Oh, the Places They Went!
Plus: New crossword themed to 247-year-old event — and news of the week: McCrory blown out, new/old City Council faces, new CMS high school, travel agent feud, Chambers forfeits football games
Good morning! Today is Saturday, May 21, 2022. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.
Need to subscribe — or upgrade your Ledger e-newsletter subscription? Details here.
Today’s Charlotte Ledger is sponsored by The Mint Museum, which is celebrating “Craft in the Laboratory: The Science of Making Things,” Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22, at Mint Museum Uptown. Hear from world-renowned artists and learn about the science behind the art on view in the Craft + Design Galleries. Museum admission is FREE.
Column: What do ‘Hootie’ singer, Alex Murdaugh and Columbia’s mayor have in common? They show the many possibilities after college.
Recent fresh-faced college graduates are entering a world filled with possibilities. Where will they and their classmates end up? People who attended the University of South Carolina in the late 1980s and early ’90s took many different paths, including some eye-opening ones, writes Colleen Brannan (who is in the upper right of the Kappa Delta sorority photos from that era).
By Colleen Brannan
College graduation is in full swing with tassels turning and caps being tossed across the land. It’s a time when anything seems possible.
Who will these kids become? Will they achieve their dreams or find new ones? Will they stumble or take a wrong turn and end up somewhere unexpected? Dr. Seuss captured all of these feelings in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” a perennial graduation gift favorite.
This got me thinking about my own college graduation from the University of South Carolina three decades ago and what became of some of my fellow Gamecocks. Many are right where I’d expect them, scattered around the Carolinas, working as teachers, accountants and in the family business, some even returning to their hometowns they couldn’t wait to escape as 18-years-olds. Others deserve either a WOW, LOL, OMG or NFW for the places they went including:
◼️ TOP OF THE CHARTS: I was fortunate to be a freshman at the University of South Carolina when the band Hootie & the Blowfish formed in 1986. For my entire college experience, they were a staple at our favorite Columbia bars and sorority formals. While I knew the other three band members socially, Darius Rucker was a friend, so it’s been fun to watch his career unfold from Hootie frontman to country solo artist.
One time, I took a group of girls to see him play at the N.C. Music Factory’s amphitheater, and we wound up at the “meet and greet” backstage beforehand. Somehow, a photo of Darius and me in front of the Eiffel Tower made the rounds on Facebook, making my friend Ruthie text me and ask, “Are you in Paris with Darius?” No such luck, Ruthie, that was a backdrop for the meet and greet, but I sure wish I still had that photo. While Darius and I don’t keep in touch anymore, we follow each other on Twitter. So that’s something, right?
◼️ JAIL: Meanwhile, down yonder at the fraternity quad was a guy named Alex Murdaugh, who took every opportunity to spar with me, about anything and everything. I was not aware of — and therefore not impressed by — his family’s legal dynasty and extreme wealth. We tolerated each other, at best, and that’s only because my sorority (Kappa Delta) and his fraternity (Kappa Alpha) socialized together.
My sorority sister, Maggie Branstetter, married him and seemingly lived the good life in Hampton County, S.C., for more than three decades. Sadly, she and her youngest son, Paul, were shot to death at the family hunting lodge in June of last year. Those crimes are still unsolved, but Alex remains a “person of interest” and is being held in the Richland County, S.C., jail. He is charged with crimes ranging from stealing millions from his law clients to lying to police about a bizarre roadside shooting incident he staged so his remaining son could collect on life insurance (according to his own attorney). He has not entered a plea to the charges.
I highly recommend the riveting “Murdaugh Murders” podcast with Mandy Matney of FITS News if you have a long drive ahead of you and need some entertainment. Since I’ve already listened to all the episodes, I get my kicks out of wondering if Alex’s inmate jumpsuit matches his orange hair, or if he knows his jail house calls are being recorded.
◼️ THE MAYOR’S OFFICE: To be honest, I lost track of Daniel Rickenmann since college, as he graduated a year after me. Back then, he was a charismatic fraternity boy, a KA brother to Alex Murdaugh and the object of many sorority girl crushes. Today, he is the 45th mayor of the city of Columbia, S.C., so evidently I missed a lot in between.
LinkedIn tells me he is a serial entrepreneur and spent a collective 12 years on the Columbia City Council before seeking higher office. I’m fascinated with his vision and take-charge attitude that comes across loud and clear in his Instagram posts under “colamayor” handle and podcast “Around Town with Cola Mayor.” Many of his social posts beginning with “hey y’all” focus on local businesses, challenges facing the city and what he plans to do about Columbia’s stagnant growth. Seems Cola is in excellent hands.
◼️ HEAVEN: Not to be a downer, but several of my classmates were gone too soon. Two of them played on the University of South Carolina soccer team. My good friend, Gavin Coombs, who I went to high school with and is also the reason I know my husband, passed away this year unexpectedly. He had moved to the West Coast long ago, so we didn’t get to see him often or say goodbye.
That haunts me, as does the death of my dear friend, Tim Sheehy, a goalie I met in the Bates House dorm freshman year. We were instantly friends for life and remained in touch until he died of ALS at age 38. While in New York last week, I had brunch with his widow, Katie, and 18-year-old daughter, Francie. I know Tim would be proud to know she inherited his creative side.
◼️ CHARLOTTE: Just 90 miles from Columbia, no surprise many of my classmates ended up here in Charlotte. I took the more scenic route of DC to Atlanta to Winston-Salem to Charlotte but eventually ended up here to roost 17 years ago. There is a solid Gamecock contingent in this city, including my childhood friend, Julie Ayers, a partner who leads the N.C. tax team for CPA firm Aprio; Julie’s husband, Treven Ayers, chief investment officer at ClearView Wealth Management; Josh Rhoades, director of talent acquisition at Turner Construction; and Joe Hallow, former president and COO of Bissell Hotels, now an investment capital consultant to early-stage companies. According to the U of SC Alumni Association, there are currently 30,000 Gamecock alumni in the greater Charlotte area, and The Charlotte Gamecock Club is one of the school’s top alumni organizations.
The moral of the story: Graduation is a fresh start, and you can’t possibly know where you’ll end up. But you can make good choices to affect that outcome.
I hope these cautionary and inspirational tales of my college classmates, combined with this reminder from Dr. Seuss, will help new graduates find their way in life:
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.
Colleen Brannan owns Charlotte-based BRANSTORM PR and is a 1991 graduate of the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism. Her daughter, Phoebe, is headed to the other USC — the University of Southern California — this fall. Follow her on social: IG (Colleen_ Brannan), Twitter (@colleenbrannan) and LinkedIn or email her at colleen@branstorm.com
Today’s supporting sponsors are Heartwood Tree. With over 42 years serving our area, Heartwood has evolved from a group of passionate tree climbers to an award-winning, nationally recognized industry leader. Heartwood’s staff of expert arborists have the knowledge and experience to care for your treescape as if it is their own. …
… and Soni Brendle:
Today’s Charlotte-themed crossword: ‘I Do Declare’
Our weekly crossword is back, and this one might have special significance for those to whom May 20 is an important local date. If you’re feeling a little rebellious, you might give it a try.
Ledger crosswords are created by Chris King, edited by Tim Whitmire and presented by CXN Advisory. Enjoy!
.PDF (suitable for download and printing):
.PUZ (suitable for use on tablets and computers with Across Lite app):
As always, you can check out all of our puzzles and solutions at our dedicated Charlotte Ledger Crossword page. (We’ll include the solution to this one in Monday’s newsletter)
This week in Charlotte: City Council changes coming, grappling with formula shortage, Chambers forfeits football games and a new CMS high school on the way
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
Election wrap-up: (Ledger) Among the biggest surprises in Tuesday’s primary: council member Larken Elgeston and former Mayor Patrick Cannon won’t be returning to the City Council this year; voters elected two new City Council members, Danté Anderson and Marjorie Molina; and former governor and Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory lost to Ted Budd in the Republican Senate primary by 34 points.
General Assembly returns: The General Assembly is reconvening in Raleigh this week, and House Speaker Tim Moore said he’d like to explore “further tax relief” as the legislature drafts a state budget, according to the N.C. Tribune. Other issues the legislature could debate include expanding Medicaid, legalizing medical marijuana and sports gambling and passing new abortion laws.
Education
Another CMS board member leaving: (Observer) School board member Margaret Marshall, who represents part of south Charlotte, announced Friday that she will not run for re-election this year. She follows Rhonda Cheek, who represents north Mecklenburg and said this month that she will step down from the nine-member board.
New high school planned: (Friday 🔒) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials are planning to open a new high school for non-English-speaking students in the fall of 2023. The goal is to raise the graduation rate among English-language learners, which last year was 58%.
Local news
County budget proposed: (WFAE) County Manager Dena Diorio recommended a 2023 county budget on Thursday that does not increase property taxes and provides Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with $20M more than this year, about half of what CMS requested.
Formula shortage: (Ledger) Charlotte-area moms are helping each other through the nationwide shortage of infant formula by turning to local mom-centric Facebook groups, where they’re posting about extra formula stashes they have, formula they see on store shelves, and even offering their own frozen breastmilk.
Business
Fresh renderings of ‘The Bowl’: (Ledger 🔒) Developer Northwood this week released new renderings of “The Bowl” — a portion of the Ballantyne Reimagined mixed-use development that includes shops, restaurants and apartments.
Travel feud: (Ledger 🔒) AAA is accusing the owner of Mann Travels of poaching some of its top agents and benefiting from customer lists and other trade secrets that those agents took before they left. Mann Travels’ owner, Frosch Travel, denies the allegations.
Sports
Chambers forfeits football season: (Observer, subscriber-only) Chambers High School (formerly known as Vance) is forfeiting all of last season’s football games, after the school discovered it used an ineligible player last year. It’s the third Charlotte high school to forfeit games because of ineligible players in the last few months. Chambers’ football team reached the state championship last year.
Big soccer game coming: (Fútbol Friday) Charlotte FC announced it will play an exhibition match at home on July 20 against Chelsea, one of the top teams in the English Premier League. Charlotte FC’s sporting director said: “Playing at home, this team, as it is now, should not fear anyone. And we should play against everybody to win.”
Good reads
A calmer, safer Hopewell High: (WFAE) WFAE’s Ann Doss Helms takes a close look at how Hopewell High School’s staff and families worked together this school year to make the campus a safer, calmer environment for learning. The changes included adding a “Zen Den” where students can relax and decompress.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Gas and diesel: Gas and diesel prices are hitting new highs, and some analysts worry that inflation will keep rising as fuel costs do.
SouthPark rising: The developer of The Colony says he might want taller maximum building heights if the Trianon condos across the street succeed in getting a building that’s 195 feet.
Wednesday Ledger (🔒):
Sign recycling: If you see leftover campaign signs on roadways following Tuesday’s election, you can bring them to Envision Charlotte’s Innovation Barn at 932 Seigle Ave., where they’ll recycled, upcycled or returned to candidates. The environmental group’s hope is to keep signs out of landfills.
Another airport lounge? A rendering the airport released this week shows a new Delta Air Lines lounge, but the airport and Delta say there are no firm plans.
Friday Ledger (🔒):
Matthews comes alive: The town of Matthews is attracting Charlotte restaurants to its downtown, and Amelie’s French Bakery says Amelie’s is in the “early stages” of working on a location there.
Construction art: The nonprofit ArtPop Street Gallery has started working with developers and construction companies to replace drab construction fencing with colorful art. Its first such project is in Ballantyne.
Ways of Life (🔒):
Raptor Center director known as ‘Big Bird’: Jim Warren was a lifelong naturalist and he had a love for non-profits and community engagement, so his job as executive director for the Carolina Raptor Center blended all of his favorite things. He became the best friend of a great horned owl named Dudley, whom he would bring home from the raptor center in a pet carrier and have conversations with. Warren died April 29 at age 64.
Join us for Charlotte Ledger night at ‘Charlotte Squawks’ on June 10; 10% off for Ledger members
Join Ledger editors and readers for a night at the comedy variety show, with a gathering beforehand and a Q&A with “Squawks” creators afterward. Details for Ledger members here (🔒). If you’re not a member, why not join today?
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Sponsorship information: email brie@cltledger.com.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project