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INSIDE ▼ Southminster to study creative aging
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PAGE 1B Friday, March 13, 2026 • Vol. 26 • No. 10
thecharlotteweekly.com/mmhweekly
‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ springs onto Matthews stage MATTHEWS – Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts will present “The Velveteen Rabbit” from April 24 to May 3 as part of its 30th season mainstage lineup.
Jill Bloede will direct the show. The play runs 60 minutes and is performed in one act. Matthews Playhouse fans may recognize her work from local productions of “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Young Frankenstein.” She’s also directed “Murder on the Orient Express” for Theatre Charlotte. The play is adapted by Scott Davidson and based on the book of the same name by Margery Williams. The story follows a toy rabbit who longs to become real through the power of love and imagination. This tale resonates with people of all ages thanks to themes of friendship, resilience and the transformative nature of love. The Matthews performance is recommended for ages 6 and older. Matthews Playhouse presents “The Velveteen Rabbit” at 7:30 p.m. April 24, 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 25, 2 p.m. April 26, 7:30 p.m. May 1, 2 (sensory performance) and 7:30 p.m. May 2 and
2 p.m. May 3 at the Matthews Community Center, 100 E. McDowell St. Tickets are available at matthewsplayhouse.com or over the phone at 704846-8343, with special pricing for students, seniors, military and children. Special Events
• Matthews Playhouse offers a paywhat-you-can performance at 7:30 p.m. April 23. There’s a suggested donation of $10, though any amount is accepted at the door for nonprofit partner Thompson. • Matthews Playhouse will present A Velveteen Rabbit Tea Party following the April 26 matinee performance of “The Velveteen Rabbit” from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25. Learn more at matthewsplayhouse.com/30th-anniversary. • Matthews Playhouse has scheduled weekday school performances at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. April 24, 28, 29 and 30 as well as May 1. Visit matthewsplayhouse. com/plan-your-field-trip for details.
MATTHEWS – Right now, 8-week-old Riggins fits comfortably curled up within Jason Gurian’s arm. When fully grown, the English lab will be someone that firefighters and police officers can lean on for support.
The Charlotte City Council and other leaders put shovels into dirt to celebrate the groundbreaking of Eastland Sports Campus. Photos courtesy of City of Charlotte
Eastland Sports Campus is scheduled to open in late 2028. Spanning 29 acres at Eastland Yards, Eastland Sports Campus will include six full-size multipurpose athletic fields and a 100,000-square-foot indoor center with courts for basketball, volleyball or other sports and amenities. “Eastland Sports Campus represents an exciting new chapter for the Eastland Yards redevelopment, bringing new amenities, economic activity and vibrant energy to the area,” Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said. “This new destination will drive economic impact while serving as a source of pride, not just for East Charlotte, but for our entire city. We are deeply grateful to the city leaders and staff, partners and community members who came together to make this vision a reality.” Eastland Sports Campus expects the project to generate an annual economic impact of $169 million and create more than 500 jobs and 130,000 hotel rooms annually. “Youth sports are booming in Charlotte and across the country. Eastland Sports Campus positions the city to build on that incredible
momentum, giving local athletes and families access to first-class facilities while also strengthening Charlotte’s ability to attract regional and national tournaments that fuel economic growth and showcase our community,” said Robert Bolton, managing partner, Eastland Sports Campus. Eastland Sports Campus is a partnership with Boston-based EDGE Sports Global, Charlotte Soccer Academy, Bolton, Ivory & Cantey LLC and Southern Entertainment. The campus was first proposed in 2023. The Charlotte City Council approved final funding in September 2024. Other Eastland Sports Campus amenities will include health and wellness offices, an academic learning center and STEM lab, food and beverage stations, walking and bike paths, and expansive green space. Eastland Yards
Puppy growing into new role with Fire & EMS by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
Charlotte leaders break ground on Eastland Sports Campus
CHARLOTTE – City officials joined development partners and residents March 6 to break ground on a $67.1 million amateur sports campus that is expected to be an economic driver for East Charlotte.
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Since breaking ground on Eastland Yards in 2022, an 80-acre empty mall site has been transformed into a mixed-use development. Eastland Yards is led by Crosland Southeast in partnership with the city, county and Eastland Sports Campus. Eastland Sports Campus is one of five current projects at the site, including: • Evoke Living Eastland Yards: Opening in 2024, this fully occupied 72-unit apartment
Mayor Vi Lyles talks about the Eastland Sports Campus during its groundbreaking.
building offers affordable housing for those 55 or older. • Solstice at Eastland Yards: This 274-unit mixed-use development has retail on the lower level. The first residents began moving in last month. The city will sublease 16,000 square feet of ground-floor space to small businesses. Charlotte City Council approved leases for four small businesses at the location in January. Those businesses are expected to open this fall. • The Central Village @ Eastland Yards: This development will bring 168 townhomes and detached single-family homes to the community. • Eastland Park: A 4.5-acre Mecklenburg County park is expected to be completed in spring 2026.
Riggins is a new breed of K9 officer for Matthews. He’ll serve as a Peer Support & Community Outreach K9 for Matthews Fire & EMS and the Matthews Police Department. He’ll support emergency responders during and after calls as well as help educate the community on fire and life safety topics. One of his first public appearances was March 9 during the Matthews Board of Commissioners meeting, in which Riggins showed off a chubby puppy walk at the front of the chambers. “He will be slightly limited as to his public appearances until he’s completely vaccinated,” Gurian told the crowd. “We want to make sure that he stays healthy but after that you’ll start seeing him all over the place.” Gurian, who serves as assistant chief for operations, has been with Matthews Fire & EMS for more than 25 years. He approached Chief Rob Kinniburgh about bringing a therapy dog on board. They brought him home from Labradors of Lancaster SC. Matthews Fire & EMS held a vote on social media to name the puppy. Riggins, or Riggs for short, won out over Tanker, Salus and Halligan. Most of the names considered represent the different apparatus firefighters use. Riggins intends to make an appearance at the Matthews Chamber of Commerce’s Touch-A-Truck. Children can explore fire trucks and other unique vehicles during the free event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 at Stumptown Park. Want to support Riggins?
Riggins is part of a donation-based program. The community can donate items from a wish list at throne.com/k9_riggins. Donors have already bought dog food, tactical gear and bedding for Riggins. Other items on the wishlist include specialized training, pet hair removal tools and a pooper scooper.
Election Recap: Drayton defeats Leake in District 2 Primary by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
CHARLOTTE – Monifa Drayton has defeated longtime Mecklenburg County Commissioner Vilma Leake in the 2026 midterm election.
Drayton earned 8,231 votes, which were 602 more than Leake’s total, to win the District 2 Democratic primary on March 3, according to unofficial results from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. “God did it,” Drayton wrote on her Facebook page. She led a campaign that promoted her strengths as a leader while being respectful of Leake’s contributions to the district. Leake has been in public office for nearly
30 years, starting with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. She’s served as a Mecklenburg County commissioner since 2008. Drayton, who has experience in the health care industry, runs a leadership development firm and chairs the Mecklenburg County ABC Board. She’s been involved in the community and helped get other candidates elected at the city and county levels. She secured endorsements from groups like the Black Political Caucus and LGBTQ+ Democrats NC, Charlotte icons Harvey Gantt and Dorothy Counts Scoggins; and state lawmakers Caleb Theodros and Jordan Lopez. Drayton shared on Facebook that the campaign has been the hardest thing she has
done, mentioning stolen campaign signs and some hateful things people have said about her. “In this season I learned emotional discipline and steadiness which is a lesson long overdue,” she wrote. “Thank you to every single person who made this happen as it’s too many to name. You know who you are and how you made this campaign get to the victory. I’m ready to work.” Drayton will take on Republican challenger Angela White Edwards in the general election. Other county commissioner races
At-large commissioners Leigh Altman, Arthur Griffin Jr. and Yvette Townsend-Ingram coasted to victory in a 10-candidate
Democratic primary. They will not face any Republicans in November. Townsend-Ingram had a 19,677-vote advantage over fourth-place finisher Nichel Dunlap for the third and final available seat. Fifth-place finisher Felicia Thompkins was the only other candidate to clear 20,000 votes. Morris McAdoo emerged the winner of the District 1 Democratic primary, capturing 8,558 votes, or 49.41%, over candidates Jessica Finkel and Adam Pasiak. McAdoo will take on Republican challenger Aaron R. Marin in the November election for Commissioner Elaine Powell’s seat. Commissioner George Dunlap defeated Story continues, see ELECTION page 3A