Transcription

• Speaker #0

  Start with tonight, then the news. A big new steakhouse in South End opens its doors at four o'clock this afternoon, and every meal ends with something free. Stick around. At the end of the show, I'll tell you where it is and what it'll cost you. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Thursday, October 1st, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, the uptown food carts that got a curfew and the bars that didn't. If you've ever walked out of an uptown bar at one in the morning and grabbed chicken over rice on Tryon Street, this one's for you. In mid-June, the food carts uptown were told to close at midnight. They used to stay open until four. The order came from Charlotte Center City Partners, the nonprofit the city lets run the Tryon Street Vendor Program. It acted at the request of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police, citing public safety. Weissmayar manages the Halal food cart. In August, he told WSOC, His sales were down 40%, and he'd cut his workers' shifts. His complaint to WBTV this week was simple. Quote, They didn't shut down bars or other restaurants, only us. About three weeks ago, Center City Partners pushed closing time back to 2 a.m. Its chief executive, Michael Smith, had laid out the reasoning in August. Quote, The majority of the most violent acts occurred after 2 a.m. That helped. but not enough. Meyer says he's still down 25 to 30 percent. And this week, the vendors took their case to city council, asking for 4 a.m. back. Council member J.D. Mazuera-Arias said he doesn't think the carts are creating the problem, and quote, their ask is reasonable. Now, the numbers. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported overall crime down 16 percent in the first half of this year. That's January through June. So most of that drop came before the carts ever closed early. And police haven't said any cart contributed to a crime. To be fair to the other side, a citywide number can't tell you what happens on one block of Tryon Street at 3 in the morning. Smith says the early closing cut down on late-night loitering. What I can't find is the number that would settle it. Uptown crime after midnight, before June, and after. The police mid-year report doesn't break Uptown out. If that data exists, it should be public. There's also the question of who decides. So far, this hasn't gone to a council vote. The call sits with Center City partners and Zoom Out. A teen curfew starts November 1st. Back in June, WFAE reported council was weighing a near citywide ban on sidewalk vendors. Those are separate decisions made for separate reasons, but they ask the same question. When Charlotte worries about its late nights, who gets told to go home and on what evidence? All right. Here's what else you need to know today. Starting today, North Carolina stops issuing license plate stickers and paper registration cards. Police check your registration electronically now. You still have to renew and pay on time, and inspections still apply. The state says you can peel off your old sticker. Also starting today, a ban on ticket-buying bots, and up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for state employees. The Panthers host Detroit Sunday night, 820 on NBC. It's Carolina's first Sunday night game in nearly a decade. The Panthers are 1-2, the Lions 2-1. Bryce Young leads the league in passing yards, but both starting cornerbacks are out. J.C. Horn and Mike Jackson went on injured reserve roughly eight weeks each, and the run defense ranks dead last. And the school board is questioning about $5 million in noncompliance spending in the special education department last year. WFAE reports that's $4 million flagged earlier. plus a million in invoices that showed up after the books closed. The district hadn't told WFAE what the money was for. Now, as promised. Garden Grace opens tonight at Queensbridge Collective on East Carson Boulevard in South End. It's a steakhouse from Denver chef Troy Gard. Doors at 4, open until 10. Cocktails run $19 to $26, so this isn't a cheap night. But you can order a 4-ounce steak, and every check comes with a free triple chocolate chip cookie. Valet is free too. Book on their website. That's CLT Daily for Thursday, October 1st. I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte, take care of each other.