Axios Charlotte

It's International Women's Day, and we're celebrating women making a difference in our city.

What's happening: March is National Women's month. And it's no surprise the Queen City is full of queens who reign over virtually every industry, Axios' Laura Barrero writes.

Among them are WSOC TV anchor Allison Latos and Hope Vibes' executive director Adrienne Threatt.

• Latos, who lost her newborn baby in 2020 and later battled thyroid cancer, helps raise money and awareness for infertility through Bundle of Joy, a nonprofit giving grants to couples hoping to start a family.
• Last month, she welcomed a baby girl.
• Threatt cofounded Hope Vibes, a nonprofit serving Charlotte's unhoused population, with her husband Emmanuel Threatt in 2017, and have since launched the Hope Tank, a mobile shower and laundry center.

From restaurateurs to chief executives, here are 20 women who answer Beyonce's age-old question: Who run the world? 

Full story: 20 impressive women helping reshape Charlotte

The Carolina Panthers are pausing work on the $800 million practice facility and team headquarters in Rock Hill.

• Construction on the 240-acre site began in summer 2020 and was supposed to wrap up sometime in 2023, Axios' Katie Peralta Soloff reports.

Why it matters: This is an enormous public-private development — undoubtedly one of the biggest and most expensive underway in the Carolinas.

To date, Tepper Sports & Entertainment has invested more than $170 million into the development.

• In a statement, a TSE spokesperson said the team's partners "have been unable to contribute to the agreed-upon investment to fund the construction of the public infrastructure."

Of note: The city of Rock Hill did not make its initial payment due in March 2021, a person with knowledge of the situation said. TSE continued with the construction in good faith anyway.

Full story: Panthers pause work on massive $800M Rock Hill campus

🤿 Dive into a new role with our Job Board.

1. Maintenance specialist at Blumenthal Performing Arts.
2. UX/UI design intern at Carolina Panthers.
3. Senior property accountant at Lincoln Harris.
4. Assistant vice president, sales at E4E Relief.
5. School counselor at Cannon School.
6. Traffic coordinator at Carnegie.
7. Project accounting assistant at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting Inc.
8. Project lead at Mode.
9. Marketing director at Whitewater.
10. Staff accountant at InReach.
11. Project manager – marketing research at AOC Marketing Research.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

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In what the artist is calling an "unfortunate accident," a painting company covered over one of the most iconic murals in NoDa last week.

• It was mistaken for another work on the building the painters were commissioned to cover, Katie reports.

Zoom out: If you've driven or strolled through NoDa in the last five years, you're probably familiar with the big, colorful "Bloom" mural that was splashed across the brick building on North Davidson and 35th Street that houses businesses like Pura Vida Worldly Art.

• Stella Artois commissioned local artist Osiris Rain to paint the wall in 2017 as part of an ad campaign, the Observer reported last week.

Why it matters: The incident underscores Charlotte's growing affinity for locally made wall art that's cropping up across town. Over time, murals become iconic for neighborhoods, even if they are corporate-sponsored.

Over the weekend, Rain covered the "Bloom" wall again with a light turquoise color and a fresh message: "You are beautiful. You are loved. Mahalo NoDa!"

• He's adding a new mural to the wall next month.

Full story: Iconic NoDa mural painted over in what artist calls an "unfortunate accident"

Locally owned Sumaq Coffee, a cafe and bakery, soft-opened last week.

• It was so successful the owners decided to extend its hours of operation.

Why it matters: With its modern design and bright concept, the coffee shop changes the face of the neighborhood, Laura writes.

Context: Sumaq is a labor of love for Colombian natives and brothers Joseph and Nick Castro.

• They own the photography studio in the same building, and once that business saw success, they started coming up with ideas to transform the rest of the space. 
• Their goal, Nick told Laura, is to bring flavors of South America to Charlotte. 

Details: Expect craft Colombian coffee, sandwiches, desserts and gluten-free options, all made in-house from local ingredients.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm.

Location: 6259 South Blvd. by the Archdale Station.

Full story: New South Blvd. coffee shop "Sumaq" hopes to bring flavors of South America to Charlotte

PHD Weight Loss, founded by nutritionist and dietician Dr. Ashley Lucas, specializes in individualized weight loss with sustainable results.  

• Right now, PHD is offering Axios readers a free initial consult and body composition analysis (a $25 value). To redeem, just mention Axios when you call. 

Learn more and get started with PHD.

🍽 Chef Greg and Subrina Collier are celebrating ten years as restaurateurs with an event they're calling the "Collier Classics," a ten-course tasting event at Leah & Louise on March 21 from 6:30-9:30pm.

• Tickets are $190 per person, plus $40 for a wine pairing. Capacity is 36 people.

🏀 It's back to the NCAA tournament for Queen Royals men's basketball, after winning the South Atlantic Conference Championship.

• The Royals (28-3) face Columbus State (20-10) on March 12 in Augusta, G.A. Time TBD. (Queens)

🪧 The City of Charlotte released the finalists to replace Stonewall Street including Brooklyn Village Street, Convention Center Drive and Sam Mills Way. (WSOC)

Outspoken best describes Charlotte FC's head coach, Miguel Ángel Ramírez.

Driving the news: On the sidelines during Charlotte's home debut, Ramírez wore a custom shirt with the words "No More War" scrawled across its fabric by Glory Days Apparel and Boring Cloth.

Why it matters: Ramírez hasn't shied away from talking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

• He wore the shirt in front of a Major League Soccer-record crowd of 74,497 fans, during a nationally televised match.

What they're saying: "Those of us who have a microphone to speak to the public and cameras are responsible to say that we don't want the lack of unity," Ramírez told reporters when the war began.

The bottom line: The first-time MLS head coach is as charismatic and direct off the pitch as he is during training and on the sidelines.

What's next: Glory Days Apparel owner JD Harris told me they're considering releasing the shirt and using proceeds to benefit efforts to support Ukraine.

📅 Stay booked and busy, CLT

• I Heart Rail Trail: Lights, presented by U.S. Bank on The Rail Trail now though Sunday, March 20: The Rail Trail will be lit once again this year as I Heart Rail Trail: Lights returns to South End with five never-before-seen public art installations on display. Free.
• Queens of the City Concert at Knight Theater on Friday: Enjoy this live hip hop and R&B concert featuring Charlotte's most acclaimed recording artists. $20+.
• Ride NC By Train to the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh on Saturday, April 2 - Sunday, April 3: Those traveling to and from the festival can save 25% on NC By Train tickets (code: V681). Train arrives at Raleigh Union Station, just 2 miles from Dorothea Dix Park where the festival is being held. $30-$60.

Want more things to do? Check out our Event Board. 

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