Hornets’ Ball takes the throne in the QC

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Cam Newton has left the throne. There’s a new king of Charlotte. Long live the king.

There was a remarkable symmetry to what happened Monday, an only-in-Charlotte kind of day that marked the ascent of one sports king and the descent of another.

On Monday morning, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton gave what was likely his final press conference as a Panther after playing a total of two plays in his final two games.

On Monday evening, Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball hit another milestone in his already spectacular career, breaking a 99-99 tie with 15.4 seconds left against Milwaukee with a “how’d-he-do-that” sideways floater — the critical basket in another big home win.

The king is gone; long live the king, writes sports columnist Scott Fowler.

Cam Newton has left the throne. There’s a new king of Charlotte. Long live the king

Abdullah Rahmatzada fled Afghanistan last year with his wife, who was pregnant at the time. Their baby was born with a club foot and needed special medical attention.
Abdullah Rahmatzada fled Afghanistan last year with his wife, who was pregnant at the time. Their baby was born with a club foot and needed special medical attention.

A broken promise to Afghans?

Some newly arrived migrants from Afghanistan say they’ve run out of food, and have been unable to get medical care in Charlotte, where they’re starting over their lives after fleeing turmoil in their home country.

In one instance, a family says they used sugar water in their daughter’s bottle because they couldn’t afford baby formula. Another family told a volunteer helping them transition that they were using a bucket to bathe because their new apartment lacked a working shower.

Others say they’ve walked miles to get groceries because of a lack of transportation.

“We’re human,” said Najmuddin Ahmadi, in a recent interview through an interpreter. “We (have) fundamental needs.”

In Charlotte, Catholic Charities agreed to meet those needs.

Catholic Charities is a local resettlement agency managing the cases of just over 200 Afghan evacuees who fled the Taliban. It says it ensures Afghan families have adequate food, clothing, transportation, access to medical treatment, and more.

The Observer’s Will Wright and Lauren Lindstrom spoke with more than a dozen people, including a doctor, volunteers and evacuees from nine families from Afghanistan, most of whom have been living in two hotels near Pineville since relocating to North Carolina. Most say they think the agency managing evacuee resettlement cases has insufficient and unresponsive staff, including language translators — something officials with Catholic Charities deny.

Broken promise: After fleeing Taliban, Afghan families feel neglected by Charlotte agency

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported 98 homicides in 2021, down from 121 in 2020.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported 98 homicides in 2021, down from 121 in 2020.

CMPD: Crime down but ...

While homicides and violence declined overall last year in the Charlotte area, guns continued to get into the hands of “far too many” teenagers, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said Monday.

“That should be something that’s unacceptable, not just from a law enforcement perspective, but from a society perspective,” Jennings said during a virtual news conference.

Juvenile crime will be an area of focus for CMPD in 2022, with police looking to seize firearms, educate youth and talk to parents, Jennings said.

Charlotte reported fewer homicides (98) in 2021 than in 2020 (121). The decline in killings translated to a 5% decrease in overall crime, and a 7% drop in violent crime.

Crime declined in 2021, but juvenile violence remains a focus this year, CMPD chief says

Things to know

Some of the headlines from the Observer’s service journalism team. Look for these stories at CharlotteObserver.com:

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Mark Becker
Mark Becker

They Said It

“I enjoyed what I did. I’m not leaving because I don’t like it.”

Mark Becker, who retired after almost 38 years as a news reporter for WSOC-TV



Compiled by Rogelio Aranda