Morning Minute: Tuesday, April 7, 2020

News About Town: Trash collection will not pick up yard waste and bulk items in order to to allow field social distancing at county facilities. Household trash and recycling pick up will continue on a regular schedule. Yard waste should not be put in trash or recycling cans, but can be dropped off at full-service waste facilities for a nominal fee. County Recycling Centers and Foxhole Landfill will be closed this Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12.

News Around Town: It’s chick season at Renfrow’s. Customers are flocking to the downtown business as early as 8:30 am, even though orders aren’t taken until 9. Expect these first few Friday shipments to sell out quickly. This week there is a 12-chicks-per-customer maximum, which will probably be in place until demand eases.

One Fun Thing: Tonight the moon will be the closest the it gets to the earth all year -- provided the clouds cooperate. It’s gonna be big and it’s gonna be bold; it’s the Super Pink Moon. Get out there and howl.

Morning Minute: Monday, April 6, 2020

News About Town: NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a burn ban for Mecklenburg County. The ban started April 3 at 5 pm, banning burning yard waste (already not allowed in Matthews) and campfires. Portable gas stoves or grills are still allowable.

News Around Town: If you’ve been sewing masks but don’t know where to donate them, CMS Schools need some for food services workers. Want more information? Email board member Carol Sawyer for further details.

If you need printed packets of K-3rd grade materials for your CMS student, they are available from local lunch program pick-up sites today (Monday, April 6) from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. For Matthews residents, the closest two locations are Greenway Park Elementary and Crown Point Elementary.

Morning Minute: Friday, April 3, 2020

News Around Town: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Livable Meck understands that home isn’t always a safe place for children, and getting help can be especially difficult during extended times away from school. For those who need support, Livable Meck Partners Safe Alliance and Pat's Place Child Advocacy Center are still serving the community.  Safe Alliance's HOPE Hotline (980-771-4673) is staffed 24/7 and anonymous.

Parents rejoice! CMS student packets will NOT be available for pick up tomorrow (Friday, April 3). As we hear more we’ll update you.

Tie a purple ribbon around the old oak tree (or new mail box.). Novant Health is asking the community members to tie a purple bow in front of their homes to show community-wide support of those in the medical care field. share photos by tagging @NovantHealth and #thankyounh on your social media outlets of choice.

Morning Minute: Thursday, April 2, 2020

News About Town: Since the shooting of Mr. Brett Thomas Butler on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Matthews Police Department was investigating the incident. Through collaboaration with CMPD, the FBI Violent Criminal Task Force, Stallings Police Department, Monroe Police Department, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office, police were able to identify, locate, and apprehend the person responsible, a17-year-old male, yesterday, April 1, 2020.

Don’t Forget: We have art prompts from Eileen Schwartz (@healingartforcaregivers). Don’t forget to follow along and post it to your Insta, use #Art_stayathome to share your creation. Don't have an Instagram account? Post it on our Facebook page and email it to Eileen at eileen@healingart4caregivers.com.

News Around Town: Missing your favorite classes at the Community Center? Matthews Parks and Rec Department made a handy dandy list of teachers who have online resources available (see image below).

Morning Minute: Wednesday, March 32, 2020

News About Town: Hired by the Town of Matthews, Blythe Construction will begin repaving select town-owned roads this month. Moore, Bubbling Well, Kimway, Matthews Plantation, and a portion of Reverdy are included on the project list. To see the full list of roads on the schedule, visit the town website.

From the County: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools will begin fourth-quarter content no later than Monday, April 6. Learning packets will be available for each pre-kindergarten through third grade student at local school lunch sites. For Matthews, Crown Point Elementary is the closest site. Work will also be available to print at home from the CMS website. Your child’s school will provide additional information.

From the State: Thursday, April 2 at 6 pm, tune in to learn about the local response to Coronavirus. Representatives Rachel Hunt, Wesley Harris, and Brandon Lofton are hosting COVID-19 Town Hall, with special guest Roland Bibeau, President of Novant Health Matthews Medical. Register here.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Business Changes: Your Mom’s Donuts will now be open at the Matthews location, Wednesday through Saturday am to 2 pm, Sunday 8 am to 2 pm. Thursday’s get a dozen for $20. With expanded grocery options, pickup days are now Wednesday and Saturday. Cutoff times for orders are Monday and Thursday, both at 10 pm.

Jekyll & Hyde has decided to cancel curb side pickup service. With the Stay At Home order, they decided to put their staff first. Jekyll & Hyde will once again serve the community once the pandemic passes.

If Novant is your health care system, their dedicated drive-up screening centers are available Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm to help you determine if you should be tested for the coronavirus, without leaving your vehicle. Use Novant’s GoHealth Urgent Care Centers for weekend screening and testing.

News Around Town: If you’re spending your days gardening, a seed chart might help you figure out what to plant when.

Don’t Forget: We have art prompts from Eileen Schwartz (@healingartforcaregivers). Don’t forget to follow along and post it to your Insta, use #Art_stayathome to share your creation. Don't have an Instagram account? Post it on our Facebook page and email it to Eileen at eileen@healingart4caregivers.com.

Morning Minute: Monday, March 30, 2020

News About Town: Last week the Town of Matthews hosted a video teleconference for businesses in Matthews in relation to the Stay at Home Order and the coronavirus pandemic. The video has been posted to the Town’s website. Helpful topics include resources from the Small Business Administration, insight from Tory Summy, Associate with Parker Poe Attorneys and Counselors at Law, and comments from the Matthews Chamber of Commerce.

News Around Town: Families in need of food have an additional resource for non-perishable food items in Matthews. Crestdale Middle School is distributing groceries on Saturdays from 9 am to noon in the bus lot, by the cafeteria, using in a "drive-thru" format. If you would like to donate, donations are accepted in the main office Monday through Friday from 9 am until 2 pm. The school is asking for the following non-perishable food items: dried pasta/rice, pasta sauces, canned meats (tuna, chicken, etc.), instant mac-n-cheese / ramen, cereal/cereal bars/granola bars, peanut butter/jelly, canned pasta (Chef Boyardee / Spaghetti-Os), canned soups, canned fruit/apple sauce. The following hygiene items will also be accepted: feminine hygiene products, shampoo, bar soap, lotion, Lysol/Clorox wipes/hand sanitizer. If you have questions, contact Principal Jennifer Schroder at 980-343-5755 or jennifer.schroder@cms.k12.nc.us  

One Good Thing: If you’ve found yourself welcoming robocalls and over-the-phone salespeople, Matthews Police want you to be aware. There are coronavirus scams already taking over the phone lines. Their advice? Hang up on robocalls, don’t answer texts or calls about checks from the government, and be extra wary of phishing emails. Find out more on their Facebook post and through the Federal Trade Commission's website.

Don’t Forget: We had art prompts over the weekend from Eileen Schwartz (@healingartforcaregivers). (Saturday here, Sunday here.) Don’t forget to follow along and post it to your Insta, use #Art_stayathome to share your creation. Don't have an Instagram account? Post it on our Facebook page and email it to Eileen at eileen@healingart4caregivers.com.

Morning Minute: Friday, March 27, 2020

News From the Town: Police Chief Clark Pennington popped onto social media yesterday to briefly explain what might happen to those who do not follow the Stay at Home Order.

News From the County: With the newly enacted Stay at Home Order, some County residents may need the information in their first language. Mecklenburg County has provided the order summary (available here) in Arabic, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Telugu, and Vietnamese. You can also find a longer FAQ in English and in Spanish there as well. 

Have questions? Call Mecklenburg County's COVID19 helpline at 704-353-1926. Looking for county COVID19 updates? Visit mecknc.gov/covid-19. For text updates from the state, text COVIDNC to 898211. 

One Good Thing: It’s Day 2 of art prompts from Eileen Schwartz (@healingartforcaregivers). Join in and post it to your Insta, use #Art_stayathome to share your creation. Don't have an Instagram account? Post it on our Facebook page and email it to Eileen at eileen@healingart4caregivers.com.

News for Essential Workers: As a nonprofit, it is COSKids’ mission to help families with educational, financial and spiritual support. As required by recent state and county orders, COSKids is supporting those families who are essential workers. To support Matthews through this current crisis, the organization is making a limited number of classroom spots available for the first responders and health care workers in the Matthews community. The openings are for infants through 5th grade and the hours are 6:30 am - 6 pm. Call 704-756-8817 for additional information or to register.

Morning Minute: Thursday, March 26, 2020

News About Town: Unsure what a Stay At Home Order is? Mayor John Higdon made a quick video to explain. He also cites some useful resources in just under two and a half minutes. Pour a morning coffee and give it a watch. 

News Around Town: If you’ve been looking for a way to help the larger community with coronavirus relief, COVID-19 Greater Charlotte Area Mutual Aid (COVID-GCA) is a good resource. The organization’s mission “caters to individual and community needs by consolidating resources, fostering solidarity, and distributing immediate aid during the coronavirus health crisis.” Available on both on Facebook, a great resource for quick updates, and as a website, which is well-organized for finding specific resources, COVID-GCA is impressively comprehensive. Efforts include finding resources for local nonprofits, matching elementary and middle school students with tutors from high schools and colleges, and providing a collection of links to government agencies for reliable information.

One Good Thing: Eileen Schwartz knows how much art enhances life. She teaches therapeutic and healing art with area veterans, residents with special needs, and people with dementia at the McDowell Arts Center. While the arts center is closed, Eileen has created a series of daily art prompts. Join in by following @healingartforcaregivers. We've included today's prompt here to get you started, and will continue as long as Eileen continues! Post it to your Insta and use #Art_stayathome so we can see the beauty you're creating. Don't have an Instagram account? Post it on our Facebook page and email it to Eileen at eileen@healingart4caregivers.com.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Countrywide: Don’t forget the Census! “Not enough time” is no longer an excuse.

From the Town: Yesterday the County issued a Stay at Home Order. What does that mean? Only essential businesses will remain open. Essential businesses include government offices, mailing and shipping services, groceries, hardware and agricultural supply stores, gas stations, construction, and limited other services. This order goes into effect on Thursday at 8:00 am. Here is a link to the order. For information from the Town of Matthews, visit the town’s website. For further clarification, call the Mecklenburg County Stay at Home helpline (704) 353-1926. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Local Businesses: The Town of Matthews invites business owners to join a video conference call tomorrow: 

"Matthews Business Owners: In light of today's announcement from Mecklenburg County that a Stay at Home Order will go into effect on Thursday, March 26, we know there are likely many questions and concerns for you and your business. We invite you to join us for a video conference call on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. The goal of this conference call is to provide you with as much information and resources as possible. If you would like to join the call, please send an email with your name and business to matthews@matthewsnc.gov to register."  

Primavera Pizza, 1319 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, is open for take out.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, March 24, 2020

From the State: Yesterday, Governor Cooper signed an executive order stating schools will remain closed until at least May 15. The governor also issued the closure of gyms, health clubs, barbershops, salons, and other similar businesses, effective Wednesday at 5 pm.

From the County: CATS buses and rail lines will operate on a modified schedule seven days-a-week, focusing on most popular routes and times. To allow for greater distancing with drivers, fare will be free.

From the Town: Republic will implement changes to waste to pick up starting today. Bulk item pick-up and yard waste collection are suspended. All trash must be in the cart for pick-up. 

Park restrooms and play equipment are closed for public use to encourage social distancing.

Local Businesses: UPS Stores will remain open as essential businesses. MB, the Sycamore Commons UPS Store owner, let us know they’re open and offering full services, including printing and shipping in support of those who can’t access offices and are working from home.

Weaver, Bennett, and Bland have some advice for business owners and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

The Town also has a summary addressing the basics of the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

Morning Minute: Monday, March 23, 2020

Of the 255 coronavirus cases in North Carolina (as of 10 am Sunday), 80 are in Mecklenburg County; three or fewer of those cases are in the 28105 zip code. Positive results are increasing dramatically, partly due to more availability of tests. As of Friday at noon, there were 37 cases reported in Mecklenburg County. Most surprising is that 48.8% of those positives are people between the ages of 20 and 39.

Map via Mecklenburg County's website

Look on our website for a list of small, locally-owned restaurants (in Matthews or owned by Matthews residents) offering take out. To be certain we're missing some, so send them our way if you notice ones that are missing. Also, be sure to call and make sure they're open. Everything feels in flux and businesses have to make decisions quickly.  

A few restaurants have created Go Fund Me fundraisers. The Loyalist has one to continue providing sandwiches for kids in the school lunch program. Stumptown Station's Go Fund Me is for their employees who can't continue to work since bars were forced to close. Char Bar corporate closed all of its restaurants, letting its employees go, but the manager created a Go Fund Me for those let go.  

Retail businesses are hurting, too. We're working on a list of businesses that have remained open, similar to the restaurant list. We have an update from Friday's newsletter: Renfrow’s couldn't keep social distancing protocols in place with their traditional set up. The hardware store may reopen on a Tuesday through Friday schedule with curbside ordering and fulfillment. Check the Renfrow Facebook page for further updates.  

Morning Minute: Thursday, March 19, 2020

With the closure of restaurants and bars, keep in mind many places still offer to-go meals. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but is a list of restaurants advertising take out on social media: Dorian’s Deli, Exchange Pizza Depot, El Valle, GoGo Empanadas, Kristopher’s, the Loyalist Market, Moe’s Original BBQ, Santé, Your Mom’s Donuts (online ordering here). Your Mom’s Donuts is also carrying some goods from local farms, such as meats and jams. They make bread in-house, so odds are good they’ll have bread even when the grocery store is out.

Meanwhile, Stumptown Station, a craft cocktail bar In downtown, was forced to close and the staff of 7 have no alternative income. Brandon, one of the owners, has started a Go Fund Me for the employees. 

Renfrow’s is open and helping people with the hospitality we’ve all come to appreciate from If you’d rather, they are also offering curbside service for staple products (chicken feed, honey, sweets syrup, birdseed, deer corn). Order online and let them know when you arrive. For up to the minute info, check the Renfrow Facebook page or call the store at 704-847-4088. 

The Matthews Community Farmers’ Market will be open this Saturday at 8 am. Precautions will be in place to limit personal contact. If you can, order and pay ahead. Your items will already be packaged and waiting for you at the market, avoiding further handling of products and money. See the full list of vendors here.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Town of Matthews is closing facilities through May 8. Advisory and committee meetings are also canceled through May 8. The March 23 Board of Commissioners meeting has been canceled. The April meetings will be considered closer to the meeting dates. Further information can be found on the Town’s website.

The Matthews HELP Center is also taking coronavirus precautions:

• The Financial Assistance and Social Service department will be open by phone appointment only Monday- Friday from 9:30- 1:30 for urgent and life essential needs.  Call (704) 847-8383 or visit the website at www.matthewshelpcenter.org and send their team an email.

• The Food Pantry is offering curbside service. If you need food assistance please call ahead at (704) 847-8383.

• The Treasures Thrift Boutique is closed until further notice. Please do not leave donations.

For those with job uncertainty, NC Department of Employment Security has a You Tube video of how to file an unemployment claim.

Matthews-based law firm Garrity & Gossage is collecting non-perishables for seniors and families in our area. Check out their Amazon list to make purchases and have them shipped directly to our office. Staff will deliver to seniors and arrange for families to pick up what they need.

Greater Charlotte YMCAs are also closed. If you’re a member they are offering Some online classes. If you’re not a member, many other websites are offering free classes. Website Mind Body Green is waiving fees on a few holistic wellness classes. Planet fitness is streaming free classes on their Facebook page, open to members and nonmembers.

K-12 public schools are closed. Teachers are sending out curriculum but there are plenty of online learning opportunities. Check out Mr. B’s music lessons, and Mrs Green’s art lessons. Looking for science? Check out the Cincinnati Zoo’s online safari.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Healthcare: Novant has a helpful webpage with important information about Coronavirus.

There are two coronavirus testing sites in Matthews: Tryon Medical Group has opened one at the former Rite Aid at the John and 51 intersection (630 Matthews Township Parkway), and Novant has one at by the Brace Y (3330 Siskey Parkway).

School Lunches: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are providing free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches for children under 18 starting today, March 17. Meals will be available Monday through Friday between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. The pick up location in Matthews is at Crown Point Elementary.

In addition to the Loyalist Market, Kristopher’s (250 North Trade St.) is offering free lunches for kids on the school lunch program. Stop by and order from a server between 11 am and 3 pm.

Closures: All Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries will close tomorrow at 5 pm and into the foreseeable future. Yes, that includes the Matthews branch. The good news is that all their online resources are still available.