The Week We Earned the Tagline
Some weeks, you publish news. This week, we published news that matters.
From the mechanics of the Charlotte City Council at-large race to a DUI arrest in Farmington involving a deeply unfortunate wardrobe choice, the Mercury Local network pushed out 17 original stories across The Charlotte Mercury, We Are Farmington, and Strolling Ballantyne. Every one of them worked toward our mission: explain how power moves, who it touches, and why readers should care.
And for those keeping score at home, we didn’t just cover the news. We helped small businesses, highlighted community clinics, and added critical context to Charlotte’s growing 2025 election cycle.
Let’s break it down.
Charlotte: The Election Engine Roars
The Charlotte Mercury added serious fuel to the civic fire this week:
A surgical explainer on the dynamics of at-large voting, bullet ballots, and partisan imbalance.
Ten Democrats. Two Republicans. Two seats up for grabs. We broke the field down and profiled every candidate.
The kind of guide you wish your Board of Elections sent you. Early voting begins August 15.
Our weekly wrap: veto overrides in Raleigh, campaign filings, and everything in between.
Spoiler: it’s not just about buses. This one’s about how Charlotte grows.
A deep dive into Graham’s transit work, re-election odds, and how District 2 became a campaign bellwether.
Federal policy, meet Charlotte’s housing crunch.
A story buffet: club closures, school board splits, surprise endorsements.
The strategist behind Trump’s Charlotte moves, decoded.
And yes, we’re just getting started.
Ballantyne: Bagels, Benzes, and Better Breathing
Over at Strolling Ballantyne, we kept it hyper-local with four new profiles:
A refreshingly un-clinical take on why allergy care still matters. (Also: 16 clinics. No excuses.)
From Felix Sabates to Penske Group, this dealer’s built on more than torque.
Our August print issue landed. Gallo family. Athlete of the month. A Lexington barbecue pilgrimage.
A travel agency that still answers the phone? Call it the real luxury.
—
Farmington, CT: No Shortage of Violations
Meanwhile, WeAreFarmington delivered peak Connecticut energy—equal parts police blotter and civic service:
Clerk openings. Firefighter jobs. And 20+ board seats for anyone brave enough to volunteer.
You read that headline correctly.
A domestic dispute turned duet. Charges, bail, and a duplex on Plainville Ave.
A man walks into the police station lobby… and walks out in cuffs.
What We Did for Our Partners
This week, our branded storytelling drove meaningful attention to:
- Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center: Connecting patients to real options for testing and relief.
- Mercedes-Benz of South Charlotte: Documenting a dealership’s rise as a community anchor.
- Graceful Getaways Travel: Reminding readers that curated travel isn’t dead—it just got personal.
Our partner articles delivered more than clicks—they delivered clarity. Every one included native links, CTAs, and first-party impressions. No retargeting. No surveillance. Just stories that work.
How We’re Building for Election Season
We’re already publishing field breakdowns, ballot explainers, and legislative context. But this is only the preseason.
Coming this month:
- District-level candidate maps
- Primary timelines with turnout history
- Charter amendment deep dives
- Spotlight pieces on suburban town elections
We’re not covering the 2025 elections. We’re documenting them—in plain English, on public record.
Report Card: Week of July 27 – August 3, 2025
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Original stories published | 17 |
| CLT Mercury stories | 9 |
| WeAreFarmington stories | 4 |
| Strolling Ballantyne stories | 4 |
| Local partners featured | 3 |
| Election articles published | 6 |
| Arrest headlines that made us spit out coffee | 2 |
Want to read everything? You can—because we believe archives shouldn’t be paywalled:
- All CLT Mercury stories
- All Farmington stories
- All Strolling Ballantyne posts
- This blog and past entries
About the Author
Peter Cellino is the founder of Mercury Local and occasionally powered by four-shot cold brews when deadlines get feisty. You can message him directly at @pc51.bsky.social or catch him live on the Mercury Local blog, where all the receipts live.
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This article, “Mercury Local Weekly: August 3, 2025 — Peter Cellino on Coverage, Content, and the Charlotte Campaign Trail,” by Peter Cellino is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Mercury Local Weekly: August 3, 2025 — Peter Cellino on Coverage, Content, and the Charlotte Campaign Trail”by Peter Cellino, Mercury Local (CC BY-ND 4.0)