Free Republic

Looking ahead to DNC: The pitfalls of protest preparationby BRUCE HENDERSON / Charlotte Observer WCNC.com Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:42 AM **SNIP** Among recent conventions, St. Paul saw the most discord in the streets. Anarchists flung sand bags and traffic signs from an overpass onto the roof of a delegate bus and smashed the windshield of another, a city commission reported. Downtown building windows were broken, police car tires slashed, and feces and urine hurled at officers. Police responded appropriately, the report concluded. But numerous residents, it added, complained of the appearance of a police state. "The difference,...

The organizers of the upcoming Democratic National Convention are doing everything possible to get around the same financial restrictions they once promoted in a concerted effort to make sure that America’s wealthiest individuals, corporations, and lobbyists contribute their “fair share” to the convention. Host committee spokeswoman Suzi Emmerling, formerly of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, insisted that convention leaders were not attempting to sidestep the fundraising restrictions. Democratic National Convention Committee CEO Steve Kerrigan, she said, had simply been “educating Beltway types about the new rules.” “All of this is brand new,” Emmerling tells the Washington Free...

College students were glued to their television sets on April 16, 2007 when news broke of the Virginia Tech shootings. And with a tragedy that hits to close to home, we think, “Was there anything we could have done to stop this?” Well, no.  But, there are ways that we can help to prepare for future situations and maybe even save a few lives.At UNC Charlotte, the Campus Police and Public Safety Department are taking measuring to make sure their squad is prepared to match any dangerous encounters on its campus.  So, in 2010 the first UNC Charlotte Special Weapons...

Occupy Charlotte protestors staying despite ordinance changeBy: Jennifer Moxley 2/01/12 5:58 PM CHARLOTTE – The tents have been removed from the city property but Occupy Charlotte protestors are not leaving the site. **SNIP** "They're [City Council] more worried about the way their lawn looks, the way the front of the city hall looks, than they are the injustices that have been done to the people of this country,” he said. Since October, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have allocated about $447,000 worth of resources to the Occupy campsite, protests and marches. A police officer is still watching the site 24 hours a day....

President Obama will accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for a second term at Charlotte’s 74,000-seat Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 6, party officials announced Tuesday. The Democratic National Convention will kick off at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Labor Day, Sept. 3, and Obama’s speech on the final night at the massive outdoor stadium would aim to replicate his 2008 acceptance at Invesco Field in Denver. But Obama’s appearance at a stadium named after a bank he criticized last fall for imposing fees on debit cards could provide a touch of political awkwardness. Meantime, Democratic Party officials said the convention,...

Hotel rates zoom for Democratic National ConventionBy Celeste Smith Posted: Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 Room rates are going up in a big way at some area hotels during the Democratic National Convention. The markups - quadruple or more in some cases - don't affect the convention's official attendees. DNC organizers already reserved rooms and locked in rates for 6,000-plus delegates, VIPs and others during the Sept. 3-6 convention. **SNIP** Among the most expensive spaces: Holiday Inn Express Suites East Matthews, charging $849.15 to $1,014 per night during the stretch of Aug. 31 to Sept. 7 and Aug. 24 to Aug....

Proposed ordinances would clamp down on Occupy CharlotteIf OK'd, proposed ordinances would essentially end the Occupy Charlotte movement. By Steve Harrison Modified: Wednesday, Jan. 04, 2012 The city of Charlotte on Tuesday unveiled new ordinances in preparation for the Democratic National Convention that will prohibit camping on city property and will forbid protesters to carry items such as box cutters, pepper spray, body armor and gas masks. If approved, the ordinances would essentially end the Occupy Charlotte movement at old City Hall, where left-wing protesters have camped for several months. **SNIP** But if the ordinances pass, there would be a...

An Occupy Charlotte member who was jailed after helping burn two U.S. flags told other members late Friday that while he's sorry for the trouble it may have caused the movement, he's not sorry for what he did. "Those were actions taken on my own behalf," Alex Tyler said at a camp meeting. "I did it to display my utter contempt for American greed, not (the military)." Tyler, 19, of Fort Mill was among four Charlotte-area men charged Friday when police say they burned two U.S. flags at the organization's camp site in the uptown area. Two were members of...

Occupy Charlotte movement hanging onTuesday, December 27, 2011 (Updated 5:06 am) By The Charlotte Observer CHARLOTTE -- Despite colder weather and a possible crackdown by city officials in January, Occupy Charlotte protesters are pushing forward -- with meetings, fundraisers and eventually what they say will be a showdown at the Democratic National Convention. Compared to October, when the occupation began, fewer tents dot the old City Hall lawn at 600 E. Trade St. Fewer people attend the daily meetings and fewer show up for protest marches. So far this month, protesters have demonstrated in the city's banking district and at...

$22 million incentive package helped bring Chiquita to CharlotteBy: Becky Bereiter Updated 1:12 PM CHARLOTTE — More information is being released about incentives package that helped persuade Chiquita Brands International to move its corporate headquarters to Charlotte. Chiquita CEO Fernando Aguirre is not hiding the fact that the $22 million incentives package played a major role in bringing the company to the Queen City. $20 million came from the state and $2 million came from the city and county. Aguirre said in order to get the $22 million in incentives, the company has to meet a number of requirements. Primarily,...

Lots of horses left in the running for the Chase Championship. Who's got the stuff to GIT R DONE?? Join us Saturday Night, see who's haPPy now and who isn't after the race.

In August, fundamentalist preacher Dr. Michael Brown organized a regimen of red shirted Bible-thumpers to infiltrate Charlotte's gay pride event. Hundreds of zealots confronted and harassed festival attendees with their arrogant slogan "God Has A Better Way." The hatred and religious bigotry was appalling, but not surprising. What truly bothers me, however, was the lack of mainstream Christians standing up and speaking out against such fanatical behavior. Virtually every time I write about the Religious Right I'm reminded by the faithful that "not all Christians are like that." Of course, this is true and some of the most dedicated activists...

Charlotte, NC: 3,400 more officers for conventionBy MICHAEL BIESECKER - Associated Press Fri, Sep 9, 2011 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte officials plan to buttress the city's sizable police force with about 3,400 extra officers during the 2012 Democratic National Convention to help protect top politicians from across the country, most notably the president. **SNIP** Officials did not specify where the extra police would come from, but they would have to be sworn officers in North Carolina to arrest anyone. City police are already monitoring far-left anarchists groups. Members of tea party groups are also planning a big turnout.

Protesters won’t face U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementby GARY L. WRIGHT / Charlotte Observer WCNC.com Posted on September 8, 2011 at 6:40 AM CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mecklenburg jail officials said Wednesday they determined that 10 of 15 protesters arrested at an immigration rally Tuesday are in the country illegally. But the protesters won’t be turned over to federal immigration officials for possible deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told jail authorities Wednesday not to put detainers on the protesters, said Julia Rush, the spokeswoman for the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office. The detainers are used to keep defendants in jail while immigration...

Immigrants arrested at Charlotte 'coming out' rallyBy Franco Ordoñez Updated: Wednesday, Sep. 07, 2011 06:52 AM CHARLOTTE - Police arrested at least 10 young illegal immigrants as they blocked traffic near Central Piedmont Community College Tuesday to protest policies they say discriminate against undocumented immigrants. Nearly 200 people met on CPCC's central campus for a 1 p.m. "coming out" rally in which some protesters publicly announced they're living in the country illegally. The group then marched around the school toward the intersection of Kings Drive and Fourth Street. The large group proceeded to block all four directions of traffic while...

North Carolina’s blues may turn the state redThe Daily Caller – 6 hrs ago Democrats touted on Tuesday the 12-month countdown to their 2012 national convention in North Carolina, whose 15 electoral votes they hope will provide a winning margin for President Barack Obama should he lose critical Midwest states. **SNIP** “The Republican goal is to make this a hate-filled campaign… they’re literally willing to take this country to its knees … the Republican Party has become the party of willful ignorance,” Debnam told TheDC. But “when you have people out of work, they quit thinking about race and religion,”...

Oh, Carolina! Italian-Americans from Brooklyn, African-Americans from The Bronx and New Yorkers from the suburbs are flocking to the once sleepy town of Charlotte buoyed by big business like Bank of America and lots of Big Apple transplants. What has been dubbed the "New York phenomenon" swung into high gear around 2005, according to Erin Watkins, research director at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. There were 2,000 tax returns filed in Charlotte's Mecklenburg County in 2009 by either individuals or married couples who filed in New York City or Long Island the year before, according to IRS data.

SNIPPET: "CHARLOTTE, N.C.— The FBI is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who was seen near a restricted area along the light rail near uptown Charlotte. A worker monitoring security cameras said the man was spotted in the area in late April, according to investigators. The man was clearly in an area he wasn't supposed to be in and was acting suspiciously, the FBI said."

Every two to three years, Eddie Sales trims and prunes the crape myrtles at his church, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church. But this year, the city of Charlotte cited the church for improperly pruning its trees. "We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member. The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000. "I just couldn't believe it when I heard about it," Sales said. "We trim our trees back every three years all over our property,...

What the hell is going on over Memorial Day weekend among America's youts, specifically, "Eric Holder's People"?!IM SICK OF IT! Here in Little Rock, (which was just named No. 7 most dangerous city), I was talking to my friend yesterday, who is an LRPD officer. He asked if my wife and I were going to Riverfest that evening. I told him my son, age 9 mos. was sick, and we weren't planning to. He told me, "Good. There is a Rap artist playing at 9PM and there are not enough cops on duty so be very careful, and carry your...

Every two to three years, Eddie Sales trims and prunes the crape myrtles at his church, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church. But this year, the city of Charlotte cited the church for improperly pruning its trees. "We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member. The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000. "I just couldn't believe it when I heard about it," Sales said. "We trim our trees back every three years all over our property,...

NC allows visiting cops to help Charlotte for DNCThe Associated Press Wednesday, May 11, 2011 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina is changing state law so that thousands of outside police officers can come in and help keep the peace in Charlotte when it hosts the Democratic National Convention next year. The state Senate voted 50-0 on Wednesday to recognize out-of-state law enforcement officers as having the same powers and immunities as local cops. Charlotte is hosting the convention in early September 2012. It's expected to attract an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 delegates, media members and political leaders to the...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two Muslim religious leaders say they were asked to leave a commercial airliner in Memphis on Friday and were told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard. Masudur Rahman, who is also an adjunct instructor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, said by phone from the terminal at Memphis International Airport that he and another imam had already been allowed to board their Delta Connection flight to Charlotte, N.C., before they were asked to get off the plane. Transportation Security Administration spokesman Jon Allen in Atlanta confirmed the incident and said it...

Investigators say they now know what caused a small hole in a US Airways plane that travelled from Philadelphia to Charlotte Monday. Sources say a stray bullet struck the rear of the Boeing 737-400 as it was landing in Charlotte. A pilot making a pre-flight inspection during a lay-over discovered the hole towards the rear of the aircraft. “He noticed a small hole in the exterior of the fuselage towards the rear of the aircraft,” said US Airways spokeswoman Liz Landau. Landau said the Boeing 737 arrived at Charlotte from Philadelphia. She said there were no apparent problems during the...

Bigfoot caught on tape? A Shelby, North Carolina man claims to have a video of the legendary Bigfoot. Thomas Byers was driving with a friend when he says he saw Bigfoot cross Golden Valley Church Road in Rutherford County Tuesday evening. Naturally, he whipped out his video camera and was able to capture a five-second video from about 15 to 20 feet away. "It ran across the road and into the woods right in front of us and I was able to film it," Byers wrote in an e-mail to WCNC NewsChannel 36 in Charlotte, N.C. "In the short video...

Ethics shift may cut Dem convention fundsPublished: March. 9, 2011 at 10:56 AM WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Next year's Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., is likely to be scaled down since President Barack Obama banned corporate funding, planners say. Mike Stratton, a lead fundraiser for the 2008 convention in Denver, told Politico fundraising for Charlotte will be "exponentially more difficult and more challenging." "Clearly, the White House goal here is to send a message this is not a lobbyist-fest ... not an event for the highest bidder," he said. The party is asking the Charlotte host committee to raise...

Michelle is bragging about barbeque in Charlotte, NC. This Confederate statue is guarding the door of a barbeque restaurnt in Gastonia, a few miles from Charlotte. The food is fantastic, by the way. Doubt if it will be on the "must go to" list during the convention though.

Charlotte, N.C. — The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that it will hold its 2012 convention to nominate a presidential candidate in Charlotte. The convention is expected to draw up to 50,000 delegates, politicians and journalists to the city for the week of Sept. 3, 2012. In a statement following the announcement, the co-chairmen of the Charlotte committee were effusive in their praise for their city and eagerness to host the Democrats. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said, "We have an unmatched opportunity to show the world what a beautiful, energetic, innovative and diverse city we are building in Charlotte." Jim...

Friend -- I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012. Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an "up by the bootstraps" mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue. Barack and I spent a lot of time in North Carolina during...

Source: Charlotte To Host 2012 Democratic ConventionUPDATED: 11:09 am EST February 1, 2011 CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte has been chosen to host the 2012 nominating convention, a source inside the Democrat Party told the Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement was not intended to be made public until later Tuesday. The Queen City beat out three others; St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Cleveland.

At a Martin Luther King Jr. Day protest over school policies, the head of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP Monday announced a campaign to urge the CIAA basketball tournament and other groups to boycott the city. Pledging to "expose Charlotte for the racist bastion it is," NAACP President Kojo Nantambu announced a drive to keep the CIAA, NCAA, PGA "and any other 'A'" from coming to Charlotte. He also said his group would ask the national NAACP to consider asking the Democratic Party not to hold its 2012 convention in Charlotte. His comments came just before he led about 100 people on...

A North Carolina TV station was forced to halt its evening newscast when a woman with a gun stormed into the station, sparking a standoff with police forcing employees to evacuate.

Police are investigating the possibility that Tisdale stowed away in a jet wheel well and fell to his death when the doors opened on the jet's approach to landing last week in Boston, according to an airport spokesman.

NOTE: The following SNIPPET is a quote: DON'T OPEN THAT FILE, MEMET! With much fanfare, al-Malahim, the media arm of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, announced the imminent release of — and then subsequently did release — what they claimed was the first official English-language al-Qaida magazine. It's called "Inspire" as in "Inspire the Believers" (as opposed to the Quranic edict to Incite the Believers. They did this with the full cooperation of the administrators of the al-Faloja forum in particular. Interestingly, the first couple of pages of the document appear perfectly normal. Then things get weird...

SNIPPET: "2. According to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of California, Naushad, together with co-defendants Tamim Abdul-Samad AKA Brandon Harris, and Darryl Eugene Peterson AKA Najm, robbed a CitiBank branch in La Mesa, California, on 19 April, 2010."

Maggots falling from an overhead bin from a spoiled container of meat forced a US Airways flight to return to the gate so the bin could be cleaned. Passenger Donna Adamo said she noticed a couple of flies on the Monday flight when she got to her seat but didn't think much of it. Then, as the plane was taxiing, she heard a passenger behind her causing a commotion and refusing to take her seat. "Then I heard the word 'maggot' and that kind of got everybody creeped out," she said. "All of a sudden, I felt somebody flick the...

The last time the National Rifle Association came to Charlotte, then-NRA president Charlton Heston thrust a musket in the air and shouted what would become a signature slogan: "From my cold, dead hands!" Now the NRA is back. The city's largest-ever convention opens Thursday at the uptown Charlotte Convention Center. Organizers expect up to 70,000 visitors to pump at least $20 million into the local economy. So packed are hotels that even Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps had a hard time finding a room for this weekend's UltraSwim.

At least I have to give politico some credit, while I felt that such a story existed, I admit that I was surprised that it was reported on. This poor woman is probably going to get "the treatment" from the most open and transparent administration in American history.

A Muslim leader who has tried to portray the founder of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus in Washington as an extremist "hatemonger" was himself exposed as an extremist on a popular radio program. For years, Jibril Hough has represented himself and his North Carolina mosque as "moderate," while putting Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., on the defensive as an anti-Muslim fanatic who "shoots from the hip" when sounding the alarm about homegrown Islamic terrorism. Myrick, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, co-founded the Capitol Hill caucus after 9/11 to educate Americans about the growing threat from jihadists. But during an in-studio...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- He has been called the NBA's greatest player and one of the country's top pitchmen. Now Michael Jordan is ready for a new title: NBA owner. With minutes to go until his exclusive negotiating window was to expire, Jordan struck a deal late Friday night to buy controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats, putting the six-time NBA champion in charge of the money-losing team in his home state. Owner Bob Johnson announced in a statement that he's agreed to sell the Bobcats to Jordan, who has been a part-owner of the team since 2006. Jordan has been...

Region QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION Distances 250 km (155 miles) SSW (197°) from Prince Rupert, BC, Canada 315 km (195 miles) WNW (303°) from Port Hardy, BC, Canada 331 km (206 miles) S (178°) from Metlakatla, AK 662 km (411 miles) WNW (302°) from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.5 km (3.4 miles); depth +/- 10.5 km (6.5 miles)

Voters ended more than two decades of Republican leadership in Charlotte Tuesday by electing Democrat Anthony Foxx the city's second African-American mayor and the youngest in memory. Foxx won Charlotte's closest mayoral race in years, taking just over 51 percent of the vote over Republican John Lassiter in unofficial totals. At a victory celebration, Foxx shared a long hug with a jubilant Harvey Gantt, the last Democratic and first African-American mayor. "It's been 22 years since we've had this moment," a hoarse Foxx told a cheering crowd at the Westin hotel. "The work of rebuilding our community starts very soon....

Raleigh, N.C. – John Lassiter has taken a 50-46 lead in Public Policy Polling’s final survey of the Charlotte Mayoral race, an outcome that is still within the poll’s margin of error. White undecideds moved in Lassiter’s direction over the final days, giving him a staggering 68-29 lead with that group. Foxx leads 86-12 with African Americans. Lassiter leads 51-40 with independents, continuing a double digit lead he’s shown with those voters in every poll of the race. He’s also winning 17% of the Democratic vote while Foxx is only getting 9% of Republicans to cross over. The primary reason...

The Young Republicans of Union County are hosting a “Tea Party” rally at Marshall Park in uptown Charlotte on Saturday October 31, 2009 from 10 AM until noon. Press Release ………………………………. We're all invited to the TEA Party in Charlotte on Halloween Day (10/31/09). Hope to see you there! We come from diverse backgrounds, but we believe in these basic principals: 1. The Constitution was written to limit the powers of the government, not the freedoms of the people. 2. Personal responsibility, Free Markets, and a Laissez-faire (hands off) government is what creates jobs, wealth, and greatness in America 3....

CHARLOTTE -- A monument to the financial crisis is rising amid this city's thicket of skyscrapers: gleaming, glass-walled trophy tower that was intended as a fitting headquarters for Wachovia's national banking empire. It will open instead as the headquarters of a regional power company. Wachovia, unable to survive a run of bad decisions, was swallowed by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo during the depths of the crisis last year. Few American cities prospered more over the past two decades than Charlotte, its growth propelled and gilded by Wachovia and its crosstown rival, Bank of America. Executives shoehorned gaudy mansions into old...

It was only a week ago that CBS Radio moved the famous WBCN call letters from Boston to Charlotte, onto WFNA-AM (1660). Now, the plan will be to end the sports simulcast between WBCN & WFNZ-AM (610), launching “America’s Talk” on WBCN on September 14. That will pose direct competition for Greater Media’s market leader WBT-AM/FM (1110/99.3). The Charlotte Observer says the new format will feature a conservative lean, including syndicated talkers Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, along with former WBT host Jason Lewis, now in syndication. WBCN operations manager D.J. Stout tells the paper, “We feel that Charlotte has...

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus stop is right in front of a registered sex offender's house, but CMS won't change the bus stop's location despite parents' pleas. That has parents in the Winget Pond neighborhood ticked off. They contacted us after getting their childrens' bus assignments in the mail. His name is Robert Lance Neal. Court records show he's a registered sex offender, convicted for sexually abusing a 10-year-old in Illinois. Now, records show Neal lives on Arrington Heights Place in Charlotte. Out his front door is a CMS bus stop. "Eight to ten that I'm aware of," a mother says...

SNIPPET: “WASHINGTON - Last week, German authorities discovered that groups of terrorists may have been dispatched from training bases in Pakistan to launch crippling attacks.” SNIPPET: “They say as a minimum of 12 al-Qaida operatives who were trained in the tribal region of Pakistan have left the training camps and are headed back to their home countries. Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Egypt are just some of those countries. According to the source, the threat levels also were raised for many other Western European countries to include concerns for “Turkish Airlines flying passengers from Istanbul to the...

In the unfolding economic crisis, helping borrowers with troubled mortgages has become a growth business, landing Charlotte a dose of good economic news today for its beleaguered financial sector. At an office park in east Charlotte, Gov. Bev Perdue and other government officials gathered to announce an expansion by a non-profit organization that aims to add 1,014 jobs here over the next five years. Boston-based Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America, a nonprofit community advocacy and homeownership organization, plans to hire customer service specialists, mortgage counselors, negotiators and others to help low-income and minority borrowers. NACA, as the organization is known,...

Gov. Bev Perdue will be in Charlotte this morning for a “significant economic development announcement,” the head of the Charlotte Chamber said Wednesday. Chamber President Bob Morgan said that he, Perdue and local elected officials will gather at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth floor of 5855 Executive Center Drive. Morgan declined to say more, but the address is the same as the Charlotte office of the Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America. Based in Boston, NACA is a national affordable lending program that focuses on low- and moderate-income families and properties. It offers loans with no down payments, closings costs or...