🌱 Family-Owned Bakery Opens + CMPD Officers Prevent Suicide

Hello, neighbors! It's me, Alexis Goring, your host of the Charlotte Patch newsletter. Follow along to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days. In today's issue, you'll read about these stories and more:

• A family-owned bakery 20 years in the making recently opened in east Charlotte.
• CMPD officers prevented a woman from jumping off of the Sugar Creek Bridge.
• Two people were shot and killed in South End late Monday night.

But first, today's weather:

Clouds giving way to some sun. High: 65 Low: 53.

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Here are the top seven stories in Charlotte today:

1. "To help prevent the number of false alarms, some municipalities require residential burglary alarms to be registered and permitted. In 1996, the Charlotte City Council and Mecklenburg County Commissioners adopted the alarm ordinance intended to reduce the number of excessive false alarms warranting a response from police, fire and medical personnel. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department alone receives over 50,000 alarm-activated requests for service each year, according to city data," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "Veteran offensive coach Jim Caldwell will join the Carolina Panthers as a senior assistant on Frank Reich's staff, the team announced Tuesday. Caldwell was one of nine coaches who interviewed for Carolina's head coaching vacancy at the end of the 2022-23 season. He's the second to join Reich's staff, along with new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Caldwell has been a head coach in the NFL twice, leading the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions. Caldwell's first season as Colts coach ended with a loss in Super Bowl 44. He had a 62-50 record with the Lions, leading the team to the playoffs twice," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "It’s expected to be a packed house at Reeder Memorial Baptist Church in Charlotte as residents have real conversations with some of their elected officials. In honor of Black History Month, the church’s Social Justice Committee is hosting “Let’s Talk About Government – Who Does What?” on Wednesday, February 15, 6:30 p.m. The one-night event will educate and engage residents of the Queen City with elected officials. Organizer and Social Justice Chair, Colette Forrest says “The program is about the people.” Forrest says attendees will learn the ‘ABC’s’ of government," V101.9 reports. (V101.9)
4. "North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein won't defend state restrictions on dispensing abortion pills that are being challenged in a lawsuit and instead will argue the restrictions are preempted by federal regulations protecting access to the pills, Stein's office said Monday. The decision by Stein, a Democrat, means Republican legislative leaders who want to keep the restrictions would have to seek to formally intervene in the federal lawsuit, which was filed by Amy Bryant, a physician who prescribes the drug mifepristone," WFAE reports. (WFAE)
5. "A family-owned bakery 20 years in the making recently opened in east Charlotte. Along Central Avenue near Sharon Amity Road is Panaderia Odalys. ... Store owner Agustine Cervantes came to the states over 30 years ago. It took him four attempts before crossing the United States border from Mexico. When he first arrived in the states, Cervantes did not speak or read English. However, he held lots of temporary jobs, including working at a bakery. During his time at a local shop in Texas, he ran into a man that would change his life. The man would give Cervantes recipes and teach him how to make traditional Mexican-baked goods. He would use these recipes to later start a business," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
6. "Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers said they were able to prevent a woman from jumping off of the Sugar Creek Bridge earlier this month. Traffic cameras captured the moment officers Erik Henry and Cameron Rider approached the woman who was standing on the Sugar Creek Bridge. Henry and Rider said they’ve been part of the North Tryon Divison for two years, and within those two years, they’ve helped to safely remove two people from jumping off of the Sugar Creek Bridge," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
7. "Two people were shot and killed in South End late Monday night. Central Division officers responded to the 100 block of West Summit Avenue near South Tryon Street for an assault with a deadly weapon call at 11:47 p.m. Officers found 23-year-old Dionyah Thompson suffering from a gunshot wound. Thompson was pronounced deceased by Medic at the scene. A man was also found shot and was transported to Atrium Health," WCCB Charlotte reports. (WCCB Charlotte)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• City Sip & Paint: Painting, Pottery, Karaoke at City Art Room (5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
• Mentally Shredded Peer Support at Community Matters Cafe (6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
• Dancing with the Stars: Live! 2023 Tour at Ovens Auditorium (8:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Here Are The 5 Best Steakhouses In North Carolina (V101.9)
• Welcome, Asher, to the Charlotte Fire family! Asher is a 5-month-old Aussiedoodle and will be part of the Charlotte Fire K-9 program. Asher is a therapy dog, and his biggest job will be working with our team to help...(Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• Pianist Joyce Yang blew us away with her performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto this weekend! The CSO also masterfully performed Brahms 4th Symphony & Ethel Smyth’s On the Cliffs of Cornwall, led by guest conductor...(Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• #BlackHistoryMonth spotlight: William Grant Still, known as The Dean of African American Composers, was a composer, arranger, conductor, and pioneer of early 20th-century classical music. Learn more >>bit.ly/csoblogstill (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• In this month's edition of DA Merriweather's newsletter, learn about his goals for 2023 and find resources to help you start a conversation with young people about teen dating violence. Read the newsletter: https://bit.ly/3XsMTIc (Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney's Office via Facebook)
• On Feb. 16, DigiLit will be hosting an online class for "Getting Started with Microsoft Excel." Learn more and register. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• This week in the #CMLibrary BE Interview Series, we interview Johnny Walker, a commercial Real Estate Broker. Find out about his road to success and get some great advice about how to become...(Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• FOUND: Black Pitt mix . Please DM me to further identify this special girl. She was found roaming neighborhoods off WT Harris and Sugar Creek. She is currently listed with Animal Control and isn’t microchipped. (Nextdoor)
• Looking for electrician experienced in installing recessed ceiling lights. (Nextdoor)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you back in your inbox 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at charlotte@patch.com