Ben Smart
Reporter
Wilmington, NC
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Ben Smart joined WECT as a multimedia journalist in August 2017. He’s excited to join the Wilmington community and cover news stories that are important to you.
Before working full-time as a journalist, Ben completed a year of medical school at Wake Forest University, School of Medicine. There, he was actively involved in the student-run and physician-staffed clinic, “DEAC,” which provides free medical care to the local, underserved community.
Ben’s interdisciplinary background helps inform his reporting. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in Public Health Nutrition from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed academic minors in Broadcast and Electronic Journalism and Spanish for the Medical Professions. During college, he also studied Spanish at the University of Costa Rica in San José. Ben also graduated as a Stembler Scholar and Honors Carolina Laureate.
In 2013, Ben joined Carolina Week, the student-run TV newscast at UNC Chapel Hill. There he worked as a reporter, producer, and anchor. His reporting work was recognized by the Association of Health Care Journalists with a 2015 Academic Health Journalism Fellowship. He also placed as a finalist in the 2016 Hearst Journalism Awards National Championship and received the award for “Best Use of Television for News Coverage.” Ben’s reporting has also earned awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and The Broadcast Education Association.
Ben completed internships with CBS News, CNN, KPRC, The Fountain Hills Times, and the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. He grew up in Oklahoma and Texas, and he is a proud graduate of the Academy of Science and Technology at The Woodlands College Park High School.
If you have any story ideas, contact Ben Smart at bsmart@wect.com. You can also connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
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A bill that would create harsher punishments for a person who distributes drugs that result in the user’s death has passed in the state House and will go to the Senate next.
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William Wright of Shipman & Wright, LLP, an attorney representing the business owner, said Shooter’s Choice closed down because of “staffing issues” and delays during business sale.
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One of Wrightsville Beach's most productive water wells has been shut down since January because of chemical contamination.
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More than 11 separate wildfires are all contained Sunday, according to Mike Malcom, the district ranger for district eight of the North Carolina Forest Service. The fires burned on Saturday across Southeastern North Carolina, according to Malcom.
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The region’s largest marathon event is rebranding in 2020 with a new name and a new course that includes downtown Wilmington.
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The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest for assault that took place in the 5100 block of Carolina Beach Rd. late Friday night.
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Spring is the season for graduations, and one tech company in Wilmington celebrated a major milestone on Friday.
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Porters Neck Country Club is taking legal action against its insurance company, claiming it owes the club more than $5 million to cover property damage from Hurricane Florence.
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The G.V. Barbee Sr. Bridge is scheduled to reopen on April 15, according to updates Thursday from the Town of Oak Island and N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
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ATF has no plans to destroy the bump stocks they collect, and they will maintain possession in the local offices for the time being, said Ray.
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Students in Pender County Schools are taking a health survey about risky behaviors, and at least one family is upset with how school staff handled survey responses indicating a student might need help.
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Stickers are distributed every two years, and allow residents to access trash and recycle convenience sites. Decals allow either trash and recycle, or recycle only, depending on which tax fee Pender County homeowners opt for.
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The room turned emotional as the mother, Tori Bronner, described the pain she and her family felt.
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On Thursday, activists held a press conference demanding law enforcement action, and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office released a statement stating that the investigation into the homicide is “still a very active one.”
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Atkinson resident Wayne Corbett, 59, disputes accusations that he ran away from and assaulted officers. He contradicts parts of the narrative provided by the Pender County Sheriff’s Office and claims the charges against him are to cover up officers injuring him.
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Council heard updates on happenings in the city and voted on several proposals including opening up the old WAVE Transit facility property to bidders, and allocating money for a new police truck and fire department generator.
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Capt. J. Dixon with the Holden Beach Police Department said in an email Tuesday afternoon that the investigation into Judy Brock’s disappearance is ongoing.
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The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating after a man accused officers of assaulting him during an arrest, according to a news release from the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.
Brock was last seen in Holden Beach, NC at her house on Greensboro Street. Her direction of travel is unknown.
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An unknown offender broke the library’s door lock and money drawer lock, according to the incident report.
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One of the victims was cut on the hand during the confrontation at the Golden Corral, the news release said.
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The walkouts total more than $1,000 so far this year. Most of the thefts are occurring at the deli location in the Hanover Center, which has a network of 16 surveillance cameras recording around the clock.
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In an internal note sent late February, New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) advised its roughly 7,000 employees that some CBD products could contain enough tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical making users feel "high" in marijuana, to trigger a positive result in the required drug testin
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Wilmington-based college admissions company reacts to federal indictment of wealthy parents cheating
In southeastern North Carolina, the founder of the Prep U4 Success, a college admissions preparedness company not connected to Tuesday's indictment, is voicing his frustration and advising families to be cautious before opening their wallets.
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By the end of March, NCDOT will officially contact landowners about the need to purchase their property, according to Lauren Haviland, NCDOT communications officer.
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In the Underground Railroad board game, called "Escaping Slavery," teachers gave students a "Freedom Punch Card." The card states, "If your group runs into trouble four times, you will be severely punished and sent back to the plantation to work as a slave."
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A proposal to build a high-intensity mining operation in the 4100 block of Castle Hayne Road was unanimously approved despite drawing opposition from neighbors in the area.
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The owner of a beloved meat shop is apologizing after it unexpectedly shut down, leaving customers clamoring for an explanation and wondering where their money and meat has gone.
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The town asks the public to give crews space to work as they move equipment through the parking lot at the Point, according to Facebook post from the Town of Oak Island.
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Days after selecting the company NC Parking to run Oak Island’s paid parking program for the town’s 1,100 spots, the board rescinded the offer after illegal drug charges came to light by one of the company leaders.
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The Bladen County Sheriff's Office is searching for people accused of stealing two security cameras and solar panels from a blueberry farm on Highway NC 210 on Wednesday.
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When Downtown Taskforce officers arrived at 1 a.m. Sunday at the Ibiza Nightclub in downtown Wilmington, Anstett pulled out a Coastal Carolina Public Safety badge.
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Beginning Monday, March 4th, crews will begin several weeks of construction on South Shore Drive.
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Thursday morning, parishioners at The Bridge Church on Market Street discovered vulgar and racist words and pictures spray-painted on the back of the building.
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On Thursday, Pender County Schools said it us using safe search technology to block websites, videos, or references so that students will not be able to see any content related to the currently fake Momo Challenge.
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This four-degree difference applies to restaurants, cafés, school cafeterias, grocery stores, gas stations, caterers, hotels, and any other type of food service facility requiring health department inspection.
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The updated agreement will now require Chemours to report monthly GenX air emissions, analyze PFAS buildup in river sediment, and provide filtration systems in certain public buildings for drinking water fountains and maintain them for 20 years.
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Carolina Beach Road is now back open after an accident caused a car to flip on its side, shutting down lanes for more than an hour Saturday night.
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Crews are working to pull a car from the Cape Fear River after two fisherman spotted tire tracks leading into the water.
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Brunswick County Schools is considering replacing the worn-down, overused natural grass in its three high school stadiums with artificial turf.
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One wielded a kitchen knife, while the other used a pocket knife as a weapon.
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A boil water advisory has been lifted after a water main break on Independence Boulevard and River Road.
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Flechtner said regulation will help hold companies like Chemours accountable for discharging chemicals in the environment.
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So far this flu season, which runs Oct. through May, 35 people have been confirmed dead from the flu virus in North Carolina, with 26 of those who died more than 65 years old.
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Authorities are looking for people who victims say threw “unknown objects” at their cars while driving down the highway, according to Columbus County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Michele Tatum.
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A culvert is an open drain pipe under a road or railroad where water can pass through. A culvert can be blocked by an obstruction like a beaver dam, sedimentation, or trash, but it might also have breakages or damage to the pipe itself.
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Lifepoint Church in Wilmington hosted a Night to Shine on Friday celebrating people of all abilities.
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This week, N.C. representatives filed a bill that extends the statute of limitations so a child sexual abuse victim has until age 45 to take civil action against the perpetrator, and child sexual abuse advocates are voicing support.
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Earlier this week the board shifted away from turning the school into performing arts high school, instead considering a type of vocational school.
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The Hemp Farmacy and Grow NC are two stores in Wilmington that are working to figure out which CBD products might be in violation of state and FDA law.
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