The Outlook: What to watch out for in The Charlotte Observer this week
Here’s a look at some of the stories you’ll find in The Charlotte Observer and CharlotteObserver.com this coming week:
Highway safety or hazard?
Steve Eimers wasn’t there that morning in November 2016 when a Volvo sedan went off an interstate in eastern Tennessee. The car slammed into the end of a guardrail, which speared through the driver’s side door, instantly killing his 17-year-old daughter, Hannah.
After months of battling through grief, Eimers began to question why the guardrail impaled the vehicle.
His research pointed him to the piece of guardrail his daughter hit. The end of the guardrail — known by the model name X-Lite — was supposed to absorb or redirect the impact of a crashing car. Except Eimers learned those guardrails were killing and seriously injuring people.
Eimers started a one-man campaign to rid the nation’s highways of potentially dangerous guardrails. More than a dozen states have removed the X-Lite because of his efforts.
But not North Carolina — and he wants to change that.
Eimers spoke with Observer staff writer Ames Alexander. Read what Eimers has to say, and why the makers of the X-Lite insist their product is safe.
‘Carolinas’ Bowl
Quarterback Sam Howell will lead the North Carolina Tar Heels against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday. It’s expected to be the final college game for Howell, a former standout player at Sun Valley High School in Union County.
This will be the 59th meeting between the Tar Heels and Gamecocks, and the first time they play each other in a bowl. North Carolina leads the series 35-19-4.
ESPN will broadcast the game, which has an 11:30 a.m. kickoff. A fan fest is in the works, according to the bowl’s host, the Charlotte Sports Foundation.
Look for full coverage from the Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer and The (Columbia) State all week at CharlotteObserver.com/sports.
NC’s Rocketman
A Davidson College graduate finds himself orbiting Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles — again.
Dr. Tom Marshburn, a Statesville native, is on his third tour aboard the International Space Station, this time as part of a six-month NASA-SpaceX commercial mission that launched Nov. 10. His last stay aboard the station ended in 2013, and he’s scheduled to return to Earth at the end of April.
Marshburn recently spoke with the Observer’s Joe Marusak from the space station, one of two interviews the astronaut had with North Carolina news outlets. Watch for the story this week in the Observer and a video online at CharlotteObserver.com.
Looking ahead
▪ Charlotte’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration returns after a year’s absence due to COVID-19. The free uptown event will feature music, food trucks and fireworks. The party begins at 8 p.m. Friday on South Tryon Street at Levine Avenue of the Arts. The event is outdoors, but the use of masks is encouraged.
▪ New Year’s Eve in Charlotte offers a variety of events to ring in 2022, including dinner, a concert and a holiday 5K. Visit CharlotteFive.com for more details.
▪ The Carolina Panthers head to New Orleans for their second-to-last game of the season next Sunday. Kickoff against the Saints is 1 p.m. on Fox.
▪ The Charlotte Hornets are back in town after a six-game Western swing. The Hornets will host the Houston Rockets on Monday, travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Wednesday, then return to Charlotte to play the Phoenix Suns next Sunday. All games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.