7 Charlotte stories you need to catch up on. Here’s what to know
From executive pay at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to the Carolina Panthers’ new training facility, it was a busy week of news across the Charlotte region. Here are the top stories from the Charlotte Observer for the week of April 13-17, 2026.
• CMS executive pay: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has 22 employees making over $200,000 a year, while Wake County Public Schools — the state’s largest district — has just three. The 22 highest-paid CMS employees make around $5 million combined.
• Mooresville mayor video: A judge ruled that Town Hall surveillance video depicting what a lawsuit says was a pantless Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney with a woman is public record and must be released to WBTV within five business days.
• Tax incentives terminated: North Carolina ended job creation incentives for two Charlotte-region companies — Cataler North America Corp. and Dymax Corp. — after neither submitted required grant reports. Macy’s, which has not yet met hiring goals at its Rowan County fulfillment center, received a one-year extension.
• American Airlines centennial: American Airlines celebrated 100 years of flights with a ceremony at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where it accounts for about 90% of flights. The airline’s history in Charlotte traces back to Piedmont Airlines, which made CLT a hub in 1982.
• Panthers training facility: The Carolina Panthers announced their new 101,400-square-foot practice facility will be called the Atrium Health Training Facility. The uptown Charlotte venue is expected to be ready for use in 2027.
• Franklin Graham defends Trump: NC evangelist Franklin Graham defended President Trump over backlash to an AI-generated image depicting Trump as a Jesus-like figure, calling it “a lot to do about nothing.” Graham also said he hopes Trump and Pope Leo XIV can meet.
• Uncle’s in Plaza Midwood: Southeast Asian pop-up Hello Uncle opened its first brick-and-mortar as Uncle’s at Burial Beer Co. in Plaza Midwood. We find out if it’s worth the hype, and what to order.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.
.jpg)