🌱 Panthers Founder Dies + High School Opens Beauty Salon

Hi all. It's me, Alexis Goring, your host of the Charlotte Patch newsletter. Come along to find out the most important things happening these days in town. Today we have these stories and more...

• Panthers founder Jerry Richardson passes away at 86.
• Panthers to host the very first high school football game at the Bank of America Stadium.
• A new state of the art cosmetology salon opens in the new West Charlotte High School.

But first, today's weather:

Some rain and a thunderstorm. High: 74 Low: 52.

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Here are the top five stories in Charlotte today:

1. "Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, passed away Wednesday night at age 86. A native son who was shaped by the region, his personal journey culminated with bringing professional football to the Carolinas, leaving an indelible mark on the area he loved. Jerome J. Richardson was born July 18, 1936, in Spring Hope, N.C., the first step in a journey that would transform the Carolinas. ... After growing up in the Fayetteville area, Richardson went to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. where he excelled in football and laid the groundwork for a business empire," Panthers reports. (Panthers.com)
2. "Owning a pet is a commitment that generally lasts a lifetime but a practice known as ‘pet leasing’ could mean monthly payments for your four-legged friend — and the risk of having your pet repossessed. It is a problem that Mecklenburg County State Representative Wesley Harris wants to end. Harris, along with Catawba and Iredell County Representative Mitchell Setzer, introduced a bill titled ‘An Act to End Predatory Pet Leasing’ in the North Carolina General Assembly. Harris said he first heard about the practice several years ago from a colleague who met a family who thought they were financing their pet," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
3. "This summer, the Carolina Panthers are hosting the very first high school football at the Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers' inaugural Keep Pounding High School Classic will feature the season-opening matchup between Charlotte Providence Day School and Rock Hill Northwestern, two regional powerhouse teams," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
4. "A second suspect has turned himself in following a drive-by shooting that killed a teen in west Charlotte back in February. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the shooting happened outside of a home on Lynn Street near Freedom Drive on Sunday, Feb. 19. The victim, later identified as 17-year-old Jayden Blackmon, was found with a gunshot wound at the scene, police said. Blackmon later died from his injuries. On Thursday, CMPD said 18-year-old Curtis Ray Wilson III turned himself into the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, according to police," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
5. "Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools unveiled a new, state of the art cosmetology salon at the new West Charlotte High School. The new 100-classroom school was completely rebuilt using $104 million of bond funding, replacing the old building, which was originally opened in the 1950s. Cosmetology class at the school starts bright and early at 9:00 a.m. Teacher and cosmetology expert Deborah Ayers has been teaching the subject for more than two decades," Spectrum News reports. (Spectrum News)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Pop Up Picnic Park Date for Couples at McAlpine Creek Park (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Weekend Live Music and Food Trucks at Blue Blaze Brewing (12:00 p.m.)
• Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Championships at Bojangles Coliseum (12:00 p.m.)
• William Nesmith performance at Ballantyne Country Club (6:00 p.m.)
• Greg Steinfeld performance at Lower Left Brewing Co. (6:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Cozzie Watkins, 12th Congressional District Chair of the NC Democratic Party, dies (WCNC.com)
• A 16-year-old Olymipic High School student has been reported missing (WCNC.com)
• Niners Travel to Arizona for GCU/ASU Classic (Charlotte Athletics)
• Charlotte Heads to Blacksburg for First Road Weekend Series (Charlotte Athletics)
• Charlotte among 'resilient' US cities during pandemic: Brookings study (The Business Journals)
• Supporters head to D.C. in support of Shanquella Robinson (WCNC.com)
• Excited to announce ANOTHER employment opportunity here at ALARM. We are looking to hire part-time Telecommunicators to supplement our full time members! We’re looking to hire former ALARM...(Charlotte Fire Communications "Fire Alarm" via Facebook)
• More puppy visits? Yes, please! It looks like #firedogAsher saw our post about being visited by Fire Dog Captain and wanted to make an appearance also! We’ll take it! Asher is such a loving little dude...(Charlotte Fire Communications "Fire Alarm" via Facebook)
• Tune in to our March Events! ⁠Shop for ArtPop! Support local art with a portion of funds from in-store sales on March 9-11 donated to ArtPop's mission. Just be sure to mention ArtPop at the register!⁠ ⁠(ArtPop Street Gallery via Instagram)
• In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re recognizing the outstanding women of your Charlotte Symphony! Follow along this month as we spotlight their amazing contributions as performers, educators, and community members. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Congratulations to Irwin Academic Center's K-2 chess team for their impressive performance at the Charlotte Chess Center Chess Tournament! Against over 240 district competitors, they secured 8th place with their exceptional skills. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• NEW BUSINESS ALERT: @pottschocolate’s first brick and mortar location is now open in Brevard Court! Potts Chocolate uses raw cacao beans from places like Madagascar, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Peru. (Charlotte Center City via Facebook)
• Celebrate #MusicInOurSchoolsMonth and check out this fun video created by the students of Paw Creek Elementary School during Studio Time ELA with Mr. B! They got together and created beats, wrote lyrics, recorded songs...(Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Guest conductor Paolo Bortolameolli returns to the podium to lead the Charlotte Symphony in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, Satie’s Parade, & Beethoven’s 2nd on March 10 and March 11 at Knight Theater. Get tickets >> bit.ly/csopablo (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• The taps are flowing at Uptown’s only brewery. If you haven't been yet, stop by and check out @d9brewinguptownclt! 650 E. Stonewall Street. (Charlotte Center City via Facebook)
• We're still so grateful for having been able to come together for our Strength to Love Speech Contest! Our last All-UrbanPromise Speech Contest was actually a week before the world came to a halt and schools in Charlotte closed in March...(UrbanPromise Charlotte via Facebook)
• Calling all teen readers and writers! Celebrate Community Read in-person at South County Regional Library on March 7 at 5:30 p.m. with an interactive program with Nora Shalaway Carpenter, author of The "Edge of Anything". (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• Internship Availability: Are you a student or recent graduate in a social work, mental health or counseling program looking for a six month to year-long internship? If so, apply today. The individual will work collaboratively with Brave...(Brave Step via Facebook)
• We need your help! As Charlotte Fire prepares to host our annual FREE camps for kids – Camp Ignite and Camp Hornet’s Nest, the need to help local students is greater than ever. During their 4-night, 5-day stay...(Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• The Davidson Library is hosting its Grand Book Sale this Saturday, March 4! A wide selection of materials will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the branch. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3mhHJSH. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• Join the Atkins Reading Challenge and submit your book review by March 3 and you'll be entered to win a gift card! 👉 http://bit.ly/AtkinsReadingChallenge. Happy reading! Interested in seeing what others have read? (UNC Charlotte Atkins Library via Facebook)
• POSTPONED and RE-SCHEDULED due to weather: Join us on Friday, Mar. 10 at 9:00 a.m. as we take a group tour of the Stewart and Irwin Creek greenways in Charlotte. Learn about how greenways are built and how a complete network...(Sustain Charlotte via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll be in your inbox next Monday 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.

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