FORBES Best Small Places For Business And Careers #8 Greenville North Carolina (NC) Pitt County North Carolina (NC)     Metro Area Population: 168,000     RANK   Colleges 1    79   Cost of Doing Business 2    4   Cost Of Living 3    62   Crime Rate 4    156   Culture & Leisure 5    75   Educational Attainment 6    35   Income Growth *    68   Job Growth *    27   Net Migration *    37    Overall    8  Greenville North Carolina Real Estate Information The Wilson GroupColdwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty1516 SE Greenville BlvdGreenville, NC 27858 252-321-5200     08/23/2008

Texas Roadhouse now is cooking up its hearty grilled steaks and fall-off-the-bone ribs at 720 S.W. Greenville Blvd., between Greenville Grande theaters and The Cracker Barrel restaurant. It's the 13th North Carolina location of the Clarksville, Ind.-based full-service steak house chain. North Carolina Market Partner Greg Beckel said Texas Roadhouse hand-cuts its aged steaks daily; guests may select the steak they want from a cooler at the restaurant entrance. The restaurant bakes its own bread, which is served with cinnamon butter, and makes its side orders - baked potato, sweet potato, chili, house salad, Caesar salad, apple sauce, fresh vegetables, green beans, mashed potatoes, baked beans, seasoned rice, steak fries - from scratch. Appetizers include fried onion "cactus blossom" for... 08/22/2008

  Welcome to Greenville & Pitt County North Carolina! Housing Assistance: Greenville has a variety of housing options for its residents.  Whether you are looking to rent, lease, or buy, Greenville has a large variety of living options.  To learn more about apartments and real estate in Greenville, click on one of the following links:   For apartments: www.apartments.com For real estate:  www.1SearchMLS.com Driver's License: The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is responsible for issuing North Carolina Residents with Driver's Licenses.  Click on the following link for information on how you can obtain a North Carolina's Driver License:http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_services/drivingpublic/applying.html License Plates: The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is responsi... 08/19/2008

College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, East Carolina University, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus. The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age. "This is a law that is routinely evaded," said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. "It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory." Other prominent schools in the group include Syracuse, Tufts, Colgate, Kenyon and Morehouse. But even b... 08/19/2008

Award-winning country music singer and songwriter Dierks Bentley and Bud Light will present a concert inside Minges Coliseum on Thursday, Sept. 4 as part of his Throttle Wide Open Tour. The ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club) is responsible for bringing the event to Greenville and it is sponsored locally by Trade Wilco-Hess, Thad's Carpet One and Thad's Flooring America. After signing with Capitol Records in 2003, Bentley released his self-title debut album that same year as well as Modern Day Drifter in 2005. Both records went platinum in the United States. The Phoenix, Ariz. native has produced five No. 1 singles on the country music charts, including his first track What Was I Thinkin. Additionally, Bentley has received recognition as the Academy of Country Music's Top Male Voc... 08/18/2008

  Greg Eans/The Daily ReflectorThe Indigreen Corporate Park is seen from the air, developed by Greenville Industries in the 1980s.  The name Greenville Industries may ring familiar with only a few who call Pitt County home. The result of its work for nearly six decades has had an impact on many of them. From its start in 1951, Greenville Industries fulfilled its mission of promoting economic growth, developing more than 1,000 acres and helping reel in major industries including Burroughs Wellcome. Beginning in the late 1980s, it began developing Indigreen Corporate Park, which now includes ASMO, Overton's, Practicon, Cox North Carolina Publications (The Daily Reflector), Fuji Silysia and Metrics. A sale to the Committee of 100 ends the existence of Greenville Industries but not its lega... 08/18/2008

Jenni Farrow/The Daily Reflector Last year, on what he thought might be his death bed, Dr. John Gibbs made a promise of sorts. If he made it through, this physician would never forget how it felt to be a patient battling cancer. As they prayed for their son's life, Parham and Jennifer Stanley had a similar sentiment. Whatever was ahead for 2-year-old Beau, they would become proponents for parents of those fighting the disease. In late November, Gibbs was back at work. Within the week, Beau was laid to rest. Though one life was taken and another one spared, both have become driving forces behind Beau's Buddies Cancer Fund. The charity, designed to improve the lives of local cancer patients and their families, is planning its first fundraiser next month. A Sept. 21 dinner and auction, fo... 08/18/2008

 The Pitt County Bookmobile parked outside the Spring Arbor nursing home on Arlington Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon. Sitting above Arlington Boulevard traffic Wednesday afternoon, Pete Hickey twirls the 17-inch steering wheel, turning right into the parking lot of Sterling House Assisted Living. It's 1 p.m. "Here comes Carl," Hickey said to his assistant Katie Hall. Despite temperatures in the mid-90s, Carl Bateman, 82, was waiting outside and he soon entered the coolness of Sheppard Memorial Library's bookmobile. "I've found some Hemingway for you," calls out Hickey. In a time when the Internet and television provide near instantaneous information, thousands of people in Pitt County and across the world, like Carl Bateman, await a visit from the bookmobile. Bookmobiles, or mobile li... 08/14/2008

The Greenville Police Department wants the City Council to establish a curfew for teenagers under the age of 16. The topic will be discussed at 7 p.m. today during the council's meeting in the City Council Chambers, third floor of the Town Hall. The request comes as city police struggle with a 14 percent increase in robberies and 4 percent rise in violent crimes. City Manager Wayne Bowers said the City Council included discussion of a curfew as part of its yearly goals and objectives. State law allows communities to enact curfews when there is a documented trend of juvenile crime, he said. "While this increase is consistent with national trends, a particularly disturbing trend has been the age of the offenders has grown younger," stated a police department memorandum to the council. Dat... 08/14/2008

To view other Townhomes near the Medical District visit: www.JesseAllenHomes.com 08/10/2008

08/10/2008

Groundbreaking, Feb 2008  GREENVILLE, N.C.-- Dr. James R. Hupp, dean of the dental school at the University of Mississippi for the last six years, will be the founding dean of the new School of Dentistry at East Carolina University, Chancellor Steve Ballard announced today."Jim Hupp is a superb leader and educator with remarkable breadth and depth of experience," Ballard said. "He has impeccable credentials and skills. He is a lead author of one of the world's best-known dental textbooks, author of a large number of book chapters and scientific articles and editor-in-chief of an international dental journal. He was a member of the team that reviewed the initial plan for our dental school two years ago, and we expect him to help us develop a new model for dental education."The North Car... 08/10/2008

BB&T wants college students to take notice of what it has to offer. And it's dressing up a handful of university branches on the East Coast with local school colors that are sure to grab attention. The Greenville branch at 523 Evans St. bordering the campus of East Carolina University has been decked out in purple-and-gold paint and signs in an effort to hook new Pirates in town and give them a place to stash their booty - even if it is just a few pieces of eight. Rhett Butler/ The Daily Reflector The BB&T in downtown Greeville has been painted purple and gold as part of the bank's school spirit program in college cities.  The branch is one of five in to get makeovers in BB&T's school spirit program - the others are at Western Carolina (also purple and gold), Clemson (orange, purple and... 08/10/2008

    William Anderson Greenville's police chief wants to relaunch a crime prevention program that was canceled five years ago. Police Chief William Anderson will seek City Council permission to hire a consultant to prepare an application to become a Weed and Seed site. Funded through the U.S. Department of Justice, Weed and Seed works by encouraging communities to reduce crime through prevention and then revitalize communities. Anderson is scheduled to make his presentation Monday when the City Council meets at 6 p.m. in its chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 200 W. Fifth St. The city of Greenville operated a Weed and Seed program from 1997 until it lost federal certification and funding in 2002. The city briefly continued funding the project until 2003 when an attempt to secure a... 08/10/2008

      Hardee's founder Wilbur Hardee, shown here in 2001, launched 85 different restaurants throughout the Southeast. GREENVILLE, NC (AP) - Wilbur Hardee founded the Hardee's restaurant chain in 1960, but he didn't stop there. The entrepreneur also launched a host of lesser-known eateries in his home state of North Carolina, such as Biscuit Town, Hot Dog City and Beef and Shake. But even decades after leaving the franchise that still bears his name, Hardee couldn't hide his pride when he passed a location and its marquee that bore his name. "He considered Hardee's his little child," said Ann Hardee Riggs, Hardee's 60-year-old daughter. Hardee died Friday, at the age of 89, in Greenville, N.C., the same town where he opened his first Hardee's location, giving birth to a hamburger franchi... 08/10/2008

Arrrrrgggggghhhh!! For anyone who has driven through the southern portion of the US, the name Cracker Barrel brings up images of biscuits, chicken fried steak and a general store packed with goodies like Moon Pies and all sorts of trinkets. Evidently though, an East Carolina fan noticed a small problem at the local Cracker Barrel in Greenville, NC - it didn't stock enough ECU gear, but had plenty of items bearing the logos of UNC and North Carolina State. Being a conscientious college football fan, he sent in an e-mail to Cracker Barrel requesting they stock more Pirates gear in Greenville ... and got this in response:[...] since this is a small school that plays in a small conference there are few manufacturers that will make ECU merchandise [...]That wasn't a very well thought out re... 08/10/2008

    With 440 bird species calling North Carolina home throughout the year, local bird enthusiasts have abundant opportunities to hone their birding skills. And, with the recent completion of one portion of the North Carolina Birding Trail, those opportunities have been enhanced. On Tuesday at Hammocks Beach State Park, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officials announced the opening of the coastal plains portion of the driving trail. That particular portion links 102 birding sites in 16 groupings east of I-95.  A new portion is planned for Eastern NC at a local park, River Park North in Greenville, NC.  That portion should be complete by the Fall of this year. The commission announced the opening - along with a new trail guide describing the sites - that sets the stage for f... 08/09/2008

The Beef Barn, 400 St. Andrews Drive, is changing with the times. Owners Bob and Donna Simon, who purchased the 42-year-old Greenville steak house in 1994, are changing their business plan and converting the venerable barn-shaped restaurant into a catering venue that also serves nightly meals to a smaller number of patrons. "I'm very reenergized about the whole thing," said Bob Simon, who began managing The Beef Barn in Cary in 1980 and moved on to head the Greenville restaurant in 1983. "This is going to be our vehicle for growth. Donna and I are so excited about this." Donna Simon has been focusing on catering for the past four years, and she's been working to convince her husband that catering was the best place for future growth. "It's a decision Donna had encouraged me to do over ... 08/09/2008

www.ECUPirates.com Research/University Facts: East Carolina University is a pioneer in minimally invasive robotic surgery. On May 3, 2000 at East Carolina's Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Randolph Chitwood performed the first robotic heart valve surgery in North America. Using this technology, surgeons at the school have performed more operations on the heart's mitral valve than any other center in the world by far. ECU recently broke ground on the new East Carolina Cardiovascular Research Institute. This facility will make East Carolina University one of the premier heart treatment and research centers in the world. Brody School of Medicine ranks 6th in the nation in Primary Care (tied with Duke University), 6th in rural medicine and 7th in family medicine by U.S. News and World Report... 08/08/2008

Dowdy Ficklen Stadium Contests against seven bowl qualifiers, including a home matchup against Fiesta Bowl winner West Virginia, and battles against Atlantic Coast Conference members North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Virginia, all highlight East Carolina's complete 2008 football schedule released Tuesday by Conference USA.After the Pirates open the campaign on Aug. 30 by continuing its 13-game series with Virginia Tech at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, the Mountaineers will make their second visit in three years to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Sept. 6. ECU will face off against North Carolina State for the third consecutive season on Sept. 20 before the Pirates head to Charlottesville for the first time since 1975 when they meet Virginia on Oct. 11. "Needless to say, we're all ... 08/08/2008