Business & Economy

A first-of-its-kind meat processing center has opened in Western North Carolina. The Foothills Pilot Plant is a non-profit operation designed to help small farmers and impact the local food movement.

A leading Smart Growth advocate is visiting the Triangle today to speak on lessons in “Livability” for the 21st Century.  Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Portland says he’s impressed with urban revitalization projects like the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham.  But he says planners and politicians are running out of time if they want to develop mass transit to maintain the Triangle’s current quality of life.

State leaders and advocates against child hunger are gathering in Raleigh today for a conference to collaborate on ways to address the problem.

Leoneda Inge:  People will come from across the state from faith-based organizations, food banks and more to attend the “No Kid Hungry North Carolina Childhood Hunger Conference.”  Tamara Baker is the program manager for No Kid Hungry North Carolina.  She says childhood hunger is on the rise because more families are short on resources.

The city of Raleigh, NC State University, and private companies are holding a one-day Innovation Summit today. Their goal is to enhance the capitol city’s reputation as a place for tech startups.

A group of Raleigh area business owners are in Washington D-C today for a roundtable discussion with White House officials.

It could be six months before the Duke Energy-Progress Energy merger is complete.

Lawmakers from North Carolina and Virginia met earlier today in Richmond to plan out the future of a high-speed rail corridor that would link Raleigh to Washington. The meeting was largely symbolic.

Dave DeWitt: High-speed rail is essentially derailed, thanks to last year’s federal budget deal that zeroed out funding in 2012. Some money is still left over from previous grants, but it’s a small percentage of what is needed to make a high-speed train a reality.