Cumberland, NC Business and More

Why DEQ trusted a Raleigh real estate agent with the site of a massive hog waste spill

Four years ago, millions of gallons of hog waste spilled from a Wayne County hog farm and into a nearby swamp. But this year, the same hog farm has continued to leak sludge into public waterways and violate its environmental requirements, racking up thousands in fines. The farm’s new owner, who bought it at auction in 2024, hasn’t paid any of these fines, nor has he submitted several requested reports to the state. In fact, the farm’s new owner has never run such a farm himself. He’s a Raleigh-based real estate agent named Wallace Green operating under the name Biox Renewables, a one-person limited liability corporation that has no website and no office. The farm, formerly called White Oak Farms, is home to an anaerobic digester — a device that captures the methane from hog manure and turns it into renewable energy. Businesses that own a farm with a digester are subject to supposedly strict permitting requirements. Green, however, has faced few consequences for failing to comply with those requirements. He doesn’t have any full-time employees overseeing the farm’s pits of hog waste. He’s over a year behind on submitting required documents to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, prompting

Wayne County, NC · 7d

Raleigh News & Observer

National retailer opening first Raleigh store this fall. Here's what we know

Publicly traded national company Floor & Decor is officially opening their first Raleigh warehouse store and design center in November. Headquartered in Atlanta, the specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring for professionals and homeowners will host the grand opening of the 3131 Capital Blvd. location on Thursday, Nov 5. “Opening Floor & Decor’s first store in Raleigh is an exciting milestone for our team,” Jackie Wint, the store’s chief executive merchant, said in a press release. Floor & Decor operates more than 280 warehouse stores and five design studios nationwide. The brand offers an assortment of flooring, including tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, and natural stone, along with accessories, wall tile, installation materials, and more at affordable prices, according to the press release . Founded in 2000, Floor & Decor seeks to “improve lives by improving spaces,” according to their website . In addition to Raleigh, the national retailer maintains North Carolina locations in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Greensboro. “For more than 25 years, Floor & Decor has focused on making quality, trend-forward hard-surface flooring accessible to everyone, and we’re proud to bring that commitment to the Raleigh community,” Wint said. “We look forward to serving our new customers and helping bring

Raleigh, NC · 8d

mindfullyamerican.com

publisher · 100.7K followers

4 Restaurant Chains Closing North Carolina Locations in 2026

Flavor Hills opened its Durham restaurant in December 2025. Then in mid-August 2026, the brand shut that restaurant and its Downtown Raleigh location, effective immediately. Here are the restaurant chains that have already closed or are closing North Carolina locations in 2026. 1. Hickory Tavern. Hickory Tavern, the Charlotte-born sports...

Raleigh, NC · 10d

WRAL News

Johnston Co. residents lose water, power and internet during fiber line construction

Residents of the Adams Point neighborhood near Garner say they have lost water, power and internet for periods of time over the last week. They blame ongoing construction to install a T-Mobile fiber line. Multiple residents reached out to WRAL about their frustrations. One woman said in a text message...

Garner, NC · 9d

hoodline.com

Downtown Cary Could Get 400 Apartments as Developer Eyes East Chatham Street

A longtime Cary landowner wants to bring as many as 400 apartments to a 3.6-acre stretch of East Chatham Street in downtown Cary, folding in ground-floor retail, resident amenities and a parking deck on land where a Subway and Circus restaurant once stood. The project is still a concept, not a formal filing, and it would need the town's blessing before a single wall goes up.

raleighmag.com

Raleigh Zoning Limits What Can Open Next Door

Are Raleigh’s zoning laws protecting neighborhood charm—or zoning it out?. Raleigh loves to talk about preserving neighborhood character. But here’s the irony: Some of the very places that give our favorite neighborhoods theirs might not be allowed under today’s zoning laws. From corner groceries to neighborhood...

Raleigh, NC · 9d

Raleigh News & Observer

partner publisher · 141.7K followers

After an abrupt exit, retail merchandising carts are back at Crabtree Mall

After a brief hiatus, the retail merchandising carts are back at Crabtree Valley Mall, with mall owners, Macerich, posting leasing signs on units in the hallways this week. In September 2025, retail merchandising unit (RMUs) operators were informed that they would have to leave at the end of the month. After buying the mall in June 2025, Macerich shared plans of $60 million worth of upgrades for a “light, bright and more modern” look, The News & Observer previously reported. “The relaunch of the RMU program is an exciting part of Crabtree’s ongoing transformation,” Macerich said in a statement. “As we continue to modernize the center and elevate the guest experience, we’re introducing a new generation of RMUs featuring a sleek, contemporary design that complements the center’s refreshed look and feel.” Retail merchandising units are different from kiosks. The RMUs are mall-owned, movable carts that the property provides and maintains, with tenants renting both the cart and the space. Kiosks are custom-built and maintained by the tenant, with ownership leasing only the space. The mall’s kiosk program has never left. “The updated RMUs feature a streamlined design that supports improved traffic flow and space utilization while providing unique concepts an

Raleigh, NC · 9d

ABC11 Eyewitness News

Cary business owners push back on NCDOT project proposal: 'Would be devastating'

Dozens of small business owners in Cary are concerned about an $84M NCDOT project that could displace longtime stores near Maynard Road and Chatham Street.

Raleigh News & Observer

Cary could get up to 400 new apartments - if the town says yes

A developer wants to build up to 400 apartments in a seven-story, mixed-use project on East Chatham Street in downtown Cary, but the site’s current zoning caps buildings at 45 feet. Developer Jeff Peterson has not filed a formal application. His team will meet with Cary’s Development Review Committee on Nov. 4 to review his plans before deciding whether to file a rezoning request , which would ultimately require Town Council approval. Preliminary plans include 13,000 to 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, about 12,000 square feet of amenities and a parking deck with roughly 492 spaces, he said. Cline architect Bryan Johnson said the firm’s preliminary studies show 350 to 375 apartments. Peterson said the project could approach 400 units depending on the height and density Cary ultimately approves. The firm has not yet designed the building’s exterior. The current concept wraps apartments and ground-floor retail around a roughly six-level parking deck. “The answer is always parking,” Johnson said when asked about the biggest design challenge. Why 45 feet matters The 3.6-acre site combines four parcels at 603, 605, 607 and 611 E. Chatham St . All four are zoned Town Center Mixed Use, which limits buildings to 45

publisher · 100.7K followers

WRAL News

St. Aug's real estate deal decision pushed to next month

A judge decided not to make a decision on Saint Augustine’s real estate advisor deal Wednesday. WRAL Investigates previously reported the HBCU is trying to hire a real estate advisor to help make plans for redeveloping or selling its land. St. Aug's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and lost...

Raleigh, NC · 10d

hoodline.com

Paris Baguette Signs Lease at Raleigh's Six Forks Station, Eyes Summer 2027 Opening

A French-inspired bakery chain is moving into a storefront that spent three decades as a Raleigh neighborhood fixture. Paris Baguette will take over the former Zest Café and Home Art space at 8831 Six Forks Road in the Six Forks Station Shopping Center, with franchisee Devang Shah signing a lease for the 4,500-square-foot space in September.

Raleigh, NC · 8d

jocoreport.com

publisher · 207.9K followers

Clayton Names Allison Speight As New Chief Financial Officer

CLAYTON, N.C. – The Town of Clayton has hired Allison Speight as its new chief financial officer, bringing more than 17 years of North Carolina local government finance experience to the rapidly growing town. Speight began work Oct. 19, overseeing Clayton’s Finance Department, which handles budgeting, payroll, purchasing and...

Clayton, NC · 8d

WCNC

Scarrigan Farms’ haunted trail in Mooresville gives a terrifying close-up

Mooresville, NC · 7d

jocoreport.com

New Data Shows Agriculture Supports Nearly 18,000 Johnston County Jobs

SMITHFIELD — Agriculture and agribusiness generated an estimated $1.9 billion in economic activity in Johnston County during 2024 and supported nearly 18,000 jobs, according to new county-level data. The figures were unveiled Oct. 7 during a meeting at the Johnston County Agricultural Center hosted by the NC Ag Partnership...

Johnston County, NC · 9d

whatnow.com

A North Carolina Auto Parts Supplier With Over 50 Years in Business Files for Chapter 11

Miller Parts & Paint, Inc. has voluntarily initiated a Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The Dunn, North Carolina-based company has not specified a reason behind the bankruptcy. Note: Chapter 11 allows businesses to reorganize their debts while continuing operations under...

Dunn, NC · 12d

newsoforange.com

Mebane rejects proposed housing development

The Mebane City Council rejected a proposal by TMTLA Associates on behalf of Toledo Builders to construct a 120-unit multi-family residential development on a 13.96-acre tract in western Orange County along South Eleventh Street. The municipal governing board unanimously rejected the proposed community, that was to be called “Gardens on...

Mebane, NC · 9d

hoodline.com

Cary Weighs Rain-Based Stormwater Fees That Could Ease Costs for Small Homes

Cary Town Council members spent part of Tuesday's meeting picking apart how the town might someday charge residents for stormwater service, floating a model that would size up driveways, rooftops and tennis courts instead of folding the cost quietly into everyone's taxes. No vote was taken, and no dollar figures were put on the table.

Raleigh News & Observer

Cary Starbucks votes to become the ninth store in NC to unionize its baristas

Baristas at the Starbucks off U.S. 64 and Edinburgh South Drive in Cary voted 11-2 to unionize Tuesday, according to a Wednesday release from Starbucks Workers United. The Cary store filed a petition for a union election on Sep. 18, federal records show. Thirteen of the 18 eligible employees voted to make the Cary Starbucks the ninth store to join Starbucks Workers United in North Carolina — and the fourth in the Triangle — according to the national union’s map . Starbucks Workers United says they have unionized over 12,000 baristas at 700 stores in 45 states since the campaign began in late 2021. Baristas at unionized stores are demanding better hours to address under-staffing and qualify for benefits, higher take-home pay and the resolution of unfair labor practice cases, Starbucks Workers United wrote in the Wednesday release. “I believe in democracy everywhere, and if I can have democracy in my workplace, I’m going to vote for it,” Cary store barista Wren Wingerd said. In a Wednesday afternoon statement, Starbucks said it offers employees who work 20 hours a week comprehensive healthcare, tuition coverage for a four-year college degree, company stock and up to 18 weeks of paid family leave.