🌱 Charlotte Gets New Medical School + Chick-fil-A Plans Traffic Fix

Hello, friends! It's me, Alexis Goring, your host of the Charlotte Daily — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community today. In today's issue, we'll touch on...

• Construction for the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Charlotte and "The Pearl" Innovation District is underway.
• Bojangles and Appalachian Mountain Brewery teamed up to create Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea.
• North Carolina is playing a big role in a new movie coming out later this month.

But first, today's weather:

Mild with periods of sun. High: 66 Low: 53.

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Here are the top five stories today in Charlotte:

1. "Construction for the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Charlotte and "The Pearl" Innovation District is underway, Tuesday. Almost two years after its initial announcement, the first shovels of dirt were turned Tuesday at a ceremony near the intersection of Baxter and South McDowell streets, commemorating the groundbreaking. This will be Charlotte's first 4-year-medical school," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "Bojangles and Appalachian Mountain Brewery teamed up to create Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea. Bojangles, founded in Charlotte in 1977, has over 800 restaurants across 15 states famous for their Southern menu and loads of fixins'. AMB opened its first taproom in 2013 in Boone, North Carolina. This made it the first brewery to produce award-winning high-quality beers and ciders in the town of Boone. Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for Bojangles Jackie Woodward said AMB reached out to Bojangles to express its love for the restaurant and hopes to collaborate over a year and a half ago," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "Charlotte leaders are expected to vote on plans to redesign the Cotswold Chick-fil-A during Tuesday night's City Council meeting. The restaurant, which is next to the Cotswold Village shopping center on Randolph Road, is hoping to build a more efficient drive-thru to reduce traffic backup. The proposal is also looking to improve pedestrian access to the restaurant with a walk-up order window and outdoor patio. The Charlotte Zoning Committee voted in early January to recommend approval of the plans. The walk-up order window and outdoor patio were added after concerns from residents were brought to the restaurant's attention," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
4. "North Carolina is playing a big role in a new movie coming out later this month, both in front of and behind the camera. “Condor’s Nest” takes us back to the 1950s and the hunt for Nazi war criminals. The Rocky Mount area doubles for eastern France during the film’s opening scene set during World War II, and various other locations from Greensboro to Charlotte double as interior locations set in South America. All of the producers are from N.C., along with several of the actors," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
5. "North Carolina is home to one of the most-visited swaths of national forestland, the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. The future of about 450,000 acres of the combined land — nearly half of it — is now in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service after eight years of arguments about the best use of the forests. Since 2014, the federal agency has been working on a management plan for the future of the land. The plan could be in place for up to 30 years," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Skills: Personalizing Your Apple Watch at Apple Northlake Mall (1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
• Photo Skills: Editing on iPhone at Apple SouthPark (3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
• Wednesday Night Live: Nerdy Night Out (5:00 p.m.)
• Skate and Date at Whitewater Center (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• When we talk of Brave Step's mission to provide personalized services for adult survivors, it's this woman pictured here who delivers compassionate and nurturing care. Today, we celebrate Yenting Liu for three years of amazing service. (Brave Step via Facebook)
• For over 20 years, CMS students have participated in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art & Writing Contest, celebrating King’s life and legacy. Read the winning submissions. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Join us on Saturday (Jan. 21) at University City Regional Library for a poetry workshop with NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green. This is the first workshop in our six-part poetry workshop series. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• The annual CMS School Choice Magnet Fair will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at Innovation Park, 7201 IBM Drive in Charlotte. This in-person event will offer existing and potential CMS families the opportunity to meet school. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Help CMS Learning and Teaching select reading options for English III and English I. Head here to engage in a virtual session or provide feedback via survey: charmeckschools.org/novelengsurvey22 (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Silver-voiced (The Arts Fuse) soprano Alexandra Smither performs Britten’s ethereal Les Illuminations with the Charlotte Symphony, Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 at Knight Theater. Get tickets >> bit.ly/csosibelius5 (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Only three more days to register for our Changemaker training with Darkness to Light. Learn more about boundary violations, inappropriate behaviors, and how to be an effective bystander for children. (Brave Step via Facebook)
• Want to learn how to use a 3D printer, laser cutter, or CNC routers? Area 49 has you covered! Sign up for our upcoming trainings and workshops at 👉 https://bit.ly/3l2E2xg #CLTAtkins #AtkinsLibrary (UNC Charlotte Atkins Library via Facebook)
• Looking for movers for a Friday move of some boxes, a mattress and a small amount of furniture from 3x5 storage to new home. I can rent a truck or if you have one, great. Preferably Friday 1/20. Any recommendations? (Nextdoor)
• Got a drywall project coming up to drywall my kitchen and master bathroom and need recommendations. I want to get a few quotes. (Nextdoor)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— 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