Updates on Charlotte water main break + Hornets honor Rick Bonnell

Kristen Kornbluth
·4 min read

Good afternoon, Charlotte. Kristen here. Tonight on Talking Preps, we’ll discuss the recent controversy between Butler and Charlotte Catholic. Not familiar? Catch up on the issue here with the Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr. It’ll be a don’t-miss episode for all you high school sports fans out there. Tune in here.

Now, let’s talk about today’s headlines:

1. Much of Charlotte advised to boil water after main break

Caution tape and cones bar access on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, to the site of a water main break from which a geyser of water gushed off Remount Road in Charlotte the evening before. Residents who experienced no or low pressure in their taps should boil their water before using it, city officials advised.
Caution tape and cones bar access on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, to the site of a water main break from which a geyser of water gushed off Remount Road in Charlotte the evening before. Residents who experienced no or low pressure in their taps should boil their water before using it, city officials advised.

Charlotte city water officials are still investigating the cause of a Monday afternoon water main break that affected 16 area ZIP codes, including the airport. Thousands of homes and businesses experiencing low or no water pressure are under a boil advisory, though service was restored early Tuesday.

The low water pressure advisory is in effect until Wednesday.

Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles said Tuesday the issue was so large because the break occurred on a transmission main, which disseminates large volumes of water from the plant.

“I have been working in this community for over 33 years, and certainly I have had my share of water main breaks ... This one was historical,” she said.

Get the details here with the Observer’s Lauren Lindstrom and Joe Marusak, along with Anna Maria Della Costa, Mark Price, Hannah Smoot and Jonathan Limehouse.

Want to know more? Check out our Q&A about the main break with Marusak, and read more about how local restaurants handled the situation with Heidi Finley and Catherine Muccigrosso.

2. Hornets honor Rick Bonnell with scholarship, name entrance after him

Rick Bonnell
Rick Bonnell

Our friend and late colleague, Rick Bonnell, was honored today by the Charlotte Hornets.

  • The Hornets announced today the creation of a $10,000 scholarship for a North Carolina journalism student in honor of Bonnell, who covered the NBA in Charlotte for more than 30 years and passed away in June at 63.

  • The Hornets will also honor him with a video tribute and moment of silence at the team’s 2021-22 home opener on Wednesday, and they’ll rename the media and employee entrance at Spectrum Center to the “Rick Bonnell Media & Employee Entrance. It’ll feature a photo collage of images from Bonnell’s career.

  • The team will also present an annual “Rick Bonnell Award” to a Hornets player “that best represents himself and the franchise with professionalism and cooperation with regards to his interactions with the media.”

Learn more about the honor with the Observer’s Alex Andrejev.

3. Judge orders release of most 911 calls from high-speed crash that killed 6-year-old

A North Carolina judge ruled Tuesday that Gaston County police must release 9 out of 10 911 calls made after a June crash killed 6-year-old Liam Lagunas. The ruling goes against the county District Attorney’s effort to keep the recordings confidential.

Details of the crash:

  • Liam and his father were traveling down U.S. 74 in Gaston County.

  • A speeding car lost control, came across the median, and smashed into them during a 100-mph street race.

According to state law, the contents of 911 calls are public records that only a judge can exempt from release to the public. The Gaston County District Attorney’s office will soon make the recordings available to the public, as reported by the Observer’s Ames Alexander.

4. Hidden Valley residents warn City Council redistricting could dilute Black votes

Residents of Hidden Valley, a historically Black neighborhood northeast of uptown, opposed two potential redistricting maps at Monday’s City Council meeting because of concerns that they could dilute power of Black voters.

The group cited the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and said the proposed redistricting would illegally stunt their voting rights by moving their neighborhood to a district where they are not represented.

  • Two of three proposed redistricting maps would move the neighborhood from District 4, historically represented by a Black councilperson, to District 1, historically represented by a white councilperson.

“If you don’t listen to the law, we’re going to take you to court,” Charles Robinson, vice president of the Hidden Valley Community Association, told council members. “That’s something that neither of us wants.”

The Observer’s Will Wright has the details here.

Want to read more about redistricting? Our editorial board weighs in here.

5. Sales dip slightly, but Charlotte’s housing market remains competitive, pricey

Home sales in the Charlotte region dipped in September, but low inventory and increasing prices continue to signal a strong seller’s market, according to a new report from Canopy Realtor Association.

The details:

  • The report shows a 4.6% decrease in sales compared to August.

  • That’s typical for this time of year, since many try to move before the new school year starts, said David Kennedy, the association’s president.

  • The region saw a 2.3% dip in home sales from September 2020.

Learn more about the situation with the Observer’s Lauren Lindstrom.

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