New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office: Missing 61-year-old has been located and is safe

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in a case involving the statutory rape of a child. According to documents obtained from the BCSO, Steven Lewis Harrell of Stedman, N.C., was arrested on Jan. 24 and has been charged with:. Statutory rape...

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Crews began a land-clearing burn Thursday in New Hanover County. “This burn will be in the 200 block of Lendire Rd behind New Hanover County Fire Rescue Station 16,” a news release states. “NC Forestry and NHC Fire Rescue will be monitoring the burn. This will be the first of several burns that will occur in this area for land clearing.”

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - The Leland Police Department has announced that they are looking for a runaway juvenile who was last seen on Jan. 25. According to the announcement, 17-year-old Riley Hooper was last seen around 4:30 p.m. near Windsor Park. Authorities stated that Hooper left the area of her...

Bitty & Beau’s to celebrate seven years in business. Wilmington City Council to vote on purchasing adaptive sport wheelchairs for students. To pay for 12 sport wheelchairs and a shipping container to store them, city council is considering an ordinance to use $55,000 in New Hanover Community Endowment grant funding.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - 16-year-old Kimora Spencer was headed to Laney High School on the evening of Jan. 3 when her life changed for the foreseeable future. Spencer was hit by a car as she crossed N. College Road, leaving her with a head injury and several broken bones in her pelvis. She was taken to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and later flown to another hospital in Chapel Hill.

TABOR CITY, N.C. (WECT) - Two people have been charged in connection to the murder of a South Columbus High School student. Jalen Amari Campbell, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile were arrested in Socastee, S.C., and charged in the Jan. 23 murder of Jeremiah Nyree Long. The sheriff’s office says...

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The State Highway Patrol is looking for the driver of an 18-wheeler involved in a fatal wreck Wednesday morning. According to Trooper Shepherd, the wreck occurred around 6 a.m. when the 18-wheeler traveling on Tobermory Road failed to yield for a Sonoma pickup truck traveling on N.C. 87. The 18-wheeler then left the scene.

CERRO GORDO, N.C. (WECT) - The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office has shared the details surrounding a Cerro Gordo woman who was charged in a case related to animal cruelty. According to a representative with the CCSO, a deputy and animal control units arrived at 52 Pond Drive in Cerro Gordo in reference to animal cruelty on Jan. 20. Authorities found numerous cages occupied by dogs that were malnourished and unkempt. Additionally, they found numerous animal carcasses that were in various states of decomposition.

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - The Town of Carolina Beach has announced that the 200 block of Spartanburg Ave. will be closed for work on Jan. 26. Authorities stated that the portion of road should be reopen by 5 p.m. According to the announcement, the area near S 2nd St....

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - William Logan Buck, 21, was convicted and sentenced to 86 months in prison on Tuesday for a felony hit and run that occurred in the parking lot of the Martin Luther King Community Center. According to a release from the District Attorney’s Office, Buck was driving...

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – The seventh and eighth suspects in the case of a North Carolina man who was found dead in Horry County after being reported missing earlier this month are in custody Wednesday morning. The Horry County Police Department said Friday that eight suspects in total...

Two arrested in connection to murder of South Columbus High School student. Closing arguments take place in fatal shooting trial. Cape Fear Gardening: Preparing gardening tools for spring. Updated: 2 hours ago. |. Cape Fear Gardening: Preparing gardening tools for spring. New resource event designed to help the homeless. Updated:...

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A traffic collision occurred at the intersection of U.S. 17 and Scott’s Hill Loop Rd involving a pickup truck and a dump truck on Tuesday, Jan. 24. According to state troopers, the dump truck ran a red light as it was traveling northbound and the pickup truck was making a U-Turn when it was hit.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Closing arguments took place Thursday in a trial of a man facing a first-degree murder charge. Donte Jamar Rollinson is accused of fatally shooting Jason Stokes in February of 2020. Wilmington police responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 600 block of Fullwood Street. Stokes died...

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide involving a student at South Columbus High School which took place Monday afternoon in the Tabor City area. A Columbus County Schools representative confirmed that the victim was a senior at South Columbus High School....

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The murder trial for the man accused of killing Carly Rae Baron in 2020 is scheduled to begin Monday, according to the New Hanover County District Attorney’s office. Jaquan Jackson was indicted by a grand jury in 2020 on charges of first-degree murder in connection...

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Leland Fire/Rescue has announced that a legal controlled burn is taking place in the Mallory Creek area as of Tuesday morning, Jan. 24. They say smoke will be visible for the next several days.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - New Hanover County fire units responded to a structure fire at 2950 N Kerr Ave. at Master Machining on Tuesday morning, Jan. 24. According to NHC, they responded at 7:41 a.m. and had two units on the scene until 9:15 a.m. with a fire under a large laser metal cutting machine.

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - James Edward McKamey, who was convicted of murder in the death of a former Columbus County music teacher, has been sentenced to death. The jury announced the unanimous verdict Thursday morning after deliberating for about an hour. The jury spent more than three hours deliberating Wednesday and about another hour Thursday morning.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Patricia Rongotes last saw her brother, Randy Hockabout, alive on Jan. 24, 1986. He was found beaten to death in Wilmington the next day. Rongotes says since then, her life has not been the same. “If I was to call him and say, ‘Hey, I need...