GAINSWave® Treatment in Huntersville, NC

Lowe’s Family Night Out promises hands-on fun for all ages

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This week, Lowe’s is transforming two Charlotte-area stores into vibrant community hubs with Ladies’ Night Out and Family Night Out, free events designed to spark creativity, connection, and a little DIY magic.

Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s Store Manager, joined Charlotte Today to share what makes these nights so special. “We wanted to create something that felt more like a celebration than a shopping trip,” said Shaunfield. “Ladies’ Night and Family Night are about bringing people together in a space that’s familiar, but reimagined.” Here is what to expect:

Ladies’ Night Out – Thursday, Nov. 6 | 6–8 PM (Sold Out)Lowe’s at 16830 Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NCThis evening is all about relaxation and creativity. Guests can sip mocktails, enjoy tasty bites, and groove to a live DJ while snapping selfies in front of a flower wall. The highlight? A hands-on terrarium-making station. Terrariums are a great starter project,” Shaunfield explained. “All you need is a glass container, some soil, pebbles, and a few small plants. We’ll show you how to layer it all together.” Every attendee receives a 20% off coupon for future projects—just one perk of being a MyLowe’s Rewards member.

*While this Ladies' Night Out is Sold Out - you can still get the kits to make a Terrarium at home. Brian encouraging people to continue to check their websites because they are always adding activities.

Family Night Out – Friday, Nov. 7 | 5–8 PMLowe’s at 2115 Matthews Township Pkwy, Matthews, NCThis event is built for all ages! Kids can dive into slime-making with CAMP, race through an obstacle course, and build surprise projects in a hands-on workshop. “We know it’s hard to find something the whole family enjoys,” Shaunfield said. “So we turned part of the store into a playground. It’s about making memories together.” Both events are free and open to MyLowe’s Rewards members. To register, visit lowes.com/events and search for your local store.

Whether you're crafting with friends or chasing kids through a turf maze, Lowe’s is proving it’s more than a hardware store—it’s a place where creativity and community come to life.

Family Night Out:

The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Tuesday is Election Day across the Carolinas, where local municipal elections were being held in dozens of counties.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, ballots were being cast in North Carolina and South Carolina for local offices including mayors, council members, commissioners, and other local issues and offices. WBTV was tracking election results for races throughout the Charlotte region, in both North and South Carolina.

On the election results page, results are organized alphabetically by county. To toggle between North Carolina and South Carolina election results, click or tap the green “More Elections” button at the top of the page.

Election results will populate in real-time as they are reported after polls close.

Election results are not official until they are certified by a board of elections. County boards of elections in North Carolina were scheduled to meet to certify Nov. 4, 2025, election results on Nov. 14.

In North Carolina, polls were open from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In South Carolina, polls were open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

For voters in either state: If you are in line at your polling place before polls officially close, you will still be allowed to vote even if polls close. You cannot get in line to vote after polls close.

If you still need to return your completed absentee ballot, you must drop if off in person before polls close on Tuesday.

In North Carolina, you can deliver your completed absentee ballot to your local county board of elections office. Click here to find your local office.

In South Carolina, you can deliver your completed absentee ballot to your county voter registration office. Click here to find the office in your area.

Ballots must be returned before polls officially close in either state.

Each voter is assigned a polling place for Election Day based on their residential address.

You can look up a sample of your ballot in North and South Carolina.

WBTV reached out to candidates in several high-profile local races to get their take on a number of issues.

Click the links below to read responses from dozens of local candidates.

On the ballot for Mecklenburg County voters this year is a proposed one-cent sales tax increase.

Residents were voting in favor of or against a transit tax referendum designed to increase the sales tax to benefit transportation initiatives and infrastructure in the county.

If the referendum gets approved, revenue from the increased sales tax would fund improvements for roads, rail, and buses to address traffic congestion and improve transit options across Mecklenburg County.

The sales tax rate in Mecklenburg County would increase from 7.25% to 8.25%.

Click here to learn more about the referendum.

The video above is a live stream of WBTV and affiliated programming, and may not be directly related to the article below.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - Huntersville was among several towns across North Carolina holding local municipal elections this November.

Huntersville stretches into parts of both Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.

After polls officially close, election results will populate in real-time as they are reported. Election results will be listed in alphabetical order by county, and then by city/town/village, at the page linked above.

Find your polling place

Every voter in North Carolina is assigned a polling place for Election Day based on their home address.

Click here to find your specific polling place.

How to see a sample of your ballot

Want to plan ahead before going to the polls? You can look up a sample of your ballot on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.

Registered voters can use the official Voter Search to find specific voter details, including their polling place, sample ballot (when available), absentee ballot information, and voter history.

Click here to access the Voter Search portal.

Registering to vote

There are three ways to register to vote in North Carolina: online, by mail, or at the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.

While Oct. 10, 2025, was the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 4 election, it’s important to note that would-be voters can register to vote in person during the early voting period. Eligible North Carolina residents can use same-day registration to register to vote and cast their ballot in the same day.

To do same-day registration, residents will need to provide a current ID and documents that proves residency, like a piece of mail, a pay stub, or a similar document.

You must have lived in the county where you are trying to vote for at least 30 days in order to use same-day registration.

---> More on that:

The early voting period ends on Nov. 1, which means that same-day voter registration ends then, too.

Dropping off absentee ballot

Are you voting by mail this election?

After filling out the absentee ballot you received in the mail, you can drop it off to your county board of elections office. Click here to find your local county board of elections office.

During the early voting period, you can also deliver your completed absentee ballot to an election official at an early voting site. Election officials will take your completed absentee ballot anytime during that site’s open voting hours.

Looking for election results for counties in the Charlotte region in both North and South Carolina? Click here to see our real-time results that will become visible as they’re reported (after polls close).

Birkdale Village has new owners again, with Texas-based real estate investment firm Hines taking over the property.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The popular Birkdale Village shopping and residential center in Huntersville has changed hands again, marking the third ownership transfer since 2024 and reigniting concerns among neighbors about controversial expansion plans.

Global real estate investment firm Hines announced it has acquired the 673,000-square-foot mixed-use property through its flagship U.S. core plus fund. The sale transfers control from a joint venture between Nuveen and Jamestown, which had pushed through a contentious rezoning plan just last year. Hines, based in Houston, Texas, has approximately $92 billion in assets across its portfolio.

"My immediate reaction is we knew this was going to happen," Julia Kiewit, who lives near Birkdale Village and was among residents who opposed the previous owner's expansion proposal, said.

The rezoning petition, approved by Huntersville town leaders in 2024, cleared the way for significant development including a boutique hotel, new apartments, additional office space, parking decks and expanded retail. However, construction has yet to begin under the new ownership.

Kiewit and other neighbors had argued the expansion would fundamentally alter the village's character.

"There's issues with parking, density, safety, but in addition was maintaining the integrity of Birkdale Village," Kiewit said. "My concern was this is going to go from a village to a New York City skyline."

The property currently features 255,000 square feet of retail space that is 99% leased, housing tenants including Apple, Arhaus, Kendra Scott, Lilly Pulitzer, lululemon, North Italia, Pottery Barn, Sweetgreen, Warby Parker and Williams Sonoma. The center also includes 320 apartment units above the retail space that are 97% leased, offering studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts with amenities such as a pool, fitness center and dog park.

Residents worry the approved development plans will now be implemented by an entirely different company than the one that negotiated them.

A spokesperson for Jamestown told WCNC Charlotte that "all commitments made during the rezoning are connected to the land sale and binding as part of the purchase agreement."

Paul Zarian, managing director at Hines, said the firm is taking a measured approach.

"We agree that properties should evolve over time to meet the needs of their communities," Zarian said. "With that said, the first step is to learn the intricacies of how Birkdale operates. Once we do that, we will have a better idea of what our customers' and guests' needs are, and what we can do to meet and exceed their expectations in the future."

Conor Lalor with Newmark represented the seller in the transaction. Paul Zarian and Jesse Amundson led the acquisition on behalf of Hines.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

Students at Barnette Elementary cheered on their classmate Ella, who has a rare disease, as she crossed the finish line at a fun run event this week.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — At the Buster Move Fun Run at Barnette Elementary School in Huntersville earlier this week, students came together to cheer on one of their classmates: a 3rd-grader named Ella who is fighting a rare disease that's impacted her motor skills.

Ella has Vanishing White Matter Disease, according to her family's website tracking her health journey. The "A Miracle for Ella Rose" website notes that her disease is progressive, and there is currently no cure.

"The prognosis is very -- it's devastating. It's depressing, in a sense. I mean, when you're told your child has after diagnosis, has about five to eight years of their life," Jesse McKee said. "Her life is just pure joy. I mean, she lightens up the room when she comes into school. She's like a celebrity."

One of those moments of joy came at this week's fun run at her school.

As Ella crossed the finish line using her walker, her classmates cheered her name and clapped, and some walked alongside her.

Her parents say Ella has recently entered a drug trial in Boston, which has shown great promise for her symptoms, allowing this moment to happen.

"It has allowed her to propel her wheelchair farther, walk with her walker farther, farther," Heather McKee said. "Has really just done incredible things for her in just the short time that she's taken this drug, whereas years before, she's never really been able to do this."

The family expressed their gratitude to the school and local community for their support.

"We are extremely lucky to have everybody kind of rally behind us," Jesse said.

Ani Mercincavage, the mom of another student at the school, recorded the moments her classmates cheered her on and said it brought many in attendance to tears. Mercincavage added it showed the "empathy and joy of children who instinctively support one another."

Those who are interested in helping support Ella Rose's medical fund can make donations on the A Miracle for Ella Rose website.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.