North Carolina State University is planning a facility on Centennial Campus that will be geared for research on Plug-In Electric Automobiles. The new building will be located next to the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center (SPEC), and like many facilities on NCSU’s cutting-edge technopolis, this one will be a public/private venture. Progress Energy and Duke Energy have already pledged support in funding for the project as well as the development and management of a system of charging stations. (Want fries with that battery?)
Full article and location of the facility.
If you have ever been to an event in Downtown Durham, you may have noticed small ice cream carts rolling around with smiling lollipop logos and a funny name on it. The name is Locopops and the company is more genius than loco. News has been passed around and is being projected on their website that they will be moving into 1908 Hillsborough Street, the old Weatherman’s Jewelers location beside the newly opened Red, Hot and Blue BBQ. If you’ve never had a Locopop, by summer you may be addicted. Mexican popsicles and 
Chocolatier Hal Parson was making chocolate bars in Beaufort, North Carolina before venturing to Costa Rica and Venezula. A couple of years later, he has returned to Raleigh’s Glenwood South with a Chocolate Bar that looks to add a bit more daytime activity to the night friendly strip. And with handcrafted chocolates made from organic chocolate from Latin America, Escazu will add a bit more international culture to downtown as well.