Data centers update & remembering Mr. K: See Charlotte news roundup for April 28

From a contentious data center vote at City Hall to the death of a beloved local restaurateur, Charlotte saw several major stories unfold Tuesday. Here’s a quick look at what happened across the city.

• Mayor Vi Lyles cast a tie-breaking vote against holding a public hearing on a potential moratorium for data center developments, frustrating council members who say the issue requires urgent action as a 40,000-square-foot facility is proposed near a Charlotte residential area.

• Theodore Karres, the founder of Mr. K’s Soft Ice Cream and a beloved South End icon known simply as “Mr. K,” died April 22 at age 91, leaving behind a legacy that included keeping his shop open during Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

• Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church, Charlotte’s only Black Catholic parish, will receive at least $4 million from the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to repair its deteriorating 70-year-old facilities, with construction expected to begin in 2028.

• Gaston County Schools became the latest district to cancel classes May 1 as teachers join a Raleigh rally demanding higher school funding, after a new report ranked North Carolina 46th in teacher pay and per-pupil spending.

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.