The Haw River winds through much of North Carolina, but few people know how important the river is to the state. Today, the river provides habitat for animals, a recreation area for tourists, and a source of drinking water for many communities. But the river hasn't always been so healthy; it was severely polluted in the past, and only recently has started to recover. Joining host Frank Stasio to discuss what still needs to be done to protect the river are Anne Cassebaum, an associate professor of English at Elon University and author of “Down Along the Haw” (McFarland/2011); Elaine Chiosso, Executive Director of the Haw River Assembly; and Mark Chilton, mayor of Carrboro and author of “An Historical Atlas of the Haw River.”
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.