Afternoon Observer: March 8
Good afternoon and happy International Women’s Day, Charlotte. This is Kristen, here with today’s top headlines. But first: something for the art fans among us. Vincent Van Gogh is one of the world’s most renowned artists, and now you can step into his world when the “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit” comes to Charlotte. Details for the exhibit are still being finalized, but we know the exhibit will be at Camp North End in conjuction with Blumenthal Performing Arts. Find out what we know here.
Now, for today’s news:
1. A family justice center could be coming to Charlotte to help domestic abuse survivors
A central place for Charlotte abuse survivors to find help may be on the horizon. As Charlotte survivor Audra Toussaint knows, a support center would be a key piece for survivors struggling to get to safety. In the past seven years, Toussaint has taught herself to navigate the ins and outs of the legal system to keep herself and her daughter safe from her abuser. Two Charlotte nonprofits, Safe Alliance and Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, are working toward alleviating this need by building a family justice center. The center would bring together resources for domestic abuse survivors like help with legal matters, medical attention and counseling.
Toussaint isn’t alone in this hardship — especially as the pandemic worsens domestic violence situations for many people, as the Observer’s Amanda Zhou reports. At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, calls to Mecklenburg’s domestic violence and sexual assault hot-line increased by 45%, according to Safe Alliance CEO Karen Parker.
With support from local nonprofits and officials, it’s hoped that this new center will be open for business in 2023. Learn more about the efforts here.
2. NC school records will now list transgender students’ preferred names
Being confronted by their birth name or “dead name” is something transgender students fear, according to Craig White, supportive schools coordinator at the Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality. Now, transgender students in North Carolina will no longer need to worry, as our News & Observer colleague T. Keung Hui reports. NC’s Department of Public Instruction notified school districts Friday that it’s updating the PowerSchool student information system to add a preferred name field.
The change will go into effect during a system update later this month.
Students’ preferred names will now be used on most records — state reports, student report cards and teacher grade books.
“It really protects the privacy of transgender students and respects their identity,” White said. “It respects who they are rather than misgendering or misidentifying them.”
3. ‘The Funky Geezer’ talks about his success on TikTok
From dancing videos to guitar performances and painting demonstrations, Charlotte-based Woody Williams is an active presence on TikTok. Just over three months after creating his first video, Williams is among the Charlotte area’s most popular content creators on the platform. His FunkyGeezerShow has racked up 2.7 million followers and counting — roughly the same number of followers that Tom Brady, Serena Williams and Pitbull have on TikTok, combined.
Who is Williams, anyway, and why is he so popular on the platform? Observer reporter Théoden Janes sat down with Williams to talk about his success, how much he’s made from the endeavor and what’s next for the Funky Geezer Show.
4. Second suspect arrested in double homicide, NC police search for a third
After making two arrests, Gaston County police are searching for a third suspect in connection with a shooting that left two men dead last month.
The details:
Darrick Lamer Johnson, 19, of Gastonia, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Charlie James Stiles, 24, of Gastonia, was arrested last week and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
A third suspect, identified as Jordan Cameron Moses of Dallas, N.C., remains at large. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
Police encourage anyone with information about the shooting to call Crimestoppers at 704-861-8000.
---
That’s all for today, folks. If you don’t already, subscribe to The Charlotte Observer here. If you’re already a subscriber (thanks!), download our iOS or Android app to get connected.
Stay updated with us at charlotteobserver.com, and follow along on Twitter and Instagram to see more from us. Thanks for reading!
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign up here.
