Reality TV Comes to Durham

Cable TV networks HGTV and CMT have announced a pair of upcoming casting opportunities for Durham residents to appear in reality television programs. HGTV has selected Durham as the next location for "Property Virgins," a house-hunting reality television series now in its eighth season. CMT is flipping the switch on MTV's Emmy award-winning series "MADE," which offers its participants the opportunity to pursue personal goals, dreams and aspirations. 

Read more: The Herald-Sun - 2 TV reality shows to host Durham casting calls

The Blackstone Group Announces $3.6 Million Committment to Entrepreneur Network

At Monday's event in Durham's American Tobacco Campus, Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO and co-founder of private equity firm the Blackstone Group, formally announced that his firm is committing $3.6 million to create an entrepreneur network in the Triangle.

Blackstone's network, a partnership between the company and the Triangle's four major universities, is designed to provide entrepreneurs with the support they need to turn their ideas into fast-growing companies. The foundation says its network has the potential to create more than 17,000 jobs and more than $4 billion in revenue over the next decade.

Read more: News & Observer - Equity Firm Creating Triangle Network for Entrepreneurs

Duke Women’s Golf Listed No. 5 in Latest Golf World Poll

The Duke women’s golf team was named fifth in the latest Golf World/NGCA Coaches’ Poll following a second place finish in the last weekend's ACC Championship.

The Bull City Goes Meatless Monday

 Meatless Mondays, a nationwide initiative launched in hopes of convincing Americans to eat more veggies, kicks off in the Triangle on April 22. Durham residents may already be familiar with the concept due to Eleni Vlachos' well-known efforts to spread vegan cheer throughout the Bull City. Vlachos is the mastermind behind The Pinhook's vegan Thanksgiving and other meals, and the Bull City Vegan Challenge. In support of Meatless Mondays, select local restaurants including Beyú Caffé and Dame's Chicken and Waffles will add vegetarian and vegan offerings to their regular menus.

 Read more: Independent Weekly - Triangle Meatless Mondays

Duke Hosts ACC Track Championship

Duke hosts the ACC Track & Field Championships this weekend. The meet officially kicks off in the morning on Thursday April 21^st and runs through Saturday April 23^rd.

Read more: Duke Set to Host ACC Championships

Durham Farmers' Market Starts Wednesday Hours

The Durham Farmers' market begins its Wednesday seasonal hours today. The market will be open from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. weekly through the end of September. The Wednesday market features the same products that are available of Saturdays -- fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, cheeses, baked goods, fresh cut flowers and more

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Durham Farmers Market starts Wednesday hours

Duke, Coulter Foundation Announce $20M Research Collaboration

Duke University and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation have created a $20 million endowment to foster research collaboration between bioengineers and clinicians, with the ultimate goal to develop new technologies to improve patient care.

The Duke Coulter Translational Partnership in biomedical engineering is being funded by $10 million from the Coulter Foundation, with additional investments from Duke and the Fitzpatrick Foundation that brings the endowment to $20 million for Duke's Pratt School of Engineering.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Duke announces 20M collaboration

Urban Ministries of Durham Wins with Spent

Since Urban Ministries of Durham partnered with McKinney to launch SPENT, an "immersive online experience," on Feb. 8 the nonprofit's website has attracted more than 610,000 visitors from 200-plus counties who have spent an average of more than 10 minutes on the site. The game is responsible for generating 625 donations totaling nearly $13,000.


Read more: Spent Puts Players to the Test 

Global Scholars Academy Becomes Durham's Eighth Charter School

Global Scholars Academy is gearing up for its reincarnation as Durham County’s eighth charter school in July after receiving unanimous final approval from the state Board of Education in late February to operate as a charter. Global Scholars opened in 2009 as Union Independent School, a private, tuition-free academy.


Read more: The Herald-Sun - Union Independent becomes a charter

'Unity' was the Theme of Sunday's Civil War Ceremony at Bennett Place

Unity was a central theme Sunday afternoon as speakers, including the News & Observer's Jim Wise, reflected on the Civil War at a ceremony at Bennett Place in Durham, site of the largest surrender of the war.


Read more: The Herald-Sun - Unity s theme of Bennett ceremony

Severe Weather Presents No Problems for Full Frame

Severe storm activity didn't much faze Durham's Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Saturday, its third and busiest day. Even as loud thunderclaps rattled crowds in the Durham Convention Center, record-breaking crowds resulted in several sold-out screenings. Early estimates suggested the festival had already passed last year's revenue totals by Friday night.

Read more:  Full Frame film festival fears no weather

Durham artist Beverly McIver's Raising Renee screens at Full Frame

Raising Renee, a film about Beverly McIver's family, her painting and the lines of force that cross between them, screens at Full Fram Documentary Film Festival on Friday at 2 p.m. in Fletcher Hall.

McIver lives in Durham and teaches art at North Carolina Central University. She was born in Greensboro just after the lunch counter sit-ins, and the murder of five anti-KKK protesters happened in front of her house in the projects when she was 17. She's now a nationally known painter, having had solo shows throughout the country. The North Carolina Museum of Art will show a retrospective of McIver's work this December.

Read more: Durham artist Beverly McIver lifts curtain on her life in Raising Renee

Durham filmmakers Josh Gibson and Rodrigo Dorfman return to Full Frame

Two short films with strong ties to Duke have their world debut at Full Frame this year: Kudzu Vine, by Josh Gibson, and One Night in Kernersville, by Rodrigo Dorfman. Gibson, on the faculty in Duke's MFA Program in the Arts of the Moving Image, teams with Duke composer Anthony Kelley for a telescoping, nostalgic look into kudzu's past—and future. Dorfman (a Duke grad) submits in his film a strongly resonating musical portrait of John Brown, director of Duke's jazz program.

Both filmmakers are making return visits to the festival after screening features in the past: Dorfman's autobiographical film essay, Generation Exile, played last year's festival, while Gibson's Full Frame credits include Siamese Connection, a feature about Chang and Eng Bunker, the original Siamese twins, who lived in Mt. Airy, N.C.

Read more: Durham filmmakers Josh Gibson and Rodrigo Dorfman return to the festival

Full Frame 2011: The festival enters its second decade

It's hard to believe, but Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is well into its second decade. There's now a generation of people in the Triangle who plan their springs around the 100-plus documentaries that will screen over four intoxicating days beginning Thursday.

Read more: Full Frame 2011: The festival enters its second decade

NCCU Announces US Rep. John Lewis to Speak at Commencement

U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia will speak at N.C. Central University spring commencement for undergraduates. Lewis, a major figure in the civil rights movement, will deliver the undergraduate commencement address on May 14 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium and will receive an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree.


Read more: Civil rights hero to deliver NCCU commencement address 

King's Sandwich Shop Opens for Breakfast

King's Sandwich Shop at 701 Foster St., is expanding hours and menu to add breakfast. Starting April 12, King's will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The breakfast menu will include biscuits, country ham, sausage, bacon, grits and fatback.

 

King's owner T.J. McDermott has brought 81-year-old Hazel Ladd on board to offer her restaurant expertise as a former King's employee to launch the breakfast side of the operation. McDermott reopened King's Sandwich last year after the hot dog and hamburger joint, built in 1942, closed in 2007.


Read more: The Herald-Sun - Forget champions In Durham it s breakfast with King s

Full Frame Named one of 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival was named one of "25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" in the new issue of MovieMaker.

Durham Business Accelerator Program Breeds Success

LaunchBox Digital, the business accelerator program that provides resources to start-up technology companies in Durham to try to speed the process of launching those new ventures has seen three of its seven original participants get new funding support.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Business breeding ground primed for the ambitious