Mount Olive
Mount Olive, NC · Business
WRAL News
Raleigh job fair sees record interest as state unemployment rate drops
North Carolina's unemployment rate is falling, but for some people looking for work, finding the right opportunity remains a challenge. The City of Raleigh saw record interest Wednesday as more than 1,000 people registered for its first-ever Expo and Job Fair at the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center, formerly the Raleigh Convention Center.
Raleigh News & Observer
National health franchise opens 2nd NC spot in Apex shopping center
A new superfood smoothie store has opened up in northwestern Apex’s Beaver Creek Crossings on Saturday, Oct. 10, adding to retail selections like Ulta Beauty and Five Below. Founded in 2017, national chain Grain & Berry has opened their second North Carolina location at 2017 Creekside Landing Drive, following an October 2025 opening at their first local site in Holly Springs. “We’re excited to bring Grain & Berry to Apex and offer our community healthy food options that don’t compromise on taste,” local franchisee Sudarshan Krish said in a press release. “Having been part of this community for more than 10 years, I’m especially excited to serve my neighbors and friends and introduce them to a brand I believe is a great fit for the area.” Grain & Berry menu Grain & Berry sells açaí bowls with assorted toppings, smoothies, juices, flatbreads, quesadillas, toasts, chopped salads, wraps, immunity shots and parfaits with a promise to be vegan and gluten-free. The franchise operates more than 35 locations in nine states with plans to open at least 60 new locations over the next few years, according to the press release. The made-to-order kitchen was founded with the idea to offer a health
The Associated Press
Whether 'stringing' or 'looping,' tobacco is the tie that binds many North Carolina farm families
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — When Sophie Sunday told her schoolmates she was taking off halfway through the school day, they couldn’t wait to find out why. “I’m going to loop tobacco at the fair,” the seventh grader told them. “And they’re, like, 'What?' They don’t have a clue.” To be fair, most people don’t. At 12, Sophie was the youngest contestant in the North Carolina State Fair’s annual tobacco stringing contest, which pays homage to a way of life that was already largely past when her parents were kids. Traditionally, tobacco was harvested by hand, hung in a log barn and cured to a golden-brown color with a wood fire that had to be stoked day and night. But before it could go into the barn, the green tobacco had to be strung on long wooden sticks. What you called this practice depended on what part of the state you lived in. Because the fairgrounds are in the capital, Raleigh, they call it a stringing contest. “Where I grew up, in the middle of the state, we call it stringing,” said Pat Short, superintendent of the fair’s Heritage Circle. “But down east, in the eastern part of the state, they
Raleigh News & Observer
Raleigh may annex 124 acres for housing. Could fire crews keep up?
A developer wants to build hundreds of new homes and apartments in the city’s northeast, an area where Raleigh’s firefighters union says resources are already stretched too thin. The 124-acre tract lies just south of where U.S. 401 and Interstate 40 intersect in northeast Raleigh at 5750 Louisburg Road. What does the developer want to build? Delaware-based Allied Retail Properties, the developer, wants the city to annex the property in order to build 182 single-family homes, 147 townhomes and 216 apartments. There is no indication that any of those units will be specifically designated as affordable housing. The News & Observer tried to reach Allied Retail Properties on Monday but did not receive a response. The developer is also proposing to include over 34,000 square feet of retail space and wants the city to rezone a 6-acre portion at the northwestern corner for more office and industrial space. The rezoning would specifically allow light manufacturing, hotels and fuel sales. In 2023, Triangle Business Journal reported that Allied Retail Properties was interested in putting a fast-food restaurant somewhere on the property, but the developer’s plans have shifted since then. It also planned at the time to instead develop 216 apartments in
hiphopnc.com
City of Raleigh Job Expo Opens Doors to Several Careers
Job seekers looking for more than a paycheck will get a direct line to the people who keep North Carolina’s capital running. Two City of Raleigh hiring leaders joined Big Mo on K97.5 to preview the City of Raleigh Job Expo and Career Fair. The event is set for Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center.
thecharlottepost.com
Greensboro bank offers bid for Mechanics & Farmers
Greensboro-based Triad Bank is offering a competing deal to acquire Durham-based M&F Bancorp, which reaffirmed its recommendation to shareholders that it merge with Optus Financial Corporation of Columbia, S.C. The parent company of Mechanics & Farmers Bank reaffirmed support for a merger with Optus Financial Corporation despite a rival bid.
Raleigh News & Observer
Same grocery bill, smaller cart? Raleigh store owner says shoppers may get less
Tariffs and fuel costs have taken a toll on Grand Asia Market over the past year. The Raleigh grocery store had to raise prices on some imported items as a result of tariffs, owner Richard Chang said. And as the cost of fuel, specifically diesel, has increased since the U.S. began attacking Iran months ago, vendors have started charging more for transporting goods to the store, he said. “Manufacturers are pretty smart,” Chang said. “They don’t want to raise prices either. So what they’ll do is, they’ll shrink their product volume down.” The result, Chang said, is customers getting less than what they were previously, even if their bills haven’t changed. Chang led Democratic U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross and Wake County Commissioner Don Mial around his store Tuesday, as they discussed affordability issues.
hoodline.com
yieldpro.com
BWE Investment Sales Arranges Sale of Cambridge Village Portfolio a 636-Unit Class A Independent Living Portfolio in North Carolina
BWE Investment Sales (“BWEIS”) announced the sale of the Cambridge Village Portfolio, a three-property, 636-unit Class A independent living portfolio in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington markets, to affiliates of Starwood Capital Group. Solera Senior Living will assume operations. “This is a landmark transaction for the sector,”...
hoodline.com
A former Durham grocery finds a new role in the local arts landscape
A building that once served Pearl Mill Village as a grocery is now a home for artists and exhibitions. Laura Ritchie and Shirlette Ammons bought the property at 703 W. Trinity Ave. in 2021, renovated it and established Boardinghouse Arts there, Axios reported. The building dates to 1924, when Joseph S. Woods and his wife, Lou Ella Woods, built it as Woods Grocery; it later became apartments. Open Durham says rooms may also have been rented above the store. Open Durham notes that Pearl Mill Village’s historic district is across the street.
midtownmag.com
Porch Party Raleigh: Seasonal Decorating Business Takes Off
What began as a seasonal decorating idea between two friends has grown into a Triangle business, bringing pumpkins, greenery, and holiday cheer straight to homeowners’ front doors. When Ashley Ward and Lauren Goins launched Porch Party in August 2025, they had a fairly modest goal: decorate 20 front porches...
Smoky Mountain News
Submit soil samples to avoid peak-season fees
Fall is a good time to submit soil samples to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for crop-specific recommendations. Testing is free for North Carolina residents through Nov. 30, 2026. Peak season, Dec. 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, carries a $5 per sample fee. To avoid the...