🌱 NC School Lunch Debt Tops $1M + No Recession Expected For NC

Hello, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. In today's issue, we'll cover these stories and more:

• North Carolina school lunch debt topped more than $1 million in the first few months of school.
• NC didn't experience a recession this year and might not see one next year.
• Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson hopes to return to action on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after suffering what he called “a minor stroke” in October.

But first, today's weather:

Patchy fog in the morning. High: 68 Low: 50.

Here are the top five stories in Charlotte today:

1. "In North Carolina school lunch debt has topped more than a million dollars in just the first few months of school. During the pandemic, schools offered free lunches to all students, but that’s not the case anymore after congress didn’t renew a waiver that gave students free lunches during the pandemic. ... Many students’ parents fall in the middle of making too much money to qualify for free school lunches but not enough to pay for school lunches every day," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "As concerns over a potential recession continue to grow, a UNC Charlotte economist said North Carolina didn't experience a recession this year and might not see one next year, either. John Connaughton, an economics professor at UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business who is also the director of the North Carolina Economic Forecast, says the economy is likely to have grown by about 3.4% this year. ... The Federal Reserve is expected to roll out smaller interest rate increases this month to keep pace with inflation," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "The community will gather Saturday afternoon to hold a rally for Shanquella Robinson, the 25-year-old Charlotte woman who mysteriously died in Cabo San Lucas during a Mexico trip with friends. The rally Saturday, organized by Million Youth March Of Charlotte & Salisbury, will meet on Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. at the Little Rock AME Zion Church in Uptown Charlotte. ... Robinson's death remains a mystery. Her tragedy has captured the hearts of communities beyond the Queen City, with her death making national headlines," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
4. "Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Peter Lombardo was arrested for Driving While Impaired. On Wednesday, December 7, shortly before 3:00 a.m., officers discovered a CMPD marked patrol vehicle parked in a grassy area on the side of Interstate-277 off-ramp to 12th Street. Officer Lombardo was located inside of the vehicle. ... He was operating his assigned, take-home, marked vehicle. ... Officer Lombardo was arrested and charged with Driving While Impaired," City of Charlotte Government reports. (charlottenc.gov)
5. "Carolina Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson said he’s hopeful he can return to action on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after suffering what he called “a minor stroke” in October because of a blood clot in his brain. The 31-year-old Anderson said he felt numbness in his legs and his speech became slurred on Oct. 22, the day before the Panthers were to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His wife took him to a hospital, where he remained for several days receiving treatment," WCCB Charlotte reports (WCCB Charlotte)

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Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Coffee & Conversation Event Series at Goodwill Opportunity Campus (9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
• Gingerbread Lane at the Ballantyne Benefitting Levine Childrens Hospital (11:00 a.m.)
• Holiday Grapevine Wreath Making Workshop (6:00 p.m.)
• Charlotte Gingerbread Cookie Contest at Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
• The "Where Should We Vegan?" Dinner Tour (6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Charlotte, North Carolina Designer Fashion Warehouse Sale This Weekend (K104.7)
• New “Selling Charlotte” TV series shows off luxury homes and lifestyle in North Carolina (WBTV)
• Cruising is Back! (WCNC.com)
• Community police officers emphasized the importance of reading during a Bears Behind the Badge storytime session with the kindergartners of Parkside Elementary School. We are grateful for this incredible learning opportunity! (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Join us in congratulating our Hopewell Titans engineers, who competed in the Stadium of the Future Solar Design Challenge, hosted by the Carolina Panthers and Trane Technologies. Students collaborated to build a mock stadium...(Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Congratulations to East Meck High School art teacher, Ms. Tina G. Vincent! This year, the ArtPop Street Gallery Cities Program chose her artwork to be part of their class of 2023 ...(Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Company Dancers Maurice Mouzon Jr. and Sarah Hayes Harkins shared what makes Nutcracker so special to them and audiences year after year. You can watch the full interview with WSOC-TV below! (Charlotte Ballet via Facebook)
• Ever wonder what it's like to take Company class at Charlotte Ballet? Lauren McDonald from WCCB Charlotte's CW got to experience it firsthand a few weeks ago in the midst of Nutcracker season! Watch the full "Do My Job" segment. (Charlotte Ballet via Facebook)
• Holiday cheer is in the air! Cirque de Noël features aerialists soaring above the Charlotte Symphony to The Polar Express Suite, Little Bolero Boy, and more, Dec. 21 - Dec. 23 at Knight Theater. Get tickets >> bit.ly/csocirque22 (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Santa Claus is coming to town! Join the Charlotte Symphony for a high-voltage holiday extravaganza with festive music, falling snow and shenanigans with Santa at Holiday Pops. Dec. 16 - Dec. 18 at Knight Theater. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• We are so fortunate to have volunteers like Lily in our Paws to Read program — she's the one with fur and paws by the way! Lily loves making new friends at the Library and would love to read with you. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• Without our volunteers, our organization would not exist. Volunteers are truly the heart of this mission and give our families unforgettable moments with RMHC of GC. Thank you to all of our outstanding. (Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte via Facebook)
• Ridership should be the No. 1 consideration for the Silver Line, not the potential for development. We’re concerned that City Council’s transportation committee recommended a route before ridership projections were discussed. (Sustain Charlotte via Facebook)
• Only 25 Days left in 2022, which means those with FSAs might have some leftover money in their account. Don't lose it that money! Use it for Classroom Central! Run to CVS and use those dollars to buy items to donate to Classroom Central. (Classroom Central via Facebook)
• CMS is proud to be full of so much artistic talent throughout every grade level! Check out some of the incredible work displayed in our Winter Art Showcase this year. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next 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