Bolton, NC Municipal and More

More than 3,000 runners expected for Battleship Half Marathon; road closures planned in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — More than 3,000 athletes are expected to compete in the 28th annual Battleship Half Marathon & GFL 10K and 5K on Sunday, November 15th, bringing several road closures and traffic impacts to downtown Wilmington and the Greenfield Lake area. The races will take place from...

Wilmington, NC · 9h

Star News

New vet hospital proposed for Brunswick County

A new animal facility is planning to set up shop in Brunswick County. Headwaters Engineering of the Cape Fear, PLLC, submitted a site plan for a new veterinary hospital near Southport and Oak Island . While the facility could bring more veterinary space, veterinary workers say the county needs more. Despite the population growth over the last two decades, Brunswick has less than 10 animal hospitals. Three of the facilities reside in the Southport area and none are open 24-hours. If emergency care is needed outside of operating hours, often 8 p.m. to 5 p.m., residents must travel to Wilmington. Some pet owners will even drive to Raleigh or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, River Road Animal Hospital Office Manager Morgan Dillard said. Dillard said the county could use more veterinary facilities, veterinarians and staff, especially a 24/7 emergency care facility. Though the hospital is expanding roughly triple the size due to the business outgrowing the existing building, Dillard expects the bigger facility will quickly reach capacity. "We are fully booked," Dillard said. One of the biggest challenges veterinary facilities face is staffing, said Dillard, noting finding and supporting enough adequate staff is a problem that stretches across the nation. Increases

Brunswick County, NC · 1d

Star News

Popular Wilmington festival rebrands and expands, plus your weekend

The first time I met Lucy Vasquez was back in the late 1990s. Vasquez had contacted me hoping I'd write about a new festival she was starting, something called Festival Latino. At that time, Latino people were first starting to move to the Wilmington area, but Vasquez, who hails from near Los Angeles, said she almost didn't recognize the Latinos she was meeting around Wilmington. They kept their heads down, she told me, were quiet and didn't often seek to interact with their community. She wanted to start Festival Latino to help introduce Wilmington to its new neighbors. Nearly three decades, and several locations, later, the festival has been a success. This year, it's undergoing a bit of an expansion and a rebrand, as the 26th annual Amigos International Festival will return to Ogden Park in Wilmington on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15. The name may be different, but the free festival is still billed as a "cross-cultural weekend of food, music, dancing and family." "It’s an opportunity for people with different languages and cultural backgrounds to enjoy each other’s company," Vasquez wrote in a news release, with food from Mexico, El Salvador, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia, the Caribbean

Star News

Merrick's lead narrows in NC House race after provisional votes counted

The inclusion of provisional and absentee ballots has slimmed the margin in a tight race for N.C. House District 20 ahead of the official results. New Hanover County Board of Elections counted the additional 1,036 provisional and 90 absentee ballots on Nov. 10. Democrat Tim Merrick holds the lead with 22,160 votes at 50.09% of the electorate — 81 votes ahead of Republican Dane Scalise, who holds 22,079 votes, or 49.91%. Merrick initially led by 101 votes. The results are unofficial until the county canvass on Friday, Nov. 13. The race is eligible for a recount upon request from Scalise. Following the results on election night, Scalise declined to comment on a potential recount. According to the State Board of Elections, a candidate who did not win in a non-statewide contest can demand a recount if the difference between a winning candidate and the candidate demanding the recount is 1% or less of the total votes cast in the contest. Any mandatory recounts would be completed by county boards after the county canvass and should be completed prior to the state canvass. Another close race: Rouzer holds slim lead after provisional votes counted for District 7 Election Night: How New

New Hanover County, NC · 2d

WECT

Veteran-owned Leland restaurant gives back on Veterans Day

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Before John White was serving barbecue in Leland, he was serving in the Army. Now, the co-owner of The Pit Backyard Barbeque is giving back to others who served. For Veterans Day, the restaurant offered free meals to service members and their families. Finding a new...

Leland, NC · 2d

WECT

Brunswick County Public Utilities returns to chloramines as disinfectant

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Brunswick County water customers may notice a temporary change in the taste or smell of their water as the county returns to using chloramines as its primary disinfectant. The water remains safe to use, according to the Brunswick County Public Utilities Department. The transition from...

Brunswick County, NC · 1d

Star News

Split-zoning discovery prompts request for old Wilmington property

Owners of a two-story building at 2705 Market St. are seeking to rezone the property to accommodate a new tenant after discovering the structure straddles two zoning districts. The proposal is under review by the city and pending before the Wilmington Planning Commission. The building was constructed in 1922 and was occupied by Office Furniture Salvage for more than 50 years. According to a project narrative, the property has been split-zoned for “a very long time.” In a letter to nearby property owners, the owners of 2705 Market St., Carlton Fisher and Steve Wallace of Wallace Bros. II, LLC, stated a new tenant planning to establish retail and office uses discovered the office and institutional zoning district extends through the first 25 feet of the building while the remainder is zoned R-10 residential. The application, submitted Oct. 6, seeks to rezone the entire parcel to a community business conditional district with limited uses. According to the project narrative, the building will not be enlarged. Rear vehicular access to Lyndon Avenue would be gated to restrict access to emergency vehicles only. Landscaping and a fence would be installed along the rear property line. Pervious parking would be installed to limit additional

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Community Justice Center CEO Ben David announces replacement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — During Thursday’s New Hanover County Board of Commssioner’s agenda review meeting, the Community Justice Center announced a change in leadership. Ben David introduced Valerie Pearce, saying she will soon take over his role at the center in January of 2027. David said Pearce...

New Hanover County, NC · 1d

Star News

Brunswick's utility needs lead to property disputes and court fights

(This story has been updated to add new information.) As Brunswick County scrambles to expand water and sewer infrastructure for rapid growth , the county is increasingly finding itself in court over the cost of acquiring private property. Though county records report taking of property by eminent domain to support growth, tension has risen between public infrastructure needs and property owners' disputes over compensation. County meeting minutes show commissioners authorizing condemnation authority at least four times between 2024 and October 2026. The actions involve projects ranging from wastewater improvements to reclaimed-water infrastructure and a future drinking-water reservoir. Though the county is focused on utility needs, residents are challenging compensation offers and the scope of property rights being acquired. "Brunswick County has in the last fifteen years primarily used the condemnation process for the acquisition of utility easements," County Communications Director Meagan Kascsak said. "The county uses easements when there is not enough room in the NCDOT rights-of-way for additional utility lines or the expansion of pump stations." In July 2025, commissioners authorized the acquisition of easements on three parcels "up to and including condemnation" following a closed-session discussion about property acquisition. Those parcels later became the subject of court actions

Brunswick County, NC · 2d

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Traffic shift planned on Wrightsville Avenue near orthopedic hospital starting Monday

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Drivers traveling along Wrightsville Avenue near Novant Health New Hanover Orthopedic Hospital should prepare for temporary traffic changes beginning Monday, Nov. 16. According to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA), a contractor will begin replacing a water meter vault in the 5300 block of...

Wilmington, NC · 12h

WECT

Merrick wins NC House District 20 race by 77 votes after New Hanover County canvass

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Tim Merrick won the North Carolina House District 20 race over Dane Scalise by 77 votes after the New Hanover County Board of Elections completed its vote canvass. Official results posted on the State Board of Elections website show Merrick received 22,156 votes to...

New Hanover County, NC · 12h

WECT

Brunswick County nonprofit seeks funds for mobile laundry trailer

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. — For families without a stable place to live, clean clothes can be hard to come by. A Brunswick County nonprofit is raising money for a new mobile laundry trailer to continue offering free washes. Tina Bowen, who runs Suds of Love, said the current truck...

Brunswick County, NC · 1d

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Latest cleanup efforts for contaminated Superfund site shared with Navassa residents

NAVASSA, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick County residents got a closer look Thursday at the latest cleanup plans for the former Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. Superfund site in Navassa, including efforts to address contaminated marshland and new findings of groundwater pollution. The Multistate Environmental Response Trust and the Environmental Protection Agency...

Navassa, NC · 1d

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Brunswick County organization recognizes librarian’s legacy

SUPPLY, NC (WWAY) — The Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has recognized one of its members for documenting the work of a North Carolina librarian who spent decades educating future librarians and serving communities in the Appalachian region. Jane Welfare Hauser Johnson received the...

Brunswick County, NC · 18h

WECT

INTERVIEW: Amigos International Festival returns to Cape Fear

The Amigos International Festival is returning to the Cape Fear region this November, with food, music, dance and activities celebrating cultures from around the world.

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Wilmington Repair Café returns Dec. 5 to help residents fix, reuse household items

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington residents looking to fix broken household items instead of throwing them away will have an opportunity to learn repair skills at an upcoming community workshop. The next Wilmington Repair Café will take place Saturday, Dec. 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Legacy...

bizfayetteville.com

Applications now open for free eight-week entrepreneurship program in Bladen County

The Small Business Center at Bladen Community College is inviting aspiring entrepreneurs to take the next step through Pitch It Bladen County 2027, an eight-week business development program and pitching competition designed to help turn promising ideas into successful businesses. Applications are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is...

Bladen County, NC · 1d

WWAY NewsChannel 3

Wilmington brewery, credit union team up to support veterans through craft beer

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington brewery and credit union are teaming up to support local veterans through a special craft beer collaboration, with a community networking event planned for Thursday evening. REV Federal Credit Union and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce are hosting a BizMix event at...

whqr.org

Certain New Hanover County Schools positions see pay increase starting in December

One of the outgoing board’s priorities was to implement an increase for these district professions. New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Barnes praised the members for approving the increase. “Speaking for the staff here at the school system, this is a significant move forward. I don't know of...

New Hanover County, NC · 2d

sportsdestinations.com

Wilmington & Beaches to Host 2026 Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon & GFL 10K/5K

Wilmington and its island beaches will welcome athletes, spectators and their families for one of the region’s premier race weekends in mid-November. The 2026 Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon & GFL 10K/5K will take place on Sunday, November 15 and is expected to draw thousands of participants to the destination, showcasing Wilmington’s historic downtown, scenic riverfront and vibrant community.