Hey, everyone! Drew here. Happy Monday!

Christmas is right around the corner, and if you’re planning on making reservations for a special dinner with family and friends, you might want to hurry up and do so.

If you’re not sure where to dine this holiday season, CharlotteFive’s got a list of places open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Here’s your news for the day:

1. Panthers release Baker Mayfield. Here’s what that move means for the QB depth chart

The Panthers’ Baker Mayfield experiment is officially over.

Carolina announced today it waived the former No. 1 pick, ending his brief stint in the Queen City. Mayfield went 1-5 as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, and was benched twice during his 13-week regular-season run with the team.

Mike Kaye breaks down Mayfield’s departure and how it affects the team’s QB depth chart moving forward.

2. Latest update: Attack by ‘cowards’ could leave Moore County without power for days

Widespread power outages caused by vandalism continue to affect thousands in Moore County, just east of Charlotte.

The outages are the result of intentional damage by firearms to two electrical substations, according to Moore County and Duke Energy. Officials say estimates of power restoration might stretch into Thursday this week.

Martha Quillin and Dan Kane continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

3. With no power to fend off poultry farms, neighbors live with stench and nuisances

The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer’s investigation the state’s largest agricultural industry continues today.

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 the latest on Big Poultry today through Dec. 7 at charlotteobserver.com/bigpoultry.

4. On Background: Meet Jodie Valade, our planning and enterprise editor

Our “On Background” series is back and today we’re spotlighting our planning and enterprise editor Jodie Valade.

Jodie joined the Observer in January of this year, coming over from WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR member station.

Before shifting to news, Jodie spent two decades as a sportswriter, writing about the people and issues in sports, with a heavy leaning toward NBA coverage.

She is a graduate of Northwestern University, and originally from Rochester Hills, Michigan.

“I love that we have an opportunity to affect people’s lives every single day,” Jodie said. “Whether it’s from news that people need, or from stories that can change someone’s perspective or outlook on a topic, we provide vital information. It amazes me what people will tell you when you say that you’re a reporter, and I feel the weight and privilege of telling their stories.”

Get to know Jodie.

5. Some more stories to read

• Hate speech on rock thrown into Charlotte daycare window is related to shooting, police say

• Charlotte restaurant cited for mouse poop, fruit flies during inspection

• NC State QB Devin Leary, ACC preseason player of the year, entering transfer portal

• North Carolina keeps poultry farm locations secret. We mapped them anyway

• Five major questions facing the Panthers and Steve Wilks after the bye week

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