Local News and Events

When Charlotte Hits 95+°, Things Get Slimy IndoorsWhen the Charlotte thermometer is hovering in the mid and high 90's and simply walking across a parking lot feels like an outdoor activity, air-conditioned fun starts sounding especially good. Charlotte's heat has met its match at the Sloomoo Institute Charlotte, an immersive slime playground at The Metropolitan in Midtown where getting messy is not only allowed—it’s pretty much the whole point. The 7,500-square-foot attraction opened this summer, bringing one of the country’s more unusual interactive experiences to Charlotte. Sloomoo began in New York City in 2019 and has since expanded to cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Boston. Charlotte location: You must reserve a time slot when purchasing ti... 08/13/2026

If you are self-employed and claim a home-office deduction, you probably already know that your office needs to be used exclusively for business.  But what happens when your spouse occasionally uses your office?  Or you have a W-2 job and bring some of that work into the same office?  What if you operate two businesses from the same room?This is where the home-office deduction can get tricky.If you use the same home office for more than one business, each business use must qualify for the home-office deduction on its own.  One nonqualifying use of that space can cause you to lose the deduction.The same thing can happen with W-2 work.The employee home-office deduction is no longer available on your personal tax return.  That means if you have a qualifying self-employed business and also ... 08/13/2026

Grounding, sometimes called earthing, is the practice of reconnecting your body with the Earth’s natural electrical environment. This can happen by walking barefoot outside or by using grounding products such as mats, sheets, and pillowcases designed to create that connection indoors.Many people use grounding as part of a broader recovery and wellness routine, particularly to promote relaxation, better sleep, and a calmer nervous system. While research is still developing, the concept fits well with something our bodies desperately need: opportunities to slow down, recover, and reduce the constant stimulation of everyday life.Think of grounding as another tool in your wellness toolbox. Combined with movement, quality sleep, hydration, good nutrition, and stress management, it may help s... 08/13/2026

Charlotte's 11th Annual Burger Week🍔 Kicks Off On Friday, August 14th20+ Restaurants. $8 Burgers. Where Do You Start? Charlotte Burger Week 2026 arrives this week! It may be called Charlotte Burger Week, but apparently seven days simply aren’t enough—the Queen City is serving up $8 burgers for a full 10 days.  Starting, Friday, August 14th, you'll have 10 full days to savor the best of the Queen City's burger scene! More than 20 local restaurants will be dishing up creative, limited‑edition burgers for just $8 each (excluding sides, tax, and gratuity).  Find out where to get your perfect burger. Vote for your perfect burger. Charlotte Burger Week "Passport" will be available starting August 12th. As Wolfgang Puck said: "Burgers: the perfect balance of simplicity and satisfaction."    Th... 08/12/2026

Summer’s not over quite yet! Before the backpacks come out, the alarm clocks start ringing, and homework makes its grand return… Canyon Creek is throwing one last summer party! 🎉The Canyon Creek HOA is bringing back one of our favorite neighborhood traditions: the Back-to-School Splash Bash & Dive-In Movie! 🍿🎬Think of it as the perfect summer send-off, pool games, neighbors, floaties, laughter, and a movie under the stars. In other words… a little bit of everything that makes Canyon Creek feel like home. ❤️📅 Saturday, August 15🕢 7:30–10:00 PM📍 Canyon Creek Pool🎥 Movie begins at sundownSo grab your towel, your favorite floatie, and your favorite people, and come make one more summer memory before school is officially back in session!And when the sun goes down? It’s time to kick back, rel... 08/12/2026

300 days of sunshine, where? Well in the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix and Scottsdale. You have come to the right place and for free MLS portal of homes for sale. (Primary Photo: Nicole Cunningham, Pixabay)(Valley of the Sun image by Dee, Pixabay)Here Comes The Sun! George Harrison and the Beatles sang about it, or you could live in the "Valley of the Sun" and get your own FREE MLS Search portal for homes for sale in the Phoenix Arizona metro. See the portal right here that is UPDATED DAILY! Then call me. George Harrison and the Beatles sang "Here Comes the Sun!" Now, you can live it. Look out over the valley and find your next home in Sunny Phoenix metro and the "Valley of the Sun". (Photo: Dobbins Lookout Point, Phoenix Parks and Recreation website) UPDATED DAILY Homes For Sale on Your... 08/10/2026

BROKER KROL RECEIVES 19 YEAR 5 STAR AWARD 08/10/2026

WOW! I just looked at the events calendar at VISIT MINOT and I was really surprised at all that is going on around our little city. Click on the picture below to see what's up the rest of the month. Today alone has six events noted just on this site alone.Of those listed for tomorrow I may go to the concert at Citizens Alley. I hope to see you there.Don't forget that a trip downtown has lots to see with several art galleries and unique shops and restuarants.  08/11/2026

 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Back-to-School First Day Readiness Guide 2026/2027What You Need to Know Before the First Bell Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students return to classrooms on August 25th. That's just two weeks away. To help parents and students prepare, CMS  has launched a new First Day Readiness Guide to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.  The CMS Back To School Readiness Guide 2026/2027 brings together all the essential back-to-school information in one place, including: Student Information Register (new to CMS) Download Infinite Campus Complete Back-to-School forms Verify contact information Health Submit required immunization and health forms Submit medication/allergy forms Meals Apply for Free & Reduced Meals Set up PayPAMS account Review breakfa... 08/11/2026

This is the Last Week the Free Concert Series in Rose Tree Park!Concerts start at 7:30 PM Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets.Arrive early with a picnic dinner and make an evening of it under the sky!Refreshments and snacks are sold at the park.This week's line up:Wednesday 7:30 PM August 12 - New Orleans Fish FryThursday 7:30 PM August 13 - U.S. Army Field Band & Soldiers' ChorusFriday 7:30 PM August 14 - Cimarron 615 & Craig BickhardtSaturday 7:30 PM August 15 - The DiscoteksSunday 7:30 PM August 16 - Sensational Soul Cruisers    (open links for more details) All concerts are scheduled for one time only with no rain date.Cancelled due to rain?  Call 610-891-4455 for recorded message.  To receive notifications, text the word DELCOPARKS to 888777 or select Parks & Recreation Alerts ... 08/10/2026

Maryland Tax-Free Week, Aug. 9-15Save on qualifying clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less, plus the first $40 of backpacks during this year's Maryland Tax-Free Week. It runs from Sunday, Aug. 9, through Saturday, Aug. 15.The discount on school shopping and everyday essentials is a great chance for families to stretch their budgets, support local retailers, and shop small across Maryland. According to retailers, Tax-Free Week is traditionally one of the busiest and most important shopping events of the year. Purchases made at local retailers help support neighborhood jobs and strengthen local economies.  Not all items are subject to Tax-Free Week discounts, including jewelry, watches, and handbags. In addition, sports equipment or specialty clothing for after-school events does no... 08/09/2026

I was reading some articles and one popped up talking about the new Ballot Issue threatening to take away the ability to get natural gas.   If I still lived in Colorado, I would SO vote against this!   I so miss my gas stove!   It is cleaner energy, easier to cook with, and it starts and stops so much faster.  I put in the natural gas line when I moved in 2018.When the electricity goes out, at least in the winter you still have gas for heat, if you have a gas fireplace.We shall see what happens in the Fall. 08/10/2026

If you live in South Tempe, you may recognize the horse as a symbol of our part of the city. But have you ever wondered what “Corona/South Tempe Character Area 8” actually means?About 10 or 11 years ago, I noticed an announcement in a local Tempe newsletter inviting residents to a meeting about Tempe’s Character Areas. I attended—and I have continued attending these meetings over the years.What interested me from the beginning was the idea that the City of Tempe was initiating a conversation with residents about the places where they live: What gives an area its character? What should be preserved? What kinds of businesses would residents like to see? What amenities, activities and public infrastructure would make the area better?What is a Tempe Character Area Plan?According to the City... 08/08/2026

Bill Salvatore of Arizona Elite Properties featured a post toRe-Blog today on Active Rain. Good post by Joan today, andworthy of our daily Re-B. Gilbert AZ  GILBERT ARIZONA HOMES FOR SALE, Bill Salvatore, AZVHV / HelpingArizona Heroes, New-Construction Advantage, Realtor, sell my house, 2026Market, Chandler  #Sellmyhouse #whatsmyhomeworth #homevalues#2026market #ArizonaEliteProperties #ChandlerAZ#yourValleyProperty #GilbertRealtor #AZVHV After posting about where to go after I receive my Residency card, I started looking around at different locations.   One I had looked at previously was the Azores, as I have seen so many just stunning photos. Then I looked at some info for the area, and noticed there have been TWO 5+ earthquakes in the last year on the islands.   There also has been on... 08/08/2026

Residents Invited to Serve as Poll WorkersThe Montgomery County Board of Elections is encouraging residents to support free and fair elections by serving as poll workers, as National Poll Worker Recruitment Day is recognized on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Paid poll workers play an essential role in ensuring polling places operate smoothly on Election Day. The Board is especially seeking bilingual voters who speak Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, or Vietnamese to help serve Montgomery County's diverse communities. Students age 16 and older who are eligible to register to vote may also serve as poll workers and may choose to earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours instead of a stipend. Residents can apply by texting SERVE and their email address to 77788 (example: SERVE johndoe@email.co... 08/08/2026

Offer Your Input on Montgomery County’s Cultural PlanMontgomery County’s Cultural Plan, Where We All Belong, is now open for a 30‑day public comment period. Residents are invited to review the executive summary and share feedback by Saturday, Aug. 22. You can read the report through the link below and complete an online survey.Materials are available online in seven languages, with printed copies in English and Spanish at all Montgomery County Public Library branches.Montgomery County’s thirty-year general plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, approved in October 2022, recommends the creation of a new cultural plan for the County. After more than two years of gathering information and laying the groundwork for a new plan, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County selected Metris Arts... 08/09/2026

📚 National Book Lovers Day Is August 9th! There’s Always Room for One More Book! There are people who like books. And then there are book lovers. Today, National Book Lovers Day is for those book lovers!We’re the people who say, “Just one more chapter” at midnight. (That would be me.) We buy books when we already have a perfectly respectable stack waiting to be read. (That would be me.) We have strong opinions about dog-eared pages. (That would be me.) And yes, some of us have absolutely canceled plans because the book was getting good. (That would also be me.) Books are truly my personal happy space!National Book Lovers Day on August 9th is a very good excuse to put down the phone, pick up a book, and disappear into someone else’s world for a while. “A reader lives a thousand lives bef... 08/09/2026

If you want to know where a new neighbor is really coming from, don't look at moving truck logos. Look at the DMV. Every time someone relocates to Florida, they have 30 days to trade in their out-of-state driver's license for a Florida one. That simple requirement creates one of the cleanest data trails we have on migration, and the numbers from the first half of 2026 are worth a closer look if you're watching the Naples market like I am.More than 200,000 people swapped an out-of-state license for a Florida one in the first six months of 2026. That's the most we've seen since 2023, which tells me the “Florida migration is over” narrative that's been floating around isn't quite right. Slower, yes. Over, no.Here in Collier County, 5,102 people traded in their old license for one with a Na... 08/08/2026

What This Week in Berea KY Says About the Community | July 31–August 7, 2026If you live in Berea, or you're thinking about making Madison County home, it's worth paying attention to more than just what's happening in the real estate market.The community itself is part of the story.This week brought several developments that caught my attention, and together they offer an interesting snapshot of where Berea is heading.A New Way to Experience BereaOn August 3, Berea College opened its new Visitor Center in College Square.The center was designed to introduce visitors to the history and mission of Berea College through interactive exhibits, storytelling and displays covering everything from the College's founding to Student Craft and its role in Appalachia.From a Realtor's perspective, I lo... 08/08/2026

Summer in Phoenix Arizona? What better time than during the hot Phoenix metro Summer to go tubing down our fresh water "Salt River" in the Tonto National Forest just bordering Phoenix in Mesa.Well head to Mesa and the Salt River (fresh water) and COOL DOWN and have some FUN! Salt River Tubing is open all Summer!Historic Salt River Tubing Image from 2020 from www.SaltRiverTubing.comTime to go Tubing on the Salt River with with your friends through the Summer Months. (from Salt River Tubing website)   Salt River  Tubing float downs are a BLAST! Salt River Tubing in Mesa have fun and see the desert we live in.                                   Tubes can be rented on the Salt River   CONTACT INFO(480) 984-3305info@saltrivertubing.com9200 North Bush HighwayMesa, AZ 85215Open from Monday - Fr... 08/07/2026