Afternoon Observer | Candlelight vigil honors Asian lives + billboard campaign targets Charlotte homicides, violent crime

Kristen Kornbluth
·4 min read

Happy Monday, Charlotte. Kristen here, hoping you had a nice weekend. Let’s open this up with some sweet news today, shall we? Krispy Kreme is running a new promotion for those of you who’ve gotten the COVID vaccine. Show your vaccination card at any U.S. Krispy Kreme location and get a free glazed donut. And it’s not just a one-time thing. You could redeem this everyday if you wanted to. Now, that’s what I call a round deal.

Alright, enough punning. Let’s talk about today’s headlines:

1. ‘We see you. We love you.’ Candlelight vigil in uptown Charlotte honors Asian lives

Kim Kean, left, and Rachel McDaniel light incense at an Asian Solidarity Candlelight Vigil in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, March 21, 2021.
Kim Kean, left, and Rachel McDaniel light incense at an Asian Solidarity Candlelight Vigil in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, March 21, 2021.

In the wake of last week’s deadly shootings in Atlanta, around 150 people gathered in uptown Charlotte Sunday evening to show solidarity with and honor the Asian community. As reported by the Observer’s Devna Bose, the Charlotte demonstrators joined thousands of Americans protesting across the country after eight people, including six Asian women, were shot dead at three Atlanta-area spas Tuesday.

SEAC Village, a Charlotte social justice group, organized Sunday’s event, which began with a meditation and moment of silence for the eight people murdered in Atlanta.

“Close your eyes,” SEAC’s Sam Xiong said to the crowd. “Think of your loved ones.”

2. ‘Provocative’ billboard campaign targets homicides, violent crime

Charlotte ended 2020 with 123 homicides, and according to previous reporting by the Observer, nearly 80% of the victims were Black. The Charlotte chapter of 100 Black Men of America has launched a “Stop the Violence” billboard campaign aimed at addressing the number of homicides in the area.

More details with the Observer’s Amanda Zhou:

  • The campaign consists of 34 billboards across the region and a series of community panels, according to the organization’s website.

  • The group also hopes, in partnership with the city, to connect people to violence prevention resources and to hold community listening sessions.

  • The first session is planned for April 1, according to the website.

3. This week’s COVID case map by Charlotte ZIP code

As the COVID case rate in Mecklenburg continues to fall, one ZIP code in particular enjoyed a big improvement — while three got worse.

The breakdown:

  • ZIP code 28206, which includes Tryon Hills, Druid Hills, and some streets between uptown and NoDa, saw a big drop last week — from 493.3 on March 10 to 279.5 on March 17.

  • Residents of ZIP code 28278, 28202 and 28213 saw an increase in COVID-19 cases.

  • The latest county data show that all Charlotte-area ZIP codes have fewer than 400 new cases per 100,000 residents.

  • The countywide average is 210.6 new cases per 100,000 residents, based on positive coronavirus test results from March 4 to March 17. Last week, it was 247.3.

For more of the latest COVID information in the Charlotte area, catch up here with reporter Devna Bose.

4. LaMelo is injured. How could that affect the Hornets?

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball holds his right wrist during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Los Angeles. Ball is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a broken right wrist, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the team has not made the status of his injury public. He appeared to be hurt after a fall in the Hornets’ 125-98 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LaMelo Ball, star Hornets rookie, has broken his right wrist. The injury presumably happened when he fell during Saturday’s match against the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s likely a season-ending injury — Hornets coach James Borrego said Ball will be out for “an extended period.” Wrist fractures take at least eight weeks to heal, according to WebMD, and that’s the rest of the NBA season.

According to Borrego, the toughest thing to replace in Ball’s absence will be his ability to create transition scoring opportunities with his dribbling and passing. “We may become more half-court than anything, but we still have to find opportunities to get out and run,” Borrego said. “We’re going to have to get a little bit more creative in the half-court.”

Learn more about how Ball’s absence will challenge the Hornets here with analysis from the Observer’s Rick Bonnell.

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