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.