Business
Kiger brings business savvy, not just education, to board
Blake Kiger brings a business perspective, not just an education perspective, to the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners. The newly appointed Harrisburg resident—and former Board of Education member—is the principal at Simon-Meyer Construction Consultants in Charlotte. The company provides third-party construction consultant services to clients in lending, development and property ownership. He said he is […]
John Kepner is LKN ‘Businessperson of the Year’
Jan. 16. John Kepner, president of Raymer Kepner Funeral Home in Huntersville, is the Lake Norman Chamber’s new Business Person of the Year. He will be recognized at the annual dinner Friday. Kepner, who purchased the funeral home in 2011 from Johnny Raymer, is the president of the North Mecklenburg Rotary Club and serves on […]
UNCC receives $7.7M grant for transportation research
Jan. 13. A $7.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help fund a novel multi-institution center at UNC Charlotte that will be called the Center for Advanced Multimodal Mobility Solutions and Education (CAMMSE). It will focus on relieving congestion and improving the quality of life for city dwellers around the country. Other […]
Transportation planning pays off for CATS riders, Cabarrus
By Dave Vieser. When you’re stuck in traffic on I-77 or Hwy. 73, the mind turns to why modern roads weren’t built as Lake Norman developed. Lack of funds or lack of planning? Indeed, 25 years ago, private banking advisors were telling high net worth clients growth would flood Charlotte and its environs. A number of […]
Regional transportation efforts stall
Jan. 12. By Dave Vieser. Efforts to formally create a regional transportation alliance among the three North Mecklenburg towns have stalled, highlighting the difficulties the region has had over the years in maintaining effective regional transportation planning. The latest blow came in December when the Huntersville Town Board voted 4-3 against joining the North Meck […]
LKN Chamber annual dinner features entrepreneur in residence
Jan. 11. The Lake Norman Chamber annual dinner will be 6:30 pm Jan. 20 at The Peninsula Club. Entrepreneur Jon Boggiano, who with his brother Chris created a business that was acquired by a fortune 500 company, is the featured speaker. Boggiano is an “Entrepreneur in Residence” at Davidson College. The annual dinner features awards […]
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College lands innovation award
Jan. 11. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has earned the 2016 Online Learning Consortium’s Digital Learning Innovation Award, for advancing undergraduate student success through the adoption of digital courseware. The awards program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Postsecondary Success Program, is a prestigious honor. Rowan-Cabarrus was one of only three institutions […]
Legislators call I-77 toll lane project ‘terrible’ and totally one-sided
By Dave Vieser. The I-77 toll plan was front and center at a Newsmakers Breakfast at The Peninsula Club with NC Rep. John Bradford, a Republican, and Assemblyman-elect Chaz Beasley, a Democrat. Despite being on opposite sides of the aisles, the two—both rising stars in their respective parties—showed every sign of getting along, mutual respect and […]
It looks like the Charlotte economy will ramp up in 2017, despite HB2
By Dave Yochum. The economic outlook for 2017 is brighter than 2016, bankers and economists say, despite concerns it could have been a recession year. Wells Fargo is forecasting a 2.1 percent growth in Gross Domestic Product next year, up from 1.5 percent this year. Of course it’s lower than 2015’s 2.6 percent and 2.4 percent […]
Anti-toll battle will continue in 2017; HB7 won’t get past Transportation Committee
Dec. 15. A bipartisan bill asking for an independent review of the bidding process around the I-77 toll plan—known as a request for proposals—looks like it will not get out of the key transportation committee in Raleigh. In an interview, NC Sen. Jeff Tarte stated: “The attorneys who signed this contract should be disbarred. It […]
