Regional Report Eastern September 2013

REGIONALREPORT Eastern

Being born a city slicker won’t make you any richer

The East is generally regarded as the poorest region of the state, so it’s little wonder that impoverished children in and around Wilson have the slimmest chance of any poor kids in North Carolina of climbing the income ladder, according to a study by professors at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley. But growing up in the region doesn’t predetermine poverty. In fact, children born into poor families in many eastern counties have better odds of earning in the top 20% when they’re adults than those in the majority of counties in the Triangle and Charlotte regions do. “These geographical differences are modestly correlated with variation in tax expenditure policies across areas,” researchers wrote. “But much variation in children’s success across areas remains to be explained, potentially by factors such as income segregation, school quality or social capital.” The Southeast recorded much lower potential for upward intergenerational mobility than other parts of the country.

Briefs

WILMINGTON — CBS picked up Under the Dome for a second season. The TV drama, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, began filming here in February. The second season will start shooting at the same time in 2014 for broadcast next summer. State film incentives were cited as a key factor in retaining the show.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH — State Street Cos. purchased the shuttered Galleria for $3.8 million. The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen had rejected a request to de-annex the 97,864-square-foot shopping center in June, a move that would have made it easier for the Charlotte-based development company to turn the property into mixed-use space, which is its plan.

WILMINGTON — The N.C. State Ports Authority earned $5.1 million in the year ended June 30, up from $394,000 the year before. It had posted multimillion-dollar losses the previous three fiscal years. Last year’s increase was driven by drought throughout the Midwest, causing a surge of feed grain imported through Port of Wilmington. The ports also moved more break-bulk traffic in metals and forest products.

GREENVILLE — The Pitt-Greenville Airport received a $3.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to extend its runway. The FAA necessitated the expansion — which will require the clearing of several acres, including 14 homes — for safety reasons.