In the Roundup: A third arrest on Monday related to the horrific death of Dominique McKnight, a 6-year-old girl who was found dead as a result of child abuse in her east Charlotte home last week. The home burned in an intentionally set fire on Wednesday.

Third Family Member Arrested in Disturbing Case of Child Abuse | Queen City Nerve

Three family members have been arrested in the death of a 6-year-old girl found dead in her east Charlotte home due to child abuse.

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A woman who was fired from UNC Charlotte in May after being filmed making comments involving DEI has filed a federal lawsuit against the university and two staff members, claiming discrimination and the violation of her First Amendment rights.

UNC Charlotte Employee Fired for DEI Comments Files Federal Suit | Queen City Nerve

A woman who was fired from her position at UNC Charlotte in May after being filmed making comments involving DEI has filed a federal lawsuit.

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In this week's Roundup: Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition; Trump’s NC Speech Called ‘Unhinged’; Greg Biffle Remembered for Philanthropic Work; Teacher Pay in NC Declining, Ranked Worst in South; and Michele Morrow Enters US Senate Race

5 Things to Know: Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Decades-Long Fight | Queen City Nerve

After fighting for federal recognition for more than 100 years, the Lumbee Tribe of eastern North Carolina have finally achieved that goal.

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Live music, NBA ball, karaoke, red carpets. We’ve put together a list of different ways you can let your hair down on New Year’s Eve 2025 without having to spend hundreds of dollars just to get in the door. How much you spend once you’re in is on you.

A Cheap Guide to New Year’s Eve 2025 in Charlotte | Queen City Nerve

Let your hair down on New Year’s Eve 2025 without having to spend hundreds of dollars just to get in the door.

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Catharine "Cat" Williams, beloved artist, designer and disability rights activist in Charlotte, passed away on Nov. 22 due to complications from a double-lung transplant she received in 2020. We look back on a life that touched many others.

Cat Williams, Local Artist and Disability Rights Advocate, Passes Away at 55 | Queen City Nerve

Catharine “Cat” Williams passed away on Nov. 22 due to complications from a double-lung transplant she received in 2020.

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Kicking off its final weekend at the newly renovated Warehouse Performing Arts in Cornelius tomorrow, 'Scrooge in Rouge' is a comedic retelling of 'A Christmas Carol' that sees three actors taking on 20 roles, making for plenty of lighthearted suspense.

'Scrooge in Rouge' Nicely Rewards the Naughty | Queen City Nerve

Scrooge in Rouge: An English Music Hall Christmas Carol, now playing at the newly renovated Warehouse Performing Arts through Dec. 20

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A new Urban Institute report analyzing the city’s first Alternatives to Violence program on the Beatties Ford Road shows promise in its analysis of crime rates and perceptions among residents in the corridor since its launch in 2021. We take a deeper look:

New Report Shows Promise for Violence Interruption on Beatties Ford | Queen City Nerve

A new report published by the Urban Institute on Thursday shows promising results from the city’s first Alternatives to Violence program

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Charlotte City Council held a zoning meeting Monday night, voting on a petition that involves the displacement of dozens of families in northeast Charlotte and viewing a mixed-use petition in Shuffletown that is drawing strong opposition from neighbors.

Council Quickies: Forest Park, Brookhill and Shuffletown in the Spotlight | Queen City Nerve

Displacement at Forest Park was on the agenda during Charlotte City Council's zoning meeting on Monday night.

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At tonight's zoning meeting, council is scheduled to vote on a rezoning petition that would displace 60 households from the Forest Park mobile home community near Highland Creek. Our coverage from when the petition first came in front of council in June:

Council Quickies: Forest Park Residents Face Displacement | Queen City Nerve

Residents spoke out Monday as they are scheduled to be displaced from the Forest Park mobile home park in northeast Charlotte.

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The infamous Jeppson's Malört is taking root in Charlotte via Chicago, but is the rising popularity of this wormwood-based liqueur a mark of maturing palates or just a viral prank trend?

The Bitter Taste of Jeppson’s Malört’s Takes Root in Charlotte | Queen City Nerve

The bitter taste of Jeppson’s Malört, which became popular in Chicago, has recently taken root in Charlotte.

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In the Roundup: Details continue to emerge about Thursday’s arrest of Sycamore Brewing co-owner Justin Bigham for child rape. That and four more stories from around Charlotte this week.

New Details Emerge in Sycamore Brewing Owner Child Rape Case | Queen City Nerve

More details are emerging about the arrest of Sycamore Brewing co-owner Justin Brigham this week for allegedly raping a child.

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In Nightlife, Aerin visits Craft Growler Shop and Tasting Room for the first time since she wrote about it a decade ago, shortly after its opening. As it turns out, the spot has grown as she has, these days representing a mature side of South End.

Craft Growler Shop Represents the Grown Side of South End | Queen City Nerve

In her latest column, Aerin revisits Craft Growler Shop and Tasting Room for the first time in a decade and finds it has aged well.

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Editor and AI skeptic Ryan Pitkin lays out his issues with the use of AI for creating art in this Q&A with Mark Peres, professor and author of ‘The Accord,’ for which he employed ChatGPT as a way to engage the subject of the book: artificial general intelligence.

New Mark Peres Novel 'The Accord' Engages the Question of AI’s Role in Life and Art | Queen City Nerve

Ryan Pitkin speaks to Mark Peres about his new novel The Accord and the use of artifical intelligence in its creation.

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The owner of Coffey & Thompson, Charlotte's oldest art gallery, was evicted for failure to pay rent. She has since gone no contact with staff and artists who had work in the building. Nearly three months later, many are still unable to retrieve their work.

Coffey & Thompson Closure Leaves Artists Reeling, Unable to Retrieve Work | Queen City Nerve

Artists who had working showing and for sale in Coffey & Thompson are searching for answers after the owner was evicted.

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Having seen a surge in support following the fall of Roe, the team at A Preferred Women’s Health Center in east Charlotte feels forgotten three years later as they continue to navigate ever-changing legislation, funding deficits and protester aggression.

Abortion Providers Stand on Unstable Ground Three Years After ‘Dobbs’ | Queen City Nerve

Three years after Dobbs, abortion access in Charlotte faces rising restrictions, protester aggression, and widening gaps in reproductive care.

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Vol. 8, Issue 4: Who!? As the Hornets' digital designer, Mike Jones has been quietly working to connect Charlotte's creative scenes. That work just earned him an Emmy nod. Plus, the NC post-Roe abortion landscape, a new novel engages (and employs) AI, Malört takes root, a cheap guide to NYE & more.

The first Charlotte City Council meeting for the three newest reps on Monday night was a quick one, but members did get a chance to address concerns about public safety reamplified by a second stabbing on the light rail and discuss a city/county partnership along Catherine Simmons Avenue.

Council Quickies: Housing on Catherine Simmons & Safety on the Light Rail | Queen City Nerve

Charlotte City Council gathered Monday night for its first business meeting since three new reps were sworn in last week.

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Rep. Carla Cunningham, the Democrat who faced a jeering hometown crowd this summer after delivering a controversial speech on the state House floor criticizing immigrants, is seeking an eighth term, with multiple primary opponents aiming to stifle her.

NC Rep. Carla Cunningham Files for Reelection, Facing Opposition | Queen City Nerve

Rep. Carla Cunningham, who faced a jeering crowd this summer after a controversial speech criticizing immigrants, is seeking an eighth term.

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Happy Birthday to us! 🎂 On Dec. 5, 2018, our first issue hit the streets and we haven’t slowed down since. Thanks to all our readers who have taken us this far.

Seeking therapy at the end of the world. Josiah Blevins' new web series 'Small Vices' is set in the ever-warming world of 2035 where mental health is breaking down as quickly as the climate. It premieres at the VisArt Video Lounge tomorrow night.

'Small Vices' Depicts a Dystopian Mental Health Epidemic | Queen City Nerve

Josiah Blevins' new web series 'Small Vices' grapples with the war on drugs and America’s mental health care infrastructure.

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EXCLUSIVE: The door signage went up today as renowned Charlotte mixologist (he prefers bartender) Larry Suggs prepares to open All Purpose Bar in the space formerly occupied by Protagonist at the corner of East 35th and North Davidson streets in NoDa. Stay tuned for more details.

Columnist, author, TV host, Nobel Peace Prize nominee... it's in the stand-up world where Steve Hofstetter truly shines. Josh Robbins caught up with the comic, who moved to Charlotte in January, to discuss settling into a new scene before his showcase Sunday.

Steve Hofstetter Makes a New Home in Charlotte’s Comedy Scene | Queen City Nerve

Steve Hofstetter discusses what brought him to Charlotte from Pittsburgh and the ever-changing face of the country's comedy scene.

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In this essay, Gwen Frisbie-Fulton of Working Class Storytelling pays tribute to the retail workers who make the holiday shopping season possible, often for low wages and little thanks.

ESSAY: Recognizing Retail Workers This Holiday Season | Queen City Nerve

This holiday season, Gwen Frisbie-Fulton asks that we recognize the retail workers who make the festivities possible.

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Following Jay Davis’ Big Turkey Pull Up on Tuckaseegee Road, we caught up with the LuLu’s Express owner to talk about what community means to him in a fast-changing neighborhood, plus his exciting new menu expansion.

Jay Davis Settles in at LuLu’s Express, Creating a Tuckaseegee Staple | Queen City Nerve

We caught up with Jay Davis to talk about his journey at LuLu’s Express on Tuckaseegee Road and recent menu updates.

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In the Roundup: CMPD released footage of a January interaction with Decarlos Brown that occurred months before he was arrested for the murder of Iryna Zarutska. The footage provides insight at the mind state of Brown, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia but repeatedly refused medication.

CMPD Releases Footage of Interaction with Decarlos Brown | Queen City Nerve

CMPD this week released footage of an interaction between police and Decarlos Brown months before the infamous Blue Line murder.

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After 16 years, beloved pop-punk band Dollar Signs is calling it quits. We catch up with Erik Button and Dylan Wachman to discuss the dissolution in the lead-up to a slate of farewell shows at The Milestone in December.

Dollar Signs Bids Farewell with Slate of Milestone Shows | Queen City Nerve

Charlotte pop-rock band Dollar Signs says goodbye with three packed Milestone farewell shows, reflecting on 16 years of DIY spirit, community, and punk-rock heart.

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Our Holiday Gift Guide includes 32 spots to shop local in Charlotte this season, from storefronts to pop-ups like the market at Light the Knights, which opens tonight at Truist Field. We've included Small Business Saturday deals where we could find them.

Local Holiday Gift Guide for Charlotte 2025: Shopping, Markets & Pop-Ups | Queen City Nerve

Support local this season with our Charlotte Holiday Gift Guide featuring 30+ locally owned shops, pop-ups, markets, and festive events across the Queen City.

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The Nov. 12 deal to reopen the government included new regulations that could snuff out the nascent hemp industry in North Carolina. Here's how advocates are reacting and mobilizing with a year until those regulations are enacted.

How the Deal to Reopen Government Could Kill the NC Hemp Industry | Queen City Nerve

A new regulation tucked into the bill that ended the U.S. government shutdown could devastate the $28B hemp industry.

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Vol. 8, Issue 3: Our Holiday Gift Guide includes 32 spots to shop local in Charlotte this season. Plus, is hemp dead in NC? Dollar Signs bids farewell. LuLu’s expands its menu. Aerin gets crafty and more.

In this op-ed, Lula Dualeh looks at recent federal immigration enforcement action in Charlotte through the lens of racial justice, contemplating where this sad chapter fits into the history of the "New South" city.

OPINION: Why Charlotte Can't Look Away From CBP Raids | Queen City Nerve

Charlotte’s strength will not be measured by how it enforces the law, but by how fiercely it protects its most vulnerable residents.

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