Charlotte Local Pulse: March 13th - Terror Alert, New Uptown Traffic Plan, and Job Boom

Good morning, this is Charlotte Local Pulse for Friday, March 13th. We kick off with breaking news that hits close to home. WSOC-TV reports the suspect in yesterday's deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, once visited our area back in 2016. Court documents show he spent just four hours around Charlotte trying to buy assault rifles as part of a terror plot. He served time for supporting ISIS and was released early in 2024. The FBI now calls the campus attack, which killed an ROTC instructor and injured two students, an act of terrorism. Students heroically subdued him. We stay vigilant here, but no direct threats to our community so far. Shifting to city hall, officials approved a new traffic plan for Uptown near Tryon Street to ease commutes, directly impacting our daily drives. On the job front, unemployment dipped to about 3 percent locally, with over 2,000 openings in tech and healthcare posted this week. Weather today brings mild temps in the low 60s under partly cloudy skies, perfect for outdoor plans, though watch for scattered showers by afternoon that could dampen events at Freedom Park. Outlook stays dry tomorrow. New business buzz includes a fresh coffee shop opening on South Tryon Street and a popular diner on Central Avenue closing after 20 years. Real estate heats up too, with median home prices around 420,000 dollars, up 5 percent from last month. Sports note: Charlotte 49ers men's basketball punched their ticket to the conference tournament semis after a big win. Local high schools shone with Myers Park's team taking the state title. Looking ahead, join the community cleanup at Romare Bearden Park tomorrow and a music fest at PNC Pavilion Sunday. For a feel-good lift, neighbors rallied to rebuild a playground in Plaza Midwood after storm damage, all volunteer-driven. Crime in the past 24 hours stays low key, with just a few thefts reported near NoDa—no major incidents or alerts. Thanks for tuning in, listeners—subscribe for daily updates. This has been Charlotte Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.