News

INTRO – A Federal Highway Administration grant is expected to deliver big savings to the state’s ferry fleet. George Olsen has more.

Local governments, schools and military bases are bracing for the impacts of sequestration.  We explore how the series of automatic cuts will impact eastern North Carolina.

The series of automatic cuts to government spending called sequestration will total more than a trillion dollars in savings over the next 10 years.  The expenses of those savings is now beginning to ripple through our area, as L.C. Morris explains.

It's a fascinating look at 3D printers; how they work, and how they're being used at East Carolina University.

We talk to a local nonprofit on their efforts to open a shelter to help young boys victimized through sex trafficking.  The Greenville home would be the first of its kind in the country.

This week on the Down East Journal, we talk to a local nonprofit on their efforts to open a shelter to help young boys victimized through sex trafficking.  The Greenville home would be the first of its kind in the country.  And, a fascinating look at 3D printers; how they work, and how they're being used at East Carolina University. 

 Audio FileA UNC School of Public Health study indicates the spreading of treated municipal sewage sludge may be causing human illness. George Olsen has more.Edit | Remove

The Greenville City Council recently signed legislation endorsing an interstate loop that would aim to make Eastern North Carolina a hot spot for outside developers and manufacturers. 

Fire managers with the U-S Forest Service were alerted to the fire around 9:30 Sunday night located near Highway 24 and Nine Mile Road. As of yesterday evening the 553-acre fire was 60 percent contained. About 20 firefighters with the U-S Forest Service, state Forest Service, volunteer fire departments and other agencies have been working on containing the blaze. No injuries or property damage has been reported. Roads in the forest are open. Fire managers are investigating the fire that they believe was started by humans. I’m George Olsen.

Every aspect of language intrigues me: writing, reading, speaking, creative cursing—all of it.  Experts don’t know where or when language first began, but they do know that all human societies on record have possessed language.  Words are the building blocks of language, and they appear seemingly out of nowhere, while others become outdated and are rarely used.

Frequency of use is the key.  When new words become dependable regulars, major dictionaries include them.  Then we think of them as “real words,” no matter how strange they may have sounded at first.

Crews are on site today repairing a water main that caused a 20 foot wide sinkhole in Havelock. Jared Brumbaugh reports.

The incident occurred when a connection between an old water line and a newer pipe gave way around 7 pm last night.  The sudden release of water created a sinkhole  20 feet across and 15 feet deep near the bridge on Pineview Street and Joe’s Branch.  Public Information Coordinator with the city of Havelock Diane Miller says crews were at the site today pumping water from the problem area to initiate the repair.

Recent media reports have indicated a lack of Highway Patrol in eastern North Carolina. Captain John Nyberg of Troop A  says  the shortage is real and they have sustained a minimum of troopers for years. Nyberg says Troop A currently employs 121 Highway Patrolmen, but the ideal number is 150.

 "That number is one that's been around for quite a long time, and you don't have to look that far to see how much the population has increased over the years."

Public Radio East's Jared Brumbaugh speaks with North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin about the homeowners rate increases that will take affect July 1st.

This week on the Down East Journal, we talk with Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin about the homeowners rate increases announced earlier this week. 

And, we explore the plight of the Greene County Animal Shelter.  Local animal advocates are rallying around the organization to prevent its closure.

We explore the plight of the Greene County Animal Shelter.  Local animal advocates are rallying around the organization to prevent its closure.

Greene County is having financial problems this year that affect its local government as a whole. Interim county manager for Greene County, Richard Hicks, says they have a major deficit.

Some say sparsley populated Hyde County is the perfect site to test unmanned aerial vehicles.   The county is in the process of submitting a proposal to be one of six FAA approved testing sites for drones.

At some point before Friday at midnight, the President is expected to order across-the-board budget cuts to save $1.2 trillion dollars over the next ten years.  Jared Brumbaugh spoke with Congressman G.K. Butterfield about how sequestration could impact eastern North Carolina.

“It appears it’s too late, that it’s definitely going to happen.”

If the sequestration goes forward, most of the effects could be felt in our area immediately.  Butterfield says military readiness and middle class families would be hit the hardest.