“Intelligence” tells the true story of two Civil War spies, Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Jane Bowser. Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s director Kwamé Ryan conducted the opera.
For the first time since Jan. 23, we North Carolinians are heading into the weekend without a State of Emergency looming over our heads. That in and of itself is worthy of Good News Friday.
Snow and ice have taken their toll on our state already this year, which has taken up much of the news cycle (rightfully so). In communities throughout the state, however, there are all sorts of small happenings taking place every day that shape people’s lives, for better or worse.
With our weekly Good News Friday column, we’re looking for the better.
I’ll admit that neither a $290 million government contract nor a Grammy Award are “small happenings.” Yes, we’re open to the big good stories as well, but if there’s something small and good occurring in your community, we’d love to hear about it.
Reach out to me at rpitkin@qcnerve.com to share the good news so I can spread it far and wide on Good News Friday.
Forest Service commits $290M to hurricane recovery in western NC
Everyone needs a good neighbor. The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service entered into a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) on Thursday to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina.
According to a release from the NCWRC, the agreement will strengthen communities impacted by the hurricane by speeding up recovery efforts, creating new jobs, and reducing overall recovery costs.
The agreement will empower the NCWRC to perform comprehensive recovery efforts across the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests over the next decade, removing storm debris, repairing roads and recreation areas, managing invasive species, restoring damaged watersheds and improving wildlife habitat.
“Helping communities recover from Helene has been a top priority for the Forest Service since the storm tore through the Southeast more than a year ago,” stated Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz in the release. “North Carolina’s national forests are an economic powerhouse, bringing billions of dollars into local communities through world class outdoor recreation. Restoring access means restoring both livelihoods and the family moments that make these forests so meaningful.”
Charlotte Symphony music director recognized with Grammy Award
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Music Director Kwamé Ryan received his first Grammy Award on Sunday at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, earning Best Opera Recording for Heggie: Intelligence, an opera about two Civil War spies.
Ryan conducted the Houston Grand Opera on the recording, but he’s in North Carolina now and we’re happy to claim him.
With Sunday’s win, Maestro Ryan became the first music director in CSO’s history to receive a Grammy Award. Statewide, he joins Carlos Miguel Prieto, who won Best Classical Album at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2016 before being appointed as music director at the North Carolina Symphony in 2022.
“Kwamé Ryan’s Grammy win reflects what audiences in Charlotte experience every time he steps on the podium,” said CSO President and CEO David Fisk in a release this week. “We are incredibly proud of Kwamé and this well-deserved honor. He brings extraordinary clarity, emotional depth, and purpose to the music, and this recognition underscores the artistic vision shaping the future of the Charlotte Symphony.”
A Trinidad native, Ryan began his tenure as CSO’s music director for the 2024-25 season. He is the first Black maestro in the organization’s history and is now the first Black conductor to win a Grammy for Best Opera Recording. He will be back in Charlotte conducting the CSO in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 from Feb. 13-14 at Belk Theater.
Julio the Dog turns up after 10 months missing
Charlotte resident Jayla Gittens shared the news on Facebook Tuesday that she has been reunited with her French bulldog Julio after the small dog went missing for 302 days. The dog was stolen along with the car it was in at the Alta Croft Apartments in northeast Charlotte on April 6, 2025.
Though the car was recovered days later, according to CBS 17, the dog remained missing until it turned up outside of Animal Care & Control last Friday. Julio was reconnected with Gittens thanks to his microchip.
“Julio is malnourished and has some healing to do, but he’s still his same sweet, lovable self,” Gittens wrote in her Facebook post. “With good food, medical care, and lots of love, he’ll be just fine. I’m grateful that whoever had him ultimately made the right decision to return him.”
