Durham Companies Named to Best Places to Work List

Triangle Business Journal named eight Durham-based companies to their annual list of 'Best Places to Work in the Triangle':  NetApp, EMC Corporation, Bronto Software, Clarkson Consulting, Alston & Bird, BioAgilytix Labs, Evoapp Inc., and Relevance Inc.

Bull City Records, Locopops Get Neighborly on Hillsborough Road

Bull City Records has moved from Ninth Street to the storefront at 2600 Hillsborough Road once inhabited by Locopops. The pops shop has relocated to another storefront within the same shopping center.

Durham Designer to Appear on "All American Handyman"

Durham's Howard Eason, owner of HE Designs, is one of 20 contestants to appear on the second season of "All American Handyman." The show premiers Sunday, September 4 on the HGTV network.

Durham Bull Named International League MVP

Durham Bulls infielder Russ Canzler has been named the International League's Most Valuable Player.

The Special Event Co. CEO Named an Industry Innovator

The Special Event Company CEO Sally Webb has been named one of the event industry's most influential innovators by Special Events Magazine; Webb was featured in the July-August issue of the magazine. The Special Event Company is a strategic event and meeting management company based in Durham.

Durham Tennis Pro Qualifies for U.S. Open... Again

Durham’s Michael Yani has qualified for the U.S. Open for the fourth time since turning pro in 2003. A four year star while playing for Duke, Yanni has also played in the 2010 French Open and the 2009 Wimbledon.

Former Blue Devil Returns Joins Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

Duke University announced that former Duke star Joy Cheek will join the Blue Devils women's basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach. Since leaving Duke, Cheek has played in the WNBA in 2010 and professionally in Poland.

The Herald-Sun Launches We Are Durham Magazine

The Herald-Sun has launched We Are Durham Magazine, a glossy magazine to be published quarterly. The magazine will focus on community content as well as newcomer information. Civic clubs, faith organization, government-related group, schools, nonprofits and the arts will be represented.

World Overcomers Church Revives Durham School Library

In last week of August, more than 70 members of the World Overcomers Christian Church have donated their time to improving the library at Y.E. Smith Elementary School. The church contributed about 1,600 titles in addition to making physical improvements to the facility including painting, cleaning, repairing and replacing.

Durham Composer Awarded NC Arts Council Fellowship

Durham composer Eric Hirsh is among the 2011-2012 recipients of the North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award. Hirsh will receive a $10,000 fellowship to support creative development and the creation of new work.

Duke Director of Dining Services Resigns

Jim Wulforst, Duke University's director of dining services, has resigned after 15 years of service. Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of housing and dining, will oversee Duke Dining in the interim as Duke conducts a national search for a new director.

Former NCCU Nursing Dept. Chair Returns to Lead During Period of Expansion

Betty Pierce Dennis, who chaired the Nursing Department at N.C. Central University from 1999 to 2004, has returned to chair the department as it heads into a period of expansion in a new, state-of-the-art teaching facility. Before her return to NCCU, Dennis was a professor of nursing and dean of the Division of Nursing at Dillard University in New Orleans. She was also the director and a professor at the Minority Health and Health Disparities Center, a collaboration between Dillard and Louisiana State University funded by the National Institutes of Health.

NCCU Welcomes New Business School Dean

N.C. Central University has named D. Keith Pigues the new dean of the School of Business. Pigues previously held executive positions at PlyGem Industries, CEMEX, RR Donnelley, ADP and Honeywell International. An adjunct professor at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, Pigues taught courses in leadership and corporate leadership development. Pigues was named one of Black Enterprise Magazine's top executives in marketing and advertising for 2011.

Liberty Arts Relocates to Cordoba Building Near Golden Belt

Liberty Arts, a nonprofit metal sculpting organization, has moved operations to the Cordoba Building near Golden Belt. The Cordoba Building is the new home of former Liberty Warehouse neighbors, The Scrap Exchange. Liberty Arts will continue to host demonstrations in the George Watts Hill Pavilion at Durham Central Park.

Farmhand Foods Wins "2011 Best Slow Money Business" Competition

Farmhand Foods won Slow Money's" 2011 Best Slow Money Business" competition, a nation-wide search for the top small food enterprise that embodies the Slow Money Principles. As the winner, Farmhand Foods has been awarded a full pass to the Slow Money National Gathering in October.

Dean of Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy to Step Down

Bruce Kuniholm, the founding dean of Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, will step down at the end of this academic year. Kuniholm played was a key role in transforming the Sanford Institute into a full-fledged school. He has overseen Duke's public policy programs since 2005, when he was named director of the Sanford Institute of Public Policy.

Blue Devils Welcome New Field Hockey Head Coach

Duke University welcomes new Blue Devil's field hockey head coach, Pam Bustin. Bustin comes to Duke from Louiville where she had become a six-time regular season conference champion in her 13 years as head coach. Bustin was also an assistant coach for the 2008 United States national team, the first U.S. team to qualify for the Olympics since 1996.

L'Uva Enoteca Now Officially Open

Chef Jim Anile's new restaurant L'Uva Enoteca has officially opened in their American Tobacco Campus location at 406 Blackwell Street.

Former DPS Band Member Responds to Plea for Instruments

National Pawn owner Bob Moulton has donated more than 100 instruments and an additional $2000 for repair and maintenance to Chewning Middle School’s band program. Moulton's gift came as a response to Chewning band director Kyle Crudup's plea for community members to donate instruments. Moulton is a former member of the Neal Middle School, Lowe’s Grove Middle School and Southern High School bands.

Perlman Named Executive Director of Duke Integrative Medicine

Adam Perlman has been named executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine. Perlman was previously the executive director of the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Durham Food Trucks Compete to Become America's Favorite

Durham-based food trucks Pie Pushers, Kokyu BBQ, Blue Sky Dining and Only Burger are nominees in the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. The food truck to receive the most votes through September 12 will be named America's favorite.

Kip Frey Departs Zenph Sound Innovations

Kip Frey has stepped down from his role as CEO at music-technology company Zenph Sound Innovations. Co-founder John Q. Walker will step in as the interim CEO.

Durham Senior Games Ambassador to Bear Torch During State Finals

Senior Games Ambassador Louise Gooche of Durham has been named the official Torchbearer for the 27th North Carolina Senior Games State Finals' "Celebration of the Games." Gooche has been involved with the Senior Games since 2000 and is the founder of the Durham Senior Divas 'N Dudes Cheerleaders.

NCCU Welcomes New Men's Basketball Hires

NCCU assistant basketball coach John Moseley has been promoted to associate head coach. Brian Kloman formerly of Pikeville College in Pikeville, KY and Wes Pifer of St. Andrew's Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, have also joined the NCCU coaching staff.  Peter Quinn, formerly of Newberry College in South Carolina, has been named the Eagles' director of basketball operations.

NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to Expand to 10 Days in 2012

In 2012, the N.C. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will expand from four days to 10 days, and will include more films and events.

Former Duke Star Joins National NBA-WNBA Campaign Against Diabetes

Former Duke Blue Devil and WNBA all-star, Alana Beard, has joined former NBA stars Walt Frazier and Chris Dudley as a spokesperson for Dribble to Stop Diabetes. The national multimedia campaign was developed by the NBA, WNBA, the NBA Developmental League, the American Diabetes Association and Sanoli-Aventis US to encourage fans to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle as a preventative measure against diabetes.

Duke University Welcomes First Hindu Chaplain

Duke University has named Usha Rajagopalan its first Hindu Chaplain. Fluent in Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, Rajagopalan graduated from Annamalai University in India and the University of Maryland. In her new role, Rajagopalan is charged with counseling Hindu students and representing the Hindu Students Association in university programs.

Auxiliary to the Durham Academy of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy Hosts 18th Annual Legacy Luncheon

The Auxiliary to the Durham Academy of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy will honor Durham leaders at its 18th Annual Legacy Luncheon Aug. 20, noon at the Durham Hilton Hotel. Auxiliary members are the spouses of Academy members which is comprised of minority physicians, dentists and pharmacists in the Durham community. Sharon Elliott-Bynum and Joyce C. Nichols, P.A. will receive Legacy Awards for their dedication to helping underserved residents in Durham. Elliott-Bynum and her late sister founded Healing with CAARE, Inc in 1995. Nichols was the first formally trained female physician assistant in the country. She established two rural clinics in the northern Durham County area of Bahama and Rougemont.

Duke Professor Writes Inaugural Posting for Huffington Post's New Black Voices Site

Duke University's Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of Black Popular Culture in the Department of African and African American Studies, wrote an inaugural posting for Huffington Post's new Black Voices site entitled "Jumping the Broom to Equality."

Former Blue Devils QB Ben Bennett Inducted Into ACC Football Legends Class of 2011

Former All-America quarterback Ben Bennett will represent Duke University as a member of the 2011 ACC Football Legends class to be honored at the league's championship game in Charlotte on December 3. Bennett quarterbacked the Blue Devils from 1980-1983 - he graduated as the NCAA's all-time leading passer and currently ranks sixth on the league's career passing chart.

Durham Entrepreneurial Businesses Among North Carolina "Companies to Watch"

Durham-based entrepreneurial businesses Spoonflower, BioAgilytix Labs, Chimerix, Expression Analysis, Geomagic, Replay Photos and Riley Life Logistics have been named to the list of 25 North Carolina "Companies to Watch" by CED, a Durham nonprofit.

Duke University Sees Record Numbers of Applicants for Class of 2015

Duke University saw a record 29,526 applications for the class of 2015, an increase of 10.5 percent from the previous year. Of the students accepted to Duke 43.6 percent intend to enroll. In 2010 that percentage was 41.5 percent and in 2009, 40.8 percent. Duke officials consider this year's 2.5 percent increase part of a significant trend and an indication that things are continuing to move in a positive direction.

Durham City Planning Supervisor Earns NCAZO Member of the Year

The North Carolina Association of Zoning Officials (NCAZO) has selected Durham City Planning Supervisor Grace D. Smith, AICP, CZO, as the 2011 Member of the Year. The award is presented to an active NCAZO member who has distinguished themselves by loyalty and dedication to the association’s affairs. Smith is the first member in the organization’s 30-year history to be awarded both the NCAZO Zoning Official of the Year in 2009 and the NCAZO Member of the Year in 2011.