NC governor seeks more fed funding in DC visit

RALEIGH -- North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue is making a quick trip to Washington in her hunt for federal dollars that could improve the state's jobs picture. Perdue planned to follow a morning of meetings in Raleigh on Monday with a trip to the nation's capital. She planned to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to talk about using federal stimulus money to extend the reach of broadband Internet service to rural areas. Perdue spokesman David Kochman said she's hoping to position the state to collect more recovery dollars. Kochman said Perdue will meet with defense industry executives at a Washington conference, where she will highlight North Carolina's strength and potential for defense businesses. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)