Chapel Hill, NC

Wilmington, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department has announced that they are searching for 15-year-old Sharod Jaquan Chapple. Per the release, Chapple was last seen at around 2:30 on March 28 in the 4900 block of Vineyard Lane. He was last seen wearing black and yellow Jordan shoes, black ripped jeans and a black t-shirt with purple writing on it.

Wilmington police searching for missing juvenile

Duplin County, NC

Warsaw, NC

WARSAW, N.C. (WITN) - A Duplin County elementary school is closed today after gunfire hit the building over the weekend. Duplin County Schools says windows of Warsaw Elementary School and that of a bus were damaged. Damage to approximately three windows and the bus was discovered this morning by school staff.

Duplin County school closed after gunfire hits building over the weekend

Whiteville, NC

WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) - Team members with Grand Strand Health welcomed back a former trauma patient that recovered from several life-threatening injuries after a traffic collision in July of 2022 left him recovering for 20 days. The patient, Landon, was taken to Grand Strand Medical Center from Whiteville by first...

Former patient celebrates ‘Victory Lap’ at Grand Strand Medical Center after recovering from a Whiteville traffic collision

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department has announced that they are currently searching for 23-year-old Philip Winn. Per the announcement, Winn was last seen wearing black and white sneakers, a blue jacket, maroon sweatpants and a grey beanie. The WPD says that he may be near Carolina Beach...

Wilmington PD searching for missing man

Elizabethtown, NC

Bladen County, NC

Bladenboro, NC

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Four people have been charged in connection to a January murder in Bladen County. Daniel Gene Autry, James Todd Harrelson, Jessica Lynne Sloan and Tanner Scott Harrelson have been charged in the murder of Jerry Edward Martin of Bladenboro. The charges were served on Tuesday,...

Four charged with murder in Bladen Co.

North Carolina State

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A historic church that has welcomed the Wilmington community since the mid-19th century will soon close its doors. The North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church has announced the closure of Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church. The conference says it will be closing the church...

Members shocked as historic Wilmington church set to close after more than 170 years

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department announced that the southbound lanes of Independence Blvd. are reopen at the intersection with Canterbury Road. Previously, at 8:46 a.m., the WPD announced that lanes were closed as a result of a traffic incident. “Traffic incident at Independence and Canterbury. A vehicle...

Southbound lanes reopen along Independence Blvd. at Canterbury Road intersection

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Cape Fear Chorale will perform a concert in celebration of its 25th anniversary on Sunday, April 2, at 4 p.m. The 80-member chorale group will give the free performance at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium. The concert will be directed by Aaron Peisner and include works by...

Cape Fear Chorale to perform 25th anniversary concert

South Carolina State

Columbus County, NC

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office has charged a man with drug trafficking following a vehicle stop on March 20. “During this investigation, a vehicle stop was conducted on a Jeep Patriot driven by the suspect, Paul Lee Howell, at the Murphy USA gas station located at 102 Columbus Corners Drive in Whiteville. K-9 Gunny was deployed on the suspect’s vehicle,” states an announcement from the CCSO.

South Carolina man charged with drug trafficking in Columbus Co.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced at 7:08 a.m. on March 27 that a lane of U.S. 421 had closed near Battleship Road NE following a vehicle crash. The right, northbound lane that had been impacted is now reopen, according to an update from the...

Lane reopen along U.S. 421 near Battleship Road NE following crash

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - UNCW’s Watson College of Education will present four recipients with the Razor Walker Awards at a dinner at the Burney Center held in their honor on Tuesday, April 25. The college will recognize them for their services to North Carolina’s youth. The recipients of...

Watson College to hold dinner in honor of recipients of Razor Walker Awards at Burney Center

Surf City, NC

SURF CITY, N.C. (WECT) - District Attorney Ben David says the state is seeking the death penalty for a man charged in the fatal stabbing of a hemp store clerk in August of last year. Charles Michael Haywood, 22, appeared in court on Monday, March 27, and will be charged...

State seeking death penalty for man charged with fatal stabbing of hemp store clerk

Wrightsville Beach, NC

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - Town of Wrightsville Beach Public Safety personnel will participate in a multi-agency mass casualty exercise involving multiple surface vessels and people in the water in Masonboro Channel and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) in the vicinity of Masonboro Island on Thursday, March 30. The U.S....

Mass casualty exercise scheduled for Masonboro Island area

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - A man was arrested with 60 drug charges, and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office detectives seized 1,472 grams of meth in an investigation on Thursday, March 23. Kevin McClausley is being held under a $9.05 million secure bond at the county jail. “The...

Detectives seize over 1,400 grams of meth; man arrested with 60 charges

Burgaw, NC

BURGAW, N.C. (WECT) - The Town of Burgaw has announced that its “Easter Egg Scramble” will be held at Pender Memorial Park on Sunday, April 2. According to the announcement, the event was originally scheduled for March 26 but was postponed due to the threat of inclement weather.

Burgaw to host free ‘Easter Egg Scramble’ for families

Belville, NC

BELVILLE, N.C. (WECT) - Temporary closures are expected as crews from Norris Construction make surface repairs along N. Olde Towne Wynd and Kingsworth Lane in Belville this week. Per the Town of Belville, signs will be posted and someone will be at the entrance of the road to direct traffic.

Closures expected as crews repair streets in Belville

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Wednesday marks 50 years since the start of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from the Vietnam War. The day is also celebrated as National Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Day, which was created in 2017. Among the “Welcome Home” ceremonies taking place across the country Wednesday was...

Vietnam War Veterans honored during ceremony on Battleship North Carolina

Clarkton, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A Clarkton man pleaded guilty on Monday, March 27, to drug and heroin charges in New Hanover County Superior Court, according to District Attorney Ben David’s office. The judge sentenced 41-year-old Justin Steele to 70 to 93 months on charges of trafficking heroin by transportation...

Clarkton man sentenced to six to eight years on drug and heroin charges

Raleigh, NC

Riegelwood, NC

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Two men were arrested and over 80 grams of cocaine were seized in an investigation into community complaints in the Riegelwood area on Monday, March 27. The sheriff’s offices in Bladen and Columbus counties collaborated for the investigation over the past few months, and officials...

Over 80 grams of cocaine seized in local drug investigation

BURGAW, N.C. (WECT) - The Town of Burgaw has announced that an Earth Day community clean-up event will take place on Saturday, April 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. “As part of the 2023 NC Spring Litter Sweep campaign, the Town of Burgaw will be having a Community Clean Up Day on Earth Day this year, April 22nd from 9am-11am. Volunteers are needed to help pick up trash around town,” the town stated in a Facebook post.

Town of Burgaw to host clean-up community event for Earth Day

WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) - It’s not a traditional classroom subject, but a teacher in Whiteville has a lesson plan her students can benefit from for life. Dana Hemminger, a Pre-K through second-grade teacher at Williams Township School wants to teach her students how to take care of their teeth. She’s asking for dental items through DonorsChoose, an online charity that helps teachers get funding for school projects.

COMMUNITY CLASSROOM: Teacher wants toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss for her students

Columbus, NC

Tabor City, NC

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Office of District Attorney Jon David announced on March 27 that Lakeithy Keller, of Tabor City, has pled guilty to second-degree murder in a 2019 shooting case. According to the announcement, Keller received an active sentence of 189-239 months, approximately 15.75-20 years, for the...

Tabor City man sentenced to 16-20 years in 2019 murder case

Michigan State

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - On Tuesday, March 28, Live Oak Bank Pavilion announced a concert with Boygenius and Bartees Strange and the return of GRiZMAS in July. Boygenius will play a concert with Bartees Strange on Wednesday, June 14, and GRiZMAS in July will feature Smoakland, Black Carl! and Saka on July 28 and Mersiv, A Hundred Drums and Canabliss on July 29.

Boygenius, GRiZ to play concerts at Live Oak Bank Pavilion

Navassa, NC

Leland, NC

Castle Hayne, NC

Winnabow, NC

Northwest, NC

Rocky Point, NC

Boiling Spring Lakes, NC

Kure Beach, NC

Bolivia, NC

Hampstead, NC

Delco, NC

Currie, NC

Topsail Beach, NC

Southport, NC

Sandyfield, NC

Caswell Beach, NC

NewsBreak

Teen recovering after being hit by car outside Laney High School

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...

Teen recovering after being hit by car outside Laney High School

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