Top Basketball Recruit Moving to Durham

The number two 2013 college basketball recruit, Jabari Parker, will be moving from Chicago to Durham to attend Duke University and play for the Blue Devils in Fall 2013.

Durham Group gets $730k to Fight Cervical Cancer in Haiti

Durham-based Family Health Ministires has been awarded a $730,000 grant by the The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Family Health Ministries will use the funds to bring HPV screening as a clinical test to Haiti for the first time.

Durham Named Top County for 2013

Durham earned the #1 spot in the latest release of the “Fourth Economy Community (FEC) Index’s top 10 large-sized Fourth Economy Communities. These communities are those ideally positioned to attract modern investment and managed economic growth.

Duke Student Named College Entrepreneur of 2012

After moving to Durham to attend Duke University, Bryan Silverman started Star Toilet Paper, an advertising agency that uses printed toilet paper to reach customers. Silverman has now been recognized as College Entrepreneur of 2012 by Entrepreneur Magazine for his work.

Forbes Recognizes Durham Entrepreneur on 30 Under 30 List

Durham is well-know for its entrepreneurs, but now it can add Josh Sommer to its list of recognizable faces. Sommer, the founder of the Chordoma Foundation cancer research foundation in Durham has been recognized by Forbes magazine’s annual “30 Under 30” list, a who’s-who of the nation’s top young entrepreneurs and executives.

Durham Ranks Among Nation's NNO Best

Durham ranked 14th out of 135 cities for its citizen involvement and participation in National Night Out, a national crime prevention celebration.  Three of its neighborhoods garnered NNO-All Star community titles including Azalea Park Apartments, Audubon Park HOA and University Estates.

Duke University 3rd Largest Employer in NC

Duke University was recognized for being the third largest employer in North Carolina by Triangle Business Journal's "Top 10 Largest Employers in North Carolina." Duke employs between 25,000 and 29,999 employees.

Duke University to Receive $10 Million Gift to Athletics

Duke University trustee David Rubenstein will give $10 million to the Duke Athletics Department, matching the department's largest gift and supporting the priorities of Duke Athletics outlined in Duke Forward, the $3.25 billion university-wide fundraising campaign launched in September.

Durham 8th healthiest County in NC, 2nd for Clinical Care

America's Health Rankings has listed Durham County as the 8th healthiest county in North Carolina, and the 2nd in the state for clinical care. The health ranking takes into account health outcomes and factors like premature deaths, like smoking and availability of medical care along with social and economic factors. The clinical care ranking includes factors like the number of primary care physicians per capita.

Durham #1 Large County Best Positioned for Growth in US

Durham County led the Fourth Economy Community Index, a list of the nation’s top 10 large counties best positioned to attract investment and managed economic growth. The index categorized counties based on their Census 2010 population and measures large counties containing between 150,000 and 499,999 people in investment, talent, sustainability, place and diversity, as a foundation for future economic success.

Carolina Chocolate Drops Nominated for Grammy

The Durham-based band Carolina Chocolate Drops have been nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for their recording “Leaving Eden.”

Durham Hospitals Receive High Ratings

The three hospitals in the Duke University Health System — Duke University Hospital, Durham Regional and Duke Raleigh — have each received an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.

Durham's Mallarmé Chamber Players Receive $10,000 Grant from NEA

Mallarmé Chamber Players has received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that will help support the first year of the North Carolina HIP Music Festival, to be held Jan. 27-Feb. 3.

Fullsteam Brewery Named Finalist for Good Food Awards

Durham's Fullsteam Brewery has been listed as a 2013 finalist for the Beer category in the annual Good Food Awards, which honors artisan food and beverage producers. Winners will be announced in San Francisco on January 18, 2013.

Five Startups Awarded More than $200,000 in new NC IDEA Grants

Five emerging tech companies, including three in Durham (Arcametrics Systems, PopUp, and Starfish ), will share some $200,000 in the latest round of grants from the economic development group NC IDEA.

Pilgrimage Stops in Durham

The 10th annual Guadalupan Torch Race, a 3,000 mile pilgrimage, came to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham on Thursday night with arrival of the Guadalupe torch on its way from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

Durham Tap Water Places Third in Statewide Taste Test

For the second time in the last two years, tap water from the City of Durham has placed third in the state in the “Best Tasting Tap Water” contest. The contest featured an expert panel of five impartial judges who tasted 24 samples of tap water submitted by water providers from across the state.

Durham Tech to Receive $215,000 Grant

Durham Technical Community College has been selected as one of only four community colleges in the nation to participate in the new Catalyst Fund Program and will receive a $215,000 grant.

Nana's Resturant Makes Open Table's Top 100 of Best American Cuisine

Nana's Resturant was recently listed in Open Table's Top 100 of Best American Cuisine. The list of winners is based on more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Durham Company, Quintiles, Make Top 25 in Great Place to Work List

Durham-based Quintiles ranked No. 23 on the World’s Best Multinational Workplaces by the Great Place to Work Institute list.

Google Gives Glimpse of Durham's Trinity United Methodist Church

Google has featured the interior of Durham's Trinity United Methodist Church as part of its Google Maps panoramic photography project.

Durham Named as Top 20 Finalist in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge

The City of Durham was selected as a Top 20  finalist for the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayor's Challenge, a competition created to generate innovation in cities across America. Durham's proposal to create entrepreneurship hubs in three distressed neighborhoods was selected from over 300 submissions to compete for a $5 million grand prize. The proposed project will now compete against 19 other cities across the country for a $5 million grand prize as well as one of four additional prizes of $1 million each.

Durham Ranked First in Top 10 Best Educated Cites in North Carolina

The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area was recently ranked first in the "Top Ten Best Educated Cities in North Carolina" by a recent study.

Durham Receives Honorable Mention for “Green Fleet” Program

The City of Durham's Fleet Management Department has received "honorable mention" recognition for its efforts to have one of the greenest government vehicle fleets in North America by Green Fleet Magazine, Green Fleet Conference organizers, and The 100 Best Fleets in North America. 

Durham Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

The City of Durham has been recognized for the 24^th consecutive year for its budget reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association, a professional association of over 17,400 members throughout North America that has served the public finance profession since 1906.  

Straw Valley Cafe Receives 2012 Pyne Preservation Award

Straw Valley Cafe received the 2012 Pyne Preservation Award from Preservation Durham. The award is given to homeowners and commercial property owners for sensitive restoration projects that preserve architecture and Durham heritage.

NCCU Receives $100K Grant

N.C. Central University has received a $100,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to establish the Wells Fargo Student Advancement Fund.

Preservation Durham Announces 2012 Winners of Preservation and Neighborhood Conservation Awards

Preservation Durham announced the 12 winners of its 2012 preservation and Neighborhood Conservation awards on Thursday Oct. 18 at the Cookery on West Chapel Hill Street in Durham. The event was sponsored by 4/1 Design, HMW Preservation and Emerson Land Planning.

Durham Featured Four Times in "100 North Carolina Icons"

Four Durham icons were listed among "100 North Carolina Icons," by Michael Graff.  Bull Durham is listed at number 44, Research Triangle park is listed at number 64, ACC Basketball (including Duke) is listed at number 66, and Duke Chapel is listed at number 93.

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club Ranked 44th by Conde Nast Traveler 2012 Readers' Choice Awards

Durham's Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club placed 44th on Conde Nast Traveler 2012 Readers' Choice Awards for Top Hotels in the South. More than 46,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers rated 1,306 properties.

Film focuses on Durham Civil Rights Leader

“A Song of Hope: The Life Story of Pauli Murray," a civil-rights documentary about Durham native and civil rights leader Pauli Murray, is currently being filmed in North Carolina.

$10 Million to Duke Athletics

Dr. Steven and Rebecca Scott have committed $10 million to the Duke Athletics Department, the largest such gift in the university’s history, school officials announced Thursday.

Durham County, NC Deputy County Manager Elected To ICMA International Board

Lee Worsley, deputy county manager, Durham County, North Carolina, was installed yesterday for a three-year term as Southeast Regional Vice President of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.

Duke Professor Wins Nobel Prize

Robert J. Lefkowitz MD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator who has spent his entire 39-year research career at the Duke University Medical Center, is sharing the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Brian K. Kobilka of Stanford University School of Medicine, who was a post-doctoral fellow in Lefkowitz's lab in the 1980s.

Durham Has Fastest Wage Growth in US

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in Durham have good reason to be happy.  From July 2007 to July 2012, weekly earnings rose by $280.46, a 41.29% jump making Durham number one in the nation.

Mateo Bar de Tapas Ranked by Food and Wine Magazine

New Durham tapas restaurant, Mateo Bar de Tapas, has been ranked by Food and Wine Magazine as one of the Top 25 Places to Drink Wine Now. Opened by the chef/owner of Vin Rouge, the restaurant is quickly getting the attention of national food media and local food lovers, alike.

Duke Ranks 8th Among National Universities

Duke University was ranked #8 on U.S. News & Weekly Report's National University Rankings for 2013.

Durham Economy Ranked as 12th Strongest in America

Durham was ranked as having the 12th 'Strongest Economy in America' by American City Business Journals.

Durham's Immaculata School Named a National Blue Ribbon School

Durham's Immaculata School was recognized last week by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School. Immaculata was the only North Carolina non-public school to be selected for the recognition.

Duke Celebrates Opening of Charlotte Brody Discover Garden

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens will celebrate the official opening of the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, Sept. 8-9. The new garden features a miniature organic farm including vegetable beds, a fruit orchard, a reconstructed tobacco barn, a chicken coop, a rain garden and outdoor classrooms.

Big Spoon Roasters Nominated for Martha Stewart Award

Durham's Big Spoon Roasters has been nominated to win a $10,000 Martha Stewart Living American Made Award. The nominee with the most votes, will win the cash prize and a feature in Martha Steward Living.

Durham Farmers Market Voted Fifth Favorite in North Carolina

Durham Farmers Market was voted the fifth Favorite Farmers Market in North Carolina according to American Farmland Trust.

Durham Adds Fifth Sister City

Durham officially added Zhuzhou, in China’s Hunan Province, as its fifth “Sister City.”

Branford Marsalis Performs at Democratic National Convention

Durham Grammy winner Branford Marsalis performed the national anthem at the opening of the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

Durham Arts Council Awarded SmART Grant

Durham Arts Council has been awarded a $30,000 state grant for the SmART Initiative Pilot Program which focuses on creating arts-driven economic development in cities and towns, leveraging arts assets and public/private partnerships.

Durham Tech Awarded Grant to Create NC's First Community College Debate Club

Durham Technical Community College was awarded a $19,000 Open Democracy Grant from the Open Society Institute for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a debate club, the first of its kind for North Carolina community colleges.

DPAC Nets Durham $1.8M for Fiscal 2011-12

The Durham Performing Arts Center reported a net income of more than $4.5 million in fiscal 2011-12 with $1.8 million of that sum going to the City of Durham.

Duke Ranked NC's Second Largest Hospital

Triangle Business Journal ranked Duke University Hospital as second among the "Largest N.C. Hospitals in 2012."

Duke Olympians to Throw Ceremonial Pitches at DBAP

Duke Olympic medalists and student-athletes Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory will throw ceremonial first pitches at the Durham Bulls game against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday, August 23rd.

Washington Duke Catering Director Receives Prestigious Industry Award

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club’s Director of Catering and Conference Services Diane Tighe received the Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE), the National Association for Catering and Events' most prestigious and widely respected professional designation.

Full Frame Selected as Qualifying Event for Prestigious Industry Award

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival was selected to join a prestigious list of international film festivals chosen by The Producers Guild of America as a qualifying event for the Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture Award.

Residence Hall Earns NCCU Its First LEED Certification

Chidley North, North Carolina Central University’s newest residence hall, has earned LEED gold certification. The $24 million, 517-bed facility which opened in August 2011 is NCCU’s first to be certified gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Duke Ranked Among Nation's Greenest Colleges

Duke University was ranked as seventh among America's Greenest Colleges by Sierra Magazine.

Durham 911 Center Earns International Training Reaccreditation

The Durham Emergency Communications Center earned international training reaccreditation from The Association of Public Safety Communications International, Inc. Durham is the first, and currently, one of only two centers in the world to hold three major accreditations simultaneously.

Durham Public Schools Demonstrates Progress in 2011-12

The 2011-12 school year yielded a number of progress indicators for Durham Public Schools including: an increased district wide graduation rate of 3.1% from 2010-2011 to 77%; two honor schools of excellence, City of Medicine Academy, and J.D. Clements Early College; seven schools of distinction and no low performing schools.

Durhamite Among Women's Indoor Volleyball Silver Medalists

Former Durham Riverside volleyball player, Megan Hodge won the silver medal alongside her U.S. Women's Indoor Volleyball team-mates in the 2012 London Olympics.

Coach K Leads U.S. Men's Basketball to Gold Medal Win

Duke University basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski lead the U.S. Men's Basketball team to a Gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Final versus Spain.

Duke Contributes $350K to the Bull City Connector

Duke University contributed $350,000 to the Bull City Connector's 2012-2013 operating budget; the fare-free bus serves around 2,000 riders per day.

Durham Ranked Third Among Fastest Growing NC Cities

Durham was ranked as the third fastest growing city in North Carolina according to a new report from the Triangle Business Journal and based on U.S. Census data.

Durham Ranked 9th Best for 'Successful Aging'

Durham was ranked as ninth on the Milken Institute's list of the '10 Best Cities for Successful Aging' in the smaller metros category.

Duke Named 'One of the Best Colleges to Work for' A Fifth Time

Duke University was named 'One of the Best Colleges to Work For' by The Chronicle of Higher Education for the fifth straight year.

McKinney Creative Named to List of Most Creative People in Advertising

McKinney Associate Creative Director Jenny Nicholson was named 10th on Business Insider's list of the 25 Most Creative People in Advertising: 2012.

Durham Ranked 9th Best Small City for Seniors

Durham was ranked as the 9th best small city for seniors in the Milken Institute’s Best Cities for Successful Aging Index.

Duke Fencer, Olympian Becca Ward Named ACC's Top Female Athlete

Three-time NCAA Fencing Champion Becca Ward has been selected as the winner of the ACC's Mary Garber Award, earning the distinction as the conference's top female athlete of 2011-12 as voted on by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. A bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Ward leaves Duke University as one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history.

Duke Divers Break 12 Year Olympic Drought

Two Duke undergraduates, along with their diving partners, broke a 12 year drought in US Olympic diving medals in London. Abby Johnston shared the silver medal for women’s 3 meter synchronized diving and NicK McCrory shared the bronze for men’s 10 meter platform synchronized diving.

Durham Ranks Among Cities 'Where the Creative Class Earns the Most'

Durham was ranked 16th among cities 'Where the Creative Class Earns the Most' by Richard Florida in The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited.

Durham Ranks Among Best Cities for Mid-Career Professionals

Durham was ranked as second on Kiplinger's list of "Best Cities for Mid-Career Professionals."

Duke Medical Center Tops Hospital Rankings

Duke University Medical Center was ranked as the top hospital in North Carolina and the eighth best hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Durham Finance Department Earns National Reporting Honor

The City of Durham Finance Department has been recognized for the eighth consecutive year for outstanding achievement by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The City of Durham is the only municipality in North Carolina to have received this year’s Government Finance Officers Association Award for Excellence in Popular Annual Financial Reporting.

Durham 911 Center Awarded CALEA Reaccreditation

With its recent international re-accreditation from Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the Durham Emergency Communications Center is one of only two centers in the world to hold three major accreditations simultaneously.

Durham Ranks First in Private Sector Salaries

Durham ranked first among North Carolina cities with the highest private sector salaries in a recent Triangle Business Journal study.

Durham's Pauli Murray Sainted

Durham civil rights activist, feminist, author, poet and lawyer, Pauli Murray was added to the Episcopal Church's book "Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints." The late Episcopal priest's day of celebration will be July 1.

Durham Metro Area Ranks High in Specialty Work Visa Demand

The Durham-Chapel Hill MSA had the third-highest number of requests per 1,000 workers nationally for H-1B work visas which allow employers to hire foreign workers for jobs requiring highly specialized knowledge.

Pollstar Ranks Carolina Theatre Among Top-Selling Theatres

Pollstar ranked Carolina Theatre 88th among the top-selling theaters in the world.

DPAC Tops Theater Rankings in U.S., World

Pollstar ranked DPAC the top-selling theater in the U.S. and the second most attended theater in the world for the first half of 2012.

Durham #1 in Private Sector Salaries

According to the Triangle Business Journal, Durham tops the state in Private Sector Salaries.

DBAP Ranks High as Vegetarian-Friendly Ballpark

PETA ranked the Durham Bulls' Athletic Park third on its list of the 'Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Minor League Ballparks."

Washington Duke Inn Receives Top Honors from Expedia

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club has been named to the Expedia Insiders’ Select® list for 2012, an annual ranking of best-reviewed hotels as determined by the world’s leading full-service online travel agency.

Durham Ranked Nation's Leading Creative Class Metro

Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class—Revisited, ranked Durham first among America’s Leading Creative Class Metros.

Durham Entrepreneur Named to INC's 30 Under 30

Rachel Weeks, Durham entrepreneur and founder of sustainable collegiate apparel company School House, has been named to INC's "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs 2012."

Durham Ranked Forbes' 14th Best Place for Business

Durham was ranked Forbes' 14th "Best Place for Business and Careers."

Plumlee, Rivers Selected in First Round of NBA Draft

Former Duke Blue Devils Austin Rivers and Miles Plumlee were selected in the first round of the NBA draft. The New Orleans Hornets selected Rivers with the 10th pick while Plumlee was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 26th pick.

Durham Ranked America's 8th Leading High-Tech Metro

Durham was ranked 8th on Atlantic Monthly's list of 'America's Leading High-Tech Metros.'

Durham Now NC's Fourth-Largest City

According to new estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, Durham is now North Carolina's fourth-largest city. Durham edged out Winston-Salem by 867 people after experiencing a 2.2 percentage growth.

Durham Ranked Among '15 Tech Scenes In Places You'd Never Look'

Durham was ranked fifth on Fast Company's list of the "15 Tech Scenes In Places You'd Never Look."

Research Triangle Among ID Cocktail's Best for Beer

The Research Triangle was named to ID Cocktails list of the world's "10 Best Beer [Regions]."

Huffington Post Calls Research Triangle a Best Bang for Your Buck

The Huffington Post listed The Research Triangle among "The Best Bang for Your Buck [Regions] In the U.S."

Serious Eats Features Six Durham Food Trucks

Serious Eats featured six Durham food trucks in the article "North Carolina: Our 8 Favorite Food Trucks" including: The Parlour, Only Burger, Pie Pushers, KoKyu, Chirba Chirba and Sympathy for the Deli.

Duke Divers Earn Olympic Berths

Duke University divers Nick McCrory, 20, and Abby Johnston, 23, have won spots on the U.S. Olympic team in synchronized diving.

Durham-Based Band Delta Rae Plays 'The Tonight Show'

Delta Rae, a six-member Durham-based band, will perform on “The Tonight Show” on NBC Monday June 25th at 11:30 p.m. The band released their debut album "Carry the Fire" on Warner Bros. Records in mid-June.

McKinney's SPENT Wins 2012 Games for Change Recognition

McKinney's SPENT earned a 2012 Games for Change Award in the Most Significant Impact category at the Games for Change Festival. SPENT was developed on behalf of Durham Urban Ministries.

Coach Buehler Honored with USA Track & Field Lifetime Achievement Award

Olympic Coach and former Duke Track and Field Coach Al Buehler will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the USA Track & Field Alumni Association at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore. Buehler is currently in his 58th year of teaching at Duke.

Durham Blog Named Among Forbes' Top 100 for Women

Durham blog Colored Girl Confidential was named among Forbes' Top 100 Websites for Women 2012.

Fast Company Names Durham Among 15 National Tech Scenes

Durham was listed among Fast Company's 15 Tech Scenes in Places You'd Never Think to Look.

Durham Featured on Americans for the Arts Homepage

Durham appeared on Americans for the Arts' home page in honor of its distinction as a creative economy overachiever as determined by the results of the Arts and Economic Prosperity IV Study.

Nonprofit Arts Organizations Contribute $125.5M to Durham Economy

Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Durham generated $125.5 million in overall economic impact in the 2010 fiscal year, $49.08 million above the national median and $78.01 million above areas of similar population.

McKinney Ranked as World's Most Effective Independent Ad Agency

Durham-based advertising agency McKinney was recognized by the Effie Index as the Most Effective Independent Agency Globally. The Effie Index recognizes the architects of the most effective marketing communications ideas from around the world.

Durham, Duke Parking Garages Receive Industry Recognition

The Duke University Research Drive Parking Garage and the Corcoran Parking Garage restoration were honored by the International Parking Institute as two of the industry's most outstanding parking facilities. The Duke University Research Drive Parking Garage, the nation’s first stand-alone parking structure to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, was recognized for Best Design of a Parking Facility with More than 800 Spaces. The Corcoran Parking Garage Restoration was recognized with the Best Parking Facility Rehabilitation or Restoration Award.

Duke Leads ACC in NCAA Academic Honors

Duke's varsity athletic teams led the ACC, and were second among the six major conferences, with 13 Public Recognition Awards given by the NCAA to the teams that rank in the top 10 percent in the Academic Progress Rate. The Blue Devils' baseball, football, men's basketball, men's fencing, men's golf, men's soccer, men's swimming and diving, men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, wrestling, women's fencing, women's lacrosse and volleyball were among those listed by the NCAA.

Durham Ranks Fourth in NC Migration Grownth

Durham boasts the state's fourth largest migration growth from relocating American and International immigrants according to the Triangle Business Journal.

New Century Planning Selected to Manage Democratic National Convention Event

Durham-based event planning company New Century Planning, founded by April Ellerbe, was named as one of the 13 companies selected to manage welcome events for the 2012 Democratic National Convention Delegates. New Century Planning will host delegates from Nevada, New Mexico, Guam, American Samoa, Wyoming, and Utah at the Historic Duke Mansion of Charlotte.

Durham Manufacturing Sector Ranked First Among Major Metros

Durham's manufacturing sector was ranked first among major metros and 11th in the country by Triangle Business Jounrl. Manufacturing accounts for 36.5 percent of the gross metropolitan product in the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA.

NCCU Eagles Football Game to Be Televised on ESPNU

The NC Central University Eagles' October 18 football game versus Hampton University will be televised on ESPNU. The game is one of three MEAC football games slated to be televised live; this will be the Eagles' first television appearance on ESPNU.

William Chandler Named Among Jaycee's '2012 Ten Outstanding Young Americans'

William Chandler Vatavuk  has been named as one of the United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Chandler is Vice President of the Bennett Place State Historic Support Fund, the former President of the Durham young Lawyers and has a B.A. Degree in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and a J.D. from NCCU Law School. Chandler is being recognized for his accomplishments in Human Improvement; the Ten Outstanding Young Americans program is one of the oldest and most prestigious recognition programs in America.

Iron Man 3 Filming Begins with Locations in Durham

Filming for Iron Man 3 has begun in North Carolina including locations in Durham. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau.

Duke's Muslim Chaplain to Offer NC Senate Opening Prayer

Duke's Muslim chaplain, Abdullah Antepli, will offer the opening prayer at the June 5 session of the N.C. Senate. Antepli, who joined Duke in July 2008, is one of only a handful of full-time Muslim chaplains at U.S. colleges and universities.

Durham Entrepreneur Honored by White House for Military Career Fair

Durham-based entrepreneur T.J. Breeden was one of 11 people honored by the White House Office of Public Engagement through the Champions of Change program, part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative. Breeden, whose work focuses on business training for veterans and minorities, was recognized for his work helping to organize an upcoming hiring fair at Fort Bragg.

Becker's Hospital Review Ranks Duke Hospital Among Country's 100 Best

Becker's Hospital Review listed Duke University Hospital among the country's "100 Great Hospitals of 2012."

Durham Bulls Ranked Among MiLB's Top 25 Merchandise Sales

The Durham Bulls ranked in the top 25 in merchandise sales in Minor League Baseball in 2012, according to MiLB. The Bulls have made the list 19 times.

Durham Ranks #5 on Forbes' Geekiest Cities List

Forbes ranked Durham and the Triangle region #5 on its list of America's Top Geekiest Cities.

Durham Ranks #2 on List of 10 Best Cities to Be a Pet

Durham ranked #2 on US News & World Report's list of the 10 Best Cities to Be a Pet. The ranking is based on average monthly spending figures relating to pets.

Newsweek Ranks NCSSM as Nation's 29th Best High School

Newsweek ranked North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics as the 29th best high school in the nation on its list of America's Best High Schools 2012.

Full Frame Expands Local Economic Impact In 2012

The 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival drew more than 32,000 patrons and brought in $320,000 more for the local economy than in 2011, for a total estimated economic impact of $2.1 million. There were 101 nonfiction films exhibited at the festival with 38 sold-out events.

Matsui Joins the Durham Bulls

2009 Major League Baseball World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, "Godzilla", has joined the Durham Bulls.

Huffington Post Lauds NC School of Science and Mathematics

In the article "Schools That Should Teach America About Teaching Science" the Huffington Post lauds the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics as a school "that we should applaud, recognize, and understand. They have discovered and refined important ingredients for inspiring students in the sciences."

Durham Ranked Fifth Best Place for College Graduates

The Atlantic ranked Durham #5 on its list of the Best Places for New College Graduates. The article notes that "smaller college towns remain a great alternative...College towns like these have highly-skilled, resilient economies. And they are great hold-over places for new grads thinking about their next move, whether it's the job market or on to grad school."

Durham Public Schools Names Alaina Burr Teacher of the Year

Riverside High School English as a Second Language teacher Alaina Burr has been named named Durham Public Schools' Teacher of the Year. Burr has been teaching for seven years, the last three of which have been at Riverside.

NCCU's Harmony Cross Competes for Ebony's Campus Queen Crown

North Carolina Central University's Harmony Cross has been nominated to become one of 10 Campus Queens in a competition sponsored by Ebony Magazine.

Durham Earns Playful City USA Honors for 4th Consequtive Year

Durham Parks and Recreation has been recognized as a 2012 Playful City USA community by KaBOOM! for the fourth year in a row. The award was given to 213 cities and towns for their efforts to increase play opportunities for children.

Semprius Named to List of World's Top 10 Emerging Technologies

Durham solar panel technology startup Semprius was named to Technology Review's list of the world's top 10 Emerging Technologies. Seprius was honored alongside Facebook and Kickstarter.

Counter Culture Coffee Named Sustainable Enterprise of the Year

The Institute for Sustainable Development selected Counter Culture as its 2012 Sustainable Enterprise of the Year out of the more than 200 companies that participate in the Green Plus triple-bottom-line certification program across 15 states.

GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Gifts NC Central $1.5M

N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation gifted N.C. Central University $1.5 million to further the school's goal of graduating more students, particularly women and minorities, with degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

Bovenders Establish Scholarship to Honor First Students to Integrate Duke

Jack Bovender, vice chair of the Board of Trustees and Health Administration ’69, and his wife Barbara Bovender have awarded a $1 million scholarship named in the honor of five black classmates who entered the University in 1963 -- the same year Duke desegregated. Mary Harris, Gene Kendall, Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke, Cassandra Rush and Nathaniel White were the first five undergraduate students to integrate Duke in 1963.

South Durham Farmers’ Market Officially Opens Saturday

Durham's second farmers' market, the South Durham Farmers’ Market, will open Saturday at Greenwood Commons Shopping Plaza. The market, located at 5410 N.C. 54 at Sedwick Roadm, will be open 8 a.m. to noon. The South Durham Farmers’ Market boasts 30 vendors, one-third of whom are from Durham.

Duke Pays Tuitition for 1,009 Employees in 2011

Duke paid tuition benefits for 1,009 faculty and staff in 2011 as part of the university's Duke Employee Tuition Program. Duke reimbursed expenses totaling $2.56 million for the program which has more than doubled in participation in five years.

The City of Durham Recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business

The City of Durham has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Business. The City of Durham encourages bicycling by employees as an easy option for transportation by providing amenities such as bicycle racks, showers, and lockers, and incentives such as bike safety and maintenance classes. Currently there are about 20 employees who regularly bicycle to work and several “mixed-mode” commuters, who make part of their trip by bike and part by Durham Area Transit Authority or Triangle Transit buses.

Duke Hires First African-American Head Coach

As Duke's newly named wrestling head coach, Glen Lanham is the African-American head coach in the university's history and just the sixth in Division I wrestling. A two time All-American, Lanham has been assistant coach for some of the nation's most prestigious wrestling programs including Duke's for the past two seasons.

The Makery Wins The Smoffice

The Makery was announced as the winner of The Smoffice, a startup competition for 6 months of free space in the world's smallest office, a downtown condo and access to technical experts. The Smoffice is a partnership between Downtown Durham Inc and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.

Bull City Soul Revival Featured on UNC-TV

Bull City Soul Revival and the music, artists, and social culture of the 60's and '70s Durham that defined Bull City Soul were featured on UNC-TV's Black Issues Forum.

Yahoo! Travel Ranks Durham 9th Among Best Cities for Singles

Yahoo! Travel named Durham ninth among the country's 10 Best Cities for Singles. The article notes, "Durham is best known for Duke University and Research Triangle Park, two enviable assets that draw young people to the city by the thousands...The area is noted for its restaurant scene -- which, with living costs a full 10% below average, is pretty affordable for singles and their dates."

"Special Flight" Awarded Top Honors at Full Frame

“Special Flight,” a film directed by Fernand Melgar about a Swiss detention center for rejected political asylum immigrants, was awarded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival’s Grand Jury Award and the Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award.

City Adds 5 New Hybrid Buses to Bull City Connector Fleet

The City of Durham added five new diesel-electric hybrid buses to the Bull City Connector fleet with new features including perimeter seating, automated passenger counters and a traffic signal priority system. The fare-free Bull City Connector route has used hybrid buses since inception resulting in a 27 percent daily fuel savings.

Duke Composer Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Letters

Stephen Jaffe, professor of music composition at Duke University, has been selected to join The American Academy of Arts and Letters whose 250 members represent the highest caliber of American artists. Jaffe’s music has been featured at major concerts and festivals including the Nottingham, Tanglewood, and Oregon Bach Festivals, and presented by the Slovenska Filharmonija, the National Symphony, the San Francisco, North Carolina and New Jersey Symphonies, Berlin's Spectrum Concerts, London's Lontano, and many others.

Duke Ranked the Nation's 5th Largest Research Universtiy

Duke University has been ranked the fifth-largest research university in the nation by the NSF’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey with $983 million in research expenditures.

Duke Accepts 3,105 Out of Record-Setting Number of Applicants

Duke University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions accepted 3,105 applicants to the class of 2016, bringing the regular decision acceptance rate to 11 percent. Admissions selected these students from a record number of applicants totaling 31,600 applicants across the early and regular decision cycles—6 percent more than last year.

Duke Recognized as a 'Bicycle Friendly University'

Duke University has been recognized as a "Bicycle Friendly University" by the League of American Bicyclists. The program recognizes institutions of higher education for promoting and providing a more bicycle-friendly campus for students, employees and visitors.

Durham Selected for IBM Smarter Cities Challenge

Durham was one of 33 cities worldwide selected to receive a 2012 IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant worth for $400,000 of consulting services from IBM. The Smarter Cities Challenge, launched in 2011, is a competitive grant program awarding IBM expertise to address the wide range of challenges facing cities today.

R.N. Harris Elementary Recognized with National Award

R.N. Harris Elementary School is one of 14 schools nationwide to be awarded the 2012 National Excellence in Urban Education Award. The award, presented by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, recognizes and rewards exceptional urban school educators and students; provides a benchmark of excellence that motivates reform efforts; and expands the knowledge base of best practices for promoting urban school transformation.

Overall Satisfaction Among Durham Residents On the Rise

The City of Durham’s recent resident satisfaction survey indicates an increase in overall satisfaction from 2009, with 82 percent of residents rating the city as an “excellent” or “good” place to live and 77 percent rating the city as an “excellent” or “good” place to work. These ratings are up from the 2009 survey, which were 78 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Pratt School Ranked the Country's 28th Best Engineering Program

U.S. News & World Report listed Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering as the 28th best engineering school in the country. The ranking marks a three spot jump from the 2011 rankings.

Duke's Fuqua School Ranked 12th Best Business School

Duke University's Fuqua School of Business was ranked the 12th best business school by U.S. News & World Report for 2012.

ESPN Names Blue Devils Rookie "National Freshmand of the Year"

ESPN has named Blue Devil rookie Elizabeth Williams its National Freshman of the Year. The 6'3" center has also been recognized as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-ACC First Team.

Duke Lauded as 'College Campus with Most School Spirit'

Duke University was named first among Inside College's list of the "23 College Campuses with the Most School Spirit." The ranking is accompanied by a photo of Blue Devils fans waiting in line at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Thorb Named NCRLA's 2012 Lodging Employee of the Year

Teresa Thorb, Front Office Manager of the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, was named the 2012 Lodging Employee of the Year by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA).  Teresa was honored for her professionalism, guest service initiatives, and for initiating a community service program of hotel associates in partnership with the North Carolina US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Duke Named a Tree Campus USA for the 4th Consecutive Year

The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Duke University as a "Tree Campus USA" site for the fourth consecutive year. The distinction honors the tree-friendliest campuses in the country; the honor was first awarded  in 2008.

Bull Durham Ranks 4th Best Sports Flick in LA Times Survey

Bull Durham ranked fourth a Los Angeles Times's reader survey of the "10 Best Sports Movies of All Time" with 557 first-place votes or 33,872 points.

Coffee Delivered By Bike in Wrestling Mask "More Portland than Portland"

Upon becoming acquainted with Durham's Bike Coffee through audience participation at the Carolina Theatre's presentation of Portlandia and later when a coffee was hand-delivered by bike at 10PM by someone in a Mexican wrestling mask, Portlandia star and Wild Flag front woman, Carrie Brownstein tweeted Bike Coffee is "More Portland than Portland!"

Duke Women Claim ACC Regular Season Title

The Duke Blue Devils Women's Basketball team claimed the ACC regular season championship by defeating the UNC Tar Heels in a 69-63 win. This was the Blue Devils' first win at UNC's Dean Dome in five years.

Pam Spaulding Recognized as a Black Hero of the LGBT Community

Pam Spaulding was recognized by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) as a Black Hero of the LGBT Community for her blog Pam's House Blend and work as a LGBT commentator and contributor. Spaulding is considered by many to be the most important lesbian blogger in America.

Deep South Magazine Lauds Scratch and Will & Pop's

Scratch Bakery and Will and Pop's Food Truck appeared on Deep South Magazine's list "Where to Eat in the South in 2012" as #33 and #35 respectively. Deep South lauds Scratch for its "focus on seasonal, artisan baking" and Will and Pop's for "serving exclusively local products five days a week."

ESPN College Game Day to Feature Duke-UNC Rivalry

ESPN College GameDay will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, March 3 prior to Duke's regular season ending tilt with North Carolina. The two-hour live show will air as a day-long preview to the greatest rivalry in college athletics.

Museum of Life & Science the Country's First Green+ Certified Museum

The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science has become the first museum in the U.S. to earn Green Plus Certification. Sustainability is woven into each of the museum's exhibits through natural landscaping, native plantings, a partial green roof, solar hot-water heaters, rainwater collector cisterns, extensive composting, minimal materials used in exhibit displays, and an energy monitoring system that allows Museum staff to automatically manage the energy use in any exhibit from one central location.

Three Durham Food Scene Standouts Honored as James Beard Semifinalists

Three Durham food scene standouts have been honored as 2012 James Beard Award semifinalists: Magnolia Grill, Outstanding Restaurant; Fullsteam Brewery owner Sean Lily Wilson, Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional; Nana's owner Scott Howell, Best Chef/Southeast.

Durham's Katie Ricks Ordained as Nation's First Openly Lesbian Minister

Newly ordained minister and Durhamite Katie Ricks became the nation’s first openly lesbian minister to be approved for ordination since the church decided in 2011 to allow openly gay individuals to serve in the ministry.

Durham Leads State in Public Transit Use

Commuters in Durham and Chapel Hill use public transportation more frequently than any other metro area in the state, according to analysis of census data by American City Business Journals. About 3.8 percent of the 235,000 commuters in the four-county metro area of Durham, Orange, Chatham and Person use public transit, nearly twice the rate of commuters in Charlotte and four times that of commuters in the Raleigh area.

Center for Responsible Lending Receives $2M MacArthur Foundation Grant

The Durham-based Center for Responsible Lending has been named a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation's 2012 Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. The Center for Responsible Lending was awarded a $2 million grant to continue in its mission to protect homeownership and family assets by working to eliminate abusive financial practices and consumer products.

Durham Debuts Bull City Bucks App

Bull City Buck$, a new app designed to reward patrons for supporting Durham businesses, encourage visits to new places downtown and to inspire out of town visitors to explore downtown Durham. The free app, which was created in American Underground by Albright Digital, keeps a tally of points earned by scanning QR codes at participating businesses. Bull City Bucks can also be logged on the website www.bullcitybucks.com.

Duke Selected as Host Site for First Rounds of NCAA Women's Basketball Championship

Duke University has been selected as a host site for the 2013 NCAA First and Second Rounds for the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Duke will host the first and second rounds in Cameron Indoor Stadium for the third time over the last four years.

"The Loving Story" Airs on HBO

"The Loving Story," a film by Durham filmmaker Nancy Buirski chronicling the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, whose battle to be legally married led to an end of bans on interracial marriages in 16 states, airs tonight at 9PM on HBO. The film screened at the 2011 Full Frame and Tribecca film festivals and won the WGA Screenplay Award at the 2011 SilverDocs Festival.

Durham Ranks 7th on Men's Health's List: 'Where the Babes Are'

Men's Health magazine ranked Durham #7 on "Where the Babes Are," its list of US cities with the most eligible women. The ranking is based on census data about the ratio of single women to single men, the percentage of college-educated women, the percentage of gainfully employed single women and the number who work out.

Southern Living Recognizes Scratch as One of "The South's Best Bakeries"

Southern Living named Scratch Bakery one of "The South's Best Bakeries" in its Best Pies category.

Durham 'Best Restaurants of 2011' Winners

News & Observer food critic Greg Cox named Magnolia Grill the Triangle's Restaurant of the Year. Additionally, Nana's received a Gold Medal. Fairview, Four Square, Revolution and Watts Grocery received Silver Medals. Blu Seafood and Bar, Dos Perros, Los Comales, and Vin Rouge received Best in Class rankings while G2B and Happy China were among the area's Best New Restaurants.

Study Finds Durham Workers are Highest Paid in State

A study by the American City Business Journals found that workers in Durham are the highest paid in the state. Research indicates workers in the Durham Metropolitan Statistical Area received average annual pay of $53,220, or $25.59 per hour.

American Cancer Society Recognizes Duke for Tobacco Cessation Program

Duke University will receive The American Cancer Society's 2012 Excellence in Workplace Tobacco Control award. The award is presented quarterly to employers that provide cessation programs, policies and benefit coverage to encourage tobacco cessation at workplaces with at least 1,000 employees.

Chef José Andrés Lauds Fullsteam Persimmon Beer Via Twitter

James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés tweeted about his first experience tasting Fullsteam Brewery's persimmon beer with acclaimed chef and organic food activist Alice Waters at America Eats Tavern in Washington, NC.

AARP Names Durham a Great US Destination for 2012

AARP placed Durham, NC fourth on its list of Great U.S. Destinations for 2012. The author notes the Bull City's genteel charm, farm-to-table restaurant renaissance and cutting-edge cultural offerings as well as Durham eateries Watts Grocery, Vin Rouge, the Magnolia Grill and Nana's.

Beth El Synagogue Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Durham's Beth El Synagogue will celebrate its 125th anniversary this weekend as the oldest synagogue in Durham. In 1892, the Durham Hebrew Congregation formally chartered the congregation and hired its first rabbi to lead the Jewish community in a rental hall on Main Street. In 1905, the congregation purchased a small church on Liberty Street, which became Durham’s first synagogue. Beth El broke ground on its current location at Watts and Markham streets in 1957.

Princeton Review Ranks Duke Library 5th Among US Colleges

The Princeton Review named Duke University the college with the fifth best library in the United States.

Durham Filmmaker Shortlisted for Academy Award

Durham filmmaker Elisabeth Haviland James' documentary film THE LOVING STORY was shortlisted for the Academy Award in the  Best Documentary Feature category. The film will be broadcast on HBO on Valentines Day, February 14, 2012. Previously, James' film PRECIPICE (co-Directed with Elizabeth Witham) was one of five national finalists for the Academy Award in the Student Documentary category in 2002. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Elisabeth teaches documentary courses at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies.

The New York Times - Duke Early Admissions

"Early admission to top colleges, once the almost exclusive preserve of the East Coast elite, is now being pursued by a much broader and more diverse group of students, including foreigners and minorities... Duke, for example, received 400 early applications this year from California or overseas; in 2005, it was fewer than 100... Duke got 2,700 early applications this year, up from 1,482 in 2005."

- As a Broader Group Seeks Early Admission, Rejections Rise in the East, The New York Times

Counter Culture Coffee Snags Second Good Food Award

Counter Culture Coffee was selected as a winner of the Good Food Award for a second year running. The awards, organized by the Seedling Projects, a nonprofit that supports the sustainable food movement, honor companies that produce "tasty, authentic and responsibly produced" foods.

Eastway Elementary Awarded $100k Grant on Ellen DeGeneres Show

Eastway Elementary School was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Target's Community Giving Program. Sarah Myrick, the teacher who nominated Eastway Elementary and the school's principal Kendral Flowers accepted the award in a live taping of the show. Myrick and Flowers plan to use the grant funds for technology.

Duke Boasts Record Setting Applicant Numbers for a Fifth Year

For the fifth year in a row, Duke University boasts record setting numbers of undergraduate applications. More than 31,500 high school seniors submitted applications for admission this year, eclipsing the previous year's record by 6.2 percent, or more than 1,800 applications.

Durham is 'American's Most Tolerant City'

Durham has been designated as America's Most Tolerant City by the Daily Beast. The honor is based on the Bull City's low incidence of reported hate crimes combined with high tolerance rankings based on state-wide anti-discrimination statistics and a diverse urban population.

DPAC the Fourth Most Attended Theater Nationally in 2011

Durham Performing Arts Center's 2011 calendar year attendance statistics of 68 sellout shows and a total attendance of 414,056 places DPAC as the #4 theater according to national entertainment industry magazine Pollstar.  DPAC also garnered another top honor in Venues Today Magazine as a top 5 facility under 5,000 capacity for 2011.

Duke Online Programs Rank High on US News & World Report List

U.S. News and World Report gave Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering online program a grade of 92.5 on "admissions selectivity" making it the second most selective in the nation. Duke's online nursing program ranked seventh in the "faculty credential and training" category.

Longtime Duke Announcer Named NC Sportscaster of the Year

Longtime Duke sports announcer Bob Harris has been named the 2011 North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Harris has served as the voice of the Blue Devils since 1976 and in 2011 called his 400th consecutive football game at Wallace Wade Stadium. Harris has also broadcast nearly 1,200 basketball games including all four of Duke's national championship wins.