Quick hits: BET and bridges

Charlotte named best city in America for black families by BET.com
"Charlotte was named the best city in the U.S. for black families in a new research project announced by BET.com," writes the Charlotte Observer.

"BET.com is an affiliate of Black Entertainment Television. The project studied 22 cities across the U.S. and ranked them based on criteria such as economics, education and crime.

"According to the Web site, Charlotte stood out because it has a 'burgeoning black middle class,' low cost of living, high homeownership rates among blacks, low black poverty rate, proximity to quality colleges and universities, thriving nightlife among other areas. ..."

Old-timey bridges to be replaced
"A one-lane truss bridge that has carried traffic since before World War II and is a landmark in this community in Buncombe County’s southeastern corner is destined for the scrap heap," writes the Asheville Citizen-Times.

"The state Board of Transportation recently awarded a contract for the replacement of what is usually called just the old iron bridge that carries Morgan Hill Road across the Broad River near N.C. 9, almost five miles north of Bat Cave.

" 'I’m sad to see it go,' said Erin Gore, who lives nearby. 'The steel part of it is really neat.'

"The NCDOT did a study in 2001 that said the bridge — and a smaller truss bridge about half a mile away on Lower Sand Branch Road — should be torn down. The bridges are expensive to maintain and are becoming more unsafe as they age, a DOT engineer said at the time. ..."