Charlotte council votes for new arena

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Just six months after the Hornets left for New Orleans, Charlotte's city council paved the way for an NBA return when it approved a plan for a $265 million downtown arena. Council member and arena supporter Lynn Wheeler pumped her fist as she and colleagues voted 8-3 Monday in favor of an agreement with the NBA to build the arena and lease it to an expansion franchise the league has promised to award. For seven years, the debate over whether to replace the Charlotte Coliseum has bitterly divided Charlotte's citizens and leaders.