Mobile
Thursday, January 26, 2017
News Man Killed by Undercover Police Officer in East Charlotte
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 5:59 PM
A man was shot and killed in east Charlotte this afternoon after allegedly pulling a gun on a man in traffic, not knowing he was a police officer.
According to CMPD, the shooting happened at about 1:18 p.m. on the 6200 block of Albemarle Road, but the incident began elsewhere. Police say an undercover officer was driving an unmarked car near the intersection of Albemarle and Reddman roads. He was then allegedly struck by 28-year-old Josue Diaz, who immediately began driving outbound on Albemarle Road.
The detective followed Diaz and called in to CMPD communications to report the hit-and-run and request a marked vehicle to assist him, but while he was doing so Diaz allegedly stopped his vehicle suddenly, then exited the vehicle and brandished a handgun.
According to a CMPD release, the detective perceived an imminent threat to his life and opened fire on Diaz, who was later pronounced dead on the scene.
A group of about 20 activists were at the scene a couple hours after the shooting. Some demanded answers from police, while others live-streamed from the scene to hundreds of people watching online.
A few officers, including Major Mike Campagna, known for his outreach efforts during and after the Charlotte Uprising, tried to engage with residents on the scene.
"We've tried to engage with CMPD in the past, for years. What has that gotten us? Bullets in the street," said activist Gloria Merriweather to others who had gathered there on Albemarle Road.
Some on scene attempting block incoming traffic. Have since cleared back to sidewalk. pic.twitter.com/fpNVapm7hv
— Creative Loafing (@cl_charlotte) January 26, 2017
CMPD says it won't release the name of the officer, due to the undercover nature of his work. As is protocol, the detective will be placed on administrative leave and the CMPD Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct a separate but parallel investigation to the CMPD's homicide investigation.
Creative Loafing will update this story as more details are released.
sports Can Charlotte Really Afford Major League Fútbol?
Posted By Jasmin Herrera on Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 5:15 PM
The possibility of Major League Soccer in Charlotte quickly became the center of controversy this week because, well, it all happened so quickly.
If you haven’t been close to a news source, or just don’t care about soccer, let me come in with the assist: On Dec. 14, 2016, the MLS told national media outlets of its plans to add two new teams, and it mentioned Charlotte as a possibility. Burton and Marcus Smith, owner and CEO of NASCAR Speedway Motorsports, respectively, jumped at the opportunity, to the surprise of area government officials. The MLS set a Jan. 31 deadline if Charlotte wants in on the deal.
But the city already has a minor-league soccer team that hopes to expand. The Charlotte Independence, founded in 2014, has been dribbling around the idea of renovating Memorial Stadium, installing 10,000 seats and leaving room for expansion, with the possibility of becoming a MLS stadium in the future. As far back as last year, the Charlotte Observer reported on the team’s hopes. On Wednesday, Jim McPhilliamy, president of the Independence, told the Observer that his architectural plans for the stadium had been used “without our knowledge or consent” to help Marcus Smith score one of the available MLS franchises.
Charlotte certainly has a robust soccer fan base, with the Charlotte Soccer Academy, Charlotte United Soccer, and other clubs. What’s more, Bank of America Stadium has held sold-out games for national and international teams, so there is a profit incentive, too.
The question is: Can Charlotte afford to spend big money on a MLS team?
While Mecklenburg County officials jumped at the opportunity, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said in a statement released today that city leaders are not ready to commit. “While this is very promising, it is clear that we are not prepared to move forward at this time on the current soccer proposal,” Roberts wrote. “Any major decision we make needs to be considered as part of the bigger picture, as we serve our entire community.”
The Smith family would shell out $150 million for one of the teams. But the rest of the project would cost $175 million, $87.5 million of which would be split between Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to help cover the construction costs of a new stadium over the Grady Cole Center and Memorial Stadium. The Smith’s team would agree to repay those costs at a rate of $4.26 million a year, for 25 years, raising the original $87.5 million to $106.5 million. But by that time the new stadium would need millions in renovations.
What’s more, that plan would kick the Charlotte Independence out, forcing the team to find a new home — halting its future like a dead ball.
In case you’re not already convinced that this deal is an attack on an integral part of the Charlotte community, including people's jobs and taxpayer dollars, take a look at what Jay Leach, senior minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte said in a Facebook post Tuesday:
“Keep in mind, these county funds are not restricted and could be invested in public education, affordable housing, social services, museums, parks, or other opportunities to enhance the well-being of our community. But this rushed proposal is in support of one of the wealthiest families in the nation and their interest in getting to own a pro soccer team.”
Let’s red-card the multi-billion-dollar family that will profit off a project that the city is so clearly not ready for; a project that tackles the dreams of a club that is already active in our community.
Friday, January 20, 2017
News LISTEN: 'Eyes Closed in Prayer' Documentary on Love, Hate, and the Charleston Church Shooting Premieres Tonight on WFAE
Posted By Mark Kemp on Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 11:58 AM
After tonight's premiere, the doc will air three more times: Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Listen to a clip from the documentary at bottom.)
WFAE news director Greg Collard said the idea for the documentary came when he realized the station was sitting on hours of material from its coverage of the Charleston massacre and trial, as well as tangential stories from earlier debates over the flying of the Confederate flag outside the South Carolina Statehouse. Most importantly, WFAE had personal stories from Charlotte residents who were either directly connected to victims — such as Malcolm Graham, brother of victim Cynthia Graham Hurd — or connected to the City of Charleston.
"We spoke with one woman whose sister had died in the shooting and she had taken in her nieces," Collard said. "It told the story of one family's survival."
Collard knew there was an even larger story to tell about race in America, in the South, and in our region.
"We had a lot of other stories, so it just occurred to me, 'Hey we have so much material: Why don't we weave it together?" Collard said. "The great thing about a documentary is you can put all these pieces together and a story with a stronger message emerges."
Eyes Closed in Prayer was written and produced by Tom Bullock, and hosted by Gwendolyn Glenn, who traveled to Charleston for much of the reporting.
Listen to a segment of the Eyes Closed in Prayer below, and tune in to WFAE tonight at 8 p.m. for the full documentary.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Culture / News New Black Sheep and Nike SB collabo goes quick in nationwide release
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Thu, Jan 12, 2017 at 2:19 PM
Snow and ice couldn't stop over 100 people from showing up at Black Sheep Skate Shop in Plaza Midwood on Saturday morning to sell the store out of the “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” sneakers, the store’s newest collaboration with Nike SB, so it’s no surprise that today’s nationwide release saw the shoes disappearing from Nike’s site and independent shops around the country within minutes.
“I’m struggling to even describe it,” said Black Sheep founder Josh Frazier of the national reaction to the shoe’s release.
Not only did Black Sheep sell out of nearly 150 pairs of the Dunk High Traditional sneakers, — then go through an undisclosed amount of pairs available online in three minutes — on Saturday, but the Nike website also sold out of the shoes within a matter of minutes this morning.
“I was shocked by how quickly it sold out. It’s sort of unprecedented for it to sell out that quickly on Nike,” Frazier said. “I’m kind of reeling from the whole thing right now.”
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is named as such thanks to some hidden features below the seemingly simple design. The shoe’s “Summit White” vintage suede along with white tongue and white Nike swoosh give the appearance and feel of a “sheep,” but sinister designs lurk below.
The white swoosh is susceptible to wear, and once its worn down or taken off scratch-off style, the shoe bears fangs once hidden within the iconic checkmark. The soles also depict a wolf's face in a symmetrically drawn graphic.
The “Wolf” is Black Sheep’s second collabo with Nike SB. The 2014 “Paid in Full” Dunk High sneakers featuring a Gucci print were hugely popular, and became even moreso after a legal snafu led to a recall, but even those can’t compare to the reaction the new “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” got.
What Frazier believes put things over the top for Black Sheep in terms of local sales was the exclusive packaging he put together with the help of some partners that drove collectors to the newly relocated shop on Saturday. A purchase at Black Sheep included a specially designed box, an exclusive “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” dust bag and other accessories — namely the exclusive shoe laces designed by San Francisco-based company Fully Laced that feature a pattern of blood spatter to go along with the shoe’s theme.
“We created the box to give us a point of differentiation. There are a lot of collectors out there, we wanted to give them a reason to want to purchase it from us,” Frazier said. He also shared the special packaging with some other independent shops around the country — “our friends,” as Fraziers puts it — as a way to support local ventures.
As could be seen in retweets on Black Sheep’s Twitter account throughout the day today, local shops throughout the country sold out on Thursday just as quick as he did on Saturday, and by afternoon, the only pairs available online were size 6 or lower, for the most part.
In fact, except for the tight-knit sneakerhead community here in Charlotte, the release came and went with little fanfare locally, while national and international sneaker blogs hailed the release.
“I feel like we’ve gotten a lot more national coverage than we have locally,” Frazier said. “We’re kind of wondering, does anyone here even know?”
Unfortunately, if you’re just now finding out, it’s too late. The nature of the “quick strike” release, as Nike calls it, is to create buzz around a very limited release. Once their gone, there’s not much of a chance you’ll find them in stock anywhere again.
“I’m hoping that we might see a small restock, but I’m not certain,” Frazier said. “We sold through our allotment. Everyone is sold out at this point. It’s sort of the nature of these types of products. It’s sort of evaporated.”
They’ll certainly reappear online as resellers look to turn quick profit on the quick strike, as they’re wont to do, but as far as finding a decently priced pair with all the packaging, the odds are against you.Available today in store until 11:15am. After that online at 12 Noon EST pic.twitter.com/sHusgr9XHd
— BlackSheepSkateShop (@BlackSheepNC) January 7, 2017
A release like this only comes around so often, and like the breath of a wolf hunting on a snowy day, the shoes will disappear into thin air as quickly as they appeared.
Better act quicker next time, Charlotte.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
CORRECTION: New crossword puzzle for Jan. 5 issue
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Thu, Jan 5, 2017 at 10:37 AM
We ______ up. (6 letters)
As crossword puzzlers across the city quickly brought to our attention when print editions of Creative Loafing hit racks yesterday, we made a big mistake. Somehow in the process of putting the paper together, we included last week's puzzle board with the clues for the this week's puzzle.
It quickly became apparent to most that some obviously right answers were not fitting in the puzzle. We apologize, and have included here the full, correct puzzle as it was supposed to appear in this week's paper. We've made it big enough to print and enjoy, although we know it's just not the same as a crossword on newsprint.
If you just print this page, the puzzle will split on two pages. If you press the image, open it in a new tab and then print, it should come out just fine. I know, so annoying. We'll be sure not to make the same mistake again.
Email us at backtalk@clclt.com for the answer key and we'll send it right over.
-
First Drip (4/13/15): Shooting at N.C. community college, more
The news you need to know today
-
Question the Queen City: Charlottetown Mall and its nearly forgotten time capsule
A child's coffin contained relics of the past that stood neither the test of time nor the elements
-
Photos: KKK, New Black Panthers hold rallies on S.C. Capitol grounds 1
Dueling rallies lead to arrests, medical transports.
