Hornets prepare for young players on the way ahead of NBA draft this week
With the NBA Finals over, Charlotte Hornets fans can turn their attention to the draft.
The draft will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on ABC and ESPN.
As of Friday, Charlotte holds the 13th and 15th overall picks in the NBA draft, along with a second-round selection (45th overall). Orlando has the No. 1 pick.
Follow Observer NBA writer Roderick Boone on Twitter and read his coverage this week in print and on charlotteobserver.com.
County budget up for vote
The fate of the Mecklenburg County Juvenile Detention Center and millions of dollars in school funding will be decided Wednesday night.
Commissioners will take up County Manager Dena Diorio’s $2.1 billion proposed budget for the fiscal year, which begins July 1. The proposed budget projects increased property and sales tax revenues without rate increases in the coming fiscal year.
Last week, the board tentatively approved an additional $10 million for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, giving the district about $30 million of the roughly $40.4 million increase it requested. But CMS officials say the $10 million isn’t enough. “A recipe for disaster,” one district official said.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Garry McFadden is backing a proposal to close the juvenile detention facility in north Charlotte and freeze about 90 vacant jobs. The moves would partially offset expected losses from a reduction in the federal prisoner population at the uptown jail, where staffing levels have created safety concerns.
Diorio’s budget proposal also includes a 5% salary increase for all county employees and a minimum wage increase for county workers from $15 to $20 an hour.
The board will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting can be watched on the Government Channel or online at watch.mecknc.gov.
▪ Charlotte City Council: The council will hold a zoning session at 5 p.m. Monday. The meetings will be broadcast on the Government Channel and the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
HeroesCon returns
HeroesCon will marks its 40th anniversary next weekend with a return to the Charlotte Convention Center after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.
For Shelton Drum, founder of the comic book convention, this also will be the first HeroesCon since the death of two friends, artists and writers George Perez and Neal Adams.
Drum talked about them, this year’s convention and more with the Observer’s Joe Marusak. Find the story in today’s Carolina Living section or the Local Arts section on our homepage.
Super Abari Game Bar on Seigle Avenue will host a kickoff party with live music and guest artists beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday.
From CharlotteFive
▪ Learn how to play pickleball so you can challenge your friends to a weekend game. https://bit.ly/3QjyT1l
▪ Discover new comedians at “Night of 1,000 Laughs,” a fast-paced comedy show hosted by Don Garrett. 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Comedy Zone Charlotte, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., B3. https://bit.ly/3QiA5BZ
▪ Join the crowd at Celebrate America to hear patriotic music from the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and see fireworks for the whole family at Truist Field. 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. 324 S. Mint St. Tickets start at $25+. https://bit.ly/3QmJlVJ
Sports in Charlotte
▪ Charlotte FC crosses the northern border to face CF Montreal next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The match will air on WSOC and Telemundo Charlotte.
▪ The Charlotte Knights head to New England to take on the Worcester Red Sox in a six-game series that begins Tuesday night.
Concerts in Charlotte
This week’s top shows: Machine Gun Kelly (7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Spectrum Center); H.E.R. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre); Backstreet Boys (7:30 p.m., Friday, PNC Music Pavilion); James Taylor (8 p.m., Friday, Spectrum Center).
Compiled by Rogelio Aranda