CMS fires superintendent + NC lawmakers vow to address nursing home staffing crisis

Happy Tuesday, Charlotte!Molly here, bringing you a newsletter that is bursting at the digital seams. Lots of news happening today, so allow me to walk you through it. Hold on tight.

Noteworthy:Food trivia Tuesday: Five well-known restaurant chains got their start in North Carolina. Can you name them? Evan Moorehas the list here

1. CMS Board of Education fires Superintendent Earnest Winston

In an emergency meeting not attended by Ernest Winston, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted 7-2 to firethe superintendent. Anna Maria Della Costa and Joe Marusakhave that story here.

Winston emailed The Charlotte Observer after the meeting, saying it was an honor to leadthe district.

So, what’s next? The board is expected to name a former CMS administrator, Hugh Hattabaugh, as interim superintendent. The Observer’s editorial board wrote about what Hattabaugh might bring to the table.

As Winston’s service comes to an end, his time will be the latest to bookend the timeline of CMS superintendents.

2. NC lawmakers vow to address nursing home staffing crisis. ‘The alarm bell has rung.’

Following the Observer’s in-depth investigation into extreme staffing shortages inside North Carolina nursing homes, lawmakers are discussing ways to find a solution.

Asked about the Observer’s findings, Gov. Roy Cooper said he and his staff are “deeply concerned about what’s happened in nursing homes.”

Some have discussed giving nursing homes a financial incentive to provide higher-quality care. Another debate for lawmakers is whether to impose more rules on North Carolina’s nursing homes, 80% of which are owned by for-profit companies.

Ames Alexander has the latest follow-up here.

3. Panthers terminate agreement with Rock Hill for new SC headquarters

The Carolina Panthers are terminating their contract with the city of Rock Hillover the construction of the NFL team’s new headquarters.

If you recall, last month, Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which represents the Charlotte-based NFL team, stopped construction on the 240-acre property because of a disagreement between the city and the company. But it’s been a bumpy road all along, as this timeline will show.

Cailyn Derickson, John Marks and Jonathan Alexanderhave the news here.

4. Found in a thrift store, a 1940s Charlotte Observer blue silk boxing robe goes viral

You may have seen the Tweets already. A vintage blue silk boxing robe with “The Charlotte Observer” emblazoned on the back is hard to miss.

The Observer’s Gordon Rago was walking around the Vintage Charlotte at Camp North End and discovered the garment. The tag said it was a wrestling robe from the 1940s. But how exactly the world of newspapers collided with that of athletic robes was yet unknown.

Until Twitter offered an answer. Here’s what we found out.

5. TSA drops mask mandate enforcement. Here’s what it means for the Charlotte airport, CATS

Another mask mandate has been lifted.

Most major airlines including Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s primary air carrier, American Airlines, have stopped requiring masks on U.S. flights, the Observer’s Hannah Smootreported.

The airport also is no longer requiring masks.

And masks are also no longer mandated on Charlotte Area Transit System vehicles or at public transportation hubs.

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