Hi, Thursday!

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is hosting its annual National Day of Remembrance for Murdered Victims observance at 6pm today at the Freedom Division (4150 Wilkinson Blvd.).

🌧️ Today's weather: Rain showers likely, with a high of 66 and a low of 51.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Matt Brooks!

Today’s newsletter is 901 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Queens University of Charlotte has a new name: Elon University | Queens College.

Why it matters: The new name is part of the Queens-Elon merger, which they announced in September 2025.

The latest: Queens, under the new name, will operate as an undergraduate campus of Elon in Myers Park after the merger is complete.

By the numbers: Queens currently has about 1,600 students on campus, Queens University of Charlotte acting President Jesse Cureton told reporters Wednesday.

• The merger, including the new law school, will bring the campus to about 2,500 students.
• Queens has about 450 total faculty and staff, Cureton says.

What's next: The merger needs approval from the Department of Education. The full remaining process is expected to take about 18 months, Cureton says.

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💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Benefits Consultant at University of North Carolina Charlotte

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State Auditor Dave Boliek made an unannounced visit to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools headquarters yesterday and says he has spent the last three weeks probing "questions about financial transactions" and "financial irregularities" with district staff. (WFAE)

• In other CMS revelations, superintendent Crystal Hill reportedly told the school board during its closed session Tuesday night that she would resign immediately — if the board agreed to pay her for two years. (WSOC)

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization made it official Wednesday: It voted 64-5 to move the I-77 toll lane project forward. (WCNC)

Activists are demanding change after Caleb Flax, 4, was shot and killed while sleeping in his northwest Charlotte home this past weekend. No arrests have been made. (WSOC)

Former Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball has settled a lawsuit with a boy, 12 at the time, who alleged that he approached Ball's car for an autograph when Ball drove away and ran over his foot outside Spectrum Center. The amount was not disclosed. (WFAE)

A driver who hit and killed a 25-year-old runner in NoDa was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus probation, in court Tuesday. Investigators said Q'Laundra Hood ran the red light at The Plaza and 36th Street and struck Lance Sotelo. (WSOC)

The Charlotte Hornets have completed an overhaul of how fans can watch games — from streaming to traditional broadcast.

Why it matters: Fans haven't known how or where to watch games due to inconsistent distribution across the league. The Hornets are working to rectify that.

How it works: Fans across the Carolinas will be able to watch non-nationally televised games on TV or stream them this season on:

• WSOC Channel 9 and TV64 (Cox Media Group) in the Charlotte region
• DAZN for streaming
• Gray Media and Sinclair will broadcast games in eight markets across North Carolina and South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia, Greensboro, Greenville-New Bern, Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh and Wilmington. See the stations here.

The big picture: The Hornets simulcast less than a dozen games last season, Hornets Sports & Entertainment chief business and revenue officer Mike Behan told reporters Wednesday.

• "We believe there's been a significant missed opportunity in the past," Behan says.

What we're watching: This is part of a series of steps the organization has taken under new ownership, both on and off the court. Moves have spanned adding $2 concessions to trading the face of the franchise. They're also in the midst of building a $190 million standalone practice facilityacross the street from Spectrum Center in Uptown.

What's next: The Hornets host the Nets for their first preseason game on Oct. 6 at Spectrum Center. See the Hornets' full schedule here.

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We're in full festival mode this weekend, with everything from big-name music and art to wine, food and margaritas.

🪩 Friday: Vibe to Tiësto, Chris Lake and more at Breakaway Carolina as it returns to zMAX Dragway through Saturday.

🍷 Saturday: Check out the Wine & Food Festival at Ballantyne's Backyard.

🏺 Sunday: Stop by the annual Potters Market at The Mint Museum Randolph from Friday to Sunday.

Full weekender

News you can use from our partners.

• Join Axios Charlotte and Northwood Ravin for an exclusive event on Oct. 1 at The Artisan South End. Hear about the trends driving Charlotte's growth, enjoy free drinks + bites, and tour The Artisan for a chance to win VIP CLTFC tix. RSVP here.

Kindred will reopen for dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and weekend brunch starting Saturday, Oct. 31.

Catch up quick: The beloved restaurant from husband-and-wife duo Joe and Katy Kindred temporarily closed this spring after a small fire.

What to expect: The heartbeat of the restaurant remains intact, but the couple did use the time to make subtle changes to the space.

• They completely rebuilt the bar, which features a new marble top and brass drink rail, Katy tells Axios.
• The upstairs includes all new cabinetry and tile.
• "Most of the changes will benefit the staff and make the space more efficient for them, and therefore for our guests as well," Katy says.

Zoom out: The Kindreds recently opened Deepwell, a New Orleans-inspired steakhouse, in downtown Mooresville.

See inside Deepwell

📖 Ashley has a chapter on Queens in her upcoming book.

😍 Alexis is loving the cooler temps this week.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Alex will run 7 miles this morning if it's not raining (and is writing that in this newsletter, so she has to do it).

💪 Melissa, who edited this newsletter, did four pull-ups this week for the first time.