NC Cooperative Extension

A group of people is placing a playground equipment on the ground, behind them are trees and an excavator. This is part of their efforts to address obesity.

As the rate of lifestyle diseases rises, one obesity prevention strategy is gaining ground

August 6, 2019 by Liora Engel-Smith

As the rate of lifestyle diseases rises, one obesity prevention strategy is gaining ground - North Carolina Health News

A four-county program promoting wellness and preventing obesity through changing people’s surroundings is eyeing expansion to other parts of North Carolina.

By Liora Engel-Smith For many years, Clark Memorial Park in Tarboro had been crumbling. The community of roughly 10,000 boasts one of the oldest town commons in the country, yet the recreation area just blocks away from the county manager’s office was far from charming. Floods from two hurricanes — Floyd in 1999 and Matthew […]

A collapsed barn with trees behind it and a yellow lab to the left of the photo

As mental health needs rise among farmers, experts are reaching out

February 27, 2019 by Taylor Knopf

As mental health needs rise among farmers, experts are reaching out - North Carolina Health News

Mental health awareness is increasing among North Carolina farmers who have been hit with low crop prices and hurricanes.

By Taylor Knopf When Russ Vollmer’s father passed away five years ago, he left his job and went home to become the fifth generation to run his family’s farm in Franklin County. Historically, the Vollmer farm ran on tobacco. But the industry changed, and Vollmer’s father transitioned to organic strawberries, as well as some other […]

shows hog houses with pipes jutting out from underneath them. Fluid runs out of the pipes into a large holding pond.

Environmentalists: Smithfield needs to get rid of lagoons and spray fields

January 10, 2019 by Greg Barnes

Environmentalists: Smithfield needs to get rid of lagoons and spray fields - North Carolina Health News

Environmental groups say Smithfield’s plans to cover hog lagoons and add digesters don’t solve contamination and health problems caused by large-scale farms in Eastern North Carolina.

By Greg Barnes For many, Smithfield Foods’ plans to turn hog waste into renewable natural gas is a welcome sign of progress for a company that has been vilified by environmentalists almost since it opened a slaughterhouse in the small town of Tar Heel in 1992. Twenty-six years later, thousands of farmers who started raising […]

Many are injured on the job, most lack health insurance. Meet the cowboys of the sea.

July 23, 2018 by Taylor Knopf

Many are injured on the job, most lack health insurance. Meet the cowboys of the sea. - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina fishermen face hazards every day on the job, but one of the biggest ones they're finding is the risk of getting hurt and having no way to pay for care.

By Taylor Knopf North Carolina fishermen work long hours, and many fish alone. When harvesting shrimp, they can stay out on the water four to five days at a time. Broken bones and lacerations are common. Fishermen are disproportionately affected by skin cancer. The majority complain of back pain. Other lose limbs, even as many […]

A group of smiling people stand under a swingset, holding a ribbon that they're about to cut.

CDC Grant Targets Four NC Counties with High Obesity Rates

February 27, 2018 by Taylor Knopf

CDC Grant Targets Four NC Counties with High Obesity Rates - North Carolina Health News

As rates of obesity and diabetes increase, local groups are using grant money to help people eat healthier and be more active.

By Taylor Knopf After a healthy cooking class in Lee County, some of the participants said they loved the new nutritious recipes, but that they didn’t have some of the cooking utensils at home to make them. So one local group came up with the idea to put kitchen utensil lending libraries in food banks […]

map of chemours sites, noting wind pattern, wherewhere airborne GenX may have been carried

Did DuPont and Chemours Chemicals Taint Food?

February 2, 2018 by Catherine Clabby

Did DuPont and Chemours Chemicals Taint Food? - North Carolina Health News

State officials have detected GenX in drinking water, and it seems likely the chemical is in air emissions. But in food? No one knows for sure.

By Catherine Clabby People in the lower Cape Fear River basin are still living with lots of uncertainty over how much GenX and sister chemicals two companies released into public and private drinking water supplies. Now more questions are rising. Dutch scientists this week briefed North Carolina scientists that GenX and a related older chemical, […]

Disposing of Pesticides the Right Way

September 14, 2017 by Catherine Clabby

Disposing of Pesticides the Right Way - North Carolina Health News

State-funded pesticide drop-off events collect unwanted herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to ensure they are disposed of safely.

By Catherine Clabby For most people in farming with a bulging to-do list, rain is a disruptor. Not for Walter Adams this week in Lenoir County, where he hosted a pesticide drop-off event. Farmers and others were urged to bring unneeded pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to a spot in South Kinston. People expert at safely […]

NOAA photograph of blue green algae floating on water next to a dock.

Sounding the Toxic Algae Alarm

April 20, 2017 by Catherine Clabby

Sounding the Toxic Algae Alarm - North Carolina Health News

With evidence that potentially dangerous algal blooms are becoming more common, a push is on to better understand and broadcast their dangers.

By Catherine Clabby Harmful algal blooms, particularly the periodic explosive growth of cyanobacteria species, appear to be increasing in frequency and severity globally, researchers from the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say. While most algae pose no risk, harmful algal blooms, whether green or reddish masses floating on the surface of […]

Map of North Carolina illustrating areas with high radon readings.

Radon Risk Persists

February 10, 2017 by Catherine Clabby

Radon Risk Persists - North Carolina Health News

In a state that doesn't regulate radon detection or protection, health officials urge people to look out for themselves.

By Catherine Clabby It’s winter, so public health advocates once again are urging North Carolinians to test their homes for radon contamination. There is good reason to listen up. Unlike some states, North Carolina does not require builders to use construction techniques known to shield homes from radon, a known cause of lung cancer. So […]

Shows man in an attic window. Flood waters come to about 5 feet below the window sill, completely covering the first floor.

Cleaning Up After Disaster

November 11, 2016 by Catherine Clabby

Cleaning Up After Disaster - North Carolina Health News

Thousands of homeowners across Eastern North Carolina will face the daunting physical and emotional task of starting over.

By Catherine Clabby When five N.C. State University Extension experts reached Jim Harrell’s house this week, it looked like a giant had picked the place up, filled it with filthy water, and spun it like a top. Out front, a crack shaped like a mini lightning bolt marred the brick foundation. Two new sink holes […]

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