Good morning, this is Charlotte Local Pulse for Thursday, June 12th. We start today with the latest breaking news: Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are actively investigating a homicide that occurred overnight. The incident happened in the Steele Creek Division, and officers are still gathering details while keeping the impacted neighborhood updated. City officials have assured us that increased patrols will continue in the area as the investigation moves forward.
Turning to public safety more broadly, we saw a violent weekend in parts of Charlotte, with a shooting early Sunday morning at North College and East 6th sending one person to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. On the roads, a fatal vehicle crash in the North Division this past Sunday afternoon is another somber reminder to drive carefully as summer travel picks up.
Weather-wise, we’re waking up to partly cloudy skies and mild conditions across the Queen City. The temperature sits in the mid-seventies right now, and we’re expecting things to heat up to the upper eighties by afternoon. There’s only a slight chance of rain, so it should be a good day if you’re planning to be out—just keep some water handy as it will be humid.
City Hall has seen a busy week as well. Council members are set to vote on long-term infrastructure improvements in the South End and University City corridors. These plans could mean new transit routes and updated greenway connections, making life a bit easier for commuters across Charlotte. Also, there’s an ongoing debate about affordable housing incentives for new residential projects uptown. We’ll keep an eye on those decisions and how they may impact our neighborhoods.
In economic news, the Charlotte job market continues its energetic pace. Unemployment sits just under four percent, with healthcare and tech leading new job openings. On the real estate front, prices remain high but stable, with the median home now selling for around 430,000 dollars. Several new apartment complexes just opened near SouthPark and Optimist Hall, adding some much-needed housing options.
As for new business activities, Queen City Coffee opened a new flagship location on East Boulevard this week, and the longtime Silver Crown Diner on Tryon announced it will be closing its doors at the end of this month.
Music and culture lovers, Charlotte is hosting the annual Jazz Fest this weekend at the Levine Center for the Arts. Friday night kicks things off with local favorites on stage. Meanwhile, the Uptown Farmers Market returns Saturday morning and is promising a fresh batch of summer produce.
In sports, the Charlotte FC are coming off a tight win at Bank of America Stadium, thrilling fans with a late goal. Local high schools also saw several state track titles this week, with West Charlotte bringing home the team victory.
And to end on a positive note, a group of Myers Park students organized a park cleanup in Freedom Park yesterday, collecting dozens of bags of litter and planting new flowers—just another example of Charlotte’s community spirit in action.
This has been Charlotte Local Pulse. We’ll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
