Triangle/Local

Most of us have seen or have some knowledge of the most iconic plant in the world: It’s the “Venus Flytrap”, which is native to a small area of southeastern North Carolina. One of its cousins, also a native to the “Tar Heel State”, is the venerable “Pitcher Plant”. It is also carnivorous and has an equally insatiable appetite for insects. This is another plant I don’t have in my landscape. I do need one after seeing the crop of the Purple Pitcher Plant at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit. The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown. Last week, two judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund.

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a North Carolina man charged with killing four of his children after human remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle believe the slayings occurred over several months. Wellington Delano Dickens III contacted authorities Monday and told them he had killed his children and where to find the bodies at his home near Raleigh. Authorities say the victims include three of his biological children, aged 6, 9, and 10, and his 18-year-old stepchild. Investigators now believe the deaths started in May and continued through September. No motive has been identified. Dickens is being held without bond and an investigation is ongoing.

One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We’ve discussed it fairly often on the “WPTF Weekend Gardener” over the last 40 years. The first step is to find a relatively shady well-drained location in your back yard. You don’t have to buy a container, just build your own or find a proper spot on the ground. A wire cylinder 3 to 4 feet in diameter will work or build a three-sided box that’s 4 to 5-feet high and wide. However, if you prefer, ready-made bins are easy to find.

We all want resilient plants for our landscape. Frankly we want something that is cost effective. A plant which fulfills that description and expectation is “Ironweed” (Vernonia noveboracensis). This seems to be the most common variety grown in North Carolina. Anne Clapp used to say: “A weed is a plant you don’t want in your yard,” but you definitely will want Ironweed! It is a popular and hardy herbaceous perennial that you’ll find in a lot of landscapes in North Carolina. Herbaceous means it does not have a woody stem and dies back to the ground after it flowers. By the way, “Ironweed” was named for the English botanist William Vernon who traveled extensively in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s.

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina farmers and agricultural producers are set to receive more than $400 million in federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as part of a series of initiatives aimed at helping the state recover from natural disasters and strengthen its agricultural economy. In a keynote address at the Ag […]

RALEIGH, N.C. – At the NC Chamber of Commerce’s Ag Allies Conference at North Carolina State University on Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden spotlighted the rapid rollout and expansion of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP, which has already funneled more than $138 million to North Carolina producers—and billions more […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a significant move to establish one of its five future hubs in Raleigh, North Carolina, permanently relocating hundreds of employees from Washington, D.C. This expansion leverages existing facilities and highlights Raleigh’s growing importance as a center for agricultural policy and federal operations. During a visit with Mayor […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the Bahamas have closed a majority of schools following mandatory evacuations for some islands in the archipelago as Tropical Storm Imelda drops heavy rain and unleashes flooding in the northern Caribbean. A tropical storm warning was in effect Monday for parts of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys. Heavy rains also were forecast along the coastline of North and South Carolina. Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Imelda has formed near the Bahamas and is forecast to become a hurricane curving away from the southeast U.S. seacoast early this week. Imelda was churning up rough seas, wind and rain on Sunday around the Bahamas and nearby islands, just over 350 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto remains a dangerous Category 4 storm farther out in the Atlantic on a forecast track that could threaten Bermuda. In the Southeast U.S., South Carolina’s governor urged residents Sunday to remain alert, while North Carolina declared a state of emergency for any impacts from Imelda even though forecasters say the storm should spin away from the East Coast in coming days.