Business & Economy

The Small Business Administration visited Raleigh to kick-off a new national program to help businesses grow internationally.

Karen Mills is the Administrator for the S-B-A.  She visited "Raleigh Denim" to announce the new State Trade and Export Promotion program.

Karen Mills:  "American manufacturers can still produce world class products, even in textiles."

Small businesses on Hatteras Island are struggling to turn a profit a month after Hurricane Irene swept across the Outer Banks. That's despite a decision from the Department of Transportation earlier this month to restart ferry service for both visitors and residents. Keith Andre owns a construction business in Frisco. He says building centers that usually provide his equipment are nearly empty.

FEMA's announcement that it won't run out of funds this week is good news for counties in eastern North Carolina. Local governments have been fronting the bill for disaster relief without a guarantee of reimbursement after Hurricane Irene. In Hyde County, health director Wesley Smith says officials ordered an insecticide spray from low-flying planes for 20,000 acres. He says flooding caused a boom in the mosquito population.

The State Department of Transportation has been working on a high speed rail proposal for downtown Raleigh for several years.  Today the public is invited to see an updated plan at the Raleigh convention Center. 

The economic impact of North Carolina's wine industry is now more than billion dollar-a-year.