Good morning, Huntersville.

Hundreds of children are better prepared for school after attending a back-to-school block party at the Waymer Center in Huntersville’s historic Pottstown community—where community partners provided free laptops, backpacks, lunch bags, books and clothing while children enjoyed dancing, hula hoops, a bounce house, craft stations and face painting.

The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Business Expo on Oct.

14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Huntersville Recreation Center—over 120 local businesses and organizations will network with roughly 2,000 visitors in this free event.

The Scout House on South Main displays Scouting memorabilia from 115 years of history—items include photos, uniforms and awards from groups like Troop 19 that moved here in 1938 and recently celebrated its 200th Eagle Scout.

Local Packs will host open houses for children later this week, with one event today at 6 p.m. at St. Mark Catholic Church.

The Yes For Meck campaign launched Wednesday afternoon to support a proposed one-cent sales tax in Mecklenburg County—an effort backed by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance to fund transportation projects and inform voters ahead of the November referendum.

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles announced that it will hire 40 new driver's license examiners to cut wait times at DMV offices statewide.

The agency will host job fairs in coming weeks—applications are now open to help reduce delays and address employee concerns.

Mecklenburg County Public Health warns pregnant women and healthcare providers that a national shortage of Bicillin L-A is increasing the risk of congenital syphilis—prompt testing and treatment are crucial to protect mothers and infants.

The department advises testing at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester and at delivery while asking providers to reserve the drug for these patients.