Light rail stabbing case delayed, data centers halted: Today in Charlotte

A delayed federal case, a halt on data centers and a “ghost kitchen” service. Here’s a quick look at what readers are following today in Charlotte.

• A federal judge ruled that DeCarlos Brown Jr. is mentally incompetent to stand trial in the Charlotte light rail stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Brown will spend up to four months in a prison medical facility for psychiatric treatment, after an April report found him too impaired to understand the case against him.
• The Charlotte City Council voted unanimously Monday to implement a 150-day moratorium on new data center construction. The pause gives the city time to study the facilities and consider future regulations, joining Durham, Apex, Canton, Chatham County and Gates County, which have passed similar moratoriums.
• Charlotte law firm Grier, Wright and Martinez has withdrawn as counsel for American Log Homes and Cabins after being overwhelmed by claims totaling millions of dollars against just $49,000 in assets. The company shut down in January after taking tens of thousands of dollars from customers nationwide for log cabin kits that were never delivered, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s investigation remains ongoing.
• Starbucks is planning a delivery-only “ghost kitchen” in Charlotte at 4500 Nations Crossing Road through a partnership with delivery service Gopuff. The facility will have no public storefront and promises drinks and food delivered in 15 to 30 minutes, expanding a pilot already operating in Philadelphia, Miami and Arizona.

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.