One of Charlotte’s oldest and most important thoroughfares, Independence Boulevard continues to undergo major transformation.  Our panel will talk about what’s next for the major road as well as the businesses and communities along its length.
Guests
Nancy Carter - Member, Charlotte City Council, Tranportation and Economic Development committe member
Tom Warshauer - Economic Development Director, City of Charlotte
Danny Pleasant - Director, Charlotte Department of Transportation
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We were very excited to have The New Familiars perform live on the show this morning. Here are some of the pictures!  Listen to show

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky is a physicist and author of the recent book, The Physics of NASCAR: How to Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed She joins us on Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins to talk about how she became fascinated with NASCAR through her professional expertise and we’ll talk about some of the physics involved in stock car racing - two things you might not think go together!

Guest

Dr. Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, physicist from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; author, The Physics of NASCAR: How to Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed
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Ira Flatow, host of NPR’s Talk of the Nation Science Friday, will be on the show during this edition of Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins.  We’ll talk about science education and getting the general public interested in science.  We’ll aslo be joined by two local science experts who work towards getting Charlotteans interested in science.
Guests
Ira Flatow - host of NPR’s Science Friday
Dr. Yvette Huet-Hudson - Professor of Biology at UNC Charlotte
Robert Corbin - Science teacher and VP of Learning Experiences at Discovery Place
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We’ll talk to amateur and professional brewers about the home-brewing phenomenon and what happens at a beer festival (besides the consumption of said beer).
Guests
Rick Benfield - President, Carolina Brewmasters Club
John Stritch - President, Carolina Beer and Beverage, Mooresville
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North Carolina is an extremely diverse region with many native plants.  But explosive development and growth brings with it a great deal of landscaping, often with exotic and non-native plants.  Experts say we need to make a move back to more native plant species in our own yards.  We’ll meet some of those experts.
Guests
Carol Buie-Jackson - Habitat Steward with the NC Wildlife Federation
Dr. Doug Tallamy - Author, Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens
Ernie McLaney -  CPCC Center for Sustainability
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The landmark education initiative, No Child Left Behind, has dramatically changed daily life in the classroom.  Teaching to major new tests like the End of Course (EOC) and the End of Grade (EOG) have dominated the curriculum and not always in a positive way according to some critics.  We’ll examine these tests, how they were created, how they work, and how they’ve changed the way teachers teach.
Guests
Dr. Sam Houston - President and CEO, North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center
Dr. Melba Spooner - Chair, Department of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education, UNC Charlotte’s College of Education
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Helen Thayer became the first woman to walk to the North Pole. She was 50 years old at the time. Following that achievement, Helen, her husband, and often who faithful dog Charlie, rack up a string of adventures including walking across deserts, Siberia and living with wolves. Join us to hear about her amazing life.
Guest
Helen Thayer - Author, Explorer
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Today, a look at the health of our region’s infrastructure.  A recent spike in water main leaks has raised awareness of the size and scope of our water, gas, electric and road systems and their current state of repair.  We’ll look at the challenge of maintaining our infrastructure.
Guests
Jim Shumacher - Assistant Charlotte City Manager
Barry Gullet - Deputy Director, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (CMUD)
Dan Pleasant - Interim Director, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Department of Transportation (CDOT)
Tom Williams - Media Relations, Duke Energy
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The excessive use of antibiotics and use of antibacterial soap and other products are helping create “superbugs” that are hard to get rid of.  Today, a conversation about these bacteria and what we can do to protect ourselves.
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