Atrium Healthy finalizes merger with Midwest hospital chain + Fort Mill, I-77 construction project hits snag

Hey, everyone! Drew here. Happy Friday!

In a new series, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer investigate the state’s largest agricultural industry.

After years of growth, poultry farms now raise more than 1 billion chickens and turkeys a year, generating billions of pounds of untreated waste.

Read Big Poultry today through Dec. 7 at charlotteobserver.com/bigpoultry.

1. Atrium Health completes major deal to double in size, combines with Midwest hospital chain

Charlotte-based Atrium Health just got a whole lot bigger.

Atrium completed a major deal today to combine with Advocate Aurora Health, becoming one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S.

With revenues of more than $27 billion, the newly combined Advocate Health has more than 1,000 sites of care and 67 hospitals with more than 21,000 physicians and nearly 42,000 nurses in Charlotte and Chicago and Milwaukee, according to the news release.

Catherine Muccigrosso has the details on the completed merger.

2. Fort Mill road project found unmarked graves near I-77. What’s next for construction?

One of the most anticipated road construction projects in York County has hit a snag.

The discovery of eight unmarked graves along the side of the road where construction is taking place is prompting a design change on the project, according to Berry Mattox of the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Major highways including I-77 and S.C. 160 are involved in the project.

John Marks shares more from the construction updates.

3. Whatever happened to former Panthers star Lamar Lathon? We went to Texas to find out

One of the Carolina Panthers’ first star players is enjoying life in a small Texas town.

Lamar Lathon was a terrific defensive player for Carolina in 1995 and 1996. Along with teammate Kevin Greene, the duo was nicknamed “Salt and Pepper.”

Scott Fowler made the trek to Lathon’s home in Rosharon, Texas to catch up with the former Panther.

4. Some longreads for your weekend

• With little oversight, NC poultry farms raise 1 billion birds a year. Who pays the cost?

• She found out she had a full-grown baby inside of her one day before delivering. How?

• Former Panthers coach Rhule says he’s ‘not bitter,’ but it’s time to set record straight

• Chickens produce billions of pounds of waste in NC. No one tracks where it goes.

---

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading! If you don’t already, subscribe to the Charlotte Observer here. If you’re already a subscriber (thanks!), download our iOS or Android app to stay connected.

Find more updates at charlotteobserver.com, and follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok to see more from us. Enjoy your day!

Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign up here.