Economy

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 Working Narratives studio, Speak Your Piece brings you the opinions of your coastal neighbors on today’s…

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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 Working…

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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 Working Narratives studio, this…

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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 Working Narratives studio, this series compiles…

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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 Working Narratives 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 Working Narratives studio, this series compiles community stories about COVID-19 from coastal North Carolina.

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COVID-19 & Unemployment

Yasmine is a single mother living in coastal North Carolina. Since her restaurant closed, she’s been out of work – but she’s making the most of her time with her daughter. She reflects on how her day-to-day has and will continue to change in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s changing up her routine at…

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Hurricanes & COVID-19 Affect Seafood

Melvin Dunn, 41, is a shrimper in Beaufort, North Carolina. Dunn lost a shrimp season with Hurricane Dorian last September and now faces further impacts from COVID-19 on the seafood industry. Dunn is from the South River – a predominantly black coastal community in Beaufort, NC. With increasingly intense hurricanes affecting his catch, Dunn decided…

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