Good morning, Huntersville.

Houston Koppenhofer, a Cornelius teen and junior at Lake Norman Christian School, earned his Eagle Scout rank by building 24 raised garden beds—helping the nonprofit Angels and Sparrows serve about 400 meals daily.

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue has served as a local shelter for animals for 30 years & now is asking neighbors for urgent support to keep its care going.

Katie Cooper started Queen City Crunch by making her mom’s seasoned pretzels during the 2020 pandemic and later moved from her home kitchen to a commercial space in Charlotte to meet growing demand—her business now supports local families with a variety of flavors.

Mecklenburg County earned $6.4 billion in tourism spending last year — a 9% rise from 2023 — and local leaders say sports events, museums, and Carowinds helped draw visitors.

Learn Music, founded by Adam and Rachael Wilson 11 years ago in Cornelius, offers lessons to 460 students weekly and employs 16 instructors—students learn instruments like piano, guitar, and drums through private sessions and group events.

The school also hosts concerts and camps, including Learn Music Live on October 26th at Waterbean Coffee in Huntersville.

CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill said 140,000 students began the week in classrooms that were pristine, warm and inviting while district leaders introduced the Standard Response Protocol—five steps shown on school posters—to guide safety measures during off-campus incidents.

Transportation has also improved with 93% of school buses arriving on time by Thursday and teacher vacancies reduced by 67 from last year.