Duke University's Bryan Center Renovation Update

Beginning in early March, the entry to the Bryan Center off The Plaza on West Campus will close as Duke starts construction on some new, artistic architecture for the entryway.

Hayti Mural to be Recreated

A neglected mural in the Heritage Square Shopping Center in the Hayti neighborhood will be re-created on a wall at 305 S. Roxboro St., on the old Thomas & Howard building. The original artist, Emily Weinstein will reconstruct the mural, which will likely be even more visible considering its proximity to the Durham Justice Center.

Southwest Airlines Adds Nonstop Service Between RDU and Dallas Love Field

Southwest Airlines will add nonstop service between RDU and Dallas Love Field starting in August.

Rx Wine Lab to hold Weekend Pop Up Events at Golden Belt

Rx Wine Lab's Master Sommelier Fred Dex will open a 16-seat weekend pop-up wine bar at Golden Belt every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. with classes during the week while they continue to finalize plans for a downtown Durham location.

Deborah Jenson to Direct Franklin Humanities Institute

Romance Studies professor Deborah Jenson will be the next director of Duke’s Franklin Humanities Institute.

Cook Society Honors Six Community Leaders

Six community leaders, Sherilynn Black, Natalie Hall, Lee Willard, Barbara Lau and Martin Eakes, were honored Tuesday for their community service during the Samuel Dubois Cook Society banquet at the Washington Duke Inn.

Durham Architects Selected to Design New Police HQ

O’Brien/Atkins Associates, the architects who designed the county’s new courthouse are going to design the city’s new police headquarters on East Main Street.

Two Durham builders to Merge

Two Durham-based builders are merging: BuildSense and L.E. Meyers Builders. Under the BuildSense name, the new company will retain its combined workforce.

Duke University's Pratt Professor Nan Jokerst Elected Chair of the Academic Council

Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering Professor Nan Jokerst, J. A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, earned a two-year term as chair of the Academic Council.

Duke University Announces Honorary Degree Recipients

Duke University will award six honorary degrees at its commencement exercises on Sunday, May 10. The recipients are National Science Foundation director France Córdova; soprano Renee Fleming; scientist Rakesh Jain; plant ecologist Harold Mooney; and jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. David Levin and Michael Feinberg, founders of the KIPP schools, will share an award.

RDU to Add New Airline, Nonstop Flights

Raleigh-Durham International Airport will add Allegiant Air with permanent non-stop flights from RDU to Punta Gorda, Orlando-Sanford, and St. Pete-Clearwater airports.

Argos Therapeutics to Purchase Building for $7.6M

Argos Therapeutics will purchase a new100,000 square foot building at 4233 Technology Dr. for $7.6 million.

Durham fiber tech PurThread partners with textile giant Burlington

PurThread Technologies is partnering with Burlington to provide antimicrobial and anti-odor protection to the global healthcare, industrial and apparel markets.

O'Brien/Atkins to Design New Durham Police HQ

Durham city administrators will request that Durham City Council approve a contract worth up to $4.9 million to Durham firm O'Brien/Atkins for the design of the new Durham Police Department headquarters on East Main St.

Burger Bach Set to Open March 9

New Zealand-inspired Burger Bach is set to open March 9 in the Shops at Erwin Mill at 737 9th Street.

East Coast Asian Bistro now open in Durham

East Coast Asian Bistro has opened in the Greenwood Commons shopping center at 5410-Y NC Hwy. 55.

Duke Awarded $10.4 Million Contract To Continue Developing Radiation Test

Duke University researchers have been given $10.4 Million from the the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to continue developing a blood test that can tell in just hours how much radiation a person has absorbed from a nuclear incident.

Durham prenatal clinic begins fresh food Rx program

The Durham County Department of Public Health will roll out its Fresh Food Prescription (FFRx) pilot program, which is funded by a grant from the North Carolina Public Health Association’s Ann F. Wolfe Endowment. The program will provide 36 pregnant women with prescriptions for fresh produce at each of their prenatal appointments.

Cuddle Time for You to Open in Durham

Cuddle Time for You, a professional cuddling service, will open in Durhan at 1415 W. NC 54 Suite 215.

Blue Coffee Cafe Re-Opens

Blue Coffee Cafe, the downtown Durham coffee shop that was one of President Obama's 2008 campaign stops, re-opened Tuesday in a new location in the North Carolina Mutual Insurance building at 411 W. Chapel Hill St.

New Durham-based Moonshine Set to Distribute

Pebble Brook Spirits, a new Durham-based craft liquor manufacturer, is about to send its first "Apple Pie" moonshine to market.

Duke University Begins Work on New Parking Garage

Duke has begun initial preconstruction work near the corner of Science Drive and Cameron Boulevard where a new parking garage will be built. The seven-level garage, which will be built on what is now a surface lot, will have 2,320 spaces, including 11 spots for motorcycles and 36 for accessible vehicles. It will add parking access in the athletic facilities area of campus, where some parking has been lost to other new construction, and provide additional spaces for students in Duke Law School and Fuqua School of Business.

Duke Upgrades Cellular Networks

Work to upgrade cellular networks at Duke is half complete with more than 6.5 million square feet  now receiving better signals. Duke’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has coordinated the upgrade for more than 80 Duke buildings; an additional 6.5 million square feet are scheduled to receive cell signal enhancements this spring.

Monuts to get Outdoor Seating

Monuts Donuts will add an outdoor seating area.

Durham Bull Create In-House Food and Beverage Group

The Durham Bulls announced the formation of Bull City Hospitality, a new company that will manage the food and beverage operations at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Bull City Hospitality, which will be fully staffed and operated by the Bulls, takes over for Centerplate which had served as the team’s concessionaire since the ballpark’s opening.

Automated Insights Sold

Automated Insights, a Durham technology company has been acquired by Vista Equity Partners. The company will remain in Durham.

Durham Chamber Honors Ingram and Kerckhoff

The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce recently honored Bob Ingram, a longtime Durham resident and principal of Hatteras Venture Partners, and the first woman mayor of Durham, Sylvia Kerckhoff.

Streets at Southpoint Gains New Retail

The Streets at Southpoint will add two new shops, Altar'd State, an alternative women's fashion boutique, and Kendra Scott jewelry.

City to renovate old courthouse

County officials are preparing a major renovation former Durham courthouse. The seven-story structure is set to become the home of eight county department or state agencies now housed in offices elsewhere in the city.

Durham's Bronto Growing Rapidly

Bronto Software, a marketing platform for commerce, announced the close of a record-breaking 2014, during which the company achieved a year-over-year revenue growth of 40%, with one-third of the new revenue growth coming from Europe and Australia.

Duke Global Health Institute Forms Partnership with Peace Corps

Students pursuing master’s degrees in global health at Duke will soon have the option to take time off from their campus studies to work abroad as Peace Corps volunteers before returning to Durham to complete their degrees.

Durham sheriff receives NAMI award

Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews was presented with the 2015 Outstanding Law Enforcement Executive of the Year Award Tuesday during the annual National Alliance on Mental Illness CIT conference.

Scynexis to get new CEO

Durham drug developer Scynexis has named Dr. Marco Taglietti as CEO to replace Yves Ribeill, who ran the company for 15 years. Ribeill will remain the company's president and continue to serve on the board of directors.

Google for Entrepreneurs launches CODE2040 Residency in Durham

Google for Entrepreneurs is launching the CODE2040 Residency in Durham, which will allow residents who identify as black or Latino/a to access $40,000 in seed capital.The initiative will run out of American Underground and selected applicants must be a founder of an early stage tech venture.

Gonza Tacos y Taquila Opens

Gonza Tacos y Taquila has opened at 604 Fernway Ave. in West Village.

Former Durham Resident Named National Humanities Chairwoman

The National Humanities Center has named former Durham resident Patricia Morton as Chairwoman of the organization with is based in Durham.

New Coach Named to Bull City Legacy Basketball Team

Marvin “Rat” Reed, coach of Faith Assembly Christian Academy’s Lions, has been named as the new head coach of the Bull City Legacy of the Tobacco Road Basketball League.