NC State University

an otter peers up from the surface of the water, just his snout and eyes visible. There's a ripple ring on the water surface around him.

Studies show North Carolina’s river otters are thriving, and that’s good news for all of us.

August 27, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Studies show North Carolina’s river otters are thriving, and that’s good news for all of us. - North Carolina Health News

The otters play a seminal role in determining the health of a river system. N.C. State University researchers tested hundreds of river otters throughout the state for diseases and metal accumulation. What they found could be good news for humans.

By Greg Barnes Most people would agree, river otters are adorable. But beyond their playfulness, the otters have an important role in determining the health of a river system. At N.C. State University, scientists this year released two studies on river otters that they plan to use as baselines for future research. The first study, […]

The city of Cary's wastewater treatment plant, where officials are monitoring raw sewage for the coronavirus: Photo credit: City of Cary

If the coronavirus rebounds, Cary could be the first to know

June 9, 2020 by Greg Barnes

If the coronavirus rebounds, Cary could be the first to know - North Carolina Health News

Cary, Raleigh and other areas of the Triangle are working with N.C. State on a research project that aims to detect the virus in human feces, potentially alerting health officials to new outbreaks.

By Greg Barnes If a new surge of the coronavirus occurs, Cary could be among the first cities to detect the rebound and establish a quick response. Cary has teamed with the Massachusetts company Biobot Analytics, in collaboration with researchers at Harvard, MIT, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to sample the city’s untreated sewage for […]

shows a beer in a brewery, some of which are opening back up after the COVID-19 stay at home order

Coronavirus Today – May 22 – Restaurant effort to boost confidence; craft brewery confusion; NASCAR and Atrium team up

May 22, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 22 – Restaurant effort to boost confidence; craft brewery confusion; NASCAR and Atrium team up - North Carolina Health News

Restaurants are back with a new campaign to boost customer confidence as dining moves back inside.

By North Carolina Health News staff Count On Me NC campaign Now that restaurants can serve diners inside again with new social distancing requirements, a large question looms: Will diners feel comfortable enough to return? With that in mind, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association has helped develop the Count On Me NC program […]

photo shows young graduates throwing up their mortarboards

COVID pandemic derails graduations for NC’s college grads, but not their dreams

May 9, 2020 by Aaliyah Bowden

COVID pandemic derails graduations for NC’s college grads, but not their dreams - North Carolina Health News

COVID circumstances delay their walk and make their futures uncertain, but this year's grads are still moving forward with their dreams.

By Aaliyah Bowden The month of May is when graduates look forward to walking across the stage, throwing graduation parties, and taking pictures in their cap and gown with family members. However, because of the disruption caused by the novel coronavirus, spring graduations for colleges across the state are postponed. We spoke to six college […]

The Smithfield Food's hog-processing plant in Tar Heel appeared to be operating as usual on Tuesday, April 28, 2019. Photo credit Greg Barnes

Smithfield’s largest slaughterhouse struggling to contain virus

May 1, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Smithfield’s largest slaughterhouse struggling to contain virus - North Carolina Health News

No one will say how many workers at Smithfield’s Tar Heel plant have the coronavirus, but the plant has reduced employees’ hours in what they say is an effort to better protect them.

By Greg Barnes Early Monday, Lumberton lawyer Dale Godfrey said he got word from workers at Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel plant that the world’s largest hog slaughterhouse might have to close because of an outbreak of the coronavirus. Godfrey said those reports were bolstered by a plant worker who sent him a picture of a […]

Raw chickens hang from wires at a poultry plant. Poultry companies are selling chicken for cheap amidst coroanvirus

Poultry companies selling chicken cheap out of the back of trucks

April 25, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Poultry companies selling chicken cheap out of the back of trucks - North Carolina Health News

Companies say the sales are a way to be good corporate citizens during the pandemic, but there are also other forces at play.

By Greg Barnes Maggie Hooks waited in a long line of vehicles that snaked from behind the Salemburg Fire Department to Main Street and far beyond. Hooks and hundreds of others — perhaps more people than this small Sampson County town has residents — were there to get chicken that the House of Raeford was […]

shows hog carcasses hanging in a processing plant.

Coronavirus invading N.C. meat processing plants

April 22, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Coronavirus invading N.C. meat processing plants - North Carolina Health News

Five processing plants, including the mammoth Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Tar Heel, are experiencing outbreaks of the coronavirus, state health officials say.

By Greg Barnes Additional contributions by Enlace Latino NC staff It didn’t take long for the coronavirus to sweep through a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On March 26, the plant announced its first case of COVID-19. By April 13, more than 300 workers had tested positive. Today the plant is considered […]

Industrial looking monitors for air quality as a proxy for air quality standards

NC State professor says more people will die if air quality standards left unchanged

April 17, 2020 by Greg Barnes

NC State professor says more people will die if air quality standards left unchanged - North Carolina Health News

Professor Chris Frey blames EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler for disbanding a science panel he headed that determined federal air quality standards should be lowered.

By Greg Barnes It may not sound like a big deal to some that the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed off this week on a proposal that would retain federal air quality standards for particulate matter at current levels. But to Chris Frey, a distinguished professor of environmental engineering at N.C. State […]

four scientists sit at a table where they discuss water pollution

Not all in-home water filters completely remove toxic PFAS

February 6, 2020 by Greg Barnes

Not all in-home water filters completely remove toxic PFAS - North Carolina Health News

A new study finds that under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems work best at removing “forever chemicals,” but they aren’t cheap.

By Greg Barnes Not all types of in-home filters are completely effective at removing “forever chemicals” from drinking water, and a few could do more harm than good if not properly maintained, according to a new study released Wednesday by North Carolina researchers. Water filters in refrigerators, pitcher-style filters, under the sink reverse osmosis systems […]

Paper boats with different types of Middle Eastern Foods are lined up. This is an example of healthy food at the North Carolina State Fair

Want to eat healthy at the NC State Fair? Yes, it’s possible!

October 21, 2019 by Liora Engel-Smith

Want to eat healthy at the NC State Fair? Yes, it’s possible! - North Carolina Health News

It’s state fair season and we’ve got you covered with healthy options to enjoy. This year’s roundup features everything from seafood to meat to vegan bites.

By Liora Engel-Smith and Rose Hoban When you think of the North Carolina State Fair, you’d invariably conjure images of deep-fried concoctions of all kinds, from the traditional french fries or beignets or donuts to newer creations (We’re looking at you, fried Oreo). But the annual 10-day extravaganza in Raleigh also has another side, and […]

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