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Agriculture
SOUTHEAST PRODUCE WEEKLY: North Carolina Emerging Crops Program Seeking Grant Proposals
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ New and Emerging Crops Program and Bioenergy Research Initiative are seeking grant proposals that support each program’s mission. “The two programs offer a combined $1 million in competitive grants, with the total being split equally on bioenergy research and new and emerging crop research,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said.
Economic Development
BUSINESS FACILITIES: United States Golf Association To Establish Operations In North Carolina
The United States Golf Association (USGA) will create a multi-building research and testing campus in the Village of Pinehurst, NC. The USGA’s “Golf House Pinehurst” will become the home for the USGA Foundation’s operations and include a visitor center and museum. The association plans to invest up to $36 million in the campus, which will employ a 50-person workforce.
Education
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: As NC lawmakers expand school choice options during pandemic, the reaction is mixed
North Carolina’s plan to expand school choice options this year is being praised as a victory for parents by some and condemned by others as draining money from public schools. Legislation passed by the Republican-led General Assembly last week expands access to voucher programs to attend private schools and lets up to 3,800 more students attend the state’s two virtual charter schools. It also includes a $335 stimulus check for parents with children younger than 18 to help offset remote learning costs.
Environment
COASTAL REVIEW ONLINE: Recycling Industry Faces New Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we consume, which is being reflected in the recycling and waste industry. The Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler in a message encourages Americans to recycle materials from their households to recycle more and recycle right by keeping gloves, masks, other personal protective equipment out of recycling bins and off the ground.
Health
NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH NEWS: Clinical trials for coronavirus vaccine progressing in Fayetteville and elsewhere in NC
More than 300 people are participating in Phase 3 of the Moderna vaccine clinical trials in Fayetteville. A local doctor heading those trials says they are going well, but scientists doubt a vaccine will be approved before December, at the earliest.
ABC 11: Free COVID-19 testing returns to Raleigh site
Free COVID-19 drive-thru testing will return to the Sunnybrook building parking deck on Holston Lane behind WakeMed Hospital. You can go to the Wake County website to sign up for testing, which will happen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m this week.
WRAL: COVID-19 shedding light on racial, healthcare, poverty disparities
COVID-19 has impacted people across the globe, but in America and in North Carolina, the disease is disproportionately affecting minority and impoverished communities. Despite making up just 9.6 percent of North Carolina’s population, Hispanics accounted for 44 percent of the state’s COVID-19 cases by June 2020 according to a report by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Government
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: NC’s $335 checks for parents: How to get the money and when
Most North Carolina parents will receive checks for $335 from the state this fall, meant to help offset costs from their children’s virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you need to know about who gets the Extra Credit Grants and when.
TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL: Why accurate Census count is vital for North Carolina
Time is running out on the U.S. Census. An accurate count in this year’s Census is critical to the long-term health and well-being of North Carolina and all our communities. Nonprofits such as the North Carolina Counts Coalition have been on the forefront of promotion and educating communities about the importance of the Census. Across many organizations, there is a shared understanding that reliable and accurate data are a critical foundation for a well-functioning government at all levels, a robust civil society and a thriving business sector.
Politics
MARTINSVILLE BULLETIN: Tillis, Cunningham meet for 1st televised NC Senate debate
North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham are meeting for their first televised debate in a campaign whose outcome could determine which party controls the Senate. Cunningham and Tillis have agreed to three debates, the first of which will air live Monday evening from a Raleigh TV station.
Technology
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: One of the nation’s most influential bankers is turning Wilmington into a tech hub
A decade ago, nobody thought of Wilmington as a banking or technology hub. At that point, North Carolina’s largest coastal city was mostly known for tourism and a declining film industry. And while it is still not a national hub, bankers and investors from across the country now look to Wilmington to see where the future of banking technology might be going.
Transportation
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Lexington gains $25 million federal transportation grant for multimodal upgrade
The city of Lexington will receive a $24.96 million federal transportation grant toward construction of a multimodal passenger rail and bus station in its Depot district. The funds come from the federal Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development grant by the U.S. Transportation Department.
WSOCTV: NC Transportation Museum reopens exhibits buildings
Now you can see more planes, trains and automobiles at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. The museum has opened its indoor exhibits in a limited capacity.