Economy

Local Film Festivals in the Wake of a Pandemic

Covid-19 has affected us in almost every aspect of our lives, and the local film festival industry of coastal North Carolina is no exception. Dan Brawley, Chief Instigating Officer of Cucalorus Film Festival discusses how upcoming festivals like Surfalorus are adapting and responding to the challenges of social distancing, while still trying to share the…

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Confused Shrimp

“I think the shrimp are confused just as much as the people are.” Melvin Dunn is a shrimper from North River– a small, coastal community in Carteret County, NC. His father was a commercial fisherman, and his father before him. But climate change is making Dunn consider leaving his days on the water behind him….

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Recovering Together: Rebuilding after Hurricane Florence

Jonny Morales, 18, talks about what it was like returning to his hometown – Wilmington, North Carolina – after Hurricane Florence. And how he, his family, and his neighbors rebuilt the remains of their community together. Broadcast from the Shoresides studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today’s pressing…

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COVID-19 & Beach Town Economies

Trace Cooper, the mayor of Atlantic Beach, is preparing for a summer unlike he’s ever seen before. Cooper speaks to how the pandemic could disrupt – or boost – his small beach town’s tourism-based economy. Cooper describes COVID-19 as a “one-two punch” for a coastal town still recovering from Hurricane Florence. Broadcast from the Shoresides…

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Grocery Store Clerk Discusses Progression of Covid-19

Chris Lamoreaux is a grocery store cashier in Morehead City, NC. Lamoreaux lives with his mother, who has an autoimmune disease. After work, Lamoreaux now self-quarantines in his bedroom. The national PPE shortage means that no gloves are available to Lamoreaux for handling customer cash at his register. Broadcast from the Shoresides studio, this series…

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Fast Food COVID-19 Special

A fast food manager in coastal North Carolina discusses how her team has put their health and safety at risk during the coronavirus pandemic – to serve milkshakes and french fries. She says her team feels unsafe and scared, and their concerns aren’t being taken seriously. Broadcast from the Shoresides studio, this series compiles community…

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Hair Salon Owner Discusses COVID-19

Le’Shawna Brunson-Smith says the stimulus bill won’t be much of a help making up for the incoming she’s losing during the coronavirus. Brunson-Smith is the owner of Ladies Hair Design on Castle Street in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since Governor Cooper ordered the shut-down of hair salons, she’s been out of work. To make up for…

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Instacart: Lifeline for Neighbors

Rebecca is normally a grade school teacher second, but with schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, she’s delivering groceries for Instacart. Broadcast from the Shoresides studio, this series compiles community stories about COVID-19 from coastal North Carolina.

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COVID-19 & Gaps in School Food Distribution

Michael Turner, 42, is a math teacher at West Carteret High School in Morehead City, North Carolina – a rural, coastal town of 9,000 people. He runs the food pantry which supplements free & reduced lunch with take-home groceries. Now his job is  to find and fulfill the gaps or ‘soft spots’ in school food…

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COVID-19 & Hurricane Recovery in African American Neighborhoods

Diana Tootle, 58, lives in Morehead City, North Carolina. Tootle speaks to the intersection between Hurricane Florence and COVID-19 in her historically African American coastal community. Broadcast from the Shoresides studio, this series compiles community stories about COVID-19 from coastal North Carolina.

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