Elizabeth Laseter and Shelby Houlihan had never raced head-to-head. Their first matchup came down to Laseter’s last beer and a sprint finish.

After an HOA ruling, the creator of “High Flying Lights” is offering to lower the brightness and eliminate projecting fixtures.

After more than three decades on Charlotte’s airwaves, Lynch is choosing her own exit — and thanking the city she says gave her a home.

Brandi Carlile tried turning the venue into a rock arena, church revival, comedy club and neighborhood bar. Here’s how she fared with that.

You may have heard his music booming before you ever saw his sedan. I went looking for the driver — and found more mystery than I expected.

It started with an idea for sleep kits. It ended with five Myers Park students taking a much bigger question to the superintendent of CMS.

It started with an idea for sleep kits. It ended with five Myers Park students taking a much bigger question to the superintendent of CMS.

Teenagers don’t always show us when they’re struggling. The Charlotte Observer is hosting a talk about what to look for, what to say and how to help.

Companies wanted employees back. Employees figured out exactly how attendance was being measured. You can probably guess what happened next.

Mötley Crüe brought the hair, leather, fire, sex and glorious ridiculousness back to NC. Most of it still works. One important part doesn’t.

I tried a strange experiment on Charlotte’s roads this week. By the end of it, I understood something about privacy that I hadn’t before.

The answer involves Marcus Mumford roaming Spectrum Center, a “sweat monster,” plenty of fire and one hilariously appropriate final song.

As newcomers reshape Charlotte’s religious landscape, churches are confronting a tricky question: How much does the name on the sign matter?

Charlotte’s run-club boom isn’t just about running. It’s about finding the kind of community where somebody knows your name.

In 2022, its 1,500 available spots didn’t even sell out. In 2023, it took at least a month. Now? Chaos.

Alysa Nahmias wasn’t looking for the cookie-selling stars. She was looking for girls with stories to tell — and found one in Olive Gordon.

To understand how this Charlotte neighborhood became known for eating, drinking and occasionally finding a boot on your wheel, read this.

Théoden Janes: For decades, the neighborhood’s affordable storefronts gave independent entrepreneurs room to experiment. That runway may be disappearing.

From cooler weather to a weathered farmhouse on stage to the strains of “Sweet Caroline,” the sold-out show oozed with Northeastern flavor.

From a distance, it might look like they’re just arguing over a gym. I don’t think that’s what this fight is about at all.

Théoden Janes: I was skeptical when I went to check out “Toy Story 5” on three screens spanning 270-degrees. Here are my candid impressions.

After an 18-year absence, the band returned to Charlotte to kick off the U.S. leg of its “Power Up” tour. Here’s what Théoden Janes thought.

Théoden Janes: At first glance, his new book’s title sounds like another lament for the decline of local newspapers. It isn’t.

They thought they were buying independence for their kids. Instead, many landed at the center of one of Charlotte’s most divisive debates.

So we checked with six comedy insiders — from open-mic hosts to touring comics — who explained where things stand, what’s working and what’s still missing.

Reporting on local comics led our reporter to an uncomfortable realization: The only way to understand bombing was to try stand-up himself.

A year and a half in, Duckworth’s is making the room bigger — a sign of both its own success and Charlotte’s growing appetite for stand-up.

What happened midway through the Charlotte stop on “The All-American Road Show” may explain his enduring appeal better than any hit song.

A fictional golfer came to Pinehurst. The surprising part wasn’t that Will Ferrell stayed in character — it was that everyone else did, too.

Théoden Janes: Now that he’s no longer fighting court cases and serving time, the rapper known as Fetty P Franklin says he’s having the time of his life.

Area families describe waitlists, tough tradeoffs and backup plans layered on top of backup plans. The reasons run deeper than many realize.

Opening night at Bank of America Stadium showed why Post Malone and Jelly Roll — stars with wildly different styles — make a unique pairing.

From students and families, the story of how one of Charlotte’s largest high schools has navigated losing eight current or former students to suicide since 2021.

The “Don’t Stop Believin’” band’s “farewell” stop at Spectrum Center ended with an intriguingly non-final goodbye from singer Arnel Pineda.

No pyrotechnics. No giant spectacle. Just Sting, two bandmates and iconic hits reshaped through restraint, improvisation and extended jams.

As he faces cancer, the 94-year-old evangelist and brother-in-law of Billy Graham says attentiveness and connection matter more than ever.

The “Romantic Tour” stop in Charlotte confirmed him as one of pop’s great live performers — even if his encore choice left some fans cold.

Throughout Monday, The Charlotte Observer is tracking finish times for runners from Charlotte and nearby communities at the storied race.

After fast marathon debut, this Ardrey Kell and Naval Academy alum is lining up in Boston Marathon ahead of starting Nuclear Power School.

Stay-at-home mom Erin Del Giudice ran 100 miles a week while building her training around preschool drop-offs, stroller runs and real life.

The rapper’s concert featured pyro, pole dancing, $500 tickets, 37 songs — and a 12-minute twerk-off that featured a wardrobe malfunction.

The “Star Trek” icon brings “The Wrath of Khan” tour to Ovens Auditorium — and reflects on aging, performance and “walking a gangplank.”

Brooke Lee landed a big Chevy ad and headlining shows, but also still in a “janky apartment.” Her story of trying to “make it” in Nashville.

Before Sydney Sweeney played her in a new movie, Christy Martin spent years in Charlotte rebuilding her life — quietly, and mostly unknown.

Eric Church asked Charlotte for patience. For much of the night, he got it — and eventually turned it into something worth shouting about.

Just back from Seoul, I walked into a sold-out TWICE show in Charlotte and wondered: Does K-pop hit the same here? Here’s what I saw.

Two years after a man aided my birth family search in Seoul, I had a fresh chance to ask him about it — and I now have a fresh perspective.

It boasts 160,000 residents and 100,000 workers, yet isn’t known for good dining options. Here’s why — and what might be starting to shift.

She once was afraid to say she wanted to sing. In June, Carter Faith will return to Charlotte as a rising country star — for a stadium show.

A pediatrician examining Annie Smith’s older brother noticed a bruise on the 6-year-old’s leg — which led to a rare and harrowing diagnosis.