Professional squash returns to Charlotte
CHARLOTTE – The Professional Squash Association will bring top-level squash back to Charlotte with the PSA Charlotte Squash Club Challenger 2025, from Dec. 5 to 7.
The event will feature an international lineup, with players traveling from Pakistan, Egypt, Ukraine, Malaysia and Canada.
Charlotte Squash Club continues the legacy of AussieNick Squash. Since arriving in the U.S. in 2002, AussieNick has built a year-round program offering training, clinics, leagues, equipment support and a junior development pathway.
Charlotte Country Day School students Alexander Varanese and Jackson Varanese will also compete.
Manager and head coach Matt Jenson oversees programs at the club.
“It’s exciting to welcome professional squash back to Charlotte after several years,” Jenson said. “With squash making its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, the sport is gaining tremendous momentum.”
The tournament schedule includes:
• Dec. 5: 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Dec. 6: Quarterfinals 10 a.m., Semifinals 4 p.m.
• Dec. 7: Finals 4 p.m.
Charlotte Squash Club is located at 705 C International Drive.
Union County roads to receive improvements
MONROE – More than 14 miles of roads across Union County will be resurfaced next year, thanks to a $5 million N.C. Department of Transportation contract earned last month by TrueRock Construction LLC of Monroe.
The contract calls for a section of U.S. 74 West from Rocky River Road to Sardis Church Road and a portion of N.C. 207 between Sandy Ridge Road and Joe Collins Road to be milled and resurfaced and for road shoulders to be rebuilt.
Secondary roads are listed in the contract as follows:
• Gray Fox Road between U.S. 74 West and Helmsville Road
• New Town Road between the South Carolina line to south of Meadowlark Lane, continuing toward Waxhaw-Marvin Road
• Doster Road between N.C. 200 and Rocky River Road
• Rehobeth Road between N.C. 75 and Richardson King Road
• Wesley Chapel Road between N.C. 84 and Mollie Irene Drive
• Stack Road between N.C. 207 and Sandy Ridge Road
• Stevens Mill Road between the Mecklenburg County line and Stallings Road
• Nesbit Road between N.C. 200 and Potters Road South
The contractor can start at the end of December and complete all resurfacing maps by spring 2027.
Mecklenburg bridge closes for replacement project
CHARLOTTE – The bridge on Shopton Road over Coffey Creek in southwest Charlotte will be replaced.
The N.C. The Department of Transportation awarded a $6.8 million contract in September. Contractor Blythe Development LLC will replace the 50-year-old, two-lane bridge.
Initial plans were to close the bridge in January. NCDOT staff has had to perform maintenance repairs to the bridge deck in recent weeks, prompting the decision to accelerate the closure.
Shopton Road will be closed during this phase of the project through summer 2027.
Drivers will take an offsite detour along Shopton Road, Steele Creek Road/N.C. 160, Interstate 485 and South Tryon Street/N.C. 49, returning to Shopton Road.
The new structure will be 135 feet long with three 11-foot lanes and sidewalk on both sides.
The contract also calls for vegetation establishment to continue into early 2028.
On the web: DriveNC.gov
Mint Museum holds Jane Austen event
CHARLOTTE – The Mint Museum will celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday.
“The Enduring Art of Jane Austen” takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Mint Museum Randolph.
The event connects literature, history, art, and culture through works on view in the exhibition “Portals to the Past: British Ceramics 1675–1825.”
Mint docents will be stationed at five locations in the exhibition to discuss Regency-era art of dining customs and Austen’s treasured novel “Pride and Prejudice.”
This event is part of the Mint’s series The Art of Dining, a guided tour series led by docents that explores The Mint Museum’s ceramics collection through the lens of dining etiquette and table settings.
On the web: mintmuseum.org/learning-engagement/programs/
Alzheimer’s Association launches brain health tool
CHARLOTTE – The Alzheimer’s Association – Western Carolina Chapter is encouraging residents to try its new Brain Health Habit Builder, a free web-based tool to assess habits and take steps to improve their brain health.
The tool takes about three to five minutes. It encourages users to reflect on their lifestyle habits and commit to small but meaningful changes. Users can download, print and share their plan and choose which habits to prioritize. The tool is optimized for desktop and mobile use.
“Healthy habits can help you live better now and protect your memory and thinking as you age,” CEO Katherine Lambert said. “This new tool makes it easy to check your habits and build a personalized plan to support lifelong brain health.”
Visit alz.org/habitbuilder to get the tool.
LiveLung Charlotte holds music therapy workshop
CHARLOTTE – LiveLung explores music therapy at its next monthly educational meeting.
Dean Quick, board-certified music therapist, describes music therapy in adult oncology as “a research-supported, patient-centered practice that addresses pain, anxiety and emotional well-being during cancer treatment.”
“Music therapy invites a sense of wholeness, even in the midst of fragmentation, helping oncology patients explore meaning, identity and hope through music,” Quick said.
The meeting, which includes a complimentary lunch, will take place at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 9 in room 205 in Covenant Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall, 1000 E. Morehead St., Charlotte.
LiveLung’s educational meetings provide resources and opportunities for lung cancer patients, survivors and their care partners to network. Register at https://www.livelung.org/meetings/charlotte or call 877-311-5864.
Awards to be given at Jazzy Gala
CHARLOTTE – Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture will celebrate culture and creativity Dec. 5 during the Jazzy Gala: Passport Through the Arts.
One highlight is the Spirit of the Center awards. The 2025 honorees are people whose vision, artistry and leadership help shape Charlotte’s cultural scene:
• The Spirit of the Center Award for Legacy is given to Rev. Dr. Herman Thomas, the “founding father” of the Afro-American Cultural Center.
• The Spirit of the Center Award for Community is given to Charles Thomas, program director at the Knight Foundation.
• The Spirit of the Center Award for Arts is presented to Dennis Reed Jr., a musician, songwriter and founder of Inspire the Fire.
Dual roundabouts coming to Northwest Charlotte
CHARLOTTE – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $6.8 million contract for construction of two single-lane roundabouts at Oakdale/Miranda/Simpson roads and Oakdale/Sunset/Miranda roads.
Monroe contractor TrueRock Construction LLC earned the contract and can start work in early January 2026.
Any closures on Oakdale Road will be limited between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Closures on other roads will be allowed in the daytime during non-peak travel times. Restrictions are also in place for holidays and other special events that may generate traffic in the area.
The roadway portion of the project is anticipated to be complete by summer 2027. Landscaping and vegetation establishment can continue into 2028.
On the web: DriveNC.gov
Quick Hits
• The Humane Society of Charlotte raised $27,176.34 during a Giving Tuesday campaign. The nonprofit said the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation would match the donations.
