Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

State budget includes appropriations for Winston-Salem infrastructure and entertainment venues

The recently enacted state budget includes a $35 million appropriation to support economic development in Winston-Salem. City officials made the announcement on Thursday. 

Mayor Allen Joines and Representative Donny Lambeth issued a joint news release saying the state funding will “reinforce Winston-Salem’s position as a tourism, sports, and entertainment” hub serving the Piedmont and Northwest North Carolina.

The $35 million appropriation is earmarked for infrastructure in the areas north of Coliseum Drive and south of Reynolds Boulevard, a region that plays host to numerous events, including ACC games, the Carolina Classic Fair, the Winston-Salem Open, and major concerts.

North Ward Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams released a statement welcoming what she called a “tremendous investment,” saying the funds will be used to address parking, traffic, and pedestrian issues for the Coliseum/Fairgrounds area.

Other appropriations include funding for the second phases of work at the Stevens Center for the Performing Arts and the Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium at Winston-Salem State University.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate