🌱 Nonprofit Gives 1,500 Toys To Kids + Flea Market Grand Opening

Hello all. It's me, Alexis Goring, your host of the Charlotte Daily. Let's get this week started off right, with a quick review of everything you need to know about what's happening these days in town. In today's issue, you'll learn about...

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday.
• A local nonprofit is helping make Christmas special for kids in the Charlotte area.
• NC Central beats Jackson State in Celebration Bowl.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 48 Low: 31.

Here are the top seven stories in Charlotte today:

1. "Travel along Shamrock Drive and the people who live in the area will say there’s a troubling pattern. Speeding cars cause crashes. Liz Monterrey says since moving here last February, she’s witnessed at least three cars plowing into the neighborhood dog park. And as a pup parent, she says these continued crashes are creating fear. A new neighborhood petition with more than 300 signatures so far is pushing safety in hopes of preventing another crash from happening yet again," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to consider the contract for an interim superintendent. ... The special virtual meeting will include the board considering the approval of an interim superintendent contract, as well as the approval of the Superintendent Search Ad Hoc Committee Charter," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "Deion Sanders was sentimental before his final game at Jackson State, and those emotions grew after coming up short in the Celebration Bowl for the second straight year. Quarterback Davius Richard ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard scoring plunge in overtime, and North Carolina Central beat Jackson State 41-34 on Saturday in the Celebration Bowl to spoil Sanders’ bid for an undefeated season in his farewell. It was the second consecutive season that Sanders’ Tigers were favored before losing in the game regarded as the championship of teams from historically Black colleges and universities," Charlotte Post reports. (Charlotte Post)
4. "Eric Stajos, of Charlotte, bought a $1 Cash 5 ticket and won a $100,000 jackpot. ... Stajos bought his winning Quick Pick ticket using Online Play on the lottery’s website. He matched all five white balls in the drawing to win the jackpot on Dec. 9. Stajos arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to collect his prize. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $78,111," WBTW reports. (WBTW)
5. "A local nonprofit is helping make Christmas special for kids in the Charlotte area. The bilingual and multi-cultural organization Camino hosted its annual toy giveaway event Saturday night. It gave away 1,500 toys to kids in the community. The nonprofit has done this each year for over a decade, but says it’s even more important to help families now during these difficult times. Saturday’s event also featured a petting zoo, a bouncy house and food, music and games," WCCB Charlotte reports. (WCCB Charlotte)
6. "One person was killed in a shooting in north Charlotte on Saturday afternoon. ... According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the incident happened in the 4300 block of Valeview Lane, in a residential area near the intersection of Statesville Road and Cindy Lane, just before 5 p.m. Upon arrival, officers located 20-year-old Ceyonna Morris with gunshot wounds. Lifesaving efforts were performed on Morris who was taken by Medic to Atrium CMC. She was pronounced dead at the hospital," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
7. "Vendors from the former Eastland open-air flea market hosted their grand opening at their new location on Galleria Boulevard near Matthews. The city closed the previous location back in February, displacing dozens of vendors. ... El Mercadito, or “The Little Market,” celebrated its official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)

Today in Charlotte:

• Gingerbread Lane at the Ballantyne Benefitting Levine Childrens Hospital (11:00 a.m.)
• French for Beginners Conversation Club (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
• Charlotte Christmas Village on Truist Field (12:00 p.m.)
• Tween Trivia Throwdown: Holiday | Virtual Event (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Winterfest at Carowinds (5:00 p.m.)
• Active Reading Training | Virtual Event (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
• JAZZ ROOM Holiday Edition: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Swing at Belk Theater (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• We are excited to share that we WILL continue the annual ALARM Christmas tradition of reporting SANTA sightings over Mecklenburg County as he arrives on Christmas Eve. (Charlotte Fire Communications "Fire Alarm" via Facebook)
• CMPD Eastway Division officers picked up some holiday wreaths to decorate the Division office and spread some cheer! Happy Holidays to everyone and we hope it's a safe and magical season for all families. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Metro School held a schoolwide pep rally featuring star high school football players, along with performances from Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology’s band and cheer team. Everyone came together at the rally. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Happy Festival of Lights! We want to wish a very happy Hanukkah to all of our Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools families celebrating the Festival of Lights this week. Chag Sameach! (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Our current average stay for RMHC of GC families is 18 nights. Imagine being away from home for more than two weeks. Think about all the little things you would need and possibly forget, especially when facing a medical crisis. (Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte via Facebook)
• Over the past 20+ year my nonprofit agency has advocated for the educational needs of students in CMS. If you are in need of an advocate around your child’s academic needs, please reach out to me by emailing me at ckspoon@gpminc.org. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new 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