Publix opens a new store in Union County: See inside

WESLEY CHAPEL, N.C. (WBTV) - Publix welcomed shoppers to its newest Union County location this week. The 50,325-square-foot store opened Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Village Commons shopping center on Weddington Road in Wesley Chapel. Officials said the store includes traditional grocery departments — deli, produce, bakery, meat, seafood, and...

Here are the Union County road upgrades coming soon

All work is expected to be completed by spring of 2028.

Matthews animal hospital closing this month

The Florida-based company has locations nationwide.

Union County Restaurant Inspections (Oct. 29-Nov. 4)

The Union County Health Department inspected these restaurants from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4:. • Southern Char and Smoke, 7870 Idlewild Road – 96.5. • Country Club of the Carolinas, 1108 Firethorne Club Drive – 98 Monroe. • Ay Caramba, 650 W. Roosevelt Blvd. – 94.5. •...

Union County voters reject $200 million bond proposal for new jail

Union County voters have rejected a $200 million bond proposal to build a new county jail, leaving questions about how the county will address overcrowding and major repair needs at its current detention center.

Ridgeway Army Veteran Raising Two Sons Alone Scheduled to Receive Ford Bronco

Retired U.S. Army Cpl. David Lewis, a South Carolina veteran who was wounded during a combat deployment to Iraq, was scheduled to be presented with a Ford Bronco this week. Lewis, who lives in Ridgeway and is raising his two teenage sons alone after his wife died unexpectedly in 2024, was scheduled to receive the vehicle at the 13th annual Veterans and First Responders Golf Outing in Indian Land, South Carolina, on Wednesday.

Republicans take Union County commissioner seats

MONROE – Republicans Brian Helms, Melissa Merrell and Sam Harris won four-year terms on the Union County Board of Commissioners, while Republican Errol Wedra won a special election to complete an unexpired term. Each of the Republicans cleared 50,000 votes, according to unofficial totals from the Nov. 3 election.

Former Matthews town commissioner defeats Republican Tricia Cotham in state House race

State Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-105) was ousted in her re-election bid for the General Assembly Tuesday night.

Ex-Hendrick Employee Says His Supervisor Struck Workers in the Head and Neck for a Decade, and N.C. Appeals Court Lets His Lawsuit Proceed

The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled on Oct. 7 that Randy Hembree, a former employee of Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group, can keep suing his supervisor, Eric William Wright, over allegations that Wright struck subordinates in the head and neck to motivate them. The allegations are unproven, and the ruling does not decide them. It decides where the fight happens: a superior court, not the state’s workers’ compensation agency.

Union County voters reject $200 million jail bond referendum

MONROE – Union County voters rejected a referendum to finance a new jail through $200 million in general obligation bonds, according to unofficial results from the Nov. 3 election. The referendum failed with 58,968 votes against (63.76%) and 33,521 votes in favor (36.24%). Union County commissioners voted unanimously July...

Union County high school students start nonprofit to empower girls to become future leaders

WAXHAW, N.C. (WBTV) - Two Union County high school seniors who created a nonprofit to help young girls build leadership and entrepreneurship skills are now expanding the organization worldwide. Starting Girls With Power. Ria Vaishnav and Eleri Pratiknjo co-founded Girls With Power in May 2025, when they were sophomores at...

NC Democrats could still break Republican majority in the state Senate

Democrats will control the North Carolina House for the first time since 2010 and have broken Republicans' veto-proof majority in the state Senate, according to unofficial results. Control of the Senate remains undecided. Democrats won 71 of the House's 120 seats, compared with 48 for Republicans. One unaffiliated candidate who...

Union County manager earns leadership award

MONROE – Union County Manager Brian Matthews has received the James D. Prosser Excellence in Government Leadership Award from Centralina Regional Council. Kasia Thompson, director of strategic engagement at Centralina, presented Matthews with the award during the Union County Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 2. "What stands out...

Charlotte just changed its water restrictions. Here's what homeowners should know

Charlotte’s mandatory water restrictions have finally eased after nearly six months, allowing Charlotteans to go back to pampering their yards and vehicles. As of Nov. 2, Charlotte Water moved to a Stage 1 “Low Inflow Protocol,” which means conservation is voluntary. “The change reflects improving conditions across the Catawba-Wateree River Basin,” Charlotte Water said in a news release. “Customers are no longer required to follow mandatory restrictions, but are encouraged to continue conserving water, reducing non-essential use and avoiding waste.” The city had adopted Drought Stage 2 water restrictions in May, “due to ongoing dry conditions,” Charlotte Water said in a May 1 Facebook post. The restrictions put a temporary end to washing cars at home, filling residential pools, non-essential power washing and operating decorative water features. Fundraising car wash events were halted, and irrigating lawns was cut back to two days a week, and only between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Nearly 3,000 restriction violations had been reported to the city since May, and 415 were confirmed as of Oct. 29, Charlotte Water says. The southeastern corner of Mecklenburg County continues to be classified as abnormally dry, along with large portions of Union and Cabarrus counties, according to the

How Ken McCool spent Election Day, when he defeated N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham

Charlotte voters approve $425M bond package. Other referendums fail in Union, Cabarrus

Charlotte voters approved three bond measures to help pay for housing, transportation and neighborhood improvement projects, according to unofficial returns late Tuesday. Elsewhere in the region, though, voters rejected bond packages for major projects in Cabarrus and Union counties. Charlotte 2026 bond packages As of 10:30 p.m., Charlotte’s $425 million bond package was approved by about two-thirds of votes, with 140 of 169 precincts reporting. Those bonds include the following: $280 million for transportation projects , including $100 million for large mobility projects, $50 million for sidewalks and $24 million for street resurfacing, among other things. $125 million for affordable housing projects . These bonds fund the city’s housing trust fund, which supports home repairs, down payment assistance and new affordable housing. $20 million for neighborhood improvement projects , including sidewalks, bike lanes and greenways. Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington promised voters that the city will not raise property taxes to repay the borrowed money, which will generate $242 million in interest over the course of the program. 🟦🟥 Live voting results: ››› North Carolina (US Senate race) ››› Mecklenburg County ››› Cabarrus County ››› Gaston County ››› Iredell County ››› Lincoln County ››› Union County >>More coverage ◽️ Get Charlotte

Billboard Crews Cleared the Trees Behind Elizabeth Alls' Charlotte Home Without Telling Her, and NCDOT Says a 2024 Law Allows It

Crews cleared trees behind Elizabeth Alls' Charlotte home for a billboard without notice. NCDOT says a 2024 law with a 500-foot view zone allows it.

Tracking 2026 general election results for North Carolina’s Stanly County

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Tuesday, Nov. 3 is general Election Day across the United States, and WBTV is tracking election results in North Carolina. WBTV is tracking 2026 election results for races in the Charlotte region of North Carolina -- including in Stanly County. 🗳️ Click here to see 2026...

Things To Do in Charlotte This Weekend: Nov. 6-8

Charlotte's first full weekend of November brings candlelit music, a holiday camp, and big laughs. Candlelight: Tribute to Dolly Parton reimagines the country legend's classics for strings at Triple C Brewing, while drag stars Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme kick off their tour with The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at Blumenthal Arts Center. Comedian Luenell brings her bold stand-up act to The Comedy Zone. Jazz, Checkers hockey, and Little Big Town round out the weekend, and the Hornets, Sleeping With Sirens, and more keep the momentum going into next week.

Charlotte's marathon is sold out. But organizers now face a course correction.

The Charlotte Marathon has a problem that would have seemed enviable not so long ago: Too many people want to run it. Running clubs have multiplied across Charlotte, introducing newcomers to the sport and helping turn marathon morning into something resembling a citywide reunion — and this year, weeks before race day, registration for the Nov. 14 event officially sold out when it hit a record-setting 13,250 runners. Now, under new ownership , organizers are contemplating future growth that could involve perhaps 20,000 participants, more visitors from outside North Carolina and a place among the country’s premier destination races. But between Miles 22 and 24, where the full-marathon course squeezes onto a narrow stretch of greenway connecting NoDa to uptown, Charlotte’s ambitions run into a physical barrier. And that, according to the woman responsible for making the race work, is where ambition encounters reality. “The greenway is our clog point,” says Alaina Williams, who oversees operations for the Charlotte Marathon, noting that the width of the asphalt path is eight feet. “I cannot put any more runners on the greenway. Physically, it will not fit.” It’s one of several obstacles confronting a race whose popularity is testing the limits of