The nation's biggest manufacturing site for Kellogg's snacks began laying off employees in Cary this morning as part of a corporate reorganization.

The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company is moving ahead with plans to cut $1 billion in annual costs, but spokesman Kris Charles would not disclose the number of local jobs to be cut.

"As we simplify and standardize our processes at the Cary bakery, some jobs were impacted," Charles said. "Affected employees were notified today."

Two years ago Kellogg's, the nation's biggest cereal maker, announced an expansion of 180 jobs at the Cary plant that would bring staffing there to 800 people.

The facility manufactures Keebler crakers, Cheez-It crackers, Zoo animal crackers, Austin cookies, among other products. Earlier this year the plant suspended production of all peanut butter products during an outbreak of salmonella that sickened hundreds of people.

As part of a larger corporate restructuring, Caterpillar plans to stop manufacturing backhoe loaders at its Clayton plant and increase the amount of wheel loader production done at the facility
over the next year.

Jim Dugan, a spokesman for Caterpillar's Illinois headquarters, said the backhoe production is moving to a plant in the United Kingdom. In turn, some of the wheel loader production now made in the same U.K. plant will move to Clayton.

"In the end, Clayton will become what we call a focus facility
and they will be focused on producing that one product," Dugan said.
"It's part of an overall effort to improve the competitiveness and the
profitability of the division."

Caterpillar officials held meetings with the company's 1,800 employees in Clayton, Cary and Sanford in August to discuss the restructuring plan. At the time, Dugan said the restructuring would likely involve additional job cuts during the next six months to a year.

Dugan said the company does not yet know how the movement of production between Clayton and the U.K. will impact overall staffing levels at the Clayton plant.

He said he did not know how many employees are involved in backhoe production at the Clayton facility. Dugan said staffing levels will also be affected by the economy, and whether demand for the company's earth-moving equipment picks up next year.

"If the economy picks up, job demand tends to follow that," he said.

Spirits Pub & Grub in Cary is a pub food kind of place. However, don't let the long list of burgers and meaty sandwiches intimidate...there are some menu items that are vegetarian and even vegan-friendly.
The Veggie Burger, for instance, is made with eggs but could easily be substituted to be vegan if you give the pub a little advance notice.
There are a variety of salads on the menu which could be made vegetarian/vegan without the meat. Vegans should stick to the vinaigrette dressings.
The Mac N Cheese could be a comfort food crowd pleaser for vegetarians and you can order a "Southwest Style" or the Cajun Mac if you leave the sausage off.
There are also sides like the Loaded Nachos, Onion Rings, Hummus Platter (vegan), Spirits Potato Wedgies, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Chips & Guacamole (vegan), Fried Pickle Chips, Mozarella Sticks (batter made with eggs), Spirits Fried Wedgies (vegan) and Homemade Slaw.

See Greg Cox's full review here.

See photos from the first day of traditional calendar school in Cary.

A partnership that invests in distressed for sale residential real estate projects has snatched up a 113-lot townhome development in Cary.

The project is part of Stonewater, a 250-acre community near the Wake and Chatham counties line that has been in the works for more than three years.

Grosvenor Residential Investment Partners and Key Real Estate Equity, an affiliate of Key Bank, financed the deal with Grosvenor borrowing $3.4 million to buy the sites and complete remaining site improvements.

Grosvenor will partner with Hopper Communities of Charlotte for those site improvements.

Grosvenor is an international group of property businesses whose real estate investment management group is based in Philadelphia.

In a statement, John Gaghan, director of that group, said the deal was a "great opportunity to acquire a property in an established community that is located within one of the nation's most thriving markets."

View 4-Way Stop: Old Raleigh Rd @ MacKenan Drive, Cary in a larger map

Next week NCDOT will convert a Cary intersection -- Old Raleigh Road at MacKenan Drive, just south of the Auto Mall and U.S. 64 -- to a 4-way stop.

Drivers on MacKenan now stop at that corner. New signs will be installed to make drivers on Old Raleigh stop, too.

Who goes first? It depends first on who gets there first and second on who is to whose right. DOT offers helpful reminders on the proper etiquette at 4-way stop intersections.

As drivers approach the intersection, they are advised to follow these right of way rules: ... [MORE]

See photos of the some of the 36 cats rescued from a home in Cary on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009.

The Triangle's youth soccer players get a chance to learn from professional players on Sunday when the Carolina RailHawks host a free clinic.

The clinic, which is open to ages 5-13, takes place at 10:30 a.m. and
lasts until 2 p.m. at Bond Park in Cary. Registration starts at 9:30
a.m. Players from the RailHawks, who lead the United Soccer Leagues
First Division, will teach skills and offer tips.

Staff photojournalist Shawn Rocco and staff writer Martha Quillin reported this week on Cary homeowner David Bowden's very large message to the town of Cary.

34 teams and more than 1100 swimmers gathered at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary for the Greater Raleigh Summer League Championships on ... more