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Axios Raleigh
Japanese biotech company adding 680 additional jobs to under-construction Wake County plant
Fujifilm Diosynth will invest $1.2 billion and create an additional 680 jobs at its under-construction biomanufacturing facility in Holly Springs by 2031, the N.C. Department of Commerce announced Thursday morning.The Japanese contract drug manufacturer will receive $69.2 million in incentives from the state as well as Wake County and Holly Springs if it meets hiring and investment targets.Why it matters: The announcement from Fujifilm represents a significant addition to the company's presence in Holly Springs — where in 2021 it pledged to build a $1.5 billion vaccine-and-drugs plant that would create more than 700 jobs. That facility is expected to...
Replacing the Dean Dome: UNC officials weighing possibility of new stadium
Chapel Hill's Dean E. Smith Center could be slated for a significant overhaul — or it could be moved to a new site entirely, according to plans from university officials.Why it matters: The Smith Center, colloquially known as the Dean Dome, has been the home of University of North Carolina basketball and one of the biggest college basketball arenas in the country since it opened in 1986. Yes, but: What was state-of-the-art in 1986 could be considered out of date in 2024, when luxury boxes and expansive concourses are considered must-have amenities. Nationwide, facilities housing college and pro teams —...
Replacing the Dean Dome: UNC officials weighing possibility of new stadium
Chapel Hill's Dean E. Smith Center could be slated for a significant overhaul — or it could be moved to a new site entirely, according to plans from university officials.Why it matters: The Smith Center, colloquially known as the Dean Dome, has been the home of University of North Carolina basketball and one of the biggest college basketball arenas in the country since it opened in 1986. Yes, but: What was state-of-the-art in 1986 could be considered out of date in 2024, when luxury boxes and expansive concourses are considered must-have amenities. Nationwide, facilities housing college and pro teams —...
J. Cole's annual Dreamville Festival will return to Raleigh in 2025
Dreamville organizers confirmed that the popular music festival will return to Raleigh in 2025. Exact dates will be announced in the fall, when early-bird tickets go on sale.Why it matters: Since its 2019 debut, Dreamville has become a signature social and cultural annual event, putting North Carolina on the global stage. The spending of roughly 100,000 Dreamville attendees last year had an economic impact of $122 million for Wake County, according to a recent report.The intrigue: Wednesday's confirmation quashes concerns that some festivalgoers had after comments made by J. Cole during his performance last weekend."I don't know how many more...
Why more Raleigh renters might start buying homes with their BFF
More people see "co-buying" as a way to go from renters to homeowners in this pricey market.Why it matters: Purchasing a home with a friend or other relation makes homeownership slightly more attainable in a competitive market like the Triangle, where inventory is low and prices are climbing.The big picture: Roughly half of Americans are willing to split the bill on buying a home in less traditional ways, Axios' Shauneen Miranda writes.Some 15% of Americans already have bought a home with someone other than a romantic partner. What they're saying: The trend isn't sweeping across the Triangle just yet, April...
UNC REX give new mothers "I Gave Birth" bracelets to imrpove health outcomes
Mothers who give birth at UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh are now going home with bracelets that let people know they've recently given birth.Why it matters: The "I Gave Birth" initiative aims to raise awareness about the wellbeing of new mothers and increase the vigilance of potential health issues that can arise in the 12 weeks postpartum, which is sometimes referred to as the fourth trimester.The big picture: North Carolina had the 20th highest rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. between 2018 and 2020 — and around two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths occur within 42 days postpartum, according to research from...
North Carolina clears thousands of rape kits that had been left untested
North Carolina's backlog of untested sexual assault kits, once the largest in the country, has been cleared, the state's Attorney General Josh Stein announced Tuesday. Why it matters: For decades, around 16,000 untested sexual assault kits — which can provide evidence for making arrests — sat on shelves at hundreds of local crime facilities across the state, keeping potentially important evidence from being documented. The big picture: Now, after years of efforts to reduce the number of untested kits, the evidence from them has been tested and is being used to turn cold cases into active investigations again, Stein told Axios....
Akshay Bhatia, a former golf prodigy from Raleigh, headed to his first Masters
Akshay Bhatia, a 22-year-old Wake Forest native, nabbed the last invitation to the Masters golf tournament by winning last weekend's Texas Open in a playoff. Why it matters: It will be the first Masters tournament — often considered professional golf's most prestigious championship — for the left-handed, homeschooled golf prodigy who was the world's top-ranked junior player before turning professional at 17. Between the lines: Bhatia skipped college entirely for a chance to make it on the PGA Tour — a decision that's a rarity in the golf world. But five years into his career, the bet has been working out for...
Raleigh's share of recent graduates grew over the past decade
The percentage of recent U.S. college graduates settling in the Triangle has grown over the past decade, according to data from the real estate firm JLL. Why it matters: Cities across the country are desperate to attract recent graduates, as building a higher density of educated workers attracts new businesses and keeps existing ones from moving.Between the lines: The Triangle has long had an advantage when it comes to an educated workforce thanks to its large universities, like UNC, Duke, N.C. State and N.C. Central.The data shows that advantage continues to grow, with even more recent graduates living in the...
N.C. State basketball had a run to remember
The N.C. State men's basketball team's 9-game winning streak came to an end against Purdue and its 7'4 center Zach Edey on Saturday 63-50. The day before, the Wolfpack women's team fell to undefeated South Carolina, which went on to win the national championship on Sunday.Why it matters: The magical run — which stretched from March until April, won the attention of the entire country and made D.J. Burns the most popular man in the city — was a reminder of what a strong Wolfpack basketball team means to Raleigh and the greater Triangle.This year was the first time that...
UNC's Erin Matson denied opportunity to try out for Olympics spot
UNC's 24-year-old field hockey coach Erin Matson — the most decorated college field hockey player of all time — has been barred from trying out for the U.S. Olympic field hockey team. Why it matters: The decision means that Matson, who's been called the "Michael Jordan of field hockey," won't be able to compete on a global stage in Paris this summer.Driving the news: Matson's role as head coach at UNC — which she took months after graduating, bringing the team to a the national championship win her first year — is the reason she isn't allowed to try out for the team,...
UNC's Erin Matson denied opportunity to try out for Olympics spot
UNC's 24-year-old field hockey coach Erin Matson — the most decorated college field hockey player of all time — has been barred from trying out for the U.S. Olympic field hockey team. Why it matters: The decision means that Matson, who's been called the "Michael Jordan of field hockey," won't be able to compete on a global stage in Paris this summer.Driving the news: Matson's role as head coach at UNC — which she took months after graduating, bringing the team to a the national championship win her first year — is the reason she isn't allowed to try out for the team,...
An increasing number of North Carolina teachers are leaving public schools
North Carolina public school teachers continued to leave the profession in increasing numbers last academic year, a new state report found. Why it matters: Since the pandemic, teacher attrition and vacancies have spiked in North Carolina's public schools, often placing pressure on centers to fill positions and even prompting business groups to call for teacher raises.Driving the news: The attrition rate of North Carolina teachers was 11% during the 2022-23 school year — up 3.7 percentage points from the previous school year, according to an annual report from the state's Board of Education. That equates to more than 10,300 of the...
An increasing number of North Carolina teachers are leaving public schools
North Carolina public school teachers continued to leave the profession in increasing numbers last academic year, a new state report found. Why it matters: Since the pandemic, teacher attrition and vacancies have spiked in North Carolina's public schools, often placing pressure on centers to fill positions and even prompting business groups to call for teacher raises.Driving the news: The attrition rate of North Carolina teachers was 11% during the 2022-23 school year — up 3.7 percentage points from the previous school year, according to an annual report from the state's Board of Education. That equates to more than 10,300 of the...
The combo of Dreamville and the Final Four, Raleigh prepares for a packed weekend
Raleigh is the hottest city in North Carolina this weekend with the arrival of J. Cole's Dreamville Festival.It's also arguably the epicenter of college basketball, with the N.C. State men's and women's teams making runs in their respective Final Fours.Why it matters: Nearly every hotel and Airbnb within a shout of Raleigh is booked, and local bars and restaurants are salivating at the huge uptick in visitors to the City of Oaks.Between the lines: The events' overlap could have one of the biggest economic impacts for the city in recent memory, on par with 2023's NHL outdoor series game at...
What to do this weekend in Raleigh if you're not going to Dreamville or watching the Wolfpack
With all the attention on Dreamville and the N.C. State Wolfpack, it is easy to miss the other events across the Triangle this weekend. Here's what else is happening: ⚾️ Celebrate the return of Durham Bulls baseball by going to its opening series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp all weekend. 🥁 Watch "Black Panther" in Moore Square on Friday, featuring a live remixing of the soundtrack by the Shaolin Jazz group, local food trucks and vendors hosted by the Black Flea Market. 🎾 Take in professional pickleball at the Professional Pickleball Association Tour's stop at the Cary Tennis Center all...
Where to shop and eat at Raleigh Iron Works
Raleigh Iron Works, one of the biggest eat-live-work-play developments underway in the city in recent years, is beginning to fill with tenants. Why it matters: Built on top of a former Peden Steel facility, the development is adding hundreds of apartments and office and retail space north of downtown. Here's what has opened: Andia's Ice Cream, a local ice cream chain started in Cary. Brodeto, the new Croatian-inspired restaurant from Raleigh chef Scott Crawford.Beatniks, a men's clothing shop focused on street, surf, skate and outdoor brands.Eastcut Sandwich Bar, the first Raleigh location for the Durham-based sandwich shop.FX Fitness, a fitness...
Solidcore opens its first Raleigh studio in May in Iron Works
Solidcore, a popular Pilates-inspired reformer workout studio, opens its first Raleigh location at Iron Works in May. Why it matters: The boutique fitness studio comes at a time when low-impact movement is having a moment. The big picture: High-intensity workouts like Insanity and CrossFit were once all the rage. Now, people are swapping those burpees for bird dogs. Pilates was the most popular ClassPass workout of 2023, with booking reservations up 92% from 2022, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum reports.If you go: Solidcore membership starts at $89 a month for four classes. The unlimited membership is $239 a month. Location: 2201 Iron Works Dr., Suite 109.Sign up for Axios Raleigh for free.
Raleigh set a new record for tree pollen on April 1, smashing a previous record from 2010
Data: N.C. Division of Air Quality; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsRaleigh's pollen counts this past week hit record levels not seen in more than a decade, according to data collected by the state. Why it matters: Triangle residents might have to get used to worsening pollen seasons in the coming years. The big picture: Climate change and warmer springs are causing plants to produce higher concentrations of pollen for longer periods of time, Kelly Oten, an assistant professor and extension specialist at the N.C. State's College of Natural Resources, said last year. Spring allergy season is now starting about 20 days earlier compared to 1990, and pollen concentrations have grown 20% nationwide over the same period, the New York Times reported. Driving the news: The N.C. Division of Air Quality's pollen monitoring system reported tree pollen grain levels of 16,284 between 9am on March 31 and 9am on April 1. That blew away the previous record of 10,995 on April 6, 2010. The Division of Air Quality monitors pollen levels from a collection point in Raleigh between February and October. Sign up for Axios Raleigh for free.
The Triangle is one of the most innovative areas in the U.S., according to patent data
The greater Research Triangle is living up to its moniker, as it continued to have one of the highest concentrations of utility patents granted in 2022.Why it matters: The rate of new patents filed in a region can indicate how innovative its researchers, businesses and universities are. Caveat: Getting a patent is one thing; actually creating the proposed product or service is another, Axios' Shawna Chen, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.That said, the number of patents granted is still a useful proxy for measuring something as quantitatively slippery as innovation.By the numbers: Both the Raleigh and Durham metro areas'...
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