Bomb threats force school evacuations + ACC headquarters move to Charlotte

Hey, everyone! Drew here. Do you have a favorite brewery in the Charlotte area? There are so many to choose from I have a hard time picking a favorite myself.

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Here’s the rest of your news on this Tuesday afternoon. Have a great day.

1. Bomb threats force evacuations at several schools across the Charlotte area

There was a scary situation at some Charlotte-area schools this morning.

Five schools in Cabarraus County were prompted to evacuate or lockdown Tuesday following bomb threats. Jay M. Robinson High School, Cox Mill Elementary, Cox Mill High School and Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord all evacuated while Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg underwent a lockdown, according to Cabarrus County Schools. This comes just a day after Northwest Cabarrus evacuated due to bomb threats on Monday.

Cox Mill High School received a second threat and was forced to evacuate again in the afternoon, according to a district email to families. Some parents were frustrated with the lack of communication from law enforcement.

“The school, local law enforcement, the school board and county services have multiple avenues to provide emergency updates ... ,” Matt Hecht, parent of a student at Cox Mill High School, said in an email to The Observer. “Instead, Middle School and high school students give parents real time updates through their phone which induces panic and chaos among parents.”

Kallie Cox continues to update this developing story.

2. Charlotte leaders call ACC relocation a public relations boon

There is some exciting news for college sports fans here in Charlotte with this next story.

The Atlantic Coast Conference formally announced Tuesday that it will relocate its headquarters to the Queen City after spending the last 69 years in Greensboro. Orlando was among other candidates considered by the ACC.

“After a comprehensive, inclusive and deliberate process, the Board decided that Charlotte — an amazing and vibrant community — not only meets, but exceeds, the needs of the ACC…. The decision to relocate from Greensboro was a difficult one, and the entire city and its first-class representatives will always hold an incredibly special place in the history and legacy of the [conference].” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement Tuesday.

Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles says the ACC’s move “bolsters our reputation nationally,” and makes the city “is one of the best sports towns in the country and a growing destination for sports events.”

Genna Contino and Joe Marusak have more on the ACC’s move.

3. First look at over 200 apartments near big mixed-use project on Charlotte’s west side

Charlotte’s west side continues to see growth and development as of late.

Construction on more than 200 apartments is just steps from another developer’s 400,000-square-foot adaptive reuse office and retail project, the apartment developer said Monday in a news release. The Perch — led by Florida-based developer Ram Realty Advisors — will be at 718 Gesco St. The first phase of the project is expected to be complete by 2024.

This project is the latest development as Charlotte continues to see a record number of apartments going up across the city. In July, CoStar Group, a real estate research firm, said that the nearly 20,000 units under construction at the time set a record dating back to the year 2000.

Gordon Rago dives deeper into the latest apartment complex to spring up in the area.

4. A New York manufacturing company is relocating its HQ to Charlotte. Here’s what we know.

Columbus McKinnon, a designer and manufacturer of devices that help companies move things big and small, will relocate its corporate headquarters from Buffalo, New York to Charlotte’s Ballantyne area in the next year, with enough space to hire 100 new employees, the company exclusively told The Charlotte Observer.

The company will lease the top two floors of SPX FLOW’s building at 13320 Ballantyne Corporate Place, president and CEO David Wilson said. The 240,000-square-foot building was built in 2013 and sits just south of Interstate 485. Wilson said he was drawn to Ballantyne because some research and development employees were already there. He also pointed to the area’s growth.

Gordon Rago has the details on the company’s move.

5. Some more stories to read

• What are the orange balls on power lines in Charlotte? Think of air travel

• Carowinds adds new chaperone policy in response to ‘unruly behavior’ last weekend

• Spirit Airlines adds 2 two nonstop flights in Charlotte. Here’s when they will take off

• CATS bus drivers set to vote on a new contract. What Charlotte riders should know.

• Watching the Presidents Cup? Here are 12 places to eat near Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

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This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Bomb threats force school evacuations + ACC headquarters move to Charlotte."