DATA, Duke Launch Real Time Bus Locator

DATA, Triangle Transit, and Duke University have launched a public beta phase of TransLoc, a new GPS system that offers real time location data on buses as they move along their routes. TransLoc serves all 28 Duke transit buses, the Bull City Connector and many other triangle transit systems. The service can be accessed online, on mobile devises, through text messages and on a variety of smartphone apps.

Duke Biomedical Engineering Professor to Receive Clemson Award

Kam Leong, James B. Duke professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University, will receive the Clemson Award for Applied Research, given by the Society of Biomaterials. This is the third consecutive year in which a faculty member from the Pratt School of Engineering has won the award. Leong is being recognized for his work on developing novel materials for controlled drug delivery.

Marken LLP Relocating Headquarters to Durham

Global life sciences materials distributor Marken LLP is relocating its headquarters to Durham while continuing to operate its office in London. Marken President and CEO Wesley Wheeler and CFO Chris O’Connell will be based in 4,500 square feet of leased space in the Yorkshire building at Imperial Center office park.

Durham Arts Council to Honor Emerging Artist Grant Recipients

The Durham Arts Council will honor 15 local area artists selected to receive Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grants in 2012 at the annual Emerging Artists Awards Ceremony and reception on Feb. 23. The 2012 honorees are: Diane Daniel, literature; Notasia DeRubertis, film; Laurel Ferejohn, literature; Anne Gregory, painting; Christine Hager-Braun, craft; Hope Marasco, music; Kristin Taylor, dance; Sasha Bakaric, craft; Nuno Gomes, mixed media; Gracelee Lawrence, sculpture; Chance Murray, mixed media; Will Ridenour, music; Anita Woodley, drama; Matthew Ford, photography and Drucilla Pettibone, craft.

Durham Police Department Adds 33 New Officers

Thirty-three officers will join the Durham Police Department during graduation ceremonies Feb. 7. Among the new Durham officers will be six who are fluent in Spanish.

Duke Alum Donates $7.5 Million to Repair Washington Monument

David M. Rubenstein, Trinity ’70 and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees, has donated $7.5 million towards repair efforts of the Washington Monument after it suffered extensive damage in the August 2011 East Coast earthquake. Rubenstein has a long history of donating to charitable causes and is one of the co-founders of the Carlyle Group, the world’s second-largest private equity firm.

Southpoint Buffalo Wild Wings to Open Feb. 6

The new Buffalo Wild Wings near The Streets at Southpoint mall is expected to open Feb. 6. The new grill and bar is located on Fayetteville Road on land that previously housed the Italian eatery Carino’s.

Animal Protection Society Appoints Hernandez to Director of Development

The Animal Protection Society of Durham has appointed Maria Hernandez to the position of director of development. She will be responsible for overseeing the fundraising efforts, including the annual Tails for Twilight Gala and the annual APS Walk for the Animals. She has worked at nonprofit organizations in the Triangle and has 18 years of experience in building relationships and securing funding within education, religion, and health and human service fields.

Hernandez Named Director of Public Relations at NCCU

Ayana Davis Hernandez has been named director of public relations at N.C. Central University. Hernandez graduated from Spelman College with a bachelors degree in English. She earned a master's degree in journalism and mass communications from New York University. She has more than 14 years experience in the communications industry.

Krzyzewski to Receive Chamber's 2012 Civic Honor Award

Mike Krzyzewski will receive the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce's 2012 Civic Honor Award for his contributions to the community on and off the basketball court. The award will be presented to Krzyzewski and his family on Feb. 14 at the chamber’s annual meeting.

Diamond View III Construction Slated to Begin in April

Construction of Diamond View III, the newest building planned for development in the American Tobacco Campus area overlooking the Durham Bulls Athletic Park,  is slated to begin in April 2012 with a completion targeted for mid-to-late 2013. The building will include 115,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of retail space.

Relevance Inc Relocates HQ to Historic Venable Center

Durham software company Relevance Inc has relocated its headquarters to 10,972 square feet of office space in downtown Durham's historic Venable Center.

McKinney Lands Fourth New Account Since September 2011

Durham-based advertising agency, McKinney, has signed Mizuno USA, maker of sports equipment and apparel, to its client roster. Mizuno USA is McKinney's fourth new client since September 2011.

Duke Descendent Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Dies, 91

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, a direct descendant of the family that established Duke University, died this morning.  Mary served on the Durham City Council and as Mayor Pro Tem in the 1950s and was a strong supporter of Durham for decades. She will be missed.

Dr. Chuck Davis Named Grand Marshall of 10th Annual MLK Parade

The Annual Durham Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Parade has named Dr. Chuck Davis, founder and artistic director of the African American Dance Ensemble, of its 10th anniversary event which kicks off on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm.  The theme of the event is I 'Still' Have a Dream.

Duke Announces 2012 Honorary Degree Recipients

Duke University will award six honorary degrees at its 2012 commencement. The degree recipients are business and philanthropic leader James Barksdale; Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; musician Emmylou Harris; wrongful convictions spokesperson Darryl Hunt; Nobel physicist Robert Richardson; and journalist and author Fareed Zakaria.

Coffey Named New Head of Duke Dining

Duke University has named Rick Coffey its new director of dining services, which delivers 18,500 meals a day to students, faculty, staff and visitors. Coffey is an award-winning director of college dining programs with 24 years of experience.

Duke Lemur Center's Rare Lemur 'Romeo' Dead at Age 19

Duke Lemur Center's diademed sifaka lemur, Romeo, has died at the age of 19. Romeo was the only one of his kind in captivity outside of Madagascar where there are perhaps 6,000 diademed sifakas left in existence. Since a suitable mate was never captured, Romeo had never been able to participate in the Duke Lemur Center's breeding program .

Duke Professor Honored with NCAE's Excellence in Equity Award

Author and historian Tim Tyson received the N.C. Association of Educators' 2011 Excellence in Equity Award for his long-term dedication, commitment and energy toward the goal of making North Carolina a more equitable community. Tyson is a senior research scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, with secondary appointments in the Duke Divinity School and the Department of History.

Durham 'Teacher of the Year' Invited to Attend State of the Union Address

Jason Jowers, assistant pricipal and dean of students at Hillside High School, will be attending the president's State of the Union address in Washington, DC as a guest of U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from Wilson. Jowers is a graduate of NC Central University and Durham Public Schools' 2011 Teacher of the Year.

Beth El Synagogue to Install Rabbi Greyber

Rabbi Daniel Greyber will be formally installed as Beth El Synagogue's rabbi - he has served the congregation since July 2011. Conservative Judaism leader Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University, will be scholar-in-residence.

Obama Selects Duke Grad to Lead Office of Management and Budget

President Obama has selected Jeffrey Zients (Trinity '88) for the position of Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Zients will assess the White House's budgetary performance and seek to improve policy.

NerdWallet Tours Latino Community CU and Self-Help for Community Programming

Personal finance website NerdWallet.com  has recognized two Durham credit unions for their community-focused programs, products and services: Latino Community CU, for its outreach to at-risk populations and Self-Help for its innovative "micro-branch.”

DSA Student Wins Pauli Murray Project's Youth Prophecy Poetry Contest

Durham School of the Arts student Bethanie Robie won first place in the Pauli Murray Project's Youth Prophecy Poetry contest in the 13-25 year old category with her poem "Equality." The Youth Prophecy Poetry Contest is an initiative of the Pauli Murray Project to introduce youth to Durham’s important legacy of civil and human rights activism and to Pauli Murray, one of our prominent homegrown activists and poets.

Duke Professor Receives Top Book Award Honors from Christianity Today

Christianity Today has selected Duke University Professor Mark Chaves' 2011 book American Religion: Contemporary Trends for top honors in its annual book awards category: Christianity and Culture.

NCCU Law Joins Association of American Law Schools

The N.C. Central University School of Law has been elected to join the Association of American Law Schools. The NCCU School of Law is only the third law school at a historically black university to join the nonprofit group that works to improve the legal profession by improving legal education.

Lenox at Patterson Place Apartment Complex Sold

The apartment complex Lenox at Patterson Place in southwest Durham has sold for $28.8 million to a company connected to Texas-based Westdale Real Estate Investment and Management. Built in 1999, the complex had previously been owned and operated by the Ohio-based Connor Group.

Blend Cafe to Open in Golden Belt

Blend Cafe will open in Golden Belt on February 1st with initial hours of 7am - 5:30pm. The cafe will occupy 1,424 square-feet of Golden Belt real estate and will sell Yogenfruz frozen yogurt, Counter Culture coffee, sandwiches, salads and homemade baked goods.

BASF to Relocate German Headquarters to RTP

German chemical company, BASF, is moving the headquarters of its plant division to Research Triangle Park. The creator of genetically modified crops and will join the more than 70 agricultural technology companies based in North Carolina.

Moshi Moshi Salon Now Open in New Golden Belt Location

Durham's newest salon, Moshi Moshi is now open. Moshi Moshi's 1,324 square-foot ground floor Golden Belt location is the salon's second in the Triangle.

Duke Senior Competes in Jeaopardy!' College Championships Tournament

Duke University Senior Greer Mackebee recently competed in the College Championships tournament of popular trivia show "Jeopardy!" The civil and environmental engineering major was selected from a pool of 12,000 students to compete on the show. The tournament will air Feb. 1-14; the winner will receive the $100,000 grand prize.

Bill Shore to Retire from GSK After 27 Years

GlaxoSmithKline's community ambassador, Bill Shore, will retire from the company after 27 years of service. Shore, a Durham native, was integral to the development of GSK's community relations. Two key areas Shore especially strove to impact were education and work force development. In 2010, GSK gave $5.2 million in the Triangle and $345 million worldwide.

Lakewood YMCA to Reopen Jan. 14

Durham's Lakewood YMCA will reopen on Saturday, January 14th after a $12 million renovation. The new 18,000-square-foot fitness center is equipped with racket ball courts, the latest Cybex exercise equipment, free weights and requisite flat screen televisions.

Ladd Promoted to Chief Deputy

Don Ladd has been promoted to chief deputy, Durham County Sheriff's Office's second-highest position. Previously a captain, Ladd has been with the Sheriff's Office for 25 years.

Coach K to Receive Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be honored with the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award for his contributions to college basketball and the Durham community on April 16 at a ceremony in Oklahoma City.

Museum of Durham History Announces Selection of Co-Directors

Cindy Gardiner and Katie Spencer have been selected as Co-Directors of the Museum of Durham History. Gardiner, a graduate of Duke University and Durhamite for over 35 years, brings extensive public relations and communication experience from Durham Public Schools, Verizon and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Spencer contributes experience in the museum field in exhibits and archiving; she earned a Bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and is working towards a MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, UK.

Aldi Grocery Store to Open in South Durham on Jan. 11

Durham's new Aldi grocery store will open on January 11 with the public invited to tour the store. The store is located at 7906 NC 751 South across from Renaissance Village and SuperTarget.

Duke's Wray Carlton Inducted Into NC Sports Hall of Fame

Wray Carlton, a Duke running back and all-ACC honoree who later became a distinguished AFL player, is among the newest class of North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inductees.

Nimerichter to Direct American Dance Festival

Jodee Nimerichter has been selected to succeed longtime American Dance Festival director Charles Reinhart. Nimerichter has worked on the American Dance Festival for 20 years and has served as the festival's co-director and associate director since 2007.

NCCU School of Business' First Dean Passes

Stewart B. Fulbright, the first dean of NC Central University's School of Business and a Tuskegee Airman during World War II, passed away at the age of 92. Fulbright was a professor and administrator at NC Central University for 35 years.

Journal Selects Duke Divinity Professor's Work as "Book of the Year"

The Englewood Review of Books has selected Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating written by Norman Wirzba, research professor of theology, ecology, and rural life at Duke Divinity School, as the 2011 “Book of the Year.”

Duke Professor Awarded National Economic Association's Highest Honor

The National Economic Association awarded its highest honor, the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award, to Duke University professor William “Sandy” Darity Jr. Established in 1973, the award acknowledges outstanding scholarly achievements and public service by an African American economist.

Toll Collection Begins on Triangle Expressway

The N.C. Turnpike Authority has officially begun collecting tolls electronically on the Triangle Expressway, the state's first modern toll road. The Triangle Expressway cuts through the Research Triangle Park, connecting Interstate 40 at N.C. 147 in Durham County with N.C. 540 in Wake County.

Andrews Sworn in as Durham County Sheriff

Mike Andrews was sworn in as Durham County's new sheriff on Monday, January 1st. Andrews is a 32-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office.