🌱 Local IHOP Owner Named Franchisee Of The Year + Flu Prevention

Hello, Charlotte! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on in town, including news about:

• An investigational influenza vaccine trial in the Charlotte area will help to prevent seasonal influenza.
• Students across North Carolina had learning setbacks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A local IHOP owner has been named Franchisee of the Year.

But first, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 78 Low: 56.

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Here are the top five stories today in Charlotte:

1. "Tryon Medical Partners, in partnership with Javara, is conducting an investigational influenza vaccine trial in the Charlotte area. This clinical trial will potentially help to prevent seasonal influenza, which causes three to five million cases of severe illness and up to 650,000 deaths each year. Currently approved seasonal influenza vaccines often perform poorly when circulating influenza strains don't match those selected for that year's vaccine. A messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccine has the potential to offer broader protection by responding to strain changes more quickly and improving protection in older adults," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "The ‘nation’s report card’ is showing that students across North Carolina had learning setbacks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tested hundreds of thousands of fourth and eighth graders across the country this year, show that decades of academic progress were erased and racial disparities were widened," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
3. "A major move from Charlotte city leaders could pave the way for the Queen City’s next rail line. Charlotte City Council will vote Monday on whether to spend $14.8 million to expand the city's light rail maintenance facilities near Charlotte's NoDa neighborhood. The land, which consists of 17.88 acres currently part of the larger Norfolk-Southern rail yard north of Uptown Charlotte, will give Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) more room to store and maintain trains," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
4. Maaza Henry was recently named by IHOP as "the Franchisee of the Year for 2021 at the brand’s 2022 Global Franchisee Conference. A valuable member of the IHOP family for 24 years, Henry started her career as an assistant manager and is now the proud franchisee of two IHOP restaurants located in Southern Pines, NC and Charlotte, NC. Each year, IHOP recognizes one of its franchisees for going above and beyond, creating the best experience possible for guests, and for all-around leadership excellence. Henry’s ability to build strong and lasting relationships with her team and her guests is what makes her a phenomenal leader. Her commitment to hiring the right staff and investing in training has allowed her to provide superior guest service," FSR magazine reports. (FSR magazine)
5. "The American Cancer Society (ACS) held its annual Real Men Wear Pink Swing Fore A Cure golf tournament on October 17 at Emerald Lake Golf Course in Matthews. Real Men Wear Pink (RMWP) is an exclusive group of corporate and community leaders who rise to the challenge by wearing pink and raising money to help end breast cancer throughout October. The winning team from Sugiyo USA group was comprised of Cory Adcock, Matt Roldan, Travis Rosia and Blake Couick, with a score of 57," WCCB Charlotte reports. (WCCB Charlotte)

Today in Charlotte:

• Young Professionals Lunch & Learn at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center (11:00 a.m.)
• Dominican Jazz Project at Middle C Jazz (7:00 p.m.)
• New Material Night show at The Comedy Zone (7:00 p.m.)
• Dear Evan Hansen performance at Belk Theater (7:30 p.m.)
• Comedy Night at Starlight on 22nd (7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Who's hiring in the Charlotte area? Check out new local jobs. (Charlotte Patch)
• Thank you to everyone that stopped by to support Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Safe Alliance at this past weekend's Tunes, Food, Dance & Brews at Armored Cow Brewing Company! (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Live music is in full swing at the Charlotte Symphony! Don’t miss out on your favorite concerts at 25% OFF. Choose 6 or 8 concerts by Nov. 11 to Create Your Own concert experience with ultimate savings! >> bit.ly/cyo25 (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region hosted a wall building event at The Meadows at Plato Price, a community development project consisting entirely of affordable homes. (City of Charlotte Government via Facebook)
• Join the after-party! With our VIP ticket, you not only enjoy priority seating at An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens, but also receive an invite to our post-concert reception at Urban Garden, The Ritz-Carlton. Get tickets >> bit.ly/csorhiannon (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow 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