Business & Economy

Asheville is known as a sort of local food-haven. Now it's leading the way in an effort to reduce the environmental impacts of restaurants. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association is using a $258,000 grant from the North Carolina Green Business Fund to make upgrades in 18 Asheville restaurants.

The unemployment rate in North Carolina now sits at 10-percent.   It’s almost a half point lower than the month before but still a lot higher than the national rate.

A survey by Duke University shows Chief Financial Officers from across the country were more optimistic the last quarter of the year than in earlier months.

Holiday spending cash – or the lack of it – is on the minds of many people this time of year.  There is a group of North Carolina state employees whose job is to make sure budgets are balanced and audits are perfect.  More than 300 of these fiscal agents gathered in Raleigh this week and were asked how they were planning on spending their holiday cash this season.