City Smart: Municipal ID Card to Dairy Queen

Big Data Development at UNCC
The NC Data Science and Analytics (DSA) Initiative, led by UNCC, just received funding to develop a data science and analytics technology infrastructure that will support research and supply the big data needs of academia and business users alike.

A New Form of ID?
A few weeks ago, the City Council received recommendations from the Immigrant Integration Task Force. Among the recommendations was a Municipal ID Card. Read the report here.

Protest Petitions vs Real Estate Development
NC House Bill 201, which recently passed the House and is being considered by the NC Senate, would repeal the statutory right of a neighbor to file a protest petition against proposed rezoning. Protest rights are as old as zoning and viewed by many as leveling the playing field between ordinary citizens and powerful developers.

2 Happy Things

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had 100 less reportable crimes this past year and their 2013-2014 drop-out was 2.31%, down 23.5% from the previous school year’s dropout rate.

The Foundation for the Carolinas had a record year of fundraising with $627 million in contributions. In 2014, they also awarded $316 million in grants funding for programs supporting and improving education, environmental sustainability, efforts to reduce homelessness, and many other initiatives.

1 Random Thing

The Dairy Queen on Wilkinson Blvd is a registered historical site and displays the only remaining Dairy Queen Eskimo in use.