CMPD voice on Mecklenburg County Covid matters @wsoctv Health Director Gibbie Harris says officials are exploring a new way to notify first time cases. People will get a text or email from the state letting them know about their positive result. Rollout is likely this week

NEW from @StolpWSOC9 and @AllisonWSOC9: CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings, Judge Elizabeth Trosch and DA Spencer Merriweather traveled together to Wilmington, NC on December 2 for a site visit.

Jennings and Trosch have now tested positive. Merriweather at this point is negative Trosch, Jennings and Merriweather traveled together to a meeting hosted by the Winer Family Foundation and the New Hanover/Pender County District Attorney’s Office in Wilmington. They took a private flight chartered by the foundation

CMS is meeting now. The Board may consider moving all schools to remote learning, sources have told @ElsaWSOC9. facebook.com/cmsboe/videos/… Public comment has been going on for about 30 minutes or so. Most of the comments so far are in favor of full remote

Teacher Erika Taylor:
"With case numbers on the rise it is very concerning to go back into the building."

BREAKING: Governor Cooper to issue an Executive Order saying people in all counties should stay at home between 10 pm and 5 am unless an exception applies and many businesses must close at 10 pm, according to the new county alert map report. More to come The new Executive Order is out. 9 pm cutoff for onsite alcohol consumption

For those looking to kill some time before the Gov Cooper presser, #MeckBOCC is meeting now: mecklenburg.ravnur.com/live/BOCC Today's meeting will go until 5:00

Dunlap, Cotham and Powell voted no (for the meeting to last longer if needed) #MeckBOCC

New- just got this list of hospital systems that will get the first doses of Covid vaccine and then see. They will determine which facilities in their systems will get the doses first @wsoctv Per Dr Cohen on CNN: About 50-60 hospitals will get the first dose of Covid vaccine in NC

Big day for ballot counting in NC. Provisionals will be thrown into the mix. Here is where key races stand at 10:30 as results trickle in:

Chief Justice: Newby +842
AG: Stein +13,748

We should get an idea from NCSBE later today how many ballots are left to count 1:10 pm update

Chief Justice: Newby +855
AG: Stein +13,729

Plans for light rail expansion haven't been derailed because of COVID. The Charlotte Moves Taskforce is set to present funding recommendations next week for a "Transformational Mobility Network." Council presentation in December. Possible $4-6 billion local cost. At 11 @wsoctv Council's goal has been to expand the light rail to Belmont (with a stop at the airport), Matthews and Ballantyne at the same time. The Transformational Mobility Network deals with more than just light rail expansion-- like road and bike path improvements.