"Hollywood East" Gets New TV Pilot

Boosted by a brand new NC film industry incentive package, Wilmington and its EUE Screen Gems film studio is welcoming a new medical drama to town.

The yet-untitled production has set up offices at EUE, and will be begin filming a pilot episode sometime in March. According to the Wilmington Star-News, producers will likely use a hospital set at Corning for some of the scenes in addition to the studios' sound stages. The ensemble drama stars Rachelle Lefevre ("Twilight") and chronicles the travels of a mobile medical team that helps in medical crises around the country. Wilmington was chosen for the pilot because of North Carolina's varied locations as well as the new 25 percent film tax credit. Networks usually announce which shows make their schedules in the middle of May.

Wilmington is known as "Hollywood East" in the film industry, and the EUE Screen Gems studio is the largest film & television production studio east of Los Angeles. The town and studio are currently the home of the WB drama One Tree Hill, which is wrapping up the filming of its seventh season in mid-March.

Weather Delays I-40 Reopening

Despite the best efforts of NCDOT crews, bad weather has slowed repair work on the Interstate 40 rock slide near the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. The DOT announced Tuesday that it is pushing the completion date back one month, to at least late April.

Work on the slide has been hampered by 25 inches of snow and 17 inches of rain between December and February, both well above historical averages. The road has been closed since October, when a 150-foot slide buried the road under tons of rock and dirt.

If there is a silver lining to the delay, it might be that DOT engineers have discovered five other sites in the Pigeon River Gorge that could be susceptible to rock slides and will work to make those areas more stable while the road is closed. Officials hope that doing the additional work now will prevent major rock slides in this area of Interstate 40 from happening in the future.

For the latest news on the rock slide repair and detour information, please click on the links in the "I-40 Rock Slide Updates" section in the right column of this blog. The information will remain there until the road is reopened.

Terrific Truffles on Weekend Menu In Asheville

Ahhh, the truffle. That fancy French fungi that can make a dedicated foodie weak in the knees. If you love truffles, or are perhaps just curious about them, then you need to be at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville this weekend during the 2nd Annual National Truffle Fest.

Apparently, the truffle has gone American, at least to the point where it deserves a culinary event all its own. The focus at this three-day festival is on the black, French "Perigord" truffle that is now grown right here in the USA, but other truffle varieties will receive attention as well. Organizers say that as the number of truffle cultivators and food enthusiasts enamored with this culinary treasure increase, so does the demand for an event dedicated to the American truffle industry.

Event functions include a wine reception, truffle seminars, culinary and wine education, a truffle and wine dinner, an exciting risotto competition with celebrity chefs, and the crowning event - The Chef's & Vintner's Gala. The Gala features truffle-laden creations prepared by visiting celebrity chefs, fabulous wines, and dancing the night away. Proceeds from the event benefit the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, which helps ensure the availability of therapeutic, specialized education for children ages 3 to 6 who are developmentally disabled.

"March Madness" Comes Early To NC

From Bowie State to Boston College... from Davidson to Duke... it's time to catch some college hoops fever. This year, North Carolina is the headquarters of March Madness, hosting five conference tournaments over the next three weeks.

It all starts Wednesday in uptown Charlotte, when the CIAA begins its tournament at the Time-Warner Cable Arena. But according to the Charlotte Observer, the CIAA tourney is about much more than basketball. The week is filled with musical performances and social events, and many treat the tournament like a reunion, catching up with friends and former classmates as well as watching the games.

After the CIAA Tournament ends Saturday, Charlotte will begin preparations to host the Southern Conference Tournament the next weekend, while Greensboro welcomes the ACC Women's Tournament. Then the action moves over to Winston-Salem for the MEAC Tournament, and finally back to Greensboro for the ACC Men's Tournament March 11-14. For more details on each of the tournaments, check out this article. For more information on a specific tournament, click on the links in the right column of this blog to go to the tournament's web site. Game On!

"Biggest Losers" To Teach Healthy Cooking At OBX Food Fest

Professional chef Ed Brantley and his wife Heba Salama, weight loss winners from Season 6 of TV’s The Biggest Loser, will bring a combination of healthy bites and celebrity to the Annual Outer Banks "Taste of the Beach" March 11-14.

Ed and Heba will host the “Kickin’ It Up A Notch Kick Off” on Thursday, March 11th at the Outer Banks Brewing Station, hold two Healthy Eating / Healthy Living Cooking Demonstrations, make special guest appearances at various events throughout the weekend, and act as celebrity judges at the Grand Finale "Taste of The Beach Expo" on Sunday, March 14th at Pamlico Jack’s Pirate Hideaway. Ed and Heba will also participate in the 21st Annual Kelly’s St. Patrick's Day Parade and the Running of The Leprechauns 8k race.

“It’s an honor to be included in the Annual Outer Banks Taste of the Beach and the event’s culinary traditions," said Brantley. "We’re looking forward to the opportunity to share some of our favorite recipes from the cookbook we’re working on at an event that combines good food and an appreciation for healthy living in our home state.”

Hosted by the Outer Banks Restaurant Association and sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the Annual Outer Banks "Taste of The Beach" was recently named one of Coastal Living's Top 10 Wine & Seafood Festivals in the US, and is an opportunity for anyone from casual chefs to foodie fanatics to sample a wide range of foods through a wide range of events. For more information, go to the event's web site at www.obxtasteofthebeach.com.

DOT Still Hoping To Re-Open I-40 Rockslide Area In March

The North Carolina DOT is battling against Mother Nature nearly every day lately, but crews are still hopeful that they will be able to open Interstate 40 near the Tennessee state line sometime in March.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, crews in the Pigeon River Gorge have installed about 25% of the bolts needed to stabilize the cliffs above the rock slide that closed the Interstate last October.

Winter weather hasn't helped. Snowfall on Monday and Tuesday stopped the operation, because it's too dangerous to put workers on the rock face in snowy and icy conditions. The Asheville area has officially received eight days of snow this month so far, but workers say the area in Haywood County has gotten even more.

While snow and cold has hampered the operation, officials say there are plans in place to work 24 hours a day in two shifts once the weather improves, making it possible to install 40 or 50 of those bolts (some of which are 130 feet long) each day.

The above YouTube video was posted by the NCDOT, which keeps a daily log of Interstate 40 progress on its website and via Twitter. Links to those sites, as well as to the Citizen-Times and detour information from Explore Asheville will be maintained in the right column of this blog until the road is reopened.

Win A Romantic NC Mountain Getaway!

If you're celebrating Valentine's Day today with that "special someone", you know how much a romantic escape can help to keep the fires of love burning. This month, VisitNC is giving away the perfect little retreat for you and your Valentine.

The winner gets three nights at the Summit Lodge in beautiful Rutherford County. The Lodge is 4,000 square feet, has some amazing mountain views, and is fully furnished for your stay. You'll also win an aerial tour of the area, including the mountains and beautiful Lake Lure... along with a couples' massage at the incredible Rumbling Bald Resort & Spa. Plus, they'll even give you $500 to get here.

So, take a little time on your Valentine's Day to enter this great giveaway. The sweepstakes ends February 28th!

NC Musician Tift Merritt to Headline Inaugural Palustris Festival

Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt will be the featured performer in the brand-new Palustris Festival, a four-day event celebrating the visual, literary and performing arts in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen area. The festival runs from March 25-28 in venues all across the region.

Merritt, who grew up in the Raleigh area, attended UNC-Chapel Hill, and got her professional career started by sending out 45s and press kits from a P.O. Box at the Bynum General Store, will perform March 27th at the R.E. Lee Auditorium at Pinehurst High School. Her critically acclaimed albums Bramble Rose, Tambourine, and Another Country have artfully blended rock, soul, folk, and country into a mix that highlights Merritt's insightful songwriting abilities and her soulful voice.

The Palustris Festival (named after the Latin word for the longleaf pine, which thrives in the area) will include concerts, art exhibits, theater productions, tours, and lectures designed to showcase the arts community in North Carolina's Sandhills. In keeping with the desire to make the festival as accessible as possible, more than 60% of the events are free and open to the public, with other ticketed events costing no more than $25. For more information and a schedule of events, go to www.palustrisfestival.com.

Tar Heels Celebrate A Century of Basketball

March Madness is still a month away, but basketball fever is striking early on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. On Friday, February 12, the Dean Smith Center will play host to Carolina Basketball: Celebration of a Century.

This one-of-a-kind event is the centerpiece of Carolina's 100 years of basketball celebration (North Carolina's first game was a 42-21 win over Virginia Christian on January 27, 1910). The night will include decade-by-decade basketball matchups of Tar Heel basketball favorites, giveaways, historical video features, Roy Williams and the 2010 Tar Heels, and a host of Carolina legends.

The guiding principle for the night is simple: give fans a one-night-only opportunity to celebrate the UNC basketball centennial, and allow everyone to relive the crowning moments of Carolina Basketball (including the 1924, 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, and 2009 National Championships). Over the course of the evening, there will be interview sessions with former players and reenactments of some of the most famous shots in Tar Heel history. The grand finale will be a recognition and a tribute to Coach Dean Smith.

The event is sold out, but fans who want to experience the history and highlights of North Carolina Tar Heel basketball can see much of it at the Carolina Basketball Museum on the first floor of the Ernie Williamson Athletics Center. Admission is free!

NC's Raffadini Vineyards named "Hot Small Brand" of 2009

Wine Business Monthly has ranked North Carolina's Raffaldini Vineyards in the top ten of its 7th Annual “Hot Small Brands” list featured in the magazine's February issue.

Raffaldini, located in the Swan Creek region of NC's Yadkin Valley, is ranked tenth on the list, which also includes wineries from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Canada. According to WBM, there are now 6,223 wineries in the U.S.

“Raffaldini Vineyards is honored to be in this prestigious list,” Jay Raffaldini, family member and managing partner, said. “We believe that lesser-known Italian varietals like Vermentino and Montepulciano offer people an exciting alternative to more commonly found wine. We are convinced that with diligent vineyard management and thoughtful winemaking that wines can be crafted that are both distinctive and affordable.”

Wine Business Monthly has the largest circulation of any wine trade publication in North America. According to WBM, the Hot Small Brands List of 2009 includes “some of today’s most exciting brands from small- and medium-sized producers.”

“We gravitate toward wineries and brands that represent market trends or innovation, that take leadership position in their regions, or that make unusual varietals or unexpected wines,” the article’s author, Cyril Penn, writes. “Smart marketing only goes so far, these wines need to pass the taste test. Consider this list to be a collection of wines our editors would serve at a party. We do serve them during a gathering we host during the annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium.”

Civil Rights Museum Opens In Greensboro

50 years ago today, four African-American college students walked into the Woolworth store in downtown Greensboro, NC, and sat down at the "whites only" lunch counter. Their non-violent actions ignited the civil rights movement and permanently changed American society.

Today, citizens and leaders from around the country gathered at that very same building to dedicate the brand-new International Civil Rights Center & Museum, a monument for the worldwide struggle for equal rights.

The museum's centerpiece is the lunch counter and stools where the Greensboro Four - as they became to be known - first sat down in defiance of segregation. Other artifacts include a rare two-sided Coke machine (one for blacks and one for whites), a pen used by LBJ to sign the National Voting Rights Act of 1965, and a 1950's-era bus seat signed by Rosa Parks.

Among the 14 permanent exhibits in the museum's 14,000 square feet of exhibition space are a remembrance wall for those who were killed during the Civil Rights Movement, an exploration of Jim Crow laws, and an ongoing examination at civil rights issues around the globe. There is also a Hall of Shame which examines some of the horrors of the period (so intense that children under 12 may only enter with an adult) and a Hall of Courage, honoring heroes of the movement such as Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, and Gandhi.

The musuem is now open Tuesday through Sunday except on major holidays. Adult admission is $8. For more information go to www.sitinmovement.org.