The Avett Theater Planned for Mount Pleasant, Nod to Famed Musical Family

The Avett Theater Planned for Mount Pleasant, Nod to Famed Musical Family

Downtown Mount Pleasant’s historic Paula Theater building, which opened in 1948 as a movie theater, will be renovated into The Avett Theater, a live music venue and performing arts center for the small Cabarrus County town, a press release announced Thursday. 

The renovation will preserve the 13,000-square-foot theater’s original stage, facade and architectural character while updating the space for modern performances and audiences. 

The Avett Theater is named to honor the Avett family, best known for The Avett Brothers, an award-winning folk-rock band formed by brothers Scott and Seth Avett in 2000. Members of the Avett family have lived in Mount Pleasant since 1947. 

The music video for “Orion’s Belt,” a song from The Avett Brothers’ 2024 self-titled album, was filmed in the historic theater (below).

The approximately 634-seat theater will accommodate a mix of nationally touring artists, regional performers and local talent, filling a mid-sized venue gap in central North Carolina. 

“On behalf of Scott, Seth, Bonnie, and the entire Avett family, it is especially meaningful to have this new theater named for our family in our hometown,” said the Avett Brothers’ father Jim Avett, a beloved regional musician in his own right. “We look forward to helping it become a premier destination for live music in the state and region.” 

New Study Reveals NC Counties with Highest Homicide Rates

With violent crime in Charlotte under the microscope of Republican state lawmakers, a new report released this week by the CR Legal Team shows that Mecklenburg County is not among the top 10 counties with the highest homicide rates in the state. 

The report, which analyzed data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system to calculate the average annual number of homicides per 100,000 residents across North Carolina’s 100 counties from 2020-2024, found that violence, when measured per capita, is by and large most prevalent in rural counties. 

Robeson County leads the state with an annual average of 29.6 homicides between 2020 and 2024, translating to 25 per 100,000 residents, a 400% increase compared to the statewide average of 5 per 100,000 residents. The county reported a population of 116,902, homicides peaked in 2023 at 44.

The remainder of the top five highest homicides were found to be in Hertford, Greene, Montgomery and Northampton counties. All of the top five counties are in eastern North Carolina save for Montgomery, which is located in the eastern part of the Piedmont. 

“The findings highlight that counties like Robeson, Hertford, and Greene face the greatest burden of homicide violence,” said a spokesperson with the CR Legal Team. “Homicide rates reflect deeper community challenges including economic hardship, systemic inequities and gaps in public safety resources. These disparities across counties underscore the urgent need for comprehensive prevention strategies, community investment and stronger violence reduction initiatives in North Carolina.”

Read more: CMPD’s End-of-Year Report Shows Drop in All Crime Categories

The report landed amidst a probe by the Republican-led NC House Oversight Committee into transit safety and a perceived crisis regarding public safety more broadly in Charlotte following the murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail car in August 2025, which garnered national headlines, and another random stabbing of a passenger in December that drew disturbing parallels.

“What this report makes clear is that the ‘big city crime’ narrative doesn’t fit the data in North Carolina,” said Rebekah Whilden with Carolina Forward, a progressive organization that did its own analysis of statewide crime stats in September after national Republican leaders began blaming Democratic leaders in Charlotte for the so-called public safety crisis in our city. 

“Some of the highest homicide rates are in smaller counties that have, historically, gone without equitable investments,” Whilden continued. “That reality should push state leaders to focus on prevention, resources and economic opportunity, not political scapegoating.”

City Officials Call on Residents to Stay Off Road During Winter Storm

Officials with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office joined first responders and other city leaders on Friday to hold a press conference about preparations for the winter storm that’s forecasted to hit Charlotte later this afternoon.

With freezing rain expected to fall from 6 p.m. Saturday until Monday morning, meteorologists are estimating that up to a half-inch of ice could accumulate on tree branches and power lines, which would likely lead to extended power outages across the region. 

Freezing rain leads to more power outages than sleet because sleet is frozen when it lands, bouncing off of power lines and branches, while freezing rain freezes after it lands, WCNC’s Brad Panovich explained on Friday’s episode of WFAE’s Charlotte Talks.

Officials at Friday’s press conference asked that everyone stay off the roads unless for absolutely essential reasons once the winter weather starts. 

Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition will continue to deploy street outreach teams to homeless encampments to encourage anyone living unsheltered to visit one of the local shelters, which are expanding capacity through the weekend. 

The city of Charlotte’s winter preparedness website has a checklist of items residents should have on hand to be prepared for a winter weather storm. You can also sign up for CharMeck Alerts to receive updates to your phone. 

Two Measles Cases Confirmed in Mecklenburg County

Following the discovery of measles in Mecklenburg County’s wastewater earlier this month, the inevitable news came from Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH) this week that two cases have been confirmed locally. 

MCPH is investigating a confirmed case of measles in an adult who was believed to have contacted a confirmed case of measles via travel. The adult is recovering at home in isolation and that contact investigation process is complete, according to an MCPH release. 

The agency is also investigating a case of measles in an unvaccinated Mecklenburg County child who had been in contact with a child from Spartanburg, South Carolina, where a measles outbreak of more than 600 cases is ongoing. The child is recovering at home in isolation, and the contact investigation process is ongoing.

“With measles cases now confirmed in Mecklenburg County, we encourage everyone to get up to date on their MMR vaccine to protect their health and our community,” said Dr. Kimberly Scott, interim director at MCPH. “While we have strong vaccine coverage in the county, we continue to see how fast measles can spread with measles cases increasing in the Carolinas. Vaccination is the best tool we have to prevent an outbreak here.”

The mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is widely available at health care providers and retail pharmacies across Mecklenburg County, including for no cost at the Mecklenburg County Public Health Immunization Clinic.

MCPH recommends that anyone who experiences symptoms of measles call their doctor, clinic or emergency department right away. It’s important to call a health care facility before going so as to get instructions to prevent further spread of measles.

Tariq Bokhari & Larken Egleston Launch Lobbying Office

Two former Charlotte City Council members from different sides of the aisle announced their partnership this week in launching a Charlotte office for The Southern Group, billed as “a premier influence and lobbying firm serving all interests and industries.” 

Tariq Bokhari, a Republican former District 6 rep who stepped down from council in April 2025 to take a short-lived position in the Trump administration, is joining former District 1 rep Larken Egleston, a Democrat who lost his race for an at-large seat in 2022. He has since been working with US Rep. turned NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson. 

Bokhari and Egleston have been known bipartisan pals, having hosted the R&D in QC podcast during a portion of the five years they served together on council. Their new Charlotte venture will be the second office for the pro-business lobbying firm.