🌱 Atrium Health Expands Services + University Tackles Food Insecurity

Hello again, neighbors. It's Wednesday in Charlotte and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Today we'll cover:

• Atrium Health expands its mobile services and fleet of mobile medical units to serve communities in need.
• Language barriers for limited English speakers persist in local and state government.
• Johnson C. Smith University launched a Substainability Village to tackle food insecurity across west Charlotte and the Beatties Ford Road Corridor areas.

But first, today's weather:

Rain and a thunderstorm. High: 59 Low: 38.

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Here are the top seven stories today in Charlotte:

1. "Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw even more passengers in 2022 than in 2021, inching closer to a record set before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the travel industry. Airport officials said in a Tuesday news release about 48 million passengers were served at Charlotte Douglas in 2022, a 10% jump from 43 million passengers in 2021. Last year's passenger numbers were also just about 2 million shy of the record-breaking 50 million set in 2019," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "Atrium Health announced it's expanding its mobile services and fleet of mobile medical units to serve its communities in need. In a news release, Atrium Health said the initiative is one of the nation’s first mobile units dedicated solely to women’s health care," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "An electric company was cited by the North Carolina Department of Labor following the death of a worker at Charlotte Douglas International Airport last summer. According to the Labor Department, Rosendin Electric Inc. was cited for one alleged serious violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina, with a total penalty of $14,502. A spokesperson for the N.C Department of Labor said that, by law, the civil money penalties collected by the department are not the receipts of the department, but must be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund, which then distributes the monies to the public school system," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
4. "A recent Bloomberg study shows that by the year 2040, 58% of vehicle sales will come from electric vehicles. With the recent increase in the gas tax in North Carolina, which helps pay for road construction and maintenance, some are wondering how the state will recoup the tax money that's lost since electric vehicles don't run on gas," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
5. "As the Hispanic/Latino population rapidly grows across North Carolina, a WBTV is investigation reveals language barriers for limited English speakers continue to persist in local and state government. Real estate agent Anabell Rodriguez tells WBTV non-English speaking families often must rely on a child to translate government websites and documents that are in English. She said it’s not unusual for families to hire someone to help navigate a process where a Spanish translation isn’t available," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
6. "UNC Charlotte’s online graduate programs received national recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Online Master’s Programs rankings, which were released Tuesday, Jan. 24. Three master’s disciplines received U.S. News rankings, including top 50 recognition for education and nursing. Here’s a look at the new graduate program rankings. The Cato College of Education again ranked No. 1 among master’s in education programs in North Carolina and No. 23 (tie) overall in U.S. News’ Best Online Master’s in Education ranking. The ranking includes data from 13 Charlotte Online master’s programs or specializations," Inside UNC Charlotte reports. (Inside UNC Charlotte)
7. "Accessing healthy food options has been a struggle for some communities in the Charlotte area. A local college is helping to combat the issue by growing organic food on its campus grounds. In 2013, Johnson C. Smith University launched a Substainability Village to tackle food insecurity across west Charlotte and the Beatties Ford Road Corridor areas. The Sustainability Village includes hydroponic facilities and aquaponics greenhouses. It utilizes a soil-less system for growing healthy food, particularly in urban areas like Charlotte," Spectrum News reports. (Spectrum News)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Food Truck: Cousins Maine Lobster at The Brixham Tent (11:00 a.m.)
• Wednesday Night Live: Men of Change Digi-Bridge at The Harvey B. Gantt Center (5:00 p.m.)
• Clarissa's Battle: A Public Screening at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library - Hickory Grove (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
• Skate and Date at Whitewater Center (6:30 p.m.)
• Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele at The Barrel Room at Triple C Brewing (7:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• New year, new and better behavior for your dog (WCNC.com)
• Revenge Travel is on the minds of vacationers. (WCNC.com)
• Disappearing shopping carts costing its taxpayers. (WCNC.com)
• West Charlotte High School names a new athletic director. (WCNC.com)
• Charlotte Christian coach steps down after 16 seasons.(WCNC.com)
• We want to thank a community partner for donating 1000s of bottles of Gatorade and 100s of bottles of Muscle Milk to Charlotte Fire. The donor wants to remain anonymous, but we want to spread some Monday joy about this good deed. (Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• Entry level positions starting at over $50,000 annually with a $4,000 signing bonus. We're hiring telecommunicators to join the Charlotte Fire family. Benefits include paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave. (Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• Baby Kaleb is going home after 56 nights! We wish them enormous happiness and cannot wait to watch Kaleb grow up! Support parents of babies just like Kaleb by donating at http://ow.ly/ag3L50MxUTq (Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte via Facebook)
• Our National Board Certified Teachers drive change and impact students, schools and communities. This #TeamNBCT week, we are celebrating the 60 new and 196 renewed National Board Certified Teachers! (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Next time you’re walking through Uptown, take a minute to pause and enjoy local art lining these inner city streets! Thanks to our partners @uptown.clt artists like @bryantportwoodart and @addisonwahlerart pictured here are on display. (ArtPop Street Gallery via Instagram)
• Today marks one year to the day Brooke Gibbons, our Director of Impact and Sustainability, ArtPop Cities Program, joined our organization — and that is worth celebrating! Brooke is an indigenous CHamoru curator and arts leader. (ArtPop Street Gallery via Instagram)
• Garinger High School English teacher, Greg Asciutto, has been named the City of Charlotte's 2023 Educator Mentor of the Year! The award, given by the Mayor's Mentoring Alliance and Mayor Lyles. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Next time you’re walking through Uptown, take a minute to pause and enjoy local art lining these inner city streets! Thanks to our partners Charlotte Center City artists like Bryant Portwood Art and Addison Wahler Design. (ArtPop Street Gallery via Facebook)
• Our recruitment staff is setup at the N.C. Law Enforcement Hiring Expo today. Renaissance Southpark 5501 Carnegie Blvd. If you aren’t able to make it, go to: JoinCMPD.com for more information. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Our beloved Halal Food Cart has been serving Uptown 7 days a week since 2016. Expect the same menu that you know and love, and now serving treats! Be sure to stop by today and congratulate them. (Charlotte Center City via Facebook)
• We know you've heard of Monday Motivations, but we'd like to share a Monday Celebration! Freedom School Partners has been awarded a $240,000 corporate grant to help strengthen our summer evaluation capacity. (Charlotte Freedom School Partners via Facebook)
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library wants to hear what is important to you regarding your new University City Regional Library. Join us at a community engagement meeting to discuss: Aspects of the University City community. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• The CSO pays tribute to the musical legacy of The Beatles with authentic reproductions of their greatest hits as you've never heard them before at Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles! Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 at Knight Theater. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Do you have a job interview coming up, are you looking for a new job, or do you just want to increase your interviewing skills? Join us every Saturday in February at University City Regional Library at 11:00 a.m. for the interview series. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update.

— Alexis Goring

About me: My name is Alexis A. Goring. I'm an East Coast Girl with a pulse for people, news and feature stories! I've worked as a freelance writer/editor/proofreader in the media industry for 15 years. I'm also a published author, experienced blogger, and founder of Writer at Heart Editorial Services. Visit my website for more details about me and my work. Here's the link: https://alexisagoring.jimdofree.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Charlotte Daily? Contact me at charlotte@patch.com