Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · 2d

I had brisket for lunch this week. Here's how my visit to one of the Triangle's newest barbecue joints went. www.newsobserver.com/living/food-...

I visited a hot Triangle barbecue joint’s new location. Here’s how it went

Traditional North Carolina and Texas-style barbecue? They’ve got it. But tacos and sandos are also on the menu.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · 4d

We're asking readers: Which restaurants should Crabtree mall add?

The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · 5d

The mall has openings for a couple of full-service restaurants. Tell us which ones you’d like to see there.

Which restaurant should replace Brio at Raleigh’s Crabtree Mall? Tell us

The mall has openings for a couple of full-service restaurants. Tell us which ones you’d like to see there.

bit.ly

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · 20d

The Wake County ABC store in downtown Raleigh is now open. www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

Downtown Raleigh is getting a new ABC liquor store soon. Here’s what we know

For the first time in 40 years, downtown Raleigh will have its own ABC store.

www.newsobserver.com

Reposted by Renee Umsted

Thad Ogburn @thadogburn.bsky.social · 26d

Inside Look at the new location of one of the Triangle's most unconventional -- and acclaimed -- barbecue brands. From @reneeumsted.bsky.social and @vizjourno.bsky.social.

Acclaimed Triangle barbecue joint brings ‘the spirit of leisure’ to Cary

The barbecue gods are looking favorably upon downtown Cary.

www.newsobserver.com

1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Sep 2

Riff ram

The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · Sep 2

It’s hard to imagine Bill Belichick’s college debut going any worse than a 48-14 loss to TCU that saw the students fleeing before the third quarter was even halfway over.

For its millions upon millions, North Carolina got sold a Bill of goods

It’s hard to imagine Bill Belichick’s college debut going any worse than a 48-14 loss to TCU that saw the students fleeing before the third quarter was even halfway over.

bit.ly

Reposted by Renee Umsted

The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · Aug 21

A new entertainment complex in the Triangle has activities for all ages, including a mixed-reality playground, and serves food and drinks. Take a look inside.

This new Raleigh-area business has a ‘mixed-reality playground.’ See inside

A new entertainment complex in the Triangle has activities for all ages, including a mixed-reality playground, and serves food and drinks. Take a look inside.

bit.ly

1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Aug 21

See what's in the works for Crabtree mall. www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

Crabtree Valley revival: What a $60 million facelift will do for the aging mall

Raleigh's Crabtree Mall is undergoing a $60M transformation with sleek updates, aiming to increase occupancy and attract top-tier shopping brands.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Jul 23

A @newsobserver.com photojournalist and I spent the past few months talking with and visiting North Carolina shrimpers and other commercial fishermen, who have been thrust into the spotlight recently.

Here's what we learned: www.newsobserver.com/news/state/n...

A ban nearly crushed NC shrimpers. Why they embrace the life they fight to keep.

Shrimp trawling kills too many fish and damages marine habitats, critics say. Those who do the work say it’s a job and a culture worth preserving in North Carolina.

www.newsobserver.com

1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Jun 6

Want to go to the new Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park? Here's what you need to know. www.newsobserver.com/raleigh-city...

Here’s a guide to the new Gipson Play Plaza at Raleigh’s Dix Park

The 18.5-acre addition includes playgrounds, a sand box, a sensory maze, a splash pad and more. Here’s what to know about visiting.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 29

I went to the "grocery store" to ask people why they shop and sell there. www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

Raleigh has the best ‘grocery store’ in NC, study says. It isn’t a grocery store

The new ranking analyzed thousands of stores in the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. And the best “grocery store” in North Carolina is in Raleigh.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 28

Big news for us Texpats: www.newsobserver.com/living/food-...

A big Texas taco brand is opening in Raleigh, offering ‘bold, global flavors’

A big Texas taco brand looks to Raleigh as part of a nationwide expansion.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 14

Looking for a new place for outdoor dining? This restaurant, which opens soon, features a patio and a fire pit. www.newsobserver.com/living/food-...

Serving fried platters and the Southern classic shrimp and grits, the restaurant will soon open in a new Triangle town.

www.newsobserver.com

Reposted by Renee Umsted

Thad Ogburn @thadogburn.bsky.social · May 13

"To be financially feasible, the restaurant needed to serve around eight to 10 more people each night, and there just wasn’t space to seat them." @reneeumsted.bsky.social on a Durham dining loss.

‘Pitch perfect’ restaurant in downtown Durham will close soon. Here’s when to go

Known for a rotating, chef-driven menu, the 36-seat dinner spot is saying goodbye.

www.newsobserver.com

1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 12

The retailer is planning to open 20 new stores across the U.S. this year, and six of them will be in North Carolina.
www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

A furniture chain will make its NC debut this year with 6 new stores

The company is expecting to open 20 new stores across the United States this year. Two of them will be in the Triangle.

www.newsobserver.com

Reposted by Renee Umsted

The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · May 5

🧵 The News & Observer + The Charlotte Observer were honored as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for their joint coverage of Hurricane Helene + the aftermath in NC. The Associated Press + The Washington Post were also finalists.

www.newsobserver.com/news/local/a...

N&O, Charlotte Observer named Pulitzer Prize finalists for Helene coverage

The Associated Press and The Washington Post were also finalists in the category.

www.newsobserver.com

1 16 23

Reposted by Renee Umsted

ESPN @espn.com · May 2

Breaking: Gregg Popovich will no longer be head coach of the Spurs and is transitioning full-time to team president, sources told Shams Charania.

He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and winner of five NBA titles.

19 74 500

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 2

An opening date for the new Publix in Rolesville has been announced.
www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

A new Publix grocery store opens soon in the Triangle. When you can shop

The 46,791-square-foot store is the latest Triangle location for the Florida-based grocer.

www.newsobserver.com

Reposted by Renee Umsted

Korie Dean @koriedean.bsky.social · May 1

NEW: UNC basketball player Zayden High was suspended last semester after the university found him responsible for sexual exploitation.

Despite sanctions barring him from athletics, he kept access to facilities & has been around the team at least once. www.newsobserver.com/news/local/e...

UNC basketball player Zayden High suspended for sexual misconduct; kept team perks

High filmed a fellow student without consent during a sexual encounter, according to the student, additional sources and documentation obtained by The N&O.

www.newsobserver.com

7 2

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · May 1

You might be seeing photos of well-dressed high schoolers carrying small bouquets this spring. No, they're not all getting married. It's just for the prom. www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

NC proms look a little different this year, and the change is costing more

The latest trend for a night under the stars is blooming among Triangle prom-goers.

www.newsobserver.com

1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Apr 23

We're expecting several stores to open at The Streets at Southpoint this year, including these two. Catch up on what's coming to the Durham mall in 2025.
www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

2 new stores are opening soon at The Streets at Southpoint in Durham

The toy and apparel brands, neither new to the Triangle, are the latest tenants to join the popular shopping center. Here’s when they’ll open.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Apr 17

What's new at University Place? @tammygrubb.bsky.social has the latest. www.newsobserver.com/news/local/c...

Chapel Hill’s mall is gone, but local shops are finding a place beside national brands

Over two years of construction to remove one end of the mall and add more buildings around a public lawn just wrapped up.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Apr 15

Latest from @newsobserver.com's Drew Jackson: Another restaurant announced for RTP.

This one will have a walk-up window where you can get gelato and/or drinks while you wait for a table.

Dessert before dinner? 👀
www.newsobserver.com/living/food-...

One of Brooklyn’s most famous pizza families will open a new restaurant in RTP

The Triangle’s excellent pizza scene keeps getting better.

www.newsobserver.com

1

Reposted by Renee Umsted

Keung Hui @keunghui.bsky.social · Apr 15

Should Capital Boulevard be a toll road between Raleigh and Wake Forest? N.C. Turnpike Authority is seeking public feedback on collecting tolls as a way to pay for a six-lane expressway between Raleigh and Wake Forest. (Via Richard Stradling) www.newsobserver.com/news/local/c... #ncpol #ralpol

Should Capital Boulevard be a toll road between Raleigh and Wake Forest?

Transportation planners seek public feedback on four tolling options for speeding construction of a 10-mile expressway in northern Wake County.

www.newsobserver.com

2 1

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Apr 11

This week, I spoke with owners of two new small businesses in downtown Raleigh. The businesses just happen to be on the same block on Fayetteville Street. www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

2 new Raleigh stores offer old-fashioned media, coffee & lifestyle goods

One business hopes to get people away from screens. The other is owned by a former Nike creative. Both want to serve the local community.

www.newsobserver.com

Renee Umsted @reneeumsted.bsky.social · Apr 11

Can you have too many tacos? No. www.newsobserver.com/living/food-...

NC’s first Del Taco will open in the Triangle this month. Here’s where

After four years of waiting, Del Taco is ready for its NC debut.

www.newsobserver.com

2