Family Dollar founder Leon Levine dies at 85 + Rep. Tricia Cotham formally welcomed to NC House GOP caucus

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1. Leon Levine, Family Dollar founder and Charlotte philanthropist, dies at 85

Leon Levine, a noted philanthropist in the Charlotte area and found of Family Dollar, died today at 85.

His name marks institutions across the region. The self-made man who never finished college started one of North Carolina’s biggest scholarship programs.

The Leon Levine Foundation has granted more than $450 million, with more than half the total awarded since 2008.

Bruce Henderson shares more on Levine’s life.

2. Switching parties, Rep. Tricia Cotham is formally welcomed to NC House GOP caucus

Democratic State Rep. Tricia Cotham joined House and Senate GOP leaders at the North Carolina GOP headquarters this morning to announce that she’s switching parties to become a member of the House Republican caucus.

“I am a single mom of two amazing sons; a teacher; a small business owner; a woman with strong faith; a national championship basketball coach; and a public servant,” Cotham said at the beginning of her speech. “Today, I add Republican to that list.”

Avi Bajpai and Danielle Battaglia have more on Cotham’s sudden switch.

3. Students at small private Charlotte school walk out of class, protest gun violence

Dozens of students at Trinity Episcopal School in uptown Charlotte took part in a national student walkout over gun violence following the deadly shooting of six people at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Students from across the state and country were expected to participate in Students Demand Action walkouts, calling on lawmakers to take action on gun safety.

“Killing children has become way too repetitive to make it almost normalized,” Austin Redmond, a 14-year-old at Trinity said. “It needs to stop right now.”

Anna Maria Della Costa has the details on the walkout.

4. ‘Away to Huntersville:’ Amid repairs, displaced Charlotte seniors move again.

Betty Johnson has tried to make the best of it at the hotel she’s stayed in since being displaced on Christmas.

Johnson and her neighbors at Magnolia Senior Apartments were sent to local hotels after a busted pipe flooded the affordable housing complex on Beatties Ford Road.

She is among two dozen Charlotte seniors who will be relocated to a Huntersville hotel this week as repairs continue on their apartments. It’s another step in the prolonged process that has placed an additional burden on the senior community.

DJ Simmons shares more on the seniors’ housing struggles.

5. Some more stories to read

• Charlotte picks familiar name for planning director to guide growth at a crucial time

• Tricia Cotham once spoke of her abortion. Will she help NC Republicans restrict it? | Opinion

• ‘Case closed.’ NC town tracks down Tyler after hilarious post about water tower ‘art’

• The team behind Kindred is dropping 2 new restaurants in uptown Charlotte

• Wells Fargo details $500 million upgrade to its Charlotte campus, pickleball included

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