Charlotte Smart, Fast: July 31, 2015
Happy Friday!
Here’s what you need to know to be Charlotte Smart in less than 2 minutes today.
THE BIG STORY: The high speed internet race in Charlotte heats up as Time Warner Cable started rolling out its TWC Maxx service this week.
That means that customers should start getting internet speeds up to six times faster than the current level, up to 300 megabits per second. For no more money.
The move by TWC follows AT&T launching its high-speed internet service in June.
Who’s getting TWC Maxx? So far this week, customers in:
– East Charlotte
– Old Steele Creek Road
– West Boulevard Corridor
– West Morehead Street
– Wilkinson Boulevard
– Huntersville
– Pineville
– Communities in Gaston County
TWC has also added more than 6,000 WiFi hotspots in the area.
HEAR THAT TRAIN A COMIN’: The streetcar rails that opened earlier this month could handle larger trains if the city can find the money to pay for longer lines, officials say. There are no concrete plans yet, but the Charlotte Area Transit System said the rails could handle train lines that extend to the airport or to Matthews.
Streetcar is cool and comfortable! @Clt_TrafficGuy @CLTgov #bravo pic.twitter.com/5AbYsBzrli
— Pat Cotham (@PatCothamMeck) July 14, 2015
SHOW ME THE MONEY: Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio got a $50,000 raise July 7, bringing her base salary up to $286,000. Why? County commissioners said they wanted to offer competitive pay to keep her here. She’s the highest-paid county manager in the state.
SHOW ME THE MONEY PT. 2: The CEO of Inspirational Network David Cerullo had his total compensation grow to nearly $5.7 million in 2013, according to the latest available tax filings. That’s double the previous year. The cable networks controlled by his Charlotte-area charity sprang from the remnants of Jim Bakker’s PTL Club. Red flag?
Happy weekending, y’all.
Photos: AP Photo; Mark Hames/Charlotte Observer; Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Charlotte Smart, Fast: July 31, 2015."