Next week, the Wilmington City Council will vote on a resolution dedicating $1 million toward acquiring land for future parks and recreation use. The city will also seek grant funding from The Endowment — as well as matching funds from the county, a request which caught some commissioners off guard.

The primary suspect for Southport's mass shooting made his first court appearance on Monday. But there's a long road ahead for state officials trying to secure justice for the victims. WHQR news director Ben Schachtman and Brunswick County reporter Nikolai Mather break down what to expect.

On Wednesday, October 8, WECT, WHQR, and Port City Daily will jointly host a forum for candidates for the Wilmington city council and mayoral races. The event will be held at WHQR's station and will be open to the public and livestreamed.

The North Carolina ACLU filed suit against New Hanover County Clerk of Court Jan Kennedy, claiming it was the only county in the state that had not responded to public records request the organization had made over the last two years.

Saturday night's shooting killed three and wounded five during a live concert at American Fish Company in Southport. Now, the City of Southport has released the identities of those killed.

The man accused of opening fire on American Fish Company this past Saturday identifies as many things: a Marine veteran, an outdoorsman, and a writer. WHQR news director Ben Schachtman and Brunswick County reporter Nikolai Mather break down the latest details on Nigel Edge.

Governor Stein traveled to Southport on Monday in the wake of a mass shooting that killed three and injured five. Stein told residents the state shares in their grief but also took the opportunity to advocate for reforms to the mental healthcare system and suggested the possibility of red flag laws.

Local law enforcement held a press conference Sunday following Saturday night's deadly shooting at American Fish Company. Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris said he was "familiar" with suspect Nigel Max Edge, who brought multiple civil suits against the department.

The shooting took place at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Police are still actively investigating. This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.

All this week, WHQR has been airing episodes of our series, “CAFO Country,” taking a look at concentrated animal feeding operations. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman sat down with environmental journalist David Boraks, who reported and produced the series, to recap the big takeaways.

After the storm flooded much of southern Brunswick, public officials were able to rebuild most of the infrastructure damaged in the storm. Now, the question is how to prepare for even stronger storms.

The growth of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, has changed the landscape of eastern North Carolina in recent decades. Big companies now depend on North Carolina farmers to supply the hogs, chickens, and turkeys that wind up on grocery store shelves. But what about the farmers?

A contentious ordinance banning public camping on Wilmington city property passed, with some new changes, after a four-to-three vote last night. Council members Salette Andrews, Clifford Barnett, and Kevin Spears voted against it.

Earlier this year, Barnhart challenged the book Blended in the district, leading to some tough questions about the intersecting roles of parent and elected official, as well as how to handle books in 'grey' areas of appropriateness.

Brunswick County Schools announced Tuesday night that Harry E. Lemon, Jr., who worked as an educator in Brunswick County for three decades, passed away.

In part three of our series, “CAFO Country,” reporter David Boraks tours the front lines where neighbors worry about air and water quality. And he hears from industry officials who argue that North Carolina has some of the strictest rules in the country.

In past years, getting a Covid vaccine has been a fairly simple procedure — even for people who wanted to get a flu shot at the same time. But conflicting guidance from federal agencies has left providers and the public confused, potentially restricting access to vaccination.

In 2007, North Carolina permanently banned new or expanded ‘lagoon and spray’ hog farms. Meanwhile, the poultry industry has exploded, prompting new concerns about poultry waste. David Boraks has more in the second instalment of our series CAFO Country.

On Monday morning, UNCW announced it would “temporarily discontinue use of campus spirit rocks and pause freedom of expression events,” citing tensions on campus and online threats last week. Officials did not give a timeline for when it would ‘unpause’ freedom of expression events.

A memorial to Charlie Kirk, painted on one of UNCW’s ‘Spirit Rocks,’ became a flashpoint for political tensions on campus, and then spun out into a social media frenzy, online threats, and a chaotic three-hour hunt for a phantom gunman. Plus, unpacking the latest news on The Endowment.

On Friday morning, UNCW Chancellor Dr. Aswani Volety released a video addressing the public about a three-hour search for an alleged gunman or gunmen on campus yesterday evening, which officials now say was a “false alarm.”

Dr. Pamela Robinson grew up in Columbus County and eventually became a leader in education in Colorado Springs.

The Pender County commission addressed the shooting of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk during Monday's meeting. Plus, Brunswick County considers another school bond, and how will proposed federal cuts to food stamps and Medicaid impact Columbus County?

The county's GDP is not heavily reliant on the most chaotic sectors: manufacturing and agriculture.

A memorial created as part of a vigil for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been a flashpoint for political tensions on UNCW’s campus this week, leading to online threats and heightened security. Chancellor Aswani Volety said he was "appalled" at a video of the memorial being repainted.

On today's show, a candid sitdown with outgoing Endowment board member Spence Broadhurst. We discuss the challenges and debates the board has faced. And we touch on some of the tension around the recent county commissioner vote, which effectively removed him from The Endowment board.

Communities In Schools of Cape Fear, a local nonprofit that serves students in New Hanover County, recently received a three-year, $900,000 Endowment grant to support ten schools with classroom materials, enrichment activities, and teacher appreciation events.

At this morning’s meeting, New Hanover County's Republican-majority Board of Commissioners effectively ousted a founding member of The Endowment’s board in an attempt to "switch things up." There were also allegations of behind-the-scenes pressure to shape the final vote.

Five candidates are competing for two seats on Leland Town Council. The winners will help determine the next four years of policy for one of the fastest-growing towns in Brunswick County.

On Tuesday, Sean Guerrero confirmed he had dropped out of the race due to "unforeseen circumstances."

All throughout the northside of downtown Wilmington, there are little markers of the past — a past filled with the sound of metal wheels clattering down the tracks. The Northside was once home to a sprawling railyard and passenger rail station — and it could be the home of passenger rail again.

WHQR arts reporter Demia Avery sat down with the multi-talented Ashley Barnes about her lifelong love of dance, the pressures and joys of "getting all the ducks in a row," and teaching dancers, old and young.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday that it is requiring the chemical manufacturer Chemours to expand eligibility for its well water testing program. Now, around 14,000 more households in southeastern North Carolina can request well testing for GenX and PFAS.

NC Child, a nonprofit child advocacy organization, compiled data showing that, in the Cape Fear region, the rates of uninsured children are decreasing and graduation rates are increasing; however, there remain gaps in children accessing mental health services and high-quality early childhood care.

Governor Josh Stein spoke today at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest labor organization in the state.

According to the Brunswick County Board of Elections, Richard Holloman dropped out of the race for Leland Town Council late last month.

Wilmington City Council passed an ordinance addressing homelessness on Tuesday with significant modifications. WHQR’s Kelly Kenoyer brought in Councilmember David Joyner to talk about the amended ordinance.

Terrifying. I don’t know any more than any of you, but I can see the rumors are running rampant. I hope Kirk recovers, I hope whoever was responsible is swiftly brought to justice, and I hope cooler heads prevail as everyone tries to figure out what happened.

Thailin Hall has served as City Hall since 1858, but after about a two-year transition, the City of Wilmington finally made its move to the new City Hall. The government property was unveiled Monday morning.

On Tuesday afternoon, several dozen protestors lined the street in downtown Wilmington and later spoke at the commissioners' meeting, asking elected officials to push Novant to improve conditions at NHRMC. The hospital's administrators say they take concerns seriously and have been making progress.

Earlier this week, the New Hanover County NAACP held a forum for Wilmington City Council candidates. News Director Ben Schachtman sat down with WHQR’s Aaleah McConnell, who attended the event, to hear how it went.

On September 3, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released results of last year’s test scores and improvement rates. For New Hanover County Schools, there was a one percentage point drop in overall achievement rates, with 60% of students being grade-level proficient.

This week’s column: Time for a long talk about our homelessness problems. We’ll get into the latest concerns downtown, the ‘anti-camping’ ordinance and what it would actually do, and the much bigger issue we’re (sort of) addressing.

Around the state and in New Hanover County, educators returned to school this week — and some were told to immediately take down or cover up their class libraries until all the books are categorized in an online database. The orders are based on a new state law.

This year’s budget ended a Covid-era policy of having dedicated nurses for each New Hanover County school. The last-minute rollout of a nurse-sharing plan, first reported by WHQR last week, sparked significant public outcry, leading to commissioners reversing course.

The annual analysis by Oxfam compares states on metrics like wages, workplace protections, and the right to organize a union.

Republican U.S. Rep. David Rouzer held a press conference at Coastal Beverage Company on Wednesday to discuss a bill to bring more funding to North Carolina's infrastructure. It could serve as a possible funding source for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

After alerting police officers to the attempted drugging of his two granddaughters, video footage revealed 66-year-old James Edwin Yokeley Jr., a Republican Board of Elections Chair in Surry County, was responsible himself and is now facing charges.

There are four Republicans running for two seats on the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen and another four Republicans running for three seats on the Wilmington City Council. This week’s endorsements narrow the GOP slates for those races.

Flooding in Whiteville has long been a problem for the city, and stronger storms are making it worse. Now that FEMA has canceled a crucial stormwater infrastructure grant, residents and city officials wonder what to do next.