Neal Middle School Band Receives VH1, Dale Jr. Foundation Support

The Dale Jr. Foundation and theVH1 Save the Music Foundation donated $30,000 worth of instruments to Neal Middle School. The Dale Jr. Foundation is a philanthropic organization presided over by race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. The VH1 Save the Music Foundation has provided more than $47 million worth of instruments to public schools since the its establishment in 1997.

Durham Bulls to Host 2011 Triple-A National Championship

Durham and the Durham Bulls will host the 2012 Triple-A National Championship Game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park Thursday, September 20th, 2012.

Duke Among First Institutions to Expand E-Books

Duke University is among the nation's first academic institutions to offer free online access to books that are still protected by copyright but not in the public domain. Duke will provide online access to obscure titles and scholarly works in its library system - titles for which it already holds the rights to electronically disseminate. The database will be available to students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars as well as the public.

Maya Angelou Delivers Annual Welcome Address to Incoming Duke Students

Maya Angelou honored a promise to Duke to deliver her annual welcome address to the incoming class of 2015 in spite of conflicting timing with the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial dedication in Washington, DC.  The award-winning poet and civil rights figurehead's speech centered on emphasizing the importance of continuing in higher education and developing a lifelong relationship with poetry.

Duke Grad Replaces Jobs as CEO of Apple

Duke University Fuqua School of Business graduate, Tim Cook '88, has replaced Steve Jobs as chief executive officer of Apple.

Six Durham Restaurants Receive Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

Six Durham restaurants received Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence including: Chamas Churrascaria, Fairview Dining Room, Piazza Italia, Revolution, Six Plates Wine Bar and Vin Rouge.

Durham Ranked Among Mid-Sized Cities with Most Same-Sex Couples

According to a Williams Institute study based on 2010 Census data, Durham ranks 13th among mid-sized U.S. cities with the most same-sex couples.

Duke University and Health System Named a Top Family-Friendly Workplace

Carolina Parent magazine named Duke University and Health System one of the top family-friendly workplaces in North Carolina. The magazine's13th annual family-friendly list of the top 50 employers that promote work-life balance through benefits and policies will appear in its September issue.

Bronto Software Named to Inc. 5000 List

Inc. magazine ranked Durham-based Bronto Software no. 1377 on its fifth annual Inc. 500|5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

SciMetrika Makes Inc. 500 List of Fastest-Growing Privately Owned Companies

Durham public health consulting business, SciMetrika ranked no. 371 on Inc. Magazine's latest list of the nation's 500 fastest-growing privately owned companies. SciMetrika's reported revenue for 2010 indicates a 921 percent increase in just three years.

Durham Named #1 on Newsoxy's Best Places to Retire List

Newsoxy has named Durham the #1 Best Place in the U.S. to Retire. The article describes Durham as "one of the great places to relax. Residents enjoy four seasons — but without them being too extreme. Homes are affordable, the area is dotted with golf courses and parkland, and the region is home to a renowned university medical center."

Duke Alum Donates $13.6 Million for University Libraries Renovation

Philanthropic donor David M. Rubenstein has committed $13.6 million to a decade-long renovation of Duke University Libraries set to begin in 2012. With the money, Duke hopes to transform the 1928 West Campus library building and its 1948 addition into a state-of-the-art research facility. Duke plans to rename the renovated special library after Rubenstein who worked for Duke University Libraries when he was a student at the school.

Duke Business Professor Ranked Fourth Most Popular on Businessweek List

Shane Dikolli, associate professor of accounting at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, ranked fourth on Businessweek's list of the 'Most Popular Profs at Top Business Schools."

Yao Ming, Grant Hill and Doc Rivers to Attend Duke's "Friendship Games" in China

NBA All-Star Yao Ming, Duke Legend Grant Hill and Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers will be in China to attend "The Friendship Games," the Duke Blue Devils' four-game exhibition series beginning in Kunshan, China on August 17 and ending in Dubai on August 25.

Dolly Parton's Sell-Out Show in Durham Boosts 'Better Day World Tour' Success

Dolly Parton's August 2nd show at Durham Performing Arts Center was the first sell-out on the artist's Better Day World Tour to be reported to the Billboard Boxscore chart - an industry-wide measure of commercial box office success.

Durham's Electric Violin Shop Boasts Largest Selection of Electric String Instruments in the World

The Electric Violin Shop, on N.C. 55 in Durham, boasts the largest selection of electric violins, violas, basses, cellos and string amplification equipment in the world.

NCAA Officially Designates NCCU a Division I Athletic Program

The NCAA has officially reclassified North Carolina Central University from a Division II to a Division I athletic program. In order to become eligible for Division I status, NCCU upgraded its athletic facilities and increased the minimum amount of scholarships offered for each sport. NCCU anticipates the increased exposure inherent in Division I athletics will aid in recruitment and academic enrollment.

Durham Ranks #8 on Men's Health List of iPad Friendly Cities

Durham made Men's Health's nation-wide list of "iPad Hot Spots." The tablet use ranking was based on ad impressions and supplemented with criteria such as the number of Apple and Best Buys stores per capita along with percentage of households that own tablets, notebooks or laptops. Durham ranked #8 on the list of most tech friendly cities.

Durham Named to Forbes' List of America's Geekiest Cities

Forbes named Durham to its list of America's Top 20 Geekiest Cities. Based on the U.S. National Science Foundation's taxonomy for its annual “Science and Engineering Indicators” report, "geeks" are defined as "as any worker with a bachelor’s level of knowledge and education in science or engineering-related fields or workers in occupations that require some degree of technical knowledge or training." With 15.5% of its workforce employed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Durham claimed the #5 spot on Forbes' list.

Durham Bulls Hit 6,000 Wins

On a road game pummeling of Charlotte, the world famous Durham Bulls turned over the odometer on 6,000 wins in the franchise's history!  Let's. Go. Bulls!