Saturday Morning Magazine with Bruce Ferrell

The Biden administration announced new plans to work with principals and educators in spreading a message about the importance of safe gun storage. According to the White House, more than 3/4 of school shootings are committed with guns from the home, and 80 percent of firearm suicides by children involve a weapon belonging to a family member. Lee Turner, an attorney who worked as a Raleigh police...

 With the job application and hiring process more competitive than ever in 2024 and a workforce with an unprecedented five generations collaborating in some organizations, Kadeer A. Porter, an executive recruiter; Frank Kovacs, a global technology business executive; and Mark Beal, a public relations practitioner, marketer and university professor have joined forces and co-authored a new book...

The North Carolina state parks system welcomed more than 20.1 million visitors in 2023 and acquired over 2,890 acres of new land, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Visitation at state parks increased by 4% — more than 755,000 — from 2022 and Here to talk more about our state parks is Brian Strong, Director of North Carolina State Parks. https://rss.com/podcasts/wptf-morning-s...

The use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy has declined in recent years, but the use of cannabis by expecting mothers has increased. A new study by Duke Health found of the central nervous system. Duke Associate Professor Dr. Kyle Walsh discussed the student with Jeff Hamlin.

One of the least understood parts of COVID-19 is long COVID, which causes symptoms to persist for months or even years. A UNC clinic is working to help people cope with these challenges, even if the cause of their lingering ailment isn’t known. Henry Taylor reports from Carolina Connection, student radio from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

Bruce Ferrell talked with Tania Moore, broker/owner of ERA Live Moore which has 10 offices in NC and SC. She talked about what's happening in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle area as well as Winston-Salem and Charlotte real estate market. (photo provided)

More than 23,000 people are enrolled in degree programs at Wake Tech Community College for spring 2024, a record. The school announced the start of the spring classes showed more than 10 percent more students than a year ago. Wake Tech President Scott Ralls joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the record enrollment.

A longtime member of the NC State University poultry science faculty will be hanging up his lab coat in a few months. But to hear him tell it to WPTF's Mike Davis, it's a wonder Dr Frank Edens became a poultry professor at all. ..Professor Edens has been at NC State for 50 years and will begin a phased retirement in July. He was honored by the National Turkey Federation for his work in eradicating...

The City of Greensboro has opened the state’s first “Safe Parking Site” for homeless people. It’s intended to be a place where anyone can stay in their cars for free overnight or during the day, without being hassled and asked to move. Sierra Pfeifer has more from Carolina Connection, student radio from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Photo credit: Sierra Pfeifer / Carolina Connect...

North Carolina has seen its share of flooding following hurricanes and tropical storms. The Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program, or StRAP for short, aims to reduce flooding by clearing streams of debris, downed trees and other materials that block or hinder the flow of water. WPTF's Mike Davis gets more details on this initiative from state ag commissioner Steve Troxler...

George F. Koob, Ph. D., Director of the NIAAA at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a world-renowned expert on how alcohol affects health, will discuss how to recognize signs of an alcohol problem and ways to get help. He’ll also talk about Dry January, a popular New Year’s resolution that emphasizes taking a break from alcohol for the entire month, and the newest treatment options now av...

National School Choice Week, Jan 21-27, 2024, is parents’ best opportunity of the year to discover schools in their area, with more free and low-cost options than they expect. The Week will feature more than 26,000 celebrations of K-12 education, including school fairs, capital rallies, contests, movie nights, and more. Millions of Americans will share learning tools, give personal testimonies, an...

At almost 21 months old Owen Monroe is a medical miracle, born with a lethal heart condition. By taking part in a groundbreaking study led by Duke health physicians, Owen is thriving. The procedure happened nearly two years ago. Dr. Joseph Turek joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the procedure.

As North Carolina prepares for federal, state and local elections in 2024, emerging trends in partisan registration that began in late 2017 have proven persistent, with likely electoral consequences for both major parties. Michelle Woodhouse talked with Cory Valliancourt who reports for the Smoky Mountain News

The Durham based Rare Cancer Research Foundation has received a $1 million funding commitment from the Chan Zuckerberrg initiative to advance research in rare cancers, Director of Strategic Partnerships Susan Horrell talks to Tony Riggsbee

The Wake County shelter will no longer allow owners to surrender their pets at the shelter. Animal Control Director Jennifer Frederico spoke with Jeff Hamlin.

Encouraging the community to “grow your heart three sizes,” Frederick Walker Jr., LSCW, CPRP , founder of Walker Family Services , a community-based mental health agency and treatment center serving hundreds of clients, discusses the importance of mental wellness and the critical needs. (photo provided)

The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services celebrated some milestones in 2023. Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler highlights a few with our Mike Davis...

2024 was a year of weather variety in North Carolina, but not necessairly weathers extremes. We take a look back at the weather events of the year with Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis and WPTF's Mike Davis...

Last month, Betsy Johnson Hospital closed its labor and delivery unit. As the only hospital in Harnett County to offer these services, the closure has contributed to a “maternity desert,” leaving women to travel upwards of 45 minutes to the nearest hospital, or risk delivering in another hospital’s emergency room. UNC Media Hub Reporter Elaina James reports that this is not a unique situation in N...

Umbrella Dry Bar, Raleigh's first non-alcoholic bar, will open New Year's Eve. The bar, bottle shop and event space will be located at 14 W. Martin St. in the former space of Garland restaurant. Co-owner Meg Paradise joined Jeff Hamlin.

We’re getting reaction to the death of UNC Tar Heel basketball player Eric Montross. He was part of the Heels 1993 National Championship team and in recent years, was a familiar voice as color analyst on basketball broadcasts for the Tar Heel Sports Network. Chris Edwards heard from sportswriter and broadcaster David Glenn.

AAA projects the second highest nationwide travel season (since 2019), as travelers will venture 50 miles or more during the upcoming year-end holiday travel period*, spanning from December 23 to January 1. Tiffany Wright of AAA Carolinas joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how busy things will be next week.

Holiday season is in full effect and the best gifts are the ones for our homes. Home design/lifestyle expert Kelly Edwards talks about the top gifts that need to be on everyone’s list

Shoppers looking for locally made and locally sourced gifts or fun, on-farm experiences can find plenty of ideas at North Carolina farms and agritourism venues. WPTF's Mike Davis gets some shopping tips from ag commissioner Steve Troxler...(photo provided)