North Carolina Public Radio WUNC - WUNC News Archive

Biden Puts Cree on Pedestal

Leoneda Inge — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:08:08

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

Rose Hoban — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:11:20

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

Jessica Jones — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:22:37

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

Leoneda Inge — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:48:30

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

Leoneda Inge — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:18

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

Laura Leslie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:13:29

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

WUNC News Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:18:44

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.

Lowe's Offers Unconventional Health Benefit

WUNC News Staff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:09:39

The North Carolina-based home improvement chain Lowe's has a new health benefit for its employees: Those who need heart surgery now have the option to have that work done at the famed Cleveland Clinic. All costs associated with the surgery would be paid for by Lowe's. Employees still have the option to have the procedure done by their local doctor, but they will have to pay out-of-pocket expenses not covered by the company's health plan.

Bob Ihrie is a senior vice president at Lowe's who helped negotiate the deal. He says he thinks costs will be lower in the long-run at the Cleveland Clinic, because of the hospital's record for positive outcomes and reduced re-admissions.

"I think one of our objectives was to disrupt the healthcare system a little bit and make sure that people knew that competition is what we're looking for and that it's not just local," says Ihrie.

Ihrie says employee response to the deal has been overwhelmingly positive.

Perdue Working on Next Budget Proposal

Laura Leslie — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:35:26

Governor Bev Perdue is already working on her budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. She says the shortfall is expected to be about $1 billion, or a little more than five percent. It's a sizable gap, but Perdue says it's workable--especially compared to last year's $4 billion dollar shortfall. She says the gap is already half-covered by money she held back from state agencies this year. And she wants to cut more than $350 million in programs she says are redundant or outmoded.

"That's not to say the General Assembly's going to agree with me. I know they'll go over it, and every program has a constituency group," says Perdue. "We have a real chance now to change the way state government does business, and I really am hopeful--very hopeful--that the leadership of the General Assembly and the general public will stick with me."

As for the current budget year, the governor says state workers will not be furloughed again. She's planning to roll out her 2011 budget recommendations as soon as final tax numbers come in next month.

More Marines Deploy to Afghanistan

Eric Hodge — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:56:06

A group of Marines based at Camp Lejuene leaves for Afghanistan today. Military officials say about 1,000 Marines are scheduled to deploy to the southern part of the country, where an offensive is underway against Taliban militants.

First Lieutenant Evan Pettyjohn says recent casualties are on the minds of those preparing to leave. "Well as a Marine, it always hits you when you hear about another Marine who loses their life in the line of duty," says Pettyjohn. "It's definitely on all of our minds, but we train and we're prepared and it kind of gives us a new sense of the seriousness of what we're doing."

Pettyjohn says for many of the Marines, this will be their first deployment to Afghanistan. He says most were last deployed to Iraq.

State Crime Lab Under Investigation

Laura Leslie — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:14:21

The state attorney general's office is reviewing blood testing done by the SBI Crime Lab. That's after a recent hearing exposed reporting standards that helped put an innocent man in jail for 17 years. Defense attorneys are wondering how many other cases could be affected.

Wake Schools to End Diversity Policy

Dave DeWitt — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:08:49

Yesterday, over the course of 11 and a half hours, the Wake County School Board considered a decision on the future of the superintendent, heard a demoralizing report on the budget for next year, and changed the calendar for several schools.

But it was a vote to eliminate the district’s socio-economic diversity policy that brought out a crowd.

The Creative Economy Is Big Business

Leoneda Inge — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:31:39

The economic downturn has spurred people to find new ways to create jobs. It has also brought attention to a sector of jobs policy-makers say are more resistant to out-sourcing.

It's called the "creative economy" and it's getting a lot of attention in North Carolina these days. A report published by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources says creativity is a $41 billion business in the state--and growing.

Duke Creates Haitian Creole Course

Leoneda Inge — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:33:28

Thousands of relief workers, health professionals and military personnel are moving in and out of Haiti to help survivors of the earthquake ravaged country.

But one problem some have had is the language barrier.

So Duke University created a last-minute course for those who are preparing to help Haitians during the recovery.

Forsyth Commissioners Vote to Appeal Ban on Prayer

Jessica Jones — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:51:33

Forsyth County’s Board of Commissioners is appealing a federal judge’s ruling banning sectarian prayer before their meetings. Until recently, the board allowed faith leaders to give prayers unique to their religion before moving on to county business. Some commissioners and conservative Christians say they’re thrilled the case will be heard in a higher court. Jessica Jones reports.