News

This week on the Down East Journal, the Iowa caucus is over.  What could the results mean for North Carolina. Plus, it’s been nearly a week since the last grocery store in Oriental shuttered its doors.  More on how residents are dealing with the inconvenience.   And, big changes are coming to the food stamp program in North Carolina. A select group of recipients will now have to meet work or classroom requirements in order to keep their grocery benefits. More on the SNAP program regulations and how local communities are preparing to combat potential hunger pains.

News from the waterfront town of Oriental made national headlines when a Walmart Express closed its doors last week.  Reports focused on how the closure of chain stores can impact the economy of small towns.  The store closing came months after the longtime local grocer “Town n’ Country” was shuttered.  That leaves the town of 900 without a local grocery store or pharmacy. 

Since 1998, more than 100,000 people around the world have joined the four day Great Backyard Bird Count.  The annual event, held each February,  creates a snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.  Mac McKee spoke with Director of Land Bird Conservation at Audubon North Carolina Curtis Smalling about this year’s count. 

Camp Lejeune officials are urging fisherman to avoid crabbing and clamming in a section of the New River because of unexploded shells.  This week on the Down East Journal, how the military will address the safety risk and how commercial fishermen are impacted by the recommended limits. Plus, it’s conversation with a representative from a leading polling service to talk about where Presidential and Gubernatorial candidates stand in North Carolina.  The Down East Journal airs Friday at noon on all of the PRE stations, and Saturday at noon on News and Ideas. 

Winter is here, but that doesn't mean you have to stay cooped up indoors.  This week on the Down East Journal, we have some of the best places to explore nature in eastern North Carolina.  Plus, we profile a local artist who draws inspiration from the cold.  A look at the creative process of an ice sculptor. And a veteran and an award winning journalist is combining his experiences with an online news publication.

In October, North Carolina lawmakers legalized industrial hemp.  Not to be confused with its sister plant marijuana, hemp has many uses for commercial products, which North Carolina farmers are excited about.  Sarah Finch has more on the state’s new hemp pilot program.

Hemp refers to a specific strain of Cannabis plants that are grown from a seed and can reach up to 15 feet tall. Although the word cannabis often brings to mind images of ‘smoking pot’ or ‘getting high’, hemp plants contain very little of the psychoactive chemical called THC.

Local waters around a training range in Onslow County may pose a threat to people attempting to harvest oysters, clams, crabs and fish.  Earlier this month, Camp Lejeune officials advised the public to avoid areas along the New River because of the possibility of unexploded munitions underwater.  While the military hasn’t officially restricted these waters, some commercial fishermen around Sneads Ferry are concerned it’s only a matter of time before they do. 

“People are scared around here, if you let them take that, they’re not going to stop with that.”

People who believe hiking is an activity done only in the mountains may be surprised to learn that eastern North Carolina boasts miles of scenic hiking trails.  From salt marshes and cypress swamps to longleaf pine forests and pocosins, hiking trails at the coast feature diverse ecosystems and allow hikers an up-close and uncrowded adventure. 

Thomas Brennan is a veteran and an award winning journalist based in Richlands and he's looking to combine his experiences in both fields with an online news publication and interactive database called "The War Horse."

Chris Thomas spoke to Brennan about the project which, seeks, in part, to fill voids left by many news agencies.

CMT: What do you believe traditional media outlets, even those that are on the internet…what do you believe they’re lacking, as far as their coverage of military affairs and veterans affairs are concerned?

The practice of transforming ice into something beautiful has been around for thousands of years and continues to dazzle today. Eastern North Carolina artist Michael ‘Ski’ Kowalski has carved his own niche into this impressive world of sculpting. Sarah Finch has more on Ski’s creative process and the magic of this fleeting art form.

Gun shows are popular venues for quick gun purchases in Eastern North Carolina. But new, federal regulations could make the selling and purchasing of firearms more difficult for consumers and dealers.

Chris Thomas spoke to a local gun shop owner about how decisions made at the White House could affect commerce at gun shows.

Guns have been a part of Mike Lane’s life since he was a boy.

Tons of construction waste destined for the landfill is being re-purposed in northeastern North Carolina.  This week on the Down East Journal, we detail the Dare County project using pieces of the Bonner Bridge to build four artificial reefs near Oregon Inlet.  And, gun control returns to the spotlight after President Obama announced several executive orders related to firearm sales. We talk to a local gun shop owner and policy experts about how this may affect the state.  

The only way you’ll be able to cross the Bonner Bridge a couple years from now is if you’re underwater.  The span is planned to be demolished in Fall of 2018 and the construction debris will be used to enhance four artificial reefs near Oregon Inlet.  Today on the Down East Journal, how the Dare County project will benefit the environment and the economy.

Known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, our coastline is littered with hundreds of shipwrecks that serve as habitat for fish and invertebrates, like sponges and soft corals.  It’s what makes North Carolina a diving destination.

Construction broke ground in December in Kinston on a new art installation celebrating the rich tradition of tobacco farming in the state.  World renowned sculptor Thomas Sayre has designed a seven-piece sculpture that spans an entire city block. Sarah Finch brings us an update on this unique project.

This week on the Down East Journal, we report on the proposed timeline for coal ash removal at the H.F. Lee plant in Goldsboro.  We speak with NC Division of Environmental Quality’s Assistant Secretary for the Environment Tom Reeder.   Plus, we explore how the strong El Nino has affected and may affect the region.  The Down East Journal airs Friday at noon on all of the PRE stations, and Saturday at noon on News and Ideas.  

Eastern North Carolina has a rich military history spanning from colonial days to the present.  The Military Collection of the State Archives of North Carolina seeks to preserve the State's military heritage by collecting documents and records, and make them accessible to the public.  Mac McKee speaks with Department of Natural and Cultural Resources military collection archivist Matthew Peek about how citizens can be a part of this project.

It’s been almost two years since 39,000 tons of Duke Energy’s coal ash waste product spilled into the Dan River, creating an environmental disaster.  Since that incident, North Carolina worked on a plan to close coal ash basins across the state.  The next step in the process determines which impoundments pose the greatest risk to public health and the environment.  On the last day of 2015, the Department of Environmental Quality released their Draft Proposed Impoundment Classification report, as required by the Coal Ash Management Act of 2014.  Assistant Secretary for the Environment Tom

Eastern North Carolina has been experiencing unusual weather this winter – Christmas Day marked record breaking warm temperatures.  A couple of weeks later, there were reports of snow flurries and temperatures dipping into the middle 20's.  The unsteady conditions felt throughout the nation has been attributed to El Nino.  Chris Thomas has more on how it’s affected, and may affect, the region.

Meteorologists love a challenge – at least, Lara Pagano does.

It was a popular gift this holiday season.  Drones are now buzzing over eastern North Carolina skies after the holiday season.  Jared Brumbaugh speaks with Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Manager for the North Carolina Department of Transportation Chris Gibson about new FAA regulations in place and some tips to stay safe.

This week on the Down East Journal, we say farewell to the old year by updating some of the most popular features from our website.  From an art project taking shape in downtown Kinston, to colonial artifacts found in Bertie County linked to the Lost Colony.

It's the popular gift item this season.  This week on the Down East journal, we speak with NCDOT's Drone Project Manager Chris Gibson about new regulations regarding unmanned aerial vehicles and tips on how to stay safe.  And, it was a big change this month for the pirate nation.  We'll talk about the head football position at East Carolina University.

  It’s college football’s bowl season, but one post-season staple is missing from the festivities – East Carolina University. The Pirates had a disappointing season, which lead, in part, to the controversial firing of their last head coach. Now Pirate Nation’s entered a new era with a new coach and more could be on the line for the program than wins and losses.  Chris Thomas has this.