The Down East Journal

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.

Hyde County, it’s sparsely populated and some say the perfect site to test unmanned aerial vehicles.  This week on the Down East Journal, Hyde County is under consideration to be one of six FAA approved testing sites for drones.  We get an update on the project this Friday at noon on PRE, Public Radio East.  Catch the rebroadcast Saturday at noon on PRE, Public Radio East, News and Ideas at 88.5 WZNB New Bern, 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach-Beaufort, 90.3 WKNS Kinston- Goldsboro, and 88.1 in Greenville.

This week on the Down East Journal, new legislation to stop puppy mills in North Carolina is meeting opposition.  We’ll find out from whom and why.  Also, we continue our Black History Month series with a profile of cabinet maker Thomas Day who owned the largest furniture business in North Carolina during the height of slavery.  And, we get a history lesson on the pre-Civil War whaling industry along our coast.
 

An increased use of technology coupled with a congressional mandate are being blamed for cutbacks at your local post office. This week on the Down East Journal, we'll talk about the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. And, we continue our "short and sweet" series, Just Desserts. Plus, an investigation is underway to find who is vandalizing underground water lines.

This week on the Down East Journal, we talk to the North Carolina Symphony's Senior Director of Statewide Development about their holiday pops concert happening next week in downtown New Bern. And, we start our "short and sweet" holiday series, "Just Desserts."

This week on the Down East Journal, how a merger of Jones and Lenoir County 911 call centers may improve emergency response for people living in those counties. And, we document the journey of a retired Navy SEAL pedaling more than a thousand miles on a beach cruiser to raise funds and awareness for substance abuse prevention.

This week on the Down East Journal, we talk about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects local hospitals and patients. And nearly a month after Superstorm Sandy, we speak with NC Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and the State's Rate Bureau about home insurance rate increases and when they might be implemented. And, a New Bern man is using cigar boxes to make instruments for playing the blues.

This week on the Down East Journal, we examine a controversial North Carolina rule that some believe has contributed to the deaths of the rare and endangered Red Wolf. And, we speak with Camp Lejeune Marines assisting with Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York. Plus, new commentary from Joan Carris.

This week on the Down East Journal, we go to the set of a 1940's radio station with radio actors, sound effects, and a live studio audience.  It's Oriental's production of "The Big Guns: Who's Little Lilly is She?"  And, we talk to an astronomy expert about what to look for in the autumn night sky.

This week on the Down East Journal, it's National Alzheimer's Awareness month, and we learn about a successful technique caregivers are using to communicate with Alzheimer's patients.  And, shellfish harvesting is shutdown after several inches of rain from Hurricane Sandy washed pollutants into coastal rivers and sounds.  And, with the November election just days away, we dissect and explain the North Carolina Election Ballot.

This week on the Down East Journal, we talk about the Ghost Walk, which takes place in New Bern this weekend.  And, we hear disembodied voices from the past as paranormal investigators present evidence from investigations conducted in eastern North Carolina.

This week on the Down East Journal, it's part two of our migrant farm worker series.  Today, we talk about the growers responsibility to provide free housing and clean drinking water to farm workers.  And, how one coastal county is working to control its feral cat population, while another seaside community is working to "beef up" its feral cat population.