🌱 State of Emergency For NC + $1.5M Romance Scam Stopped At CLT

Good morning, everybody! It's Friday in Charlotte and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally, including updates on...

• A state of emergency for North Carolina
• A former professional basketball player will coach in Charlotte
• $1.5 million romance scam comes to a halt at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

But first, today's weather:

Wind and rain. High: 62 Low: 56.

Here are the top five stories in Charlotte today:

1. Hurricane Ian will bring heavy rain to most of North Carolina. Locals are advised to prepare their gutters for this event. Residents "can prepare their homes by making sure their gutters are ready to handle the workload. H&S Roofing and Gutter Company explains how to do this.
   The production supervisor, Charles Twomley, says there are a few ways to identify that your gutters need to be cleaned," Spectrum News reports. Read this article for details. (Spectrum News)
2. Marvin Williams, a former UNC basketball standout, is joining the Charlotte Hornets coaching staff! This is happening as "the team opens up training camp in preparation for the new season. Williams joins the basketball operations department to help with player programs and player development off the court per Rod Boone who covers the Hornets for the News & Observer. Williams has been retired since 2020, last playing for Milwaukee and is now venturing into the front office side of the game," Tar Heels Wire reports. (Tar Heels Wire)
3. The city of Charlotte is waiting to see what kind of impact Hurricane Ian will have on the Queen City this weekend. "For local organizations like Block Love Charlotte and Roof Above, this week has been spent trying to make sure the homeless community in town can brave the elements as best they can. Shelters are expecting to be near capacity and are collecting extra supplies such as socks, tarps and ponchos to help the homeless community that won’t have a roof as the storm hits," WBTV reports. (WBTV)
4. The city of Charlotte is the most recent setting for a romance scam that took $1.5 million from women who thought they were in love with the man of their dreams. "The United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Dena J. King, said this kind of scam is on the rise and she’s hoping this story will serve as a warning for others. The men would target their victims—mostly older women— online and convince them they were in romantic relationships while slowly convincing them to send bigger and bigger amounts of money. Michael Moore would travel to each victim to pick the money up. It all unraveled when Moore showed up at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport with a bag full of cash and Homeland Security started asking questions," WCNC reports. (WCNC)
5. "North Carolina's governor has activated a State of Emergency in anticipation of impacts from Hurricane Ian. Gov. Roy Cooper made the declaration Wednesday afternoon, officially setting state emergency plans into place. Part of the declaration includes waiving transportation rules to get fuel and critical supplies to impacted areas, aiding first responders and the agriculture industry and fighting against price gouging," WCNC reports. (WCNC)

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Today in Charlotte:

• Baby Storytime: Sing & Sign | Virtual Event (9:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)
• Disney On Ice presents Frozen & Encanto at Bojangles Coliseum (10:30 a.m.)
• Taste of Charlotte at Knights Stadium (4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
• Lori Williams | Live in Concert at Middle C Jazz (7:00 p.m.)
• Manhattan Short Film Festival at Northwest School of the Arts Theater (7:00 p.m.)
• Charlotte International Arts Festival at Belk Theater (7:30 p.m.)
• Salsapalooza | A celebration of Latin culture at Knight Theater (7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
• $15 Sip & Paint (R&B Edition) at Bobbee O's BBQ (9:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• As we wrap up National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the contributions of Hispanics to our community and specifically within our department. Thank you all for what you do. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• The Bozeman’s are back! Recently, Panthers center Bradley Bozeman and his wife Nikki visited with second shift Metro Division officers to speak about the rollout of their snack box program. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Charlotte City Council just approved the request for a resolution that will name the bridge at the intersection of I-85 and WT Harris the “Officer Mia Goodwin Bridge.” (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• The crew from Charlotte Fire Station 10 brought the mighty Rescue 10 to Charlotte Fire's Citizen Fire Academy. You name it and this truck can handle it. (Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• While we celebrate #HispanicHeritageMonth2022, we would like to recognize one of our outstanding Latino employees who makes a difference in the lives of students and families in our community every day. Meet Marvin Coto, Spanish Teacher. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• We are well into hurricane season and Ian is on the way. NOW is the best time to make sure you are prepared. We’ve provided a check list for an ID Check and building a Pet Kit. #hurricaneian (CMPD Animal Care and Control via Facebook)
• FINAL DAYS TO APPLY FOR CHARLOTTE FIREFIGHER POSITIONS! Our team does so much more than fight fires. If you’d like to join the Charlotte Fire family, WE'RE HIRING FIREFIGHTERS! (Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• We are in URGENT need of large hand soap refills! These will refill our soap bottles all through the House. Washing hands is very important to sustain a germ free environment. (Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte via Facebook)
• The Huntersville Police Department has an amazing partnership with North County Regional Library to do car seat safety checks for our community during the fall. Check out these images from this past weekend's event. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• Anyone missing a sweet kitty? He/she has been in our yard lately. He/she came right up to us tonight and hung out on our porch. As you can see in the picture the right, front paw is injured. Very friendly and seems like someone’s pet. (Nextdoor)

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Events:

• Top 10 Divorce Mistakes & How to Avoid Them ~ Vesta's Charlotte, NC Hub (October 5)
• Charlotte Chak Art Festival - Oct 8th & 9th (October 8)
• ACT Master Strategies In-Person Class (October 30)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! 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