Brunswick County, NC

Burgaw, NC

Ocean Isle Beach, NC

BURGAW, N.C. (WECT) - Burgaw and Ocean Isle Beach are two of 15 communities receiving part of a $1.1 million grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management to assist coastal communities with technical assistance in risk assessment and resilience planning work. The money...

NCDEQ awarding grant funds to Burgaw and Ocean Isle Beach for technical assistance

Wilmington, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - As more people start to head down to the beaches during the first weekend of spring, local business owners are preparing for busy days well ahead of tourist season. Wilmington has already broken record highs for temperatures around this time, with Saturday’s highest at 83, set...

More people visiting NC beach towns amid record warm weather

NC Gov. Roy Cooper visits Wilmington school, calls for teacher pay raises. Schools in the state have around 5,000 open positions for teachers, and Gov. Roy Cooper says the state needs to make a larger investment in education. According to a post from the Calabash Fire Department, the fire was...

Aquarium at Fort Fisher announces otter pups’ new names

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Each year, the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons on average receives more than 10,000 missing person reports. To assist families, a volunteer group located in Wilmington offers services nationwide to help those that are searching for loved ones. The Community United Effort (CUE) Center for...

17th annual missing persons conference taking place this weekend

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department announced on March 23 that they are currently looking for 14-year-old Gabrielle Vain. According to the WPD, Vain was last seen on March 23 at around 7:15 p.m. on Braxton Ct. It is believed that she may be traveling by foot. Vain...

Wilmington police searching for missing juvenile

Columbus County, NC

Riegelwood, NC

RIEGELWOOD, N.C. (WECT) - Columbus County has issued a boil water advisory as of Wednesday, March 22, primarily in the Riegelwood Sanitary District. Customers are warned they may experience water quality issues due to a water main break that occurred on Monday, March 20, and water used for consumption should be boiled until further notice.

Columbus Co. issues boil water advisory following water main break in Riegelwood

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - New Hanover Co. sheriffs are searching for Ruby Faye Reaves, 16, who was last seen at 209 Cheyenne Trail on March 23. She has long brown hair with red highlights and blue eyes. She is five feet and two inches tall and has a thin build. She has a henna tattoo on her wrist that says ‘OK’.

New Hanover Co. Sheriff’s Office searching for missing teen

Bladen County, NC

Dublin, NC

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - On Thursday, March 23, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office announced that someone broke into a store and stole items overnight. “This morning at approximately 1:45 a.m. Bladen County 911 Center received an alert notification from 41 Grocery & Grill right outside of Dublin. Deputies arrived and quickly determined a Breaking and Entering along with Larceny had occurred. No suspects were on scene when deputies arrived,” states a release from the BCSO.

Sheriff’s office investigating overnight theft at Bladen Co. store

Whiteville, NC

COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office has released details concerning four arrests that stemmed from an investigation in the Whiteville area. According to the announcement, the CCSO and Whiteville Police Department completed multiple controlled purchases at 419 Britton St. A search warrant was subsequently executed at this residence and, with assistance from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, investigators found and seized:

Four arrested in Whiteville investigation related to drug, firearm possession

Raleigh, NC

Castle Hayne, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of beating a dog to death in Castle Hayne on Saturday, March 18. “On March 18, 2023, Sheriff’s Office Patrol units responded to 4409 Huntsman Ct. to a report of someone assaulting a dog in their backyard. Patrol units arrived and found the dog deceased. The dog had been beaten to death by an unknown suspect. Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Unit arrived and collected the dog’s body for a necropsy in Raleigh,” states a release from the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff’s office accuses man of beating dog to death in Castle Hayne

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A two-car crash was reported at 2:12 p.m. near the intersection of Carolina Beach Road and Wellington Avenue on Thursday, March 23. According to the Wilmington Police Department, EMS, fire and police responded to the crash. The southbound lanes of Carolina Beach Road are blocked, and the cars received moderate to heavy damage.

Two cars crash near Carolina Beach Rd. and Wellington Ave.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Cape Fear Craft Beer Week is officially underway, with 18 local breweries entering Ultimate Brewing Championship at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center on Friday night. Each competing brewer created their own custom beverage with unique ingredients in a wrestling-themed competition, with bragging rights on the...

18 local breweries compete in Cape Fear Craft Bear Week’s Ultimate Brewing Championship

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The City of Wilmington has announced that the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees will host a giveaway event on Saturday, April 1, at the Texas Roadhouse in Wilmington. According to the announcement, 800 three-to-five-gallon container trees are available to the public. Each attendee can receive two...

Alliance for Cape Fear Trees to distribute 800 free trees at event

Indiana State

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Something old, something new... no this isn’t a post about marriage, though wedding season is quickly approaching for Southeastern North Carolina. Instead, I’ve combined two short reviews into one, with one of Wilmington’s oldest restaurants and one of its newest. We will start with a fan favorite of the Port City, then move onto a new spot boasting what might be one of my favorite sandwiches in town.

Cape Fear Foodie: Something Old, Something New

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - During a visit to Winter Park Elementary School in Wilmington Thursday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper pushed for higher investment in education and pay raises for teachers as part of his proposed budget for next year. North Carolina schools have around 5,000 open positions for teachers....

Gov. Cooper pushes for education investment, teacher pay raises during Wilmington visit

Shallotte, NC

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. plans to expand its program to offer up to 24 months of assistance for clients and double its bed count as it purchases a new facility in Shallotte. “This reentry program is really going to be one of a kind,” said...

Addiction treatment center to expand services, double bed count with purchase of new facility

Bolton, NC

BOLTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Education Lottery announced on March 24 that Steven Brown, of Bolton, won a $135,000 prize by playing Carolina Keno. According to the announcement, the prize is the largest won by a single player in the game’s history. The only larger win occurred in 2021 when two people split a $150,000 prize.

Columbus Co. man wins largest individual prize in Carolina Keno history

According to a post from the Calabash Fire Department, the fire was located at the 200 block of Thomasboro Road and caused extensive damage to the excavator. NC General Assembly passes Medicaid expansion bill; governor expected to sign. Updated: 6 hours ago. |. With approval in the NC Senate and...

NC Gov. Roy Cooper visits Wilmington school, calls for teacher pay raises

Calabash, NC

CALABASH, N.C. (WECT) - Calabash firefighters fought a large excavator fire on Thursday, March 23 at around 1 p.m. According to a post from the Calabash Fire Department, the fire was located at the 200 block of Thomasboro Road and caused extensive damage to the excavator. A CFD representative says...

Calabash firefighters respond to large excavator fire

North Carolina State

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - NC MedAssist has announced that a free mobile pharmacy event will take place on Saturday, March 25, at Wilmington Health. The event, sponsored by Humana and Wilmington Health, will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2421 Silver Stream Lane. “This free medicine giveaway is...

Free OTC medication event to take place this weekend in Wilmington

ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Broderick Jones has been sentenced to 18 to 23 years in connection to a crash that killed two Wilmington teens in Feb. 2017. According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, he was convicted on Jan. 24 of two counts of death by vehicle; he had previously been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Each offense carries a minimum term of eight years and nine months and a max term of 11 years and six months. They are set to be served consecutively, according to the DPS website.

Man sentenced to 18 to 23 years for crash that killed two Wilmington teens

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Warmer breezes steer your First Alert Forecast for the rest of the work week. Expect temperatures to ride the southwesterlies to afternoon highs in the 70s for the beaches of the Cape Fear Region and 80s for most of the mainland. Please continue to take great care with flame amid the toasty winds.

First Alert Forecast: near record highs in many spots as we wrap up the week

Leland, NC

LELAND, N.C. (WECT) - Classical Charter Schools of Leland has eased enforcement of the school’s grooming policy. The announcement comes days after WECT reported a first-grader was told to cut his long hair. School administrators told Ashley Lomboy that her son Logan’s hair needed to be in line with...

Charter School relaxes grooming policy for current school year after child told to cut hair

NewsBreak

Search for missing boater continues off of Brunswick County coast; officials release name

Boiling Spring Lakes to consider banning food trucks at dam restoration project site. The ordinance would ban food trucks from setting up at the dam restoration...

Search for missing boater continues off of Brunswick County coast; officials release name

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