Eye on the Triangle

Erie Mitchell 0:00
The views and opinions expressed during Eye on the Triangle do not represent WKNC or NC State Student Media.

Erie Mitchell 0:14
Your dial is currently tuned Eye on the Triangle on WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 Raleigh. Thanks for listening.

Ellie Feaga 0:35
Good morning. I'm Ellie Feaga with Eye on the Triangle. Happy Monday and happy finals week here at NCSU. We're finishing up our finals at the beginning of this week. And I know that our neighbors at Meredith and Duke and UNC are starting their finals at the end of this week. So I want to wish everyone good luck. This is a bittersweet moment for me because this will be my last show at WKNC. And I'm going to miss it terribly. But I'm going to try not to bum you out on a Monday morning. So to my fellow May graduates we do have a lot to look forward to in the next coming weeks. Now we have no guest today so let's get right into the weekly news.

Ellie Feaga 1:08
Many of our listeners will agree that Wake County is home of one of the best colleges in the entire United States, especially in terms of college radio stations. But higher ed is not the only facet of education in Wake County that shines. Athens Drive Magnet School in Raleigh was awarded the Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Magnet School of Merit Award of Excellence. This award goes to the number one magnet school in the entire country. The second place school winning the Donald Waldrip magnet school of excellence award was Conn Magnet Elementary School also in Raleigh. Congratulations to these two schools for winning awards of the highest honors and for representing Wake County Education.

Ellie Feaga 1:51
Next up, have you noticed a change in the taste or smell of your water? Many Raleigh citizens have within the last two weeks, and the city has received a number of reports and complaints from citizens. Now most importantly, is the water safe to drink? Yes, according to the city of Raleigh, the taste and odor are purely an aesthetic issue. That being said it isn't easy to drink water with a foul taste. Fortunately, the city reports that this issue is cyclical and is caused by changes in the environment of our water sources in springtime. Therefore the taste issues should resolve on its own. But in the meantime, the City of Raleigh is increasing testing for a quicker result.

Ellie Feaga 2:28
Are you feeling stressed about finals, the end of the school year, the summer upcoming, whatever else may be? Many students are in the same boat. There are many resources at NCSU's Well Rec website to look into to find stress relief, mental health resources and more. One resource in particular NCSU is offering a limited number of premium accounts with Headspace, an app for mindfulness, meditation, sleep casts, and more. This is a first come first serve opportunity. So look into it if you're looking to do some stress relieving exercises.

Ellie Feaga 3:02
Lastly, it's looking like we have a beautiful week ahead of us weather wise with highs in the 80s nearly every day. I'm taking this as a good omen for finals and graduation. But the good thing is even if you don't do well on your finals, you've got something you look forward to when you come out. But I don't need to tell you that because you're going to do great, okay. Now I want to take a moment to say thank you and I mean truly thank you. Whether this is your first Monday morning with us or you're a weekly regular. It has truly been a privilege to be part of your mornings with Eye on the Triangle. And to everyone I've gotten to meet they're doing this - The Vice Chancellor, the ice hockey teams, local philanthropists and concert venue owners. It has been incredible but it's time I have to give up the mic. Have a great week and a great summer. For the last time this has been le with Eye on the Triangle and you are listening to 88.1 WKNC HD one Raleigh.

Shanteya Hudson 4:02
Residents in a rural North Carolina town grappling with economic challenges are getting a pathway to homeownership. In Enfield, the average annual income is about 25-thousand dollars, while the average home price in the state exceeds three hundred thousand dollars. This significant gap between income and housing costs makes homeownership unattainable for many residents. It’s an issue that the mayor of Enfield, Mondale Robinson is all too familiar with growing up in the town. He acknowledges the dire housing conditions faced by many residents.

Mondale Robinson 4:34
Housing there is third world. And I know that term is not politically correct, but I use it intentionally to remind people that while we may be in the so-called richest country in the world, my people are suffering from houses that are killing them.

Shanteya Hudson 4:45
He says many people in the town are living things like severe mold or failing foundations. Recognizing the challenges posed by limited resources, both on a town and federal level, Robinson says he is tackling the issue by forming partnerships with construction firms and lending institutions. He says through the Horizon Project, they aim to build energy-efficient homes priced affordably at about 105- thousand dollars.

Robinson highlights that historically, the majority of Black residents there have been marginalized from experiencing positive changes in their neighborhoods. He explains that previous investments focused on constructing homes that were unaffordable for the community. Robinson expresses optimism that this initiative will serve as a foundation for achieving long-term equality and stability.

Mondale Robinson 5:30
We had a qualification seminar where we brought people in to see if they qualify for homes. And of those 400 people that showed up, 174 already pre-qualified and have already started ordering their model homes and on the process to become home owners.

Shanteya Hudson 5:43
He says families that qualify will receive smart homes with two to four bedrooms, an opportunity that most people living off of an hourly wage in the town would not have had access to.

In addition to the housing aspect of the project, Robinson emphasizes the importance of economic development and sustainability. He says that they’ll also be offering training to help new homeowners maintain their property. He emphasizes another major part of the Horizon project is meant to help promote growth in the town and return ownership to the people that live there.

Mondale Robinson 6:14
When all of these new houses pop up in this rural space, we know what's to follow, businesses to follow. Also, we're looking for the mental victory that folk feel when they've purchased a home, alleviating the fact that you have a landlord that is not concerned with how your health is affected by the house you're living in.

Shanteya Hudson 6:31
By addressing housing affordability and promoting economic empowerment, Robinson hopes that the Horizon Project will serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives across North Carolina and beyond. Qualified families will move into new homes by June, while ongoing support aims to assist others in future qualification. For North Carolina new service I'm Shanteya Hudson, finer trust indicators at public new service.org.

Erie Mitchell 6:53
This has been Eye on the Triangle. I'm Erie Mitchell, your guest host right now. Thank you so much for listening to this. You can listen to back episodes of Eye on the Triangle at wknc.org/podcasts under Eye on the Triangle or just any of the other podcasts we have on WKNC. Thank you so much.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai