It's a busy, busy morning in local news:
H1N1 Vaccine for All: With supplies strengthening, at-risk populations better protected and flu rates peaking this time 'round, Durham County is following the state's advice and opening H1N1 vaccinations to persons over six months of age. Appointments are available 9am-6:30pm Tuesdays/Thursdays at the Health Dept.; a mass vaccination clinic will be held at the Armory on Stadium Dr. next Wednesday. (It's also worth checking with your private physician or pharmacies, who may relax their own vaccination rules based on the state's posture.) (Herald-Sun, Health Dept. Web site)
Jobs Picture Mixed for Durham...: Manpower's 1Q2010 jobs report was more mixed than past quarters for the Durham MSA; 12% of companies surveyed see workforce increases to 11% looking to cut, with both education and health services -- linchpins of the Durham/Chapel Hill economy -- facing projected staffing cuts, while a number of private sector areas look to hire. (Triangle Business Journal, NBC 17)
...But RIM May Be Coming?: Canadian smartphone manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry, held a recruiting event at the Durham/RTP Marriott, scoping out candidates for a possible Triangle-area facility -- likely looking to snap up some the laid-off Sony Ericsson workforce, a strategy RIM has followed in opening R&D centers in areas where Motorola has shed workforce. No word yet on what part of the Triangle would get RIM's possible jobs. (N&O)
Falls Lake Confab Sees Ongoing Disagreement: A powwow between Durham, Raleigh, Cary, and leaders of Durham/Orange/Wake counties saw disagreement over whether parts of Falls Lake are showing improvement (Durham's take) or if the lake is worsening (Raleigh's claim.) A NC DWQ official told the group that Falls Lake doesn't seem to be getting any more impaired, but that it still violates Federal contamination levels. One positive outcome: an accord to work harder to find common ground and agreement on a critical regional issue. (Herald-Sun)
Duke Power Rates Rising: Duke Power won a 3.8% rate increase for January -- about $7 a month for an average customer -- and another 3.2% in 2011, the first rate hikes for the utility in almost 20 years. (N&O)
IBM/County Suit Looking Bad for Durham: A multi-year fight over how to cost and depreciate capital computer equipment leased to customers by IBM -- and thus subject to some County taxation -- saw Durham's argument rejected by a NC Court of Appeals board yesterday. The case has been remanded to NC's Property Tax Commission; assuming the County doesn't appeal further or prevail there, it could open up a $5.2m repayment to IBM. (Herald-Sun)
Giving Off (Bad) Appearances: The N&O's Jim Wise has an interesting run-down of a recent scrutiny by the Durham Appearance Advocacy Group of the disparity in attractiveness of different gateways to the Bull City; RDU and RTP look magnificent, while some sights off the Durham Freeway or at "weed-choked" traffic circles give the opposite -- and that's to say nothing of the perils of potholes. Nothing concrete's on the table, but down the road, advocates are calling for some dedicated tax funding source to pay to improve aesthetics. (N&O)
Lett Nets Fourth Place: NCSSM senior and Henderson native Lenair Lett placed fourth in the prestigious Siemens Competition's individual competition on Monday, winning a $30,000 college scholarship. Congrats! (Herald-Sun)
Durham Has 2nd Highest NC HIV Rate: Durham's rate of infection for HIV (40 per 100k pop.) is second-highest in North Carolina's large counties, after Mecklenburg, and greater than Guilford (34.6) or Wake (26.3). (Herald-Sun)
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