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The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.
Due South

An obituary for K&W Cafeteria. The story behind Battleship North Carolina. And why the state's infrastructure isn't keeping up.

By Leoneda Inge,
Jeff Tiberii, Cole del Charco
Published February 11, 2026 at 12:11 PM EST
A K&W Cafeteria line in 2012.
Eugene Kim
/
Via Flickr and CC 2.0
A K&W Cafeteria line in 2012.

0:01:00

North Carolina’s infrastructure lags growth

North Carolina’s population is growing, but our infrastructure is not keeping up. That’s according to a new report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Leoneda Inge speaks with Bradley George about his work covering the report's release.

Bradley George, AM reporter for WUNC News

0:09:06

How the Battleship North Carolina got to its home in Wilmington

In October 1961, the Battleship North Carolina was nudged up the Cape Fear River by tugboats into Wilmington— and was welcomed by many of the people who helped bring her home.
Battleship North Carolina Memorial
In October 1961, the Battleship North Carolina was nudged up the Cape Fear River by tugboats into Wilmington— and was welcomed by many of the people who helped bring her home. 

Sixty-five years ago, a state-wide effort was undertaken to save a more than 70 million-pound, 700-foot-long behemoth of a WWII warship from being scrapped.

The USS North Carolina is now a museum in Wilmington, and it would not have made it there without the contributions of thousands of North Carolina children.

The museum has an effort underway to collect the stories of the “kid heroes” who helped save the ship back in 1961.

This Due South encore conversation originally aired January 13, 2026. Listen to the full-length interview here.

Dr. Jay Martin, Executive Director, Battleship North Carolina

Camille Williams, fundraised as an elementary school student for the 1961 effort

0:25:24

Food & Wine Editor Kat Kinsman remembers K&W Cafeteria

Kat Kinsman’s favorite chain restaurant, and one of Leoneda Inge’s favorites, was a unique spot with a rotating menu of southern staples, including fried okra, congealed salads, and a dizzying number of pies.

Kat Kinsman, Executive Features Editor at Food & Wine and host of its Tinfoil Swans podcast.

Read Kat's full story "The Last Tray at K&W Cafeteria."

Due South
Leoneda Inge
Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
See stories by Leoneda Inge
Jeff Tiberii
Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.
See stories by Jeff Tiberii
Cole del Charco
Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for WUNC, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.
See stories by Cole del Charco