CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Behind a suffocating defensive effort and 15 second half points from sophomore , the Charlotte men's basketball team bested Conference USA heavyweights, North Texas, 55-49, on Thursday night inside Halton Arena.

The win is Charlotte's (17-11, 8-9 C-USA) second consecutive over the Mean Green (23-6, 14-4 C-USA) from inside Halton Arena after also doing so in March of 2020.

The 49ers defense held North Texas to just 18 made field goals and a 39.1 shooting clip from the field across the evening's 40 minutes. CLT also limited UNT to a 3-of-13 shooting mark from 3-point range, including 1-of-6 in the second half.

On the offensive end, Charlotte was led by a stellar effort from Patterson who scored 17 points—15 of which came in the second half—on 6-of-10 shooting and a 5-of-6 mark from the charity stripe, while draining his last five free attempts.

With the Niners trailing, 40-34 with just over eight minutes to play, the Minneapolis, Minnesota native scored 12 of Charlotte's final 21 points to not only help the 49ers retake the lead late, but eventually seal the six-point victory.

Joining the Patterson in double-figures was junior who added in 14 points and five rebounds, including a go-ahead 3-point make with just over four minutes to play, giving the Niners a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Also steady on the offensive end was senior and sophomore who each ended the night with six points on a combined 5-of-10 shooting.

HOW IT HAPPENED Charlotte threw the night's opening punch in the would-be slug fest, "jumping" out to a 15-5 lead in the contests opening 11 minutes, seeing made field goals from five different Niners.

North Texas slowly chipped away at the 49er advantage using a 15-2 run to take a, 20-17, lead with less than two minutes to play in the opening half, before ultimately heading into the locker room with a 24-22 edge.

Out of the break, the dog fight continued, with the sides trading the lead on a pair of occasions with UNT taking a six-point lead—the largest of the half—with just over eight minutes to play.

Down six and with sophomore in foul trouble, Charlotte proceeded to outscore the Mean Green, 21-9, with Patterson leading the charge in the night's final moments to help the 49ers come out with their 17th win of the 2022-23 campaign.

TAKEOVRE KYE IS DEFINITELY A THING Sophomore has found a new role since coming off the bench over the last three games, scoring in double-figures for a second consecutive game and has turned the ball over zero—yes zero—turnovers.

In his last six games Patterson has recorded 11 assists to just two turnovers, while scoring in double-figures three times and more than seven points in every game.

ONE FROM 900 Charlotte's win on Thursday marked number 899 for the program. A win in Saturday's contest with Rice would give the 49ers 900 all-time wins.

Since its inception in 1965-66, Charlotte men's basketball has accumulated 35 winning seasons, 15 20-win seasons, seven conference tournament titles, four regular season conference championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and a run to the 1977 Final Four.

UP NEXT Charlotte returns to action for an Alumni Weekend bout with Rice on Saturday afternoon from the Queen City. Tipoff from Halton Arena is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

"The business alliance is growing because local businesspeople don't feel they are being heard by the city or that their issues are being given any attention, and some feel outright disenfranchised."

HALTOM CITY, TX, February 07, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) was founded in early 2021 and has continued to gain members each month. HUBA communicates with its members about issues affecting the business community, gives them advice on matters related to dealing with the city and continues to give the city ideas about how to grow the business community.

The current Haltom City Council has never acknowledged the existence of the business alliance and has made it clear that its members believe that businesses should have no say in ordinances or other interactions the city has with local businesses.

"The business alliance is growing because local businesspeople don't feel they are being heard by the city or that their issues are being given any attention, and some feel outright disenfranchised." says Ron Sturgeon, a founding member of HUBA. Adding to the tension with business owners, a senior city employee, Jayson Steele, bullies and calls any person or business owner names on Facebook, if they show any support for revitalizing the city. Jayson brags that he created his position in the city as community health specialist that reports directly to the city manager.

"Haltom City Council should make sure it listens to the business community and involves them in workshops for new ordinances." Sturgeon also believes that Haltom City Council should acknowledge and discuss in public hearings the ideas that HUBA has tendered to the city to build a stronger business tax base." An increase in the business tax base would allow residents to pay less tax and businesses to pay more," said Joe Palmer, Director of Communications for HUBA.

Palmer insists that HUBA members are not overly concerned with city taxes; instead, they want doing businesses to be easier, and they want to stop the decline in the corridors in the southern and central parts of the city, which affects the city's ability to attract newcomers and the businesses' ability to get additional customers.

Palmer notes these declining corridors caused by the current Haltom City Council and past city councils, also limit the city's ability to get a grocery store and attract new restaurants in these areas.

Sturgeon points out the city officials are quick to talk up all the development on the new north side of town, including restaurants and large distribution centers that they have brought in. "These are great initiatives that help Haltom City, but there is no reason the city can't also work on bringing more small businesses to the southern and central parts of Haltom City because that is what will revitalize them."

Instead of a plan to bring in more small businesses, the city has put its faith in a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ). A TIRZ is a 30-year plan to pay for public infrastructure for new businesses. None of the money raised by a TIRZ can be used to rehab a vacant building for a new tenant, for instance.

"The reality is that Haltom City needs hundreds of millions in private investment to bring businesses back," says Sturgeon. "It needs private investors to fix up all buildings and make the corridors bustle again, and that will only happen when tenants can be induced to start or expand small businesses and rent space," he adds.

The city's TIRZ did not even include Northeast 28th Street, which is by everyone's definition the area in greatest need of revitalization. It has been growing more decrepit ever since Haltom City Council tried to run the small car dealers out of business in the early 2000 with no plan for what businesses might occupy those small lots that were formerly car dealers.

HUBA members hope to see new Haltom City Council members elected who will want to interface with small businesses and who will make Haltom City thrive again bringing more commerce to the declining corridors.

Sturgeon has started a campaign to bring the small business back. To build support for revitalization, he has started a campaign with a billboard on 121 that says, "Make Haltom City Thrive Again; Time for a Change." The billboard points to a website with a detailed plan for attracting the private investment necessary to return prosperity to the older parts of Haltom City. Learn more by visiting MakeHaltomCityThriveAgain.com.

About Haltom City Haltom City is a diverse, majority working-class city located between Dallas and Fort Worth in Tarrant County, TX. Haltom City is minutes from both the DFW Airport and Downtown Fort Worth with direct access to major highways including I-820 and SH-121. Due to an outdated and restrictive use matrix that discourages new business and deters growth, several areas of Haltom City have seen a decline in small businesses which provided goods and services and were a significant source of jobs, including the once-thriving automotive industry. However, Haltom City has the opportunity to reverse this trend and should prioritize development of inner-city land and vacant buildings, particularly in the major corridors close to the city's center. The city is financially healthy with a capable manager and staff who would like to see diverse business development occur and need the support of the City Council to make it happen. About Make Haltom City Thrive Again The Make Haltom City Thrive Again website offers information and resources about its purpose and goals. For more on Sturgeon's personal ideas and background, check out his book Keeping the Lights on Downtown in America's Small Cities and watch the videos on his Facebook page. Ron is also the founder of the Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) which represents existing business interests in Haltom City and promotes growth of diverse businesses as well. HUBA is not a political action committee and does not endorse candidates. If/when Ron endorses candidates, he will do so on his own with the Make Haltom City Thrive Again organization.

About Haltom United Business Alliance Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) is a group of business owners dedicated to representing existing business interests in Haltom City and promoting the growth of diverse businesses as well. Innovative strategies are needed to create a strong tax base and enhance quality of life for residents, city employees, and business owners. All Haltom City business owners are eligible to join HUBA. For more information, contact Joe Palmer at (682) 310-0591 or by email at HUBAgrp@gmail.com or visit the group's Facebook page at Haltom United Business Alliance.

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Joe PalmerHaltom City Business AllianceHaltom City, TXUnited StatesVoice: (682) 310-0591E-Mail: Email Us HereWebsite: Visit Our WebsiteFollow Us:

DENTON, Texas – The Charlotte men's basketball team looks to complete its Lone Star State sweep when it travels to North Texas for a Saturday evening bout in Denton. Tipoff from The Super Pit is slated for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Fans can follow Saturday's C-USA contest via the ESPN+ live stream to see Kyle Youmans and DJ Draper on the call, HERE, via ESPN 730 The Game and the Varsity App to hear Matt Swierad and Charlotte alum Trevor Wilt describing the action, HERE, or via Statbroadcast live stats, HERE.

LAYUP LINES - Saturday's Lone Star State bout from the Super Pit will be the 15th all-time meeting between the 49ers and Mean Green on the collegiate hardwood and the seventh ever contest from Denton. - This meeting will mark the third consecutive non-COVID-impacted season where the 49ers will travel to Denton to take on the squad just north of Dallas, with the Niners winning back-to-back meetings at The Super Pit in 2016-17 and 2017-18. - Charlotte arrives at Saturday's tilt on the back's of a nine-point victory in El Paso over UTEP on Thursday night, seeking back-to-back road wins in conference play for just the second time under Head Man Ron Sanchez. The Niners did so last season with wins in their final two conference road tilts at Marshall and Southern Miss. - A win Saturday would also give CLT its first win in Denton under Coach Sanchez and give Charlotte its first full road weekend sweep in conference play for the first time since re-joining Conference USA in 2013. - A win would likely pull CLT to within a game or less of FIU who currently holds the final bye spot into the quarterfinals of next month's Conference USA tournament in Frisco, Texas.

SCOUTING THE MEAN GREEN - North Texas comes into Saturday's encounter following an 82-79, double OT victory over UAB on Thursday and is in the midst of a four-game win streak as the Mean Green sit in second in C-USA. - On the stat sheet, the Mean Green have four players averaging double-figure points on a nightly basis, led by senior Tylor Perry who's averaging 17.6 points per game and poured in 28 in UNT's three-point double OT victory over the Blazers on Thursday night. - As a team, North Texas holds one of the nation's most suffocating defenses, giving up an average of just 56.1 points per game which leads Conference USA and ranks third in the nation. - On the bench, the Mean Green are led by sixth-year head coach and Baylor alum Grant McCasland who has helped lead North Texas to new heights as a program, all before earning his 200th career coaching victory on Thursday night. McCasland has led North Texas to three of the last four C-USA regular season crowns and the 2020-21 tournament title, where UNT took down Purdue for the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory during the COVID-19 impacted campaign.

SERIES HISTORY - Saturday's contest will be the seventh meeting between the programs in Denton in a series that dates to 1974, with North Texas seeking its third straight win over the 49ers on its home floor. - The last time the sides met, UNT took down Charlotte, 65-51, inside The Super Pit behind four double-figure scorers and 17 from C-USA Sixth Man of the Year Tylor Perry. - Both programs will move into the American Conference this Fall and be opponents in a new league.

CHARLOTTE ENDS LOSING SKID AT UTEP - Behind 15 points from grad student Montre' Gipson, a stat-sheet-stuffing performance from sophomore Lu'Cye Patterson and a stifling defensive effort, Charlotte took down UTEP, 62-53, in El Paso on Thursday. - Gipson scored all of his points on five 3-point makes, while Patterson concluded the night with 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists to help guide CLT to its second league road dub of the season. - As a team, CLT drained a season-high 13 3-point baskets and held UTEP to 6.7 percent from 3-point land, while holding the Miners scoreless for the nights final 2:24.

CLT GEARING UP FOR TEXAS TWO-STEP WEEKEND - Charlotte's contests at UTEP and North Texas this weekend will mark the Niners final travel partner road trip of the 2022-23 season and first trip where it will play in two separate time zones in the same trip. El Paso is in the Mountain time zone, thus making Thursday's game, a 7 p.m. ET local tip, while Denton is in the Central time zone making CLT's weekend-ending contest a 5 p.m. local tip just north of Dallas. - CLT is now 3-5 all-time at the Don Haskins Center and just 2-4 all-time at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas. - Thursday will be CLT's first trip to El Paso with fans since 2018-19, while the 49ers are making a trip to North Texas for a second consecutive season. - CLT's trip to the Lone Star State will include support staff benefits that include the appearance of well-known fast food joints, Whataburger, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and In & Out.

ZAY HIS NAME - Sophomore point guard, Isaiah Folkes once again was a momentum-shifting spark plug for the 49ers off the bench in the second half of the win at UTEP on Thursday night. The Gainesville, Virginia native scored eight points, six of which came on a trio of bench-lifting yams. - It marked his second consecutive impact-sub performance as he scored five points in each half against FAU, with his pair of first half buckets helping give Charlotte a one-point lead at the break. His first basket came minutes after entering the game, when he picked FAU's pocket and threw down a dunk that sent Halton Arena into a tizzy. - Folkes has scored in each of Charlotte's last eight contests, while scoring eight or more points four different times. During his latest stretch, the kid that calls Northern Virginia home is shooting 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point land, including his pair of makes in last Saturday's contest.

TAKEOVER KYE RETURNS - Charlotte sophomore Lu'Cye Patterson returned to takeover Kye form in Thursday's victory at UTEP, scoring 10 points, reeling in a season-high-tying seven rebounds and dishing out six assists to just two turnovers. - The Minneapolis, Minnesota native scored eight of his points in the first half, including a pair of massive 3-point makes--including a buzzer-beater to send CLT into the half with a four-point lead--while he became the Niners floor general in the second frame, tallying five assists and hauling in five of his seven rebounds to lead the 49ers to a massive road victory. - On the assist front, Patterson currently leads the 49ers and ranks ninth in Conference USA with 3.4 helpers per outing and 81 total on the year.

CONFERENCE USA IS STILL CONGESTED - Outside of FAU and North Texas who are leading the league with 13-1 and 11-3 records in the league respectively, each team in Conference USA has at least six losses during conference play. - Third place and 10th place in the conference heading into Saturday's slate of games are separated by just 3.5 games with each team having seven or eight games remaining in league action. - Heading into Saturday's game in Denton, the Niners are just a game and a half behind FIU for the fifth and final bye position at next month's conference tournament with seven league tilts to play.

A WIN WOULD… - Give Charlotte its first full weekend road sweep since the program returned to Conference USA in 2013. - Make Charlotte one of nine teams in Conference USA to have at least six wins in conference play. - Keep Charlotte in the mix for a bye to the quarterfinals at next month's Conference USA Tournament. - Would be better than a loss.

NINER NUGGETS - Despite holding a losing, 5-8, record in Conference USA play, Charlotte's scoring margin in league action is +8 with its seven of its eight losses in C-USA action coming by single-digits and by a combined 25 points with its last six losses prior to last Saturday coming by a combined 17 points. CLT has a pair of league victories coming by 15+ points at home and a trio of losses in conference coming by two points each. - Wins in each of its Texas road showdowns this weekend would give Charlotte five true road victories, just one shy of its total from last season of six. CLT has knocked off Davidson, Monmouth and Western Kentucky away from home and has five total wins away from home that include a pair at the Myrtle Beach Invitational in November. - C-USA Sixth Man of the Year favorite, Brice Williams has started just twice this season and ranks fifth on the team in minutes, playing just 23.7 minutes per outing, yet leads the team in scoring with 12.6 points per contest. Williams is doing so while shooting 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the charity stripe. - In its 24 contests, Charlotte still ranks second in Conference USA in scoring defense, giving up just 61.3 points per outing, while holding league opponents to just under 65 points per game. CLT has held eight opponents to fewer than 60 points and have given up 70+ just five times in 24 showings. CLT has also held every conference opponent below its season scoring average in 13 conference games. - The University of North Texas, founded in 1890 as a private teachers college, was formally adopted by the state 11 years later in 1901 and is now the flagship university in the University of North Texas system that features campuses in Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco. - The city of Denton is currently ranked as the 27th-largest city in the state of Texas and is becoming the seventh-fastest growing city in the US.

UP NEXT Following Saturday's contest in Denton, CLT will return home for a one-off contest against Western Kentucky on Thursday night in the Queen City. The opening tap from Halton Arena between the 49ers and Hilltoppers is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

RUSTON, LA – The Charlotte men's basketball team will play the second of its split weekend when it travels south to Ruston, Louisiana to take on Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon. The opening tap from the Thomas Assembly Center is slated for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Fans can follow Saturday's action via the ESPN+ live stream to watch Chris Mycoskie and Teddy Allen on the call, HERE, via ESPN 730 The Game or The Varsity App to hear Matt Swierad and Trevor Wilt describing the action, HERE, or on statbroadcast live stats, HERE.

LAYUP LINES - Saturday's matchup between the Bulldogs and 49ers will be the 12th all-time meeting between the programs on the collegiate hardwood and the sixth meeting inside the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston. - A victory in Saturday's tilt would be Charlotte's first-ever victory over Louisiana Tech on the road and give the 49ers back-to-back victories for the first time since New Years weekend when they took down Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech in the early portions of conference play. - Saturday's game will also be the Niners penultimate road contest with its final trip away from the Queen City coming against UTSA on March 2. Wins in each of those final two road games would give CLT six wins in true road contests and eight total wins away from home this season. Both totals would also be the Niners most since winning seven total games away from Halton in 2014-15. - Louisiana Tech will be without star point guard, Cobe Williams for the remainder of the season. Williams left the team due to personal reasons while leading the team in points (18.8) and assists (4.1) this year. - A win would also be CLT's 898th as a program, and just two victories away from the program's milestone 900th victory. Charlotte will need to win four of its final six regular season contests to achieve said feat prior to heading to Frisco for the 2023 Conference USA men's basketball tournament.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS - LA Tech comes into Saturday's matchup in the midst of a three-game losing skid, having fallen at FIU and FAU, before dropping a 10-point decision at home on Thursday to North Texas, 72-62. - In the absence of Cobe Williams, the Bulldogs are led on the stat sheet by junior Isaiah Crawford who's pouring in 13.0 points per game, while also leading the squad in rebounds with 5.2 boards per contest. - LA Tech will also need to see increased production from junior Keaston Willis and senior Dravon Magnum who are averaging 12.2 and 7.0 points respectively. Willis scored 18 in Thursay's loss to North Texas. - On the bench, Louisiana Tech is led by first-year head coach Talvin Hester. Hester was a staple on the staff of current Tulsa Head Man, Eric Konkol and took over his first program at the Division I level.

SERIES HISTORY - Charlotte and Louisiana Tech have met just 11 times prior to Saturday, with all 11 meetings coming since the Green & White's return to Conference USA ahead of the 2013-14 campaign. - The Bulldogs have dominated the all-time series, earning wins in nine of the 11 meetings, with the 49ers seeking back-to-back wins in the series for the first time, along with the program's first-ever victory from inside the Thomas Assembly Center. - The last time the sides met, junior Brice Williams pulled up with a second consecutive 30-piece, scoring 31 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, a 3-of-6 mark from 3-point land and 10 made shots from the charity stripe to lead CLT to a slim, 68-66, victory over the Bulldogs.

KHALIFA CAREER HIGH LEADS CHARLOTTE PAST WKU - Behind a career-high 24 points, a career-high six made 3-point field goals and a pair of clutch-time made three's in the final two minutes of overtime from sophomore Aly Khalifa, the Charlotte men's basketball team battled past Western Kentucky, 68-64, in OT to sweep the season series with the Hilltoppers. - Khalifa was joined in double figures by grad student Tre' Gipson and sophomore Isaiah Folkes who finished with 11 and 10 points respectively. Gipson also reeled in seven rebounds, while Khalifa added eight to his own stat line. - CLT drained a season-high 14 three's as a team, while holding WKU to a 32 percent shooting mark from distance.

NINERS SET FOR FIRST SPLIT WEEKEND OF 2022-23 CAMPAIGN - This weekend will mark Charlotte's first split weekend of conference play during the 2022-23 season, where it will take on WKU at home on Thursday, before heading out to Ruston, Louisiana to take on Louisiana Tech on Saturday. - CLT's pair of contests this weekend will be its last regular season tilts against both WKU and Louisiana Tech as members of the same conference. Both WKU and LA Tech will remain in Conference USA, while the 49ers head to the American Conference this coming Fall. - The Niners schedule features one other split weekend, when it heads to San Antonio before hosting preseason league favorites, UAB that same weekend during the first week of March to close its regular season schedule.

FOLKES FINDS WAY INTO STARTING FIVE - Sophomore point guard, Isaiah Folkes earned his first career start in Thursday's win over WKU, scoring a career-high-tying 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while knocking down a pair of in rhythm 3-point buckets. - The Gainesville, Virginia native has scored eight or more points in three of the last four games, including reaching double figures in two of the last three. - Folkes has arguably become CLT's most impactful player in its last 10 games, having scored in every game, while scoring eight or more points five times and shooting 58 percent from the field (26-of-45) and 42 percent from 3-point range (5-of-12). On Thursday, Folkes also dished out a career-high three assists in the win. - On the defensive side, Folkes has become the Niners most reliable on-ball defender, regularly guarding the opponents most impactful and versatile players for the duration of his time on the floor.

*SHOULDER SHRUG* ALY - Sophomore prince, Aly Khalifa led the Niners in scoring for the seventh time this season with his career-high 24-point performance in Thursday's win over WKU, while draining a career-high six shots from 3-point land. - The Alexandria, Egypt native during league play ranks 14th in points, and ninth in rebounds with 13.2 points per game and 6.2 boards per outing in 13 C-USA contests for the big man. - In his last two games, Khalifa is averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from long range. - In his two contests against WKU, Khalifa is averaging 23.0 points and 7.5 rebounds with shooting clips of 56 percent from the field (19-of-34) and 44 percent from 3-point land (8-of-18). - On the year, Khalifa ranks second on the team in scoring with 11.5 points per game and first in rebounding, averaging 6.7 boards per appearance, while shooting 49 percent from the field. Khalifa is also second on the team in assists with 2.8 assists per game and third in assist/turnover ratio with a mark of 1.8.

NINERS SHOOT UP C-USA STANDINGS - Outside of FAU and North Texas who are leading the league with 14-2 and 13-3 records in the league respectively, each team in Conference USA has at least six losses during conference play. - Third place and 10th place in the conference heading into Saturday's slate of games are separated by just 4.5 games with each team having four or five games remaining in league action. - Following Thursday's win, the Niners moved up from ninth to seventh in the C-USA standings and are just one game behind Rice for the league's fifth and final bye at next month's league tournament in Frisco.

A WIN WOULD… - Be Charlotte's first-ever in Ruston and mark the program's first-ever back-to-back wins over LA Tech. - Keep Charlotte in the mix for a bye to the quarterfinals at next month's Conference USA Tournament. - Be Charlotte's third true road victory in its last five road contests.

NINER NUGGETS - In its 26 contests, Charlotte still ranks second in Conference USA in scoring defense, giving up just 61.6 points per outing, while holding league opponents to just over 64 points per game. CLT has held eight opponents to fewer than 60 points and have given up 70+ just five times in 26 showings. CLT has also held all but one conference opponent below its season scoring average in 15 conference games. - Through 26 games, Charlotte leads Conference USA in 3-point percentage as a team with a mark of 37.0 percent (210-of-568), while hitting 34 of its 88 attempts in its last three contests for a mark of 39 percent. CLT drained season-highs of 13 and 14 three's in its wins at UTEP and at home vs. WKU. - C-USA Sixth Man of the Year favorite, Brice Williams has started just three times this season and ranks fifth on the team in minutes, playing just 24.2 minutes per outing, yet leads the team in scoring with 12.0 points per contest. Williams is doing so while shooting 48 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the charity stripe. - Should FIU and Rice fall in their collective C-USA contests on Saturday evening, a Charlotte victory on Saturday would see the Green & White move into a three-way tie for the No. 5 seed at next month's conference tournament in Frisco. This would mean CLT would need to win just three games in three days as opposed to four in four to earn a potential trip to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. - Founded in 1894 as the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana during the second Industrial Revolution, the school changed its name twice to better reflect the institution's tailored academic mission to becoming an institute of technology. The university finally desegregated in the late 1960's and earned its current namesake in 1970 as it satisfied the criteria of being a research university.

UP NEXT Charlotte will take five days off before hosting league heavyweights North Texas on Thursday night from the Queen City. Tipoff from Halton Arena is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Let's work together to make the city thrive again by bringing back prosperity, products, services and jobs. ---Ron Sturgeon, Small Business Advocate, Make Haltom City Thrive Again

HALTOM CITY, TX, September 23, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Fifty years ago, Ron Sturgeon was a homeless and penniless teenager living in Haltom City who decided to start a business. Now a highly successful serial entrepreneur, author, and self-made millionaire, Sturgeon believes strongly in Haltom City and wants to see it return to its potential as a birthplace of success for others as it was for him.

According to Sturgeon, Haltom City desperately needs a plan to reverse the ongoing inner-city decline that has been going on for decades in the south and central areas. It also needs open-minded city council members who are dedicated to the issues at hand. Through the efforts of his MakeHaltomCityThriveAgain initiative, he'd like to see new council members elected over the next several years who will work to make Haltom City "the friendliest city in Tarrant County for small businesses" and will focus on revitalization of declining areas. The hope is "To bring back the prosperity and opportunity once enjoyed in these areas, which can be a very real and lasting legacy for everyone in Haltom City."

Sturgeon is committed to this issue and is looking for like-minded individuals to join him in this collaborative effort. If you live or work in Haltom City, you have a vested interest in a brighter future for yourself, your children, and your community. Says Ron, "I don't need your money. I need your support. Let's work together to make the city thrive again by bringing back prosperity, products, services and jobs. Let's find leadership that's pro-business to bring back all the businesses that have left and make it easy for all the new ones we want! Please contact me at MakeHaltomCityThriveAgain@gmail.com and let's get to work."

About Make Haltom City Thrive Again The Make Haltom City Thrive Again website offers information and resources about its purpose and goals. For more on Sturgeon's personal ideas and background, check out his book Keeping the Lights on Downtown in America's Small Cities and watch the videos on his Facebook page. Ron is also the founder of the Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) which represents existing business interests in Haltom City and promotes growth of diverse businesses as well. HUBA is not a political action committee and does not endorse candidates. If/when Ron endorses candidates, he will do so on his own with the Make Haltom City Thrive Again organization.

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