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AUDI-1214 Afternoon Observer | Chambers High’s new name + Bank of America return to office plans

ACTUALIZADO 11 de agosto de 2021 3:00 PM

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It’s Wednesday, Charlotte! Kristen here. Are you in the market to buy a house in Charlotte? If your budget is $330,000 — the most recent median sale price in the Charlotte’s metro area — what you’ll get will be wildly different based on the area you’re looking in. The Observer’s Lauren Lindstrom did some deep diving and uncovered what five properties across the metro area listed near $330,000 were like.

Not looking to buy, but just knowledgeable or curious? Take Lindstrom’s quiz about Charlotte housing. I bet you’ll learn something new — I did!

Now, let’s get into today’s headlines:

1. Chambers High officially & gets (ampersand on sentence) a new name

An official renaming ceremony was held Wednesday for Julius L. Chambers High School, and some people from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board and City Council members attended, along with CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, as reported by the Observer’s Anna Maria Della Costa.

“Thank you for honoring this African-American pillar of our community,” Adams told the crowd.

Why was the school renamed?

The CMS board unanimously voted last fall to change the school’s name to recognize Chambers, who was a prominent civil rights advocate and Charlotte attorney. His legal work led to the district’s desegregation in the 1970s.
The school was originally named for Zebulon B. Vance, a Confederate military captain and later a US senator and the NC governor in the 1800s. He owned slaves and continued to attempt to keep Black citizens from voting after the Civil War.

“Today is a celebration of progress,” school leader Erik Turner said. “I’m honored to be the first principal of Julius L. Chambers High.”

More about Chambers:

He founded the first racially-integrated law firm in the state and took eight cases to the U.S. Supreme Court, winning all of them.
Chambers is credited with winning Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. This case federally mandated school busing and brought about racial integration in schools here and throughout the country.

Chambers High isn’t the only new name in town. Learn more about places up for renaming in Charlotte with the Observer’s Devna Bose.

2. Details on BofA’s back-to-work plans for vaccinated employees

Bank of America’s vaccinated employees can now return to the office, CFO Paul Donofrio confirmed Wednesday.

“We have invited all vaccinated associates back to the office,” with the goal of having all of those workers back by the beginning of September, Donofrio said.

The September benchmark is one that CEO Brian Moynihan has previously cited in public comments for the Charlotte-based bank.

The bank plans to “transition back (to in-person work) slowly” over the next few months, spokesman Mark Pipitone said.

Bank of America has about 16,000 employees in Charlotte and more than 200,000 in total.

Learn more about the reopening with the Observer’s Hannah Lang.

3. Atrium Health news: new locations, upcoming med school

Charlotte-based health care giant Atrium Health is getting even bigger. Here’s what’s going on with Atrium with the Observer’s Hannah Smoot:

Charlotte-based Atrium Health’s partnership adds dozens of locations in 2 other states

On Wednesday, the hospital system announced it has finalized a combination with Georgia-based Floyd health system.
The partnership was announced in November 2019, although slowed by COVID-19, according to Atrium.

Atrium hits ‘crucial milestone’ to opening Charlotte’s first four-year medical school

Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest University have received approval to open the first phase of a medical school in Charlotte through a partnership with Atrium Health.
It’ll start with third- and fourth-year medical students in 2022.
The school will be Charlotte’s first four-year medical school.
The full medical school is expected to open in 2024 with a class of about 48 students.

4. Q&A with new director of Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ youth center

Time Out Youth, a Charlotte-based organization that provides support services to LGBTQ+ youth, has a new executive director.

The new executive director, Sarah Mikhail, says it’s a natural fit for her since she’s enjoyed working with young people since the start of her career.

Details about Mikhail:

She started out as a fashion merchandising major in college, but quickly realized a passion for social work.
She worked in foster care in New York right after graduation and lived in Brooklyn before moving to Charlotte.

“I want to be able to hear [young people] out,” she said. “They know what they need more than I do. I want them to tell us that we either have something to offer them or we’re willing to hear what they need and help them get it.”

The Observer’s Devna Bose interviewed Mikhail this week to find out more about her vision for Time Out Youth. Learn more here.

5. UNCC settles lawsuit over teacher’s alleged sexual misconduct

A lawsuit accusing a UNC Charlotte faculty member of sexually assaulting or harassing multiple female students on overseas trips has been settled for $40,000, as reported by the Observer’s Michael Gordon. The lawsuit was filed by a former student of the instructor. She claimed the teacher groomed her for a sexual relationship that began during a 2017 trip.

As the Observer reported in March, at least four students were sexually assaulted or harassed by history lecturer Robert McEachnie. He was banned from school-sponsored, overseas travel with students in 2019.

UNCC spokeswoman Buffie Stephens did not comment on the settlement Wednesday.

Learn more about the situation with Gordon.

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