Orthodontist in Concord NC

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord family is fighting to keep their chickens.

“We moved here to North Carolina from a big city,” Sommer Celmer said. “We knew nothing about chickens three years ago.”

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But her family has since learned about the birds, especially how good they’ve been emotionally for 11-year-old Nathanial.

“His diagnosis is very rare. It’s called pachygyria and polymicrogyria. It’s a rare brain malformation,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

Nathanial doesn’t speak and, unlike dogs or cats, the chickens come to him without him having to call them.

Celmer says they got the chickens in 2021. She says they checked the City of Concord’s rules -- thought it was OK -- and that no one said otherwise until code enforcement paid them a visit this month.

“My kids were bawling. They were like, ‘Can we sell the house?’ That was their reaction,” she said.

According to Concord’s rules, you can’t have chickens inside the city limits, unless you use your land for agriculture. The Celmers don’t. But they say they’ve been talking to City staff.

“They are working with us,” she said.

They have two main options:

They like the second option better, which would allow other Concord families that don’t have farms either to have chickens too.

“It could be beneficial for everybody,” Celmer said. “We’re hoping, we’re praying it works out.”

People have tried to get the city to allow chickens before, in 2012 and 2017. But city council said no.

If you’d like to propose an amendment in Concord, click here. If you have any questions, call the Concord Planning Department at 704-920-5152.

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CONCORD, N.C. — A home renovator is on a mission to save historic homes in Cabarrus County, which has now put him in the national spotlight.

Channel 9 has reported on Adam Miller before when he split an old house outside of downtown Concord into pieces and moved it to a new property to save it from being torn down.

TikTok home renovator moves historic Concord home in pieces to save it

“I just love old houses,” Miller said.

Miller and his wife take old or historic homes that are on track to be demolished and breathe new life into them.

“You imagine somebody just comes in and tears down your childhood home,” he said. “And it’s where you had Christmases and birthdays. If there’s a shred of survivability in them, then we’re going to try to save them.”

Miller’s work is popular on TikTok, and his account @oldhouseadam has nearly 2 million followers.

Now, Miller will be featured on an episode of Magnolia Network’s “In with the Old.”

“The crazy thing is, as we were just, you know, making videos for fun on the internet one day, and now we’re on a TV show,” Miller said.

In the episode, Miller saves his childhood best friend’s home where they played. They cut the home into pieces, moved it to a new property, and turned it into a forever home in one year. Miller said his friend couldn’t be happier that a new family will get to enjoy his old home.

Miller hopes the episode will spread awareness of his mission and inspire others to do the same.

“We were just completely random people that, you know, loved our town, and we wanted to save some of the history,” Miller said. “And we have a town full of people that feel the same way. And if we can do it, I think other people can go out and save some of these homes.”

The episode of “In with the Old” airs Friday.

VIDEO: TikTok home renovator moves historic Concord home in pieces to save it

CONCORD, N.C. — Characters from classic ‘80s television shows and movies will converge in Concord soon for the annual Mad Monster Party, a three-day fan convention happening Feb. 16-18 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton.

In addition to celebrity meet and greets, dozens of vendors will be selling collectibles and memorabilia, and there will be speaker panels and Q&A sessions.

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Celebrity guests scheduled to appear include: Kevin Spacey (“The Usual Suspects,” “American Beauty,” “Seven”); Kiefer Sutherland (“The Lost Boys,” “Young Guns”); Jason Patric (“The Lost Boys,” “Sleepers”); Lou Diamond Phillips (“Young Guns,” “La Bamba”); John Schneider (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Smallville”); Tom Wopat (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Django Unchained”); Tom Welling (“Smallville,” “The Fog”); Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville,” “Urban Legend”); Shannon Elizabeth (“Scary Movie,” “American Pie”); Taryn Manning (“Orange is the New Black,” “8 Mile”); A. Michael Lerner (“Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers,” “Total Recall”); Marianne Hagan (“Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers,” “Stake Land”); John Glover (“Smallville,” “Scrooged”); Kane (WWE wrestling legend); Tim Cappello (“The Lost Boys,” “Hearts of Fire”); and John Christ (founding guitarist for Danzig).

Convention hours are from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Daily passes start at $35. Three-day passes are also available for $80. Photo ops with celebrity guests need to be purchased separately from admission passes. All prices increase at the door.

Children age 12 and younger will be admitted for free with an adult.

For more information, click here.

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CONCORD, N.C. — After the holidays, the city says downtown construction will move up Union Street. Leaders say they understand why businesses are frustrated but they are committed to making sure they make it through.

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“The overriding question was, ‘What are you willing to give up from cars and give to people?’” said Steve Osborne, the planning director.

After asking businesses and residents that question in 2019, Concord leaders decided on the downtown streetscape project. It will reduce the road and expand the sidewalks to 22 feet wide.

“It just creates a more welcoming place for the community to come and enjoy our downtown,” said Paige Grochoske, the manager for Downtown Development.

It will give more room for businesses and pedestrians and improve landscaping and infrastructure.

“More space for pedestrians. More space for outdoor dining cafes. We’ve got some great streetlights that are coming in, as well as updating the critical infrastructure throughout the street, including water sewer, storm drain, and some of the electrical support for those poles,” said Kaylee Caton, the design manager.

Concord leaders say they understand this hasn’t been easy for downtown businesses and residents. As Channel 9 reported last week, many are reporting slumping sales and the Cabarrus Creamery is temporarily closing as a result.

“It’s our goal to continue to bring people downtown to support these businesses,” Grochoske said.

The city is posting construction updates online and working with groups to offer things, such as Google and social media support to businesses. The city is also offering a matching grant for facade and signage improvements and says business and building property owners can apply.

Contractually, the construction has a substantial completion date of July 2, 2024. However, the city expects some landscaping to be completed in Fall 2024. The contractor may file requests for extensions for reasons beyond its control. The city says examples include weather events and natural disasters, epidemics, or design issues with unknown existing utilities, which result in work stoppages.

Any request for extensions must be approved by the city.

The contract includes liquidated damages of $250 per day past the contract’s substantial completion date.

Press + Porter owner Emily Cordero says she will be watching this closely.

“I’m glad it’s on record,” she said. “They still have to go two more blocks and six months seems like it’ll be here before we know it. So I’ll really be surprised that that July date sticks.”

City leaders give Concord City Council monthly updates on the project and its meetings.

Click here for the most recent construction updates.

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A popular restaurant chain known for its scratch-made Southern food is expanding in the Charlotte region.

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar, based in Asheville, will join seven other newly signed tenants at Christenbury Village in Concord, developer MPV Properties said Wednesday. The 17-acre mixed-use development, about a mile west of Concord Mills, began construction earlier this year.

Tupelo Honey kitchen and bar will debut in fall 2024 in a 5,779-square-foot space with a patio, according to MVP.

Christenbury Village at Christenbury Parkway and Cox Mill Road will be anchored by Winston-Salem-based grocer Lowes Foods. The 52-000-square-foot store is expected to also open in fall 2024, according to MPV.

Tupelo Honey serves brunch, lunch and dinner.

The menu includes Southern dishes such as pimento cheese dip, fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and honey-dusted bone-in fried chicken.

Tupelo Honey opened an uptown Charlotte cafe in 2019.

Founded in 2000, Tupelo Honey has 22 stores in 14 states across the country. There are four stores in North Carolina in with two locations in Asheville, one each in Raleigh and Charlotte, and two in South Carolina in Greenville and Myrtle Beach. Tupelo plans to open eight more stores, including Concord and Columbia, according to the company’s website.

Tupelo Honey will be joined by seven other tenants that have signed leases at at Christenbury Village, MPV said.

Fleet Feet, a California-based running shoe and apparel store, will open next door to Tupelo Honey in a space that is 1,726 square feet.

Other tenants at the center will be Ultra Nail Bar, Cookie Co., Beem Light Sauna, Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming, Petfolk Veterinary Clinic and Heartland Dental.

Christenbury Village — 115,892-square-foot, mixed-use retail center — will have five buildings, plus the grocery store.

According to MPV’s master plan:

Building one is a five-story, mixed-use space with 100 apartments and 14,268-square-feet of retail.

Building two is a two-story, 23,200-square-foot medical office.

Building three is a one-story with 7,505-square-feet of retail space.

Building four is a one-story with 7,649-square-feet of retail space.

Building five is a five-story, mixed-use space with 52 apartments and 11,523-square-feet of retail.

This story was originally published October 26, 2023, 6:13 AM.