Ex-Durham mayor moves into NCDOT top slot

Former Durham mayor Nick Tennyson has been named acting secretary of the N.C. Department of Transportation .

Makus Empanadas to open restaurant in Durham

Makus Empanadas plans to open a new location in Durham's Hope Valley shopping center at 1125 W. N.C. Highway 54 this coming fall.

Durham startup Baebies completes $13M financing round

A Durham startup calling itself Baebies has completed a $13 million round in equity financing to develop its neonatal screening technology. Financial backers include Rex Health Ventures, Duke Angel Network,  DUMAC, and the N.C. Biotechnology Center also provided a $500,000 loan.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article28910089.html#storylink=cpy

Durham Chamber of Commerce Announces Resignation of Chamber President

Casey Steinbacher, who has served as president and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce since 2007, will step down on August 31 to pursue independent consulting work in urban innovation projects and strategy development.

First Flight Venture Center adds new board member

First Flight Venture Center has added Jean Davis, CEO of technology nonprofit MCNC, to its board of directors.

DCVB to host PR seminars

The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau will hold two hour-long PR seminars on Thursday, July 30 at the Visitor Information Center, 101 E. Morgan St. Social Media Marketing.

Two new projects could reshape Durham skyline

Two Charlotte-based developers, CitiSculpt and Northwood Raven are now fleshing out their plans for two recently purchased sites near the American Tobacco District.The plans include buildings that would be anywhere from 12 to 18 stories and could create the largest urban district in Triangle.

FDA gives Biogen approval for MS drug

Biogen, the state’s largest biotechnology company, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to manufacture multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera .

The Salvation Army of Durham introduces new leading officers

The Salvation Army of Durham, Orange & Person Counties formally introduced Captains Robert and Glenis Viera the new officers leading the local office.

RTF to construct new facility for AgBiome

Research Triangle Foundation will construct a new 30,000 square-foot facility that will be occupied by biotechnology company AgBiome.The Lab, is expected to be completed in December of this year and will include office space, laboratories and a greenhouse complex.

Engineering, fine arts programs coming to Durham Tech

The N.C. State Board of Community Colleges has approved Durham Tech’s request to offer the associate in engineering degree program this fall allowing Durham Tech to be among the first community colleges in the state to offer the new program.

Inbound Calls to Duke Not Connecting

Inbound phone calls to Duke are not currently connecting due to a carrier issue. Campus landline phones are working fully for internal and outbound external calls.

Adwerx Launches Mobile App Advertising Product For Real Estate Industry

Adwerx announced the release of a new advertising product that places agent advertisements within mobile apps. The new mobile advertisements will run in the Facebook Mobile NewsFeed and other popular mobile apps. 

NC Biotech Center awards $1.8M in loans, grants across state

​The North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded 27 loans and grants totaling about $1.8 million to companies and universities across the state during the final quarter of its 2014-2015 fiscal year ending June 30. The awards support life science entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and research statewide

New Durham startup program helps working professionals

Groundwork Labs, located in the American Tobacco District, will offer a new night time program specifically for working professionals starting in August 2015.

Residence Inn opens

The 143-room Residence Inn hotel, located at 1180 W. Main St, opened Tuesday July 21st.

AT&T Gigapower Fiber Network Launches In Durham, NC Ahead Of Local Google Fiber Rollout

AT&T and business representatives from Durham, cut the ribbon on its ultra-fast GigaPower Fiber Internet service which will cover the Bull City and Durham County, providing residents with access to broadband Internet service of up to 1Gbps.

Huang named new chair of Duke's Department of Pathology

Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD, has been named the new chair of the Duke Department of Pathology, effective January 1, 2016.

Atlanta company buys gated Durham apartments for $36M

Wood Partners of Atlanta bought the North Pointe Commons apartment community located at 2335 Broad St. in Northern Durham for $36.4 million and rebranded the community as Altera North Pointe.

 

NCSSM student honored at White House

Sharon Chen, a junior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, was recently honored during a ceremony at the White House for outstanding contributions to environmental education and stewardship

Duke, UNC entrepreneurs team up to combat sweaty hands

Duke University junior Kasper Kubica , UNC undergraduate David Spratte and UNC chemistry major Chris Jenks,  have created Carpe Lotion, a product that combats sweaty palms.The team has enlisted the help of its backer, Bootstrap Advisors, who launched Thundershirt and has contracted out the manufacturing to Hatch Beauty.

O'Leary joins NC IDEA board

Sean O’Leary has joined the board of NC IDEA, which is revamping into a private foundation. The organizational shift will allow the group to participate in supporting more organizations – not just issue grants to entrepreneurs.

Divinity Dean Richard Hays Stepping Down Aug. 1

Richard B. Hays, dean of the Duke Divinity School, will step down on August 1 to begin treatment for pancreatic cancer.

A new contemporary women’s boutique to open fall 2016

Owner and operator Whitney Sandor will open Mynt, a contemporary women’s boutique, in the Rockwood Shopping Center this fall.

Triangle travel management company opens new Durham office

Maupin Travel has opened a new location in downtown Durham, located at 404 Hunt St. in Durham’s Innovation District.

Google provides its Fiber Internet network to Durham public housing residents free of charge

Google announced it will open up its Fiber Internet network to Durham public housing residents free of charge. Service will be offered in Atlanta, Durham, N.C., Nashville and Kansas City before expanding to all current and future cities that host Google Fiber.

Durham selected for ConnectHome program

Durham is one of 27 cities the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development selected for ConnectHome , a program to bring faster Internet connections to more low-income households.

Kimbrell's to open in old Kmart building

Kimbrell’s furniture will be opening Aug. 1 in its new location in the old Kmart building on Avondale Drive.

Moogfest coming to Durham in 2016

Moogfest, a combination music, technology and art festival, will be held in downtown Durham May 2016.

Gates Foundation Gives Duke Global Health Institute $20M Grant

A $20 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was given to the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI). 

Durham medical campus sells for $53M

The physician owners of Triangle Orthopedics have sold their ownership in the buildings at the North Carolina Specialty Hospital in north Durham in a deal valued at $53.1 million. Both buildings have been sold to an affiliate of CNL Healthcare Properties of Orlando, Florida.

Durham Park Gets A Facelift

Solite Park, at 4704 Fayetteville Road, has had a facelift. New features include a brand-new starting line/entrance, new drainage system, newly paved parking lot, a group pavilion with picnic tables, an outdoor grill, a kid’s playground, a basketball court, a water fountain and a restroom facility.

City of Durham Recognized for Performance Management Focus

The International City/County Management Association has recognized the City of Durham for its performance management success with a Certificate of Excellence, which is the highest level awarded. This is the third consecutive year that the City has won in this category.

Triangle commercial property sales outpacing last year's record

Commercial real estate investors in the Triangle spent a combined $183 million putting the market on track to outsell 2014 when there was a record $3.6 billion in investment property sales in the region.

Durham defense contractor snags $15M in equity round

Nuvotronics, the Durham defense contractor has raised $15 million in equity financing. According to the filing, NewCap Partners helped solicit the raise and gets $750,000 in commission.

Developer buys downtown 12-acre site for $5 million

CitiSculpt, a Charlotte developer, has paid $5 million for a 12.1-acre site adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in downtown Durham, the site of a former car dealership, from Hendrick Automotive Group. The company plans to invest as much as $400 million in a project that would include a mix of office, retail, one or more hotels and apartments.

Cree acquires Arkansas Power Electronics, Inc.

Durham-based LED maker Cree, Inc. announced that it has acquired Arkansas Power Electronics, Inc., based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Duke University hires new sciences advisor

Duke University has hired Nyote Calixte as the first director of academic engagement for natural and quantitative sciences in the Academic Advising Center.

NC IDEA hires interim CEO

NC IDEA, a grant program for entrepreneurs, has hired former StrikeIron CEO Sean O'leary as its interim director.

Board of Education elects Carter and Lee

On Tuesday July 7th , the Durham School Board elected  Mike Lee to serve as vice chairman and reelected Heidi Carter board chairwoman in what is expected to be her final year of service.

Mayor announces the 2015 election will be his last

 Mayor Bill Bell announced Tuesday that the upcoming election would be his last.

Joe’s Diner to open commercial kitchen, close diner

Joe’s Diner located at 2100 Angier Avenue has closed and plans to reopen on July 15 as Joe’s Commissary and Commercial Kitchen II.

Hendrick sells site in downtown Durham

Charlotte developer Charles "Lindsey" McAlpine,  confirmed the purchase of the former 12.1-acre  Hendrick Automotive site for $5 million. Plans include 1 million square feet in new commercial buildings as part of the mixed- use project.

Mesa Latin Kitchen Opening Mid July

Mesa Latin Kitchen, located at 2701 Hillsborough Road, will officially open to the public Friday, July 17 at 5 p.m.

Durham entrepreneurs dominate state-federal innovation grants

North Carolina’s state-funded innovation grant recipients were recently chosen. Of the eleven recipients, seven are located in the Triangle and six of the seven are located in Durham.

Duke University Names Eight New Trustees

Duke University has named eight new trustees which include Coca-Cola Foundation Chairwoman Lisa Borders, Apple CEO Tim Cook, PRM Advisors founder Patricia Morton, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and ValueAct Capital CEO Jeff Ubben. They will each serve six-year terms. Additionally , three observing members also joined the board -- Jack Boyd, Trinity ’85; recent Duke graduate Anna Knight and Ben Shellhorn, a JD/MBA candidate at Duke.

Four candidates file for city of Durham election

Durham Mayor Bill Bell was the only mayoral candidate to file by the end of the business day Monday. Candidates who filed for the three at-large City Council seats include: Charlie Reece, Juan Alva, and Ricky L. Hart.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/article26604799.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/article26604799.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/article26604799.html#storylink=cpy

School board to pick at least 1 new leader

The Durham school board will meet on Tuesday, July 7 to elect its leadership for the upcoming school year.

Crescent sells Durham apartment project

Crescent Communities has completed construction of its Crescent Main Street apartment complex in Durham and has closed on the sale of the 208-unit property. The complex was sold to affiliates of the Berkshire Group for $54.65 million.

Winners of Marvels Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge include a 17-year-old from Durham

Elizabeth Almasy, a 17-year-old from Durham, North Carolina, made an octopus-shaped automated bubble blower as her entry in the Marvels Ant-Man Micro-Tech Challenge. The challenge required girls between the ages  of 14-18 to use at least one inexpensive, easy to buy micro-tech component in a do-it-yourself project.

National Merit Scholars named

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the winners of its $2,500 scholarships, chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2015 program. The Durham winners are : Erin R. Hazlett-Norman, Carolina Friends School ; Zachary D. Balleisen and Emily S. Korest , Riverside High School ; Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler, and Caroline S.Wechsler, Durham Academy;William T.Winslow,

NCCU adds tight ends coach

N.C. Central hired Carl Funderburk as the Eagles' tight ends coach, the school announced Thursday.

XRpro Sciences acquires Icagen assets

XRpro Sciences has acquired the assets of Icagen, a drug firm from parent company Pfizer. XRpro is paying Pfizer $500,000 up front for the Icagen name, technology and employees plus "earn outs" for as much as $10.5 million.

CPO and Owner of LimBionics recognized with awards

Brittney Stresing, CPO and  owner of LimBionics of Durham Inc. won Triangle Business Journals Healthcare Hero Rising Star Award for 2015. Also in March 2015 she was recognized in Durham Magazine as one of their Women of Achievement for 2015.

Raleigh real estate investors buy Durham office property for $8.75M

Raleigh joint venture partners Dominion Realty Partners and Medical Mutual Insurance Co. have acquired an office building in Durham's Meridian corporate park for $8.75 million.

Quintiles, Quest Diagnostics launch joint venture

On July 2nd 2015 Quintiles and Quest Diagnostics announced that they have launched their new global clinical trials lab services organization, Q² Solutions. It’s U.S. headquarters will be based in the Bradford Building at 5827 South Miami Blvd. in Durham.

The Durham Hotel Opens July 10th

The Durham Hotel will open July 10th and is located at 315 E Chapel Hill St, Downtown Durham. The building will house 53 rooms, meeting and event space, a restaurant and rooftop bar , a fitness studio, rooftop yoga, and bicycle rentals.

School board chair to seek commissioner’s seat

Durham school board Chairwoman Heidi Carter,who was first elected to the Consolidated District B seat in 2004, will seek election to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2016.

Durham enveils SmARTvision plan

 Durham's SmART vision plan , designed by Architect Mikyoung Kim, was revealed  at the Durham Arts Council June 30th. The plan offers design concepts to better connect physically and visually the American Tobacco area, the center of downtown, and Durham Central Park.