2024: The Ledger's best stories and voices of the year
From in-depth investigations to profiles, remembrances and trends, our staff rounded up some of the best articles and podcasts The Charlotte Ledger brought you in 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, the staff of The Ledger has compiled what we consider to be some of our best work from the past 12 months, and we are pleased to share it with you here.
We’ve tackled a huge range of topics this year, and our journalism has made a difference in our community — from in-depth investigations to insightful trend stories and poignant profiles. Our podcast has allowed you to hear the voices of some of Charlotte’s most intriguing and inspiring personalities.
We can’t look back on a year like this one without feeling incredibly grateful.
We are blessed to be able to work with a stable of Charlotte’s most talented and experienced journalists who share our passion for raising the bar for local news. And we are thankful for the support of our paying members and sponsors, whose generosity is the fuel that allows us to keep growing each year.
If you’re not a paying Ledger member and would like to receive full access to all we produce and to support our mission to provide quality journalism to Charlotte, you can do that here:
We hope you enjoy these stories (presented in no particular order):
◼️ “As the floods subside, uncertainty rises”
Just days after devastating flooding swept through Western North Carolina, with the scope of the damage still uncertain, The Ledger’s Lindsey Banks captured the scene and the shock in a way that only a native of the area could have done. This piece was the first of dozens Lindsey went on to write about the flooding aftermath and recovery in the mountains. The day after this article was published, The Ledger launched the Mountain Updates pop-up newsletter, which readers nationwide have relied on for news out of the region.
◼️ “Farewell to a paper route”
After The Charlotte Observer announced its plan to end morning print delivery via newspaper carrier and begin delivering through the U.S. Postal Service, Cristina Bolling tagged along on one of 40-year veteran Leigh Robinson’s last overnight routes. For Robinson, nightly deliveries were more than a job — they were a lifeline for her customers and a connection to a vanishing era of print journalism. Robinson’s story offered a window into the personal and societal shifts in a changing media landscape.
◼️ “Surviving the corporate jargon jungle”
In a column detailing her battle against corporate-speak, Page Leggett describes the many word crimes against clarity that she endured at a job at a global financial institution — from “deliverables” to “four-blockers” to “learnings.” The piece prompted readers to “circle back” with their own examples.
◼️ “Inside Aldersgate’s financial woes”
One of our most-read and most-discussed articles of the year was Cristina’s up-close look at the mounting tensions and whistleblower concerns about financial management at Aldersgate, the east Charlotte retirement community. Public records, including emails from staff, residents and regulators, shed light on rising debt and frustration over fee hikes and reduced services.
When betting on sports became legal in North Carolina in March, a lot of media covered the story. But how many publications showed you how to turn the promotional bets offered by the online casinos into $600+ in actual money? We’re aware of one: The Charlotte Ledger. We subsequently had a handful of people tell us they followed executive editor Tony Mecia’s step-by-step instructions to make hundreds of dollars, too. Now that’s news you can use!
◼️ “When your doctor’s visit comes with a hospital fee — but no hospital”
Rebecca Smith, a breast cancer survivor, faced a shocking rise in medical bills after Novant Health added $400 in “hospital facility fees” following its acquisition of her doctor’s oncology practice. These fees, commonly tacked onto services at hospital-owned clinics, significantly increase costs for routine visits and procedures. This article by writer Michelle Crouch, published via The Ledger’s partnership with North Carolina Health News, dives into the implications of these fees. Hospitals argue the fees cover operational costs, while critics say they inflate healthcare expenses unnecessarily. Legislative attempts to regulate these fees in North Carolina have faced opposition.
◼️ “A law enforcement widow’s mission”
Kelly Weeks’ husband, U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, was killed in an April shootout in east Charlotte. Despite the tragedy and her insurmountable grief, she has been moved by immense community and organizational assistance. Weeks now speaks publicly to honor her husband’s legacy, encouraging people to back law enforcement through donations or simple gratitude. She spoke at a Rotary Club of Charlotte meeting in November to share her story, and we captured her moving message. 🎧 You can listen to Weeks’ speech on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast. (Thanks to Charlotte Rotary for allowing us to share the audio.)
◼️ “CMS music programs battle failing instruments”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ band and orchestra directors say their meager repair budgets are hurting their programs, and in some cases leaving students without an instrument to play. Schools in less affluent areas struggle more due to a lack of support from booster programs, and after the publication of this article, the Charlotte Symphony said it was taking on the issue to try to help.
◼️ “Charlotte’s ‘doctor of bras’ is in”
Julia Rich, better known as “Peaches,” is renowned for her ability to guess bra sizes with precision, earning her a loyal following as a lingerie fit specialist at SouthPark Mall. With a background as a performer, including singing and playing piano professionally, Peaches transitioned to bra fitting 17 years ago. She finds fulfillment in boosting women's confidence with properly fitted bras. After this Ledger article by Lindsey Banks, Peaches retired from her job at Nordstrom in February 2024 and has since moved into a new job in the lingerie department at Dillard’s in SouthPark Mall.
◼️ “Blume Studios’ ‘Infinite’ virtually unbelievable”
Ledger arts critic Lawrence Toppman has a knack of making readers feel like they’re having an experience alongside him, and in this review of the virtual reality experience “Space Explorers: The Infinite” (which runs through Jan. 5 at Blume Studios) he brings us with him into outer space and within the walls of the International Space Station.
Ways of Life
From our weekly subscriber-only obituaries newsletter:
In this heartfelt article in the Ledger’s Ways of Life weekly obituaries newsletter, frequent Ledger contributor Ken Garfield captures the raw, complex emotions of navigating life after loss. After the passing of her husband, Henry, a beloved Charlotte marketer and storyteller, Ann Bostic has been processing her grief with equal parts resilience and humor. Henry donated his body to science, and when his cremains unexpectedly arrived on the day before their wedding anniversary, it sparked both laughter and deeper reflection during a poignant holiday season.
◼️ “A welcoming voice to the world of wine”
When Anthony “Wes” Wesley, the longtime sommelier at Charlotte’s McNinch House Restaurant, died of cancer at age 73, he left a lasting legacy of warmth, wine expertise and hospitality. His engaging personality, deep wine knowledge and nonjudgmental approach made wine accessible and enjoyable for countless diners during his 22-year tenure. Ledger contributor Marty Minchin writes that Wesley was so loved, some diners cried at their tables when staff broke the news of his death.
Transit Time
From our weekly newsletter on transit and transportation, in partnership with WFAE:
◼️ In-depth coverage of Charlotte’s new transit plan
The Charlotte region’s long-stalled transit plan finally took some big steps forward in 2024, and our Transit Time newsletter kept readers ahead of the curve by breaking news and adding valuable insights and analysis. WFAE’s Steve Harrison was quick to piece together that a new funding plan under discussion could doom the idea of light rail to Matthews. We examined what stepped-up road funding might look like, broke down the basics of the revised plan and answered reader questions. We’ll stay on it in 2025.
◼️ “Could Charlotte’s streets use some foreign flair?”
One of the best parts of foreign travel is witnessing how other countries operate and asking yourself if such ideas would work in your city. After Tony Mecia visited Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for a week, he shared some of their innovative approaches to transit and transportation, from reflective pendants that people wear when walking at night to digital signs that update bus arrival times. A few weeks later, we shared readers’ examples of smart transit ideas they had witnessed while traveling.
Fútbol Friday
From our weekly newsletter on Charlotte FC:
◼️ “10 things we’ve learned about Charlotte FC’s ‘gaffer’”
Dean Smith became Charlotte FC’s head coach at the tail end of 2023, and in this insightful and fun-to-read piece, Ledger sportswriter Carroll Walton introduces us to Smith and shares little tidbits, from why he doesn’t like being called “coach” to why he’s a big deal in British soccer circles.
◼️“She keeps Charlotte FC well nourished”
Charlotte FC’s team dietitian Alicia Fogarty balances her role as a “team mom” with her expertise in nutrition, creating personalized meal plans and incorporating “stealth health” to optimize players’ performance and recovery. Drawing on her experience as a mom of four and her background in sports nutrition, Fogarty tailors meals to accommodate the diverse palates of the international roster while fostering a sense of home and peak athletic conditioning for the team.
🎧 The Charlotte Ledger Podcast
We released 50 podcast episodes this year — interesting interviews with local leaders in a wide range of fields. A few of the highlights:
“Laughing all the way, with Brian Heffron of The Comedy Zone”
“Shaping Charlotte through thoughtful planning, with Douglas Welton”
“Behind ‘Charlotte Squawks,’ with lawyer/comedy writer Brian Kahn”
“Supporting women in the workforce, with Emily Jensen Wheeler of Dress for Success Charlotte”
“Leadership lessons from Hugh McColl” (courtesy of Queens University of Charlotte)
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Looking back at our most memorable pieces from 2024 makes us excited for what’s to come in 2025. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and we wish you a happy and healthy holiday week!
—Cristina Bolling, managing editor
The Charlotte Ledger
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman