Taylor Batten

For years, a junkyard sat at the corner of Moretz Avenue and Lucena Street.

Bosses don't usually appreciate the previous boss hanging around, telling them what to do. This time, though, was different - up to a point.

A dangerous enemy threatens America. This threat is hard to confront, because it does not represent any one government and is not in any one location; it operates in smaller cells all over.

Charlotte Democrats' unprecedented rout of Republicans on Tuesday was an eye-opener.

I walked upstairs to get ready for work Tuesday. My shadow - aka Clara, our weimaraner - followed, of course, as she has for almost 13 years. I had just reached the top when my 4-year-old son, James, said: "Daddy, look at Clara."

Tom Okel and the Catawba Lands Conservancy - unbeknownst to each other - were separately going through major life transitions, not sure exactly where they were headed.

Is Charlotte the next Detroit, with its best days gone forever? Or is it one of America's finest and most promising cities?

Carol Quillen takes over as Davidson College's 18th president next week. She replaces Tom Ross, who left the small, distinguished liberal arts school to become president of the University of North Carolina system.

Republican Jon Huntsman's promised approach to his presidential campaign presents a fascinating experiment at this moment in American political history.

One day when I was about 16, I asked my parents if I could have some friends over on Saturday night for a get-together. They said yes.