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WUNC News Archive
Listen to our collection of WUNC news stories. WUNC News stories prior to May 23, 2006 may be found here. There's more about our North Carolina Voices series here. Recent stories are also available as a podcast 
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Biden Puts Cree on Pedestal
Friday, March 19 2010
by Leoneda Inge
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Cree headquarters in RTP (photo courtesy of Cree)
Vice President Joe Biden visited Research Triangle Park yesterday, touting the growing success of Cree Incorporated.
Biden said he was doing double duty while visiting Cree. The Vice President has the task of implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and he chairs President Obama's Middle Class Task Force. The White House says Cree is an example of both ventures at work.
Telehealth Program Lets Providers Monitor Rural Patients
Thursday, March 18 2010
by Rose Hoban
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In many rural parts of North Carolina, residents end up driving long distances to see their doctor. This becomes a problem for people with chronic diseases, like diabetes, that require frequent monitoring.
Now, a groundbreaking program in the northeastern part of the state is bringing that frequent monitoring home--over the telephone line. Already, the program has saved millions of dollars, and prevented dozens of hospitalizations. And people in other parts of the country are taking notice.
Roots Music Exhibit Comes to Mount Airy
Wednesday, March 17 2010
by Jessica Jones
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Mount Airy resident Chester McMillian toured for 15 years playing guitar.
A new exhibit from the Smithsonian has just arrived in North Carolina. It celebrates what’s called American roots music, including genres like jazz and folk that are unique to this country. This is the first traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian to come to North Carolina. Jessica Jones reports its first stop is in one of the most musically rich parts of the state.
Find out more about the New Harmonies exhibit:
http://www.nchumanities.org/index.html
Soul Census Ambassadors Work to Reach Undercounted
Tuesday, March 16 2010
by Leoneda Inge
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Ministers last week at First Baptist Church in Raleigh after being Pinned "Soul Census Ambassadors"
The 2000 Census showed that North Carolina was one of the fasted growing states in the nation. But that count wasn't perfect. Experts say North Carolina's population was undercounted by about 1.3 percent. And that meant millions of dollars in lost funds for schools, health care and more.
A big portion of the undercounted are poor minorities. In Wake County, ministers at African-American churches have been deputized to help find some of the undercounted. They're called Soul Census Ambassadors.
Tribal Leaders Promote Census
Monday, March 15 2010
by Leoneda Inge
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American Indian leaders are encouraging tribal members to fill out census forms when they arrive in the mail this week. North Carolina and nine other states have the largest American Indian populations. This demographic has been under-counted in the past at a higher rate than other minority populations.
North Carolina American Indians recently wrapped up their 35th annual Unity Conference in Raleigh, and the census bureau was there.
Shirley Freeman is a member of the Waccamaw-Siouon tribe. "Some now in my community cannot read and write," she says. "So we have to go into the homes and help them be accounted for. They know who they are, but as far as putting it on paper, seeing it and recognizing that it's a census form--that doesn't happen to some of them, even now."
Numbers show there are about 100,000 American Indians in the state.
Dueling Health Care Rallies
Friday, March 12 2010
by Laura Leslie
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The health care debate roiling Capitol Hill led to a shouting match in downtown Raleigh yesterday.
The protest at Congressman Etheridge's office was organized by opponents of the President's health care reform plan. But the small group was drowned out by a larger counter-rally of supporters. The two sides shouted at each other across Fayetteville street. Sabine French was with the supporters. She carried a sign saying Polite People for health care reform.
"The folks who've been willing to engage in more obnoxious behavior have really sort of gotten all the media attention, and I understand that, but I feel that there's probably a majority of people who support these reforms."
On the other corner, Vi McCane stood with the opponents. Her voice shook with emotion as she described her fear of government control.
"There's gonna be blood in the streets of America, because they are running over We the People."
Etheridge, a Democrat, is expected to support the health care reform plan in the US House.
Siemens to Add 825 Jobs in Charlotte
Friday, March 12 2010
by WUNC News Staff
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Siemens Energy plans to hire about 825 new employees over the next five years as it expands its operations in Charlotte. The facility makes the large turbines that produce electricity at power plants.
Siemens is getting up to $23 million in state tax breaks and grants, if the company makes good on its hiring promises. City and County officials have also pledged up to $12 million dollars in tax breaks. On top of that, Siemens qualifies for $120 million in low-interest loans through the federal stimulus package.
Mark Pringle oversees the company's Charlotte operations. He says there were other things working in Charlotte's favor.
"We finally picked this facility based on [the fact that] we already had a facility here of significant size," says Pringle. "Also, the great support we got from the local government to make that happen. Finally, the energy hub in Charlotte helped to say, 'Yeah, we want to be part of that.'"
Siemens plans to invest $135 million to build and outfit a plant next to its existing facility in Southwest Charlotte. The new plant should be up and running by the fall of 2011.
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