01/09/2009 Panthers pride on display in uptown Charlotte At Bank of America Stadium on Friday, Gerard Reyes worked on the crew that was hanging the Division Champion banners outside. Back at the start of the season, he said he thought this day might come and he would be a part of it.

Bus cameras capture photos of rape suspect It could be the big clue police need to find the man they say raped and robbed a mentally disabled woman.

1 injured in Union County industrial accident One person was injured in an industrial accident in Union County Friday afternoon.

North Carolina resident tests positive for salmonella
A North Carolina resident has tested positive for the same strain of salmonella that's linked to a national outbreak.

Carolina Traveler | Behind the scenes at Harris Teeter
TV cameras have never been allowed inside the massive Harris Teeter distribution center in Indian Trail, North Carolina… until now.

Subway robbery suspect caught on camera Huntersville police are searching for an armed man who was caught on surveillance video robbing a Subway restaurant. PHOTOS | Surveillance images

Ex-Merrill Lynch president leaving Bank of America
Bank of America says the former president of Merrill Lynch is leaving, following the completion of the Charlotte-based bank's takeover of the Wall Street investment firm.

Gaston business exec charged in call-girl ring
Prominent Gastonia businessman Thomas Ray Cloninger, the brother of Gaston County’s sheriff, has been accused of soliciting a prostitute for oral sex – the second businessman charged this week in connection with a now defunct call-girl ring called HushHush.

Robbery possible motive in shooting death of mom A 20-year-old has been arrested accused in the shooting death of a single mother of two and police say robbery could have been the motive.

Girlfriend stands by suspect involved in crash The girlfriend of one of the suspects accused of carjacking and crashing a police officer's vehicle, spoke exclusively with NewsChannel 36. PHOTOS of the scene

City alive with Panthers fever The Carolina Panthers on the prowl! It's going to be a big weekend here in Charlotte and fans are buzzing about Saturday’s playoff game.

Panthers Game Day Forecast | Scattered showers
The low this morning dipped to 25 at the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

01/08/2009 NC ready for inauguration of first female governor Since North Carolina's founding as a colony of the British crown more than 400 years ago, 99 men have taken office as chief executive.

Dilworth homeowners victimized for third time A Dilworth family says their home has been burglarized three times in six months. The most recent break-in happened Monday.

NC home builders make argument for federal aid
The housing slump is having trickle-down effects among building supply companies, which in turn means growing layoffs, a company president said Thursday.

Surveillance images show rape suspect Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have released surveillance photos of a man suspected of raping a mentally handicapped woman. PHOTOS | Surveillance images

New safety law won't impact thrift, consignment stores Some viewers have been e-mailing NewsChannel 36 worried about a new safety law that affects children's clothing.

Windstorm is reminder to check for dead trees
Many residents were out checking for dead trees in their yards Thursday after Wednesday's wind storm toppled several in the Charlotte area.

Businesses offer deals for Panthers fans If you don't have tickets to Saturday's Carolina Panthers game, you don't have to worry. Many stores are offering special deals to help you enjoy the game at home without draining your wallet.

1 dead, 1 arrested in bizarre chain of events A bizarre chain of events along the Brookshire Freeway ended with one suspect dead and another behind bars after a fiery collision. PHOTOS of the scene

Freightliner announces 2,000 job cuts in NC More than 2,000 workers in North Carolina are being laid off because of production cutbacks at three Freightliner plants.

Fuel spill slows traffic on I-85 All lanes of Interstate 85 have reopened near Kannapolis. The road was shutdown after a collision that resulted in a fuel spill.

2 big real estate firms merge Cottingham-Chalk & Associates and Bissell-Hayes Realtors will now operate as Cottingham-Chalk/Bissell-Hayes.

West Charlotte band in NC Inaugural Parade
The West Charlotte High School marching band has been selected to perform Saturday in the North Carolina Inaugural Parade in Raleigh.

Deputies seize 35 grams of cocaine from Rowan home A Rowan County man is behind bars after sheriff's deputies say they found 35 grams of cocaine at his home.

Tailgating party to raise funds for Harding band The Harding University High School marching band is still in need of funds to attend the 2009 Presidential Inauguration.

Snow falling in North Carolina mountains Winter weather advisory is in effect for the Boone and Blowing Rock areas as 1-3 inches of snow is expected today. A winter storm warning is in effect for the higher elevations as 2-5 inches is expected.

DA drops charge against Mackey
Newly elected N.C. Rep. Nick Mackey no longer faces prosecution over a charge of failing to turn over business documents in connection with a nearly $100,000 civil judgment against him.

Mother shot and killed in home invasion When a woman answered a knock at her door Wednesday night police say a masked gunman burst into the home. The mother was shot and killed in front of her 18-year-old son.

Deadly accident in Rowan County
Crews are investigating a deadly accident in Rockwell on Highway 52 this morning.

Charlotte-based company supports proposed porn bailout
Representatives for a Charlotte-based distributor of adult films say they support the idea of a federal bailout for the porn industry.

01/07/2009

Mooresville homeowners angered by I-77 ramp location
A new off-ramp from Interstate 77 in Mooresville is raising the ire of nearby homeowners.

Nursing home director lied to us about investigation
State inspectors are coming down as hard as they can on a Concord nursing home where a patient wandered off and fell to her death.

Wells Fargo CEO unsure how many jobs will be cut
Wells Fargo & Co. chief executive John Stumpf says he does not know how many jobs will be cut as his bank absorbs Charlotte-based Wachovia Corp.

Wildlife officials euthanize woman's pet deer A Gaston County family's pet deer has been euthanized by North Carolina State Wildlife, and the reason why it happened is a sad lesson for people who try to help.

CMPD officer arrested on domestic violence charges A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer is on administrative leave after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

Former Springs plants reopen as home furnishing stores Despite all the negative news about the economy, one South Carolina county remains optimistic because of a new use for two former textile mills.

'Crime czar' to oversee Mecklenburg crime-fighting All of the crime-fighting agencies in Mecklenburg County now will be overseen by one woman. Her goal is to make them run more efficiently.

Cleanup continues after high winds Thousands of people still don't have power this morning after high winds yesterday. Duke Energy is reporting about 15,600 outages.

Couple distraught over missing carryon bag with engagement ring Danielle Weaver says all she expected for Christmas was a trip home to Atco, New Jersey.

Griffith to give reading at NC inauguration
Actor Andy Griffith will again usher in a new North Carolina governor.

Chief gives himself a 'C' grade on progress in city
Crime numbers released Tuesday show an overall decrease in Charlotte, but in the south division crime is up eight percent.

Heavy rain causing flooding across South
Heavy rain across the South on Wednesday caused flooding, school and road closures and a landslide that destroyed a home in North Carolina.

Charlotte IKEA set to open in 6 weeks The new Charlotte IKEA location is set to open in six weeks on Feb. 18.

Couple charged with shooting kids with BB gun A 31-year-old mom and her live-in boyfriend face charges after police say they shot her small children with a BB gun.

Strong storms move through A cold front is bringing a band of heavy downpours to the region this morning. Strong thunderstorms moved through Mecklenburg and surrounding counties around 5:30 a.m.

A mother's plea for help in son's murder A young life cut was short in a senseless attack at a Charlotte convenience store. Three years later, the killers remain at large and the victim's mother hopes you can help bring them to justice.

01/06/2009 Report: Nursing home death could have been prevented A state investigation shows that a nursing home in Concord made several mistakes, which could have played a role in the death of a patient.

Receipts show DSS paid $15,000 for catering Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services -- the agency that administers a host of programs fighting poverty -- spent $20,000 of taxpayer's money on its holiday party.

01/07/2009

Sudanese leader to visit Franklin Graham in NC
Franklin Graham's relief organization says a Sudanese leader is coming to North Carolina to visit Graham's Samaritan's Purse group and thank it for relief efforts.

01/06/2009

Secret recordings spark closed-door meeting debate
Mecklenburg county commissioners Tuesday launched a public debate on the recording of closed-door meetings.

BofA's Lewis says execs shouldn't get bonuses
Bank of America Chief Executive and Chairman Kenneth Lewis is recommending that he and his top executives receive no bonuses for 2008.

'Crime Czar' position renamed The special committee formed by the Mecklenburg County Commission to study crime has renamed the position known as the "crime czar."

R.L. Stowe Mills closing plants in Belmont R.L. Stowe Mills in Belmont is closing and more than 500 employees in two states could lose their jobs.

DTV coupon program runs out of cash
The federal program that offers coupons for DTV converter boxes has run out of money.

NC speeds up building projects to create jobs
North Carolina's top elected officials agreed Tuesday to speed up more than $740 million in government building projects, a decision outgoing Gov. Mike Easley said will hurry the creation of more than 25,000 new jobs.

NC pays out record unemployment benefits
Unemployment is up so much in North Carolina that the state's Internet site for benefits crashed twice this week under a rush of claims.

Beck charged in connection with call-girl ring Charlotte businessman Skipper Beck has been charged with soliciting prostitution -- the latest alleged "john" charged in connection with a high-priced call-girl ring.

NASCAR championship ring stolen during break-in Lincoln County detectives say a NASCAR 2008 Championship ring worth $5,000 was stolen during a break-in in Lincolnton in December.

1 killed in Charlotte industrial accident
One person was killed in an industrial accident in north Charlotte on Tuesday.

United Way delays public release of records More than six months after the NewsChannel 36 I-Team and our news partners at the Charlotte Observer requested expense reports and other records from the United Way, an attorney for the agency says it will take even longer to produce the records.

Heavy rain, strong winds come with cold front After a brief lull in the rainfall this evening, things will get wet once again by late tonight. VIDEO | Latest First Warn Forecast

Upscale eatery, burger joints go dark
An upscale steakhouse at SouthPark Mall and some fast food businesses appear to be among the latest casualties as restaurant patrons reduce spending in a slowing economy.

Two hurt in random west Charlotte shootings
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were cautioning west Charlotte residents to beware of two men in a green Mazda after two residents were shot in the legs in the Brookhill area off Remount Road on Monday night.

North Carolina foreclosures up in 2008
The Tarheel State saw a nine percent increase in foreclosures last year when compared to 2007.

Gas prices slowly going back up It's not four bucks yet, but you've probably noticed a change at the pumps.

Charlotte murders focus for police chief in New Year Just five days into the New Year, Charlotte police have already investigated three homicides.