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INSIDE ▼ Tips to deal with economic uncertainty
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PAGE 2B Friday, July 24, 2026 • Vol. 26 • No. 29
thecharlotteweekly.
@southcltweekly
Summit outlines transportation landscape CHARLOTTE – South Charlotte Partners has announced the lineup for its fourth annual Regional Transportation Summit. The summit allows business professionals and community members to engage with the influential leaders who are shaping the future of transportation in the region. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at TPC Piper Glen. The lineup includes: • A fireside chat with David Howard, chair of the newly formed Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority that governs public transportation in Mecklenburg County. • A panel discussion featuring N.C. Board of Transportation Chair Tony
Lathrop, Western Deputy Chief Engineer Brett Canipe and District 10 Engineer Felix Obregon. • A discussion on the politics of transportation with Charlotte City Council member Ed Driggs and Mecklenburg County commissioners Susan RodriguezMcDowell and Leigh Altman. • A discussion with Ashton Watson, director of engineering for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about CLT’s impact on regional economic development. Organizers said the city will attend to discuss Charlotte’s multibillion-dollar transportation plan that will be funded by a 1-cent sales tax increase approved by voters last fall.
“Charlotte has one of the nation’s busiest airports and a highway system that puts us at the heart of the fastest-growing corridor in the United States,” said Christina Thigpen, chair of South Charlotte Partners. “Just as important, mobility for local residents and visitors is a vital concern for maintaining quality of life and ensuring access to all the opportunities our region has to offer. Each year, South Charlotte Partners invites key local stakeholders to address the changing transportation landscape, and we’re excited to hear insights from this year’s speakers.” Tickets for the Regional Transportation Summit cost $100 and include breakfast and access to the day’s program. Buy tickets at eventbrite.com. Early registration
Under the Sea Students present Disney classic, 3A
Taqueria Mal Pan is a Chango Food Group-owned SouthPark restaurant known for its heritage-driven Mexican cuisine. Camille Maede/NiceDay photos
Teen author promotes skin health, 3A
In Pour Taste Show blends wine and comedy, 1B
is recommended due to high demand. Email event chair Roy Lindland of Froehling & Robertson at rlindland@ fandr.com for sponsorship opportunities.
Practice offers physician-led longevity medicine
WHAT'S INSIDE
Words & Action
David Howard participates in the anniversary of the Charlotte Area Transit System. Photo courtesy of CATS
EMBRACING WELLNESS
SouthPark restaurant leans into seed oil-free cooking C H A R L O T T E – Taqueria Mal Pan is entering its next chapter with a renewed focus on cleaner ingredients, increased local sourcing and seed oil-free cooking. The transition, which began earlier this summer, includes deeper partnerships with local farms and purveyors, and a renewed emphasis on ingredient-driven dishes that celebrate seasonality. Founded by thirdgeneration restaurateur Andre Lomeli, Mal Pan has built its reputation on blending family recipes,
old-world techniques and modern hospitality. “Over the last several years, guests have become increasingly aware of what they’re eating and where it comes from. Transparency, traceability and more intentional preparations without sacrificing flavor are top of mind for today’s diner,” Lomeli said. “At the same time, we’ve become more intentional about the ingredients we use in our own kitchen. Though see WELLNESS, Page 3A
Taqueria Mal Pan has become more intentional about the local sourcing of ingredients. This includes cooking and frying oils.
CHARLOTTE – Dr. Corey Helton believes that long-term health requires a different model than the standard system was built to provide. His background across about 15 hospitals shaped his conviction. Helton founded Aeternitas Health, a physician-led longevity and precision medicine practice at 330 Billingsley Road, #211. “I grew up with the kind of family doctor who knew you your whole life,” Helton said. “Aeternitas is my attempt to bring that back with better tools, better structure and a Helton plan built for decades instead of appointments.” Care at Aeternitas is organized around a structured framework that considers four interacting areas of a patient’s health: long-term risk, current health, the daily levers that move outcomes (exercise, nutrition, pharmacotherapy, sleep, and mental and behavioral health), and the identity, meaning and purpose that determine whether a plan is one a patient will actually sustain. Each patient’s care begins with a comprehensive intake and a coordinated evaluation day, combining advanced imaging, laboratory testing and functional assessments, followed by an integrated plan built and reviewed with a multidisciplinary team that includes a physician, dietitian, exercise physiologist and therapist. Membership at Aeternitas is direct pay. The practice accepts a limited number of patients so that each member receives the depth of time and attention the model requires.
Sneed gives update on superintendent investigation CHARLOTTE – Stephanie Sneed, chair of the CharlotteMecklenburg Board of Education, released a statement this week on the investigation of Superintendent Crystal Hill. The school board announced June 17 that it placed Hill on temporary leave with pay, pending an investigation into matters involving administrative and operational oversight. The update is as follows:
Since the Board of Education placed Superintendent Hill on temporary leave with pay in June, we have been working diligently to complete our independent review. While there is still work to be done, we expect that process to conclude within the next few weeks. Because this is a personnel matter governed by North Carolina law, there are limits on what information the board can share while the review is ongoing. We appreciate the
community’s patience as we complete this process in a manner that is thorough, fair and consistent with our legal and oversight obligations. We anticipate sharing an update before students return to school on Aug. 25. In the meantime, I want our families, employees and community to know that the board and district leadership remain focused on what matters most: ensuring our schools are ready to welcome students on the first
day of school. Preparing for a successful school year has not stopped. Our work Sneed continues every day, and we remain committed to supporting our students, our educators and our school communities while this process moves toward completion.
Dr. Corey Helton founded Aeternitas Health, which began seeing patients during the week of July 13. Photo courtesy of Aeternitas Health