🌱 New Year Tolls Increase + Car Crash Into Building Causes Injury

Hello, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Charlotte Daily. Keep reading to find out the most important things going on in town these days. Today you'll find news about...

• Drivers on the Triangle Expressway and the Monroe Expressway will have to pay a little more to drive on the toll roads starting Jan. 1.
• One person was seriously injured after a car crashed into an apartment in Plaza Midwood.
• Two men charged with murder nearly after a deadly shooting in northeast Charlotte.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 62 Low: 31.

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Here are the top five stories in Charlotte today:

1. "An assault that was reported to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department earlier in December appears to have been recorded and uploaded to social media. CMPD's incident report said the victim was hit in the face by a suspect on Dec. 16, just outside of Seoul Food in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte. The report said the victim did not know the suspect. A surveillance camera caught footage of the incident. An Instagram post from a woman claiming to be the victim's fiancé said two men who appeared to be drunk started shouting at the victim before one of the men punched the victim in the face," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
   
2. "One person was seriously injured after a car crashed into an apartment in Plaza Midwood on Wednesday afternoon. One person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries after a car crashed into the side of the Peppertree Apartments on Central Avenue around 1 p.m., a medic says. Crews are still investigating the cause of the accident," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
3. "Two men are now charged with murder nearly two weeks after a deadly shooting unfolded in northeast Charlotte. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigated the homicide on Dec. 14 along Katherine Kiker Road near Oren Thompson Road, finding 20-year-old David Lavell Manning dead on the sidewalk of an apparent gunshot wound.
4. ... On Dec. 28, CMPD announced two men were charged in the shooting. Jeremiah Cunningham, 20, was taken into custody the day of the shooting without incident, while 20-year-old Josiah Evans-Bailey turned himself in on Dec. 22," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
5. "Drivers on the Triangle Expressway and the Monroe Expressway will have to pay a little more to drive on the toll roads starting Jan. 1. But this increase was planned from the start. The rate for cars and other 2-axle vehicles with a N.C. Quick Pass going the full 18.8 miles on the Triangle Expressway will go up 9 cents to $3.80. For the full 19.8 miles on the Monroe Expressway, the rate will go up 5 cents to $2.77. Fees are higher for bigger vehicles and drivers without a Quick Pass. The annual increases are part of a schedule adopted by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Board," Spectrum News reports. (Spectrum News)
6. "A 22-year-old woman was found dead over the holiday weekend in Buffalo after being trapped in her car by the blizzard paralyzing western New York, her family told CNN on Tuesday. Anndel Taylor, who had moved to Buffalo, New York, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was driving home from work at a senior citizen center and was only six minutes away by car from her house when she became stranded," WRAL News reports. (WRAL News)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Winterfest at Carowinds (5:00 p.m.)
• JAZZ ROOM Holiday Edition: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Swing at Belk Theater (6:30 p.m.)
• Charlotte Hornets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at Spectrum Center (7:00 p.m.)
• Comedian Michael Palascak with Jeremy Alder show at The Evening Muse (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• On Friday, Dec. 30, at 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., join the virtual interest meeting to learn more on how you can become a certified teacher at Lincoln Heights Montessori Academy. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• As you are setting your New Year's resolutions? Add Brave Step's Virtual Walk/Run (April 1-8) to the list. (Brave Step via Facebook)
• Gone…but NEVER Forgotten. Please consider supporting this hero and the family he leaves behind. Lost on Friday as he headed to work to serve his community. #NeverForget #FirstDueEverywhere (Charlotte Fire Communications "Fire Alarm" via Facebook)
• We are in URGENT need of mini and regular flashlights for our facility! Visit our House Amazon link below to help or drop off donations at the House 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte via Facebook)
• End your year on a high note by making a year-end donation to the CSO! Every dollar raised through 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31 will generously be matched up to $25,000 by CSO Trustees Dr. and Mrs. Milton Berkman. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• We'd like to thank you all for your encouragement and support this year! Thanks to our incredible supporters, we're PROUD to be able to support area students by providing free school supplies to our hard-working teachers. (Classroom Central via Facebook)

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Events:

• New Year's Eve Celebration (December 31)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! I'll see you around.

— 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