NC Now | 2016 UNC-TV

Artist Damian Stamer uses his brush to blend childhood memories into evocative works of art. Researchers use motion capture cameras to study how the body heals. A media arts program inspires students to learn & grow. Plus a wild & crazy sport binds these athletes together as a team & a community.

Endurance Seafood relies on a family foundation as it works to maintain its business in difficult times. Scientists study the mystery of Carolina Bays. Jerry Darnell man forges a career in traditional blacksmithing. Big Spoon Roasters makes big business out of its tasty nut butters. And life is peachy for life-long farmer Garrett Johnson.

Jeff Smith rides along with an air ambulance crew. Frank Graff learns how the EPA is monitoring our air to keep us healthy. Erica Starke-Knight meets a family with a long history of traditional boatbuilding. And John Litschke takes us to a family farm that draws on its heritage while working toward a more sustainable future.

Joe Kwon, the high-energy cellist for the North Carolina grown, American folk rock band, The Avett Brothers talks about music, family, friends, & food. Researchers at RTI are developing fuel from plants. Urban Ministries of Wake County planted a garden to supplement their food bank. And pre-teen Kenzie Hinson of Goldsboro started a food pantry to help people in her community.

Filmmaker Dawn Dreyer creates an animated documentary Bipolar Girl Rules the World about coping with mental illness. Researchers develop a substance that's harder than diamonds & cheaper to make. A weaving studio recycles scrap material into products that are sold to support area charities. And Pop Ferguson & his son Clyde work to preserve & promote traditional blues music.

Kings Restaurant in Kinston is a favorite among locals & tourists alike. A Charlotte engineering firm is working to bring electricity to areas in need. Former system president Tom Ross is the 2016 University Award recipient. Plus a woodcarver uses traditional techniques in making hand-carved bowls.

UNC Charlotte researchers track the Zika Virus. Western Carolina University speech pathologist Dr. David Shapiro receives the 2016 O. Max Gardner Award. Britt Boyette of Wilson makes beautiful instruments at his Salem Street Drum Company. Duke Chapel reopens after a year-long restoration project.

The F.A.R.M. Cafe feeds all who come regardless of their ability to pay. Duck Dance Farm raises endangered ducks & teaches environmental & homesteading classes. Davidson College researchers study pythons as indications show the giant snakes may migrate north. Plus a former Duke football player creates an app to help teams & organizations communicate.

The NCSU 1983 National Championship basketball team, known as the "Cardiac Pack," is celebrated at the White House. The LIFT program shows families that Learning Is Fun Together. A new high-tech marine research tool is at work along our coast. History is preserved at the Alamance Battleground Center. Plus Campground Kathy has spent her career serving guests at Carowinds' Camp Wilderness.

Singer John Lewis is energizing nursing homes & senior care facilities all over Charlotte. New studies show seniors with hearing loss may be a greater risk of dementia. Paws 4 People trains service dogs for children and veterans. Goat Lady Dairy is NC’s largest & oldest goat cheese creamery in the state with a strong family legacy.