CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stephanie Waltman-Ortega rehearses her performance during a "Corteo" rehearsal at Bojangles Coliseum on Aug. 1, 2024. The Cirque du Soleil production features a festive parade imagined by a clown, blending acrobatic feats with theatrical comedy.BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A cowboy unveils the American flag as the audience recites the Pledge of Allegiance during the Lone Star Rodeo Company’s 41st Championship at the WKU L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center on Feb. 10, 2023.Lorrain Smoot walks down the stairs of the renovated Mustard Seed Hill building in Millersburg, Ky., on Oct. 26, 2023. Built in the late 19th century, the structure formerly housed the Millersburg Female College before being restored as a community events and hospitality venue.A patron carries a barstool onto the sidewalk after being removed from a Broadway bar in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 6, 2025. Following an attempt to throw the furniture, the individual was ordered by staff to return the stool before being escorted from the premises. The downtown district, home to the historic "Honky Tonk Highway," has seen a significant increase in security measures following several high-profile incidents involving objects thrown from multi-story bars in the area.BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A total lunar eclipse, often called a "blood moon," is seen on March 14, 2025. The moon turned a red-orange hue for 65 minutes, marking the first of three lunar eclipses occurring in 2025 and 2026.BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Tara Harrison helps unload a newly purchased taxidermy deer outside her shop during a delivery in downtown Bowling Green on March 25, 2025. The piece is part of a growing collection of natural items she is curating for the store to spark curiosity.ROCKFIELD, Ky. — Willie Huston feeds two baby sheep on his farm on a cold morning, Feb. 19, 2025.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A lightning strike illuminates the Charlotte skyline on July 15, 2024. The bolt was part of an isolated thunderstorm that struck Mecklenburg County.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Artist Dan Nelson, of Raleigh, N.C., poses with his painting of Donald Trump outside Bojangles Coliseum on July 24, 2024. The painting depicts Trump walking off stage following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., on July 13. The Charlotte event marked Trump’s first campaign rally since the assassination attempt and since President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 race.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of many dogs awaits adoption at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control facility on July 25, 2024. The shelter was facing a critical overcrowding crisis, with animal intake numbers significantly outpacing adoptions and forcing officials to consider euthanasia for space.Kiersten Washington adjusts a basket on her mobility scooter in the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., on April 30, 2025.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric (10) works the ball against Chelsea defender Malo Gusto during a preseason friendly at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 6, 2024. Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 2-1 in front of 62,617 fans as part of the Soccer Champions Tour.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dr. Meredith Binder performs cold laser therapy on a dog named Olive on June 25, 2024. The cold laser therapy is a post-acupuncture treatment used to reduce inflammation and increase blood flow to targeted areas.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chef Bobby Flay inside a new Bobby’s Burgers restaurant in the South Park neighborhood of Charlotte on July 17, 2024. Flay said the location will serve as a "test kitchen" and the primary site for research and development for the restaurant chain.