🌱 Housing Market Booms + NASCAR Partnership + COVID Update

Happy Wednesday, people of Charlotte! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started. Here's everything worth knowing in Charlotte today.

First, today's weather:

Some brightening. High: 52 Low: 35.

Here are the top stories in Charlotte today:

1. Agency report: Staff, inmates at North Carolina jail at risk (Associated Press)
2. NASCAR Partners With Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber Of Commerce (Charlotte Patch)
3. Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Jan. 4 (Raleigh News & Observer)
4. After 13 years in Charlotte, Crepe Cellar’s closing date has been announced (Charlotte Observer)
5. Charlotte to be a hot housing market in 2022, Zillow says (WCNC.com)

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Today in Charlotte:

• Divorce Boot Camp – Vesta's Charlotte, NC Hub (11:30 AM)
• Resume Reviews - Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Main Branch Virtual Events (12:00 AM)
• Independence Branch Baby Storytime - Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Main Branch Virtual Events (10:00 AM)
• 1-on-1 Adult Reading Support Session (11:00 AM)
• ImaginOn Homeschool Rally Jr. Edition (11:00 AM)
• Wrestling vs Harding (HOME) - South Mecklenburg High (1:30 PM)
• Independence Regional Children's Arabic Tutoring (2:00 PM)
• South Boulevard Listen and Move Storytime (2:00 PM)
• One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Main Branch Virtual Events (3:00 PM)
• Happy Hour Networking Event in Downtown Matthews (4:00 PM)
• New Years Happy Hour Networking Event in Downtown Matthews (4:00 PM)
• SouthPark Branch Presents Learn, Connect, Play: Video Gaming- Minecraft (JAVA Edition) (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• CMPD Animal Care and Control: "We do everything in our power to save as many animals as we can. This album was created specifically for animals that need greater attention than the rest of the population at the shelter. RESCUE ONLY: due to behavior or serious medical ..." (Facebook)

• Brave Step: "Help us thank Sue Anne for her dedication to Brave Step and those we serve! "When I was facing the darkest depths of my sexual trauma, Sue Anne was the therapist who gently and expertly guided me through it. As I emerged from that darkne..." (Facebook)
• Charlotte Sports Foundation: "“It was great to have a crowd of 45,000-plus and to come back on the heels of an incredibly successful Labor Day weekend.” - Danny Morrison" (Facebook)
• Sustain Charlotte: "While our Build A Better City Campaign has come to a close, you can still become a Sustaining Member of Sustain Charlotte and secure a healthy, equitable, and vibrant future for our city. Our Sustaining Members are donors who support us ..." (Facebook)
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: "You might have noticed your holds aren’t arriving as quickly as you’re used to. Due to unprecedented supply chain delays and worker shortages, some titles have been delayed or canceled altogether. Books are sitting in warehouses or conta..." (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Key Financial Strategies In Divorce – Vesta's Charlotte, NC Hub (January 11)
• Put Cellulite Behind You - Free Educational Event (January 20)
• SAT Master Strategies In-Person Class (January 30)
• Add your event

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• Send me a news tip or suggestion at charlotte@patch.com

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— Cassie Fambro

About me: A Texas-native, I've spent most of my life in Alabama but have recently moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. I have an avid interest in motorsports, so this makes the Carolinas an ideal region to call home. I have a decade of experience in journalism, graduating from the University of South Alabama with honors in journalism with a double major in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. I spent roughly five years of my career in front of a camera in TV news but I have spent years in print journalism and even earned a couple of cool awards like an Edward R. Murrow award along the way. I enjoy covering stories in education, healthcare, government and most of all, stories that directly help people and improve their lives in some way. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my partner Matt, and our two cats, Kenly and Gotenks, going to new restaurants and hanging out at racetracks.