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🌱 Patch AM: How did your favorite Charlotte restaurant score on its latest inspection?

Make time for The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Charlotte, NC on the Charlotte Patch calendar

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Hey hey Charlotte! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How did your favorite Charlotte restaurant score on its latest inspection?
  • Ready to mix beer, swordplay stories, and sorcery in Plaza Midwood?
  • Which Charlotte grocery store sold this $150,000 Powerball ticket?

Also on today's calendar: The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Charlotte, NC and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Charlottefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Playing golf is bad for your brain. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Charlottefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and not as cool, with a high of 59 and low of 32 degrees.
  • Friday: Mostly cloudy, temps: high: 57, low: 45.
  • Saturday: Cooler with rain and drizzle, with a high of 49 and low of 36 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Charlotte Region Restaurant Inspections (Dec. 24-30) (thecharlotteweekly.com) — If you’re eating out in Charlotte, recent health inspection scores for dozens of local restaurants—from Fairview Road to Albemarle Road and The Plaza—have just been released for Dec. 24-30. The list also includes nearby spots in Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, and Pineville so you can quickly gauge where your favorite places stand.
   

2. Nerd Nite Charlotte - Swords and Sorcery Jan. 9 (charlotteonthecheap.com) — Fantasy fans and trivia lovers can hit Plaza Midwood on Friday, January 9, 2026, for the first-ever Nerd Nite Charlotte at Southern Strain, a free 21+ event. Expect sword-fighting insights, magic-themed talks, and local voices from UNC Charlotte and the Queen City’s creative community, with plans for Nerd Nite to become a recurring gathering.
   

3. 2 lottery players from North Carolina win $150,000 off Powerball (wbtv.com) — A Charlotte resident just turned a Harris Teeter Powerball ticket into a $150,000 win, taking home over $107,000 after taxes. He and another North Carolinian matched four white balls plus the Powerball with a 3X Power Play in the Dec. 20 drawing, part of a run that pushed the jackpot into the billions.
   

4. Suspect in sexual assault at Smithfield park arrested in Charlotte after two week search (cbs17.com) — A man wanted in a Smithfield sexual assault case was located and arrested in Charlotte after a two-week, multi-agency search, then booked into Mecklenburg County Jail before transfer to Johnston County. Charlotte-area readers should know he remains jailed without bond on serious charges, with a January 14 bond hearing scheduled and investigators seeking any additional information from possible victims.
   

📸 Around Charlotte

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Charlotte

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Although I did this one solo, congrats to my team on a successful 2025.
    We got more vets off of the streets and into motels and temporary apartments while we figured out their benefits. Cheers to a successful, upcoming… (Nextdoor Berkshire/Coventry)
  • Just wanted to give a shoutout to a young man in the Sardis Woods neighborhood.
    About 930 this morning I realized I didnt put my trash rollout at the curb. I saw the truck coming and was halfway down the driveway and the truck… (Nextdoor Sardis Woods)
  • As we ring in the New Year, our DWI Task Force is out in full force to keep our roads safe. New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration, but it’s also... (X: CMPD)
  • Wildfire near Mars Hill 90% contained; no damage reported... (X: wsoctv)
  • Campbell Soup Company posted a job opening for Material Handler- Days (5:45am-6:15pm) Bakery (Pay $21.40) in Charlotte. Apply here.
  • HD Supply Holdings, Inc. posted a job opening for Manager, Transportation in Charlotte. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Charlotte here.

Ok Charlotte! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just heard a golfer say he had four strokes on the first hole!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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