🌱 Workers May Be Forced To Office + Widows Get Valentine's Day Love

Hello, Charlotte! I'm here in your inbox this morning to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Today's briefing includes news about:

• A Charlotte woman is spreading love, surprising widows with flowers on Valentine’s Day.
• When it comes to English learning students, CMS takes the cake. For immigrant families, it can be hard to navigate the public school system.
• While many workers had no choice but to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tide has turned with many employers demanding in-person hours to raise productivity.

But first, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 62 Low: 40.

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Here are the top four stories today in Charlotte:

1. "While many workers had no choice but to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tide has turned with many employers demanding in-person hours to raise productivity. This has led to pushback from many remote workers who have no desire to go back into the office after growing accustomed to the flexibility of working from home. Some companies are doing away with remote work altogether. The problem is as the demand to work remotely has remained steady, the number of virtual job listings has quickly dwindled. It's a shift that's made gigs with virtual flexibility highly sought after and competitive," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
2. "A Charlotte woman is spreading love, surprising widows with flowers on Valentine’s Day. She started with one woman in 2020. This year, volunteers will deliver to 800. Ashley Manning just wants to spread love. "That's what it’s all about," Manning said. So she’s building the perfect bouquet, which will be replicated hundreds of times this Valentine's Day as an army of volunteers once again takes over Manning’s south Charlotte driveway," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "Nine new proposals have been selected by UNC Charlotte’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to receive spring 2023 Inclusive Excellence Grants for their potential to advance diversity, promote equity and foster inclusion throughout Charlotte and the surrounding community. Proposals submitted by faculty and staff are designed to address ideas related to diversity education and training; faculty, staff and student recruitment or retention; institutional excellence in policy and practice; or cultural programming," Inside UNC Charlotte reports. (Inside UNC Charlotte)
4. "Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools may be the second largest district in the state, but when it comes to English learning students, CMS takes the cake. For immigrant families, it can be hard to navigate the public school system. And that’s where CMS International Center steps in. The center has worked with nearly 50,000 people across the district. Of that, 181 counties and 209 languages other than English are represented. WBTV’s Mary Calkins wanted to see how the process works from arriving in Charlotte as an immigrant to becoming a CMS student for myself, so she tagged along with a Guatemalan family as they went through the International Center," WBTV reports. (WBTV)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Running Club Winter Social at Armored Cow Brewing Co. (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
• Piano Karaoke & Sing Along with Ryan Stamey at Petra's (7:00 p.m.)
• Carolina Film Community Monthly Meetup at Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts (7:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• CSO bassoonist Joshua Hood is back on WDAV this month to host Lift Every Voice! Tune in on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy this annual #BlackHistoryMonth program. >> bit.ly/wdavlift (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Carowinds hiring more than 2,000 employees for its 50th anniversary season (WCNC.com)
• 15 Best Date Night Restaurants In And Around Charlotte North (kiss951.com)
• Forbes Says These Are The Best Places To Live In North Carolina (K104.7)
• Charlotte Area Job Openings: See The Latest (Charlotte Patch)
• Bojangles heart-shaped biscuits (WCNC.com)
• Controlled burn in northern Mecklenburg (WCNC.com)
• Don’t miss a tribute to the Beatles! (WCNC.com)
• Books for Black History Month (WCNC.com)
• Host the best Big Game watch party (WCNC.com)
• Thank Helping Students Dream Big: Thank you, school counselors, for helping all students develop and succeed! We celebrate you every day! #collegecareerreadiness #WeareCMS (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• We had a great time this morning with QC Life as we shared everything the Library has to offer this month, and every month! (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• This week in the BE Interview Series, we interview Malcom McNeil, owner of McNeil Pressure Washing, LLC. Find out what sets his company apart from similar businesses in the area, and how he got his start...(Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• In honor of Black History Month, Classroom Central honors the contributions of Wynton Marsalis to cultural and musical education. Well-known as one of the most prolific jazz musicians in history...(Classroom Central via Facebook)
• From films and DIY's to interviews, seminars and everything in between, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is celebrating Black History Month at all of its branches! View our calendar and find a program or event...(Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• Congratulations to Carolina Panthers on working to increase literacy in CMS! Fact: Until 3rd grade, students learn to read. After 3rd grade, students read to learn. The ability to read at grade level in the third grade...(Classroom Central via Facebook)
• We love sharing partners who have a heart for our cause. Throughout February, stop by Common Market Southend and pick up one of the daily specials. A portion of daily special sales benefits our mission! Thank you, Common Market! (Brave Step via Facebook)
• Join us on Feb. 8 in the Halton Room from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. when professor of History and Women’s and Gender Studies, Dr. Sonya Y. Ramsey, will share research from her book. (UNC Charlotte Atkins Library via Facebook)
• “Will you still be sending me a Valentine?” Treat your sweetheart to an evening at the Symphony, featuring the music of The Beatles, at Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles. Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 at Knight Theater. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• If you need Valentine’s Day cards for a young one, they have boxes of 32 for 50¢ each at the Jackpot Discount store on Shopton Road. (Nextdoor)
• Harris Teeter has their brand, 12 count large eggs for $3.47 each with VIC card. (Nextdoor)
• Missing cat. Please alert us if found. Thank you. (Nextdoor)
• My sister lost her dog. His name is Buddy. He’s a small, 9 pound, white miniature poodle. Buddy has a chip and his phone number on his collar. (Nextdoor)
• FOUND A MISSING CAT: I found this sweetheart at Winget Park while walking my dog. I can tell it is a domestic cat because it had no problem coming up to me and wanting to cuddle immediately. I believe the cat is female. (Nextdoor)
• Does anyone know a reputable car repair business/shop in the Concord/Charlotte area? Car dealership prices are ridiculous as with many goods and services now a days. (Nextdoor)
• Is this your dog? My co-worker said he was running after her van and she let him in. She has let him back out because she can’t keep him and was trying to wait on Animal Control to see if he had a chip. He is super friendly. (Nextdoor)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow for another 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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