The Panther Creek High School band has been selected to compete for a $25,000 grant in the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Pepsi will donate grants to the organization or project that receives the most online votes from the community.

The band is asking for a $25,000 grant to purchase new instruments.

For details and to vote for the Panther Creek High School band in the Pepsi Refresh Project, visit www.refresheverything.com/pchsband .

Bank of N.C. coming to Cary?

From staff reports

Bank of North Carolina, which opened its first Triangle branch in September, expects to have three local offices and has set its sights on further expansion.

The publicly held High Point-based bank announced last week it has agreed to acquire KeySource Commercial Bank, which has a solitary branch in Durham, for $12.2 million in stock.

A third BNC office in the Triangle - possibly in Cary - is likely to be announced soon, said Rick Callicutt, president and chief operating officer of the 31-branch bank.

The Triangle is one of three regions in which BNC wants to expand, either by opening new offices or via acquisitions, Callicutt said.

The others are Charlotte and Greenville, S.C. Bank of North Carolina operates under the BNC Bank brand in South Carolina.

Study: Insurers create crises

From staff reports

A study by consumer and public-interest groups claims insurance companies create periodic crises in order to drive up profits.

The Americans for Insurance Reform study says these crises, where coverage becomes unaffordable or unavailable, are known as "hard markets," sending premiums sky-high.

The report also concludes the country has been in a soft market since 2006, with rates stable or dropping in every state.

Now, according to the report, some in the insurance industry are using Hurricane Irene to justify jacking up rates, even though the storm wasn't as bad as predicted.

New principal at Middle Creek

From staff reports

CARY The Wake County school board announced last week that two schools are getting new principals and that Enloe High School's principal is moving to the central office to oversee the magnet program.

Beth Cochran, Enloe's principal since 2005, will now become the senior director of magnet programs.

Wade Martin was named principal of Middle Creek High in Cary, with a salary of $94,700. He's been principal of Martin Middle since 2006. Martin will start at Middle Creek on Feb. 1.

In the meantime, the board extended Thomas Dixon's contract as the school's interim principal. Fred Sawyer was named principal of Durant Road Middle in North Raleigh.