Brandon Wissbaum
Assistant News Director
Wilmington, NC
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Brandon Wissbaum joined the WECT/Fox Wilmington team in July 2013 as a production assistant. Over the next couple months, he made the transition to digital content producer. In 2015, he became the station's assignment manager. Brandon was named assistant news director in July 2019.
Brandon was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, but has lived in Wilmington since enrolling at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2009. He graduated from UNCW with a B.A. in Communication Studies.
When not working, Brandon enjoys lifting weights in the gym and exploring the Wilmington area alongside his wife. He and his wife have a Siberian Husky named Melia and a Siamese cat named Felix.
You can contact Brandon via email at bwissbaum@wect.com, or connect with him on Twitter.
Education
Updated: Dec. 14, 2022 at 5:07 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Recently filed court documents have confirmed there is an ongoing federal investigation of Columbus County Sheriff-elect Jody Greene.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2022 at 4:31 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum and Michael Praats
The serious allegations made against Columbus County Sheriff-elect Jody Greene led WECT to take a comprehensive look at the reported pattern of intimidation and abuse of power that took place during his first term in office, as well as the cultural and financial impacts his actions have already had on the county and its people.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 at 5:15 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Just days ahead of a hearing to determine whether Jody Greene will remain Sheriff of Columbus County, a newly filed court document revealed numerous new allegations of intimidation and abuse of power by Greene.
Updated: Sep. 2, 2022 at 2:08 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The fatal stabbing of a Surf City hemp shop employee was captured on the store’s surveillance video, recently filed court documents reveal.
Updated: May. 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The N.C. Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of killing a woman and her unborn child in a Wilmington hotel nearly six years ago.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2022 at 1:59 PM EST
|By Ann McAdams and Brandon Wissbaum
The County never announced the theft, but WECT discovered court filings from February 22, 2022 that detail how the scheme unfolded.
Updated: Jan. 13, 2022 at 5:34 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
At least three shots can be heard in the background of a 911 call made the night of a deadly shooting in Boiling Spring Lakes.
Updated: Nov. 23, 2021 at 4:28 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The state Department of Public Safety has launched an internal investigation after a Tabor Correctional inmate died of a suspected overdose amid allegations of correctional officers smuggling drugs into the prison.
Updated: Jul. 15, 2020 at 4:52 PM EDT
|By Emily Featherston and Brandon Wissbaum
Google data shows how people reacted to the coronavirus pandemic.
Updated: May. 29, 2020 at 3:44 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A study has found it is feasible for the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) to incorporate the Cape Fear Museum into its regional museum system, but only if certain factors are met.
Updated: May. 7, 2020 at 11:44 AM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A student has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the UNC System and its Board of Governors to get back the tuition, fees and housing costs she feels should be refunded after the university closed campus and transitioned to online instruction ami
Updated: Apr. 2, 2020 at 2:36 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The federal government has awarded Wilmington-based pharmaceutical company PPD $750,000 to research two antimalarial drugs being touted as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2020 at 2:19 PM EDT
|By Ann McAdams, Brandon Wissbaum and Sunshine Week Partners
Making the warrant public acts as a check on the incredible authority of the state. It's a testament to the value we put on our right to unreasonable search.
Updated: Mar. 12, 2020 at 4:32 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Investigators are searching for a second suspect in connection to the killing of Wilmington man last week.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2020 at 2:14 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
After a turbulent start to 2020, the New Hanover County Board of Education last week hired Dr. Del Burns to take over the reins as interim superintendent, with the hope the longtime educator can help right the ship.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2020 at 2:07 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Despite a thrilling second half resulting in Kansas City’s first Super Bowl win in 50 years, it’s safe to say one of the most talked about aspects of the big game was the halftime performance featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Updated: Feb. 14, 2020 at 2:43 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
In a brief impromptu discussion at the end of the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) special meeting Friday morning, Board Chair Eric Davis addressed the “situation” in New Hanover County Schools (NHCS), saying the board is offering its support.
Updated: Jan. 28, 2020 at 2:46 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum and Emily Featherston
The former two top officers of the union representing thousands of workers at Smithfield Foods siphoned off hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds for personal use.
Updated: Jan. 14, 2020 at 12:15 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
In an investigative audit of James Sprunt Community College’s incubator kitchen, the N.C. State Auditor’s Office found the college lost nearly $100,000 in revenue over a three-year period due to poor oversight of the program’s operations.
Updated: Jan. 6, 2020 at 8:52 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
With a new town council in place, the town of Sunset Beach discussed an issue that has plagued the Brunswick County beach town for years: whether cabanas should be allowed on the beach for the upcoming season.
Updated: Nov. 25, 2019 at 11:36 AM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Two teenagers accused in the killing of a 32-year-old man last month confessed to the murder during interviews with law enforcement officers, despite initially denying any involvement, court documents reveal.
Updated: Nov. 13, 2019 at 12:07 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A proposal to redevelop land once used as recreational space for the Creekwood North community into an affordable housing complex is facing opposition from city staff and the Wilmington Police Department.
Updated: Nov. 6, 2019 at 12:39 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A state appeals court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for a man convicted in a 2015 shooting in Elizabethtown.
Updated: Nov. 5, 2019 at 1:09 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington earlier this year reached a settlement with former longtime women’s soccer coach Paul Cairney, whose at-will employment was discontinued last year after a two-decades-old allegation of sexual assault sparked a Title IX inquiry and criminal investigation
Updated: Oct. 28, 2019 at 4:33 PM EDT
|By Ashlea Kosikowski and Brandon Wissbaum
The Wilmington Police Department is conducting an internal investigation into the actions of one of the department’s lieutenants following a 911 call that reveals he left his 8-year-old child naked and alone in a car while he was inside Ogden Tap Room.
Updated: Oct. 9, 2019 at 11:55 AM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A recently published study shows the total concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the Cape Fear River before 2017 was nearly 1,000 times more than the state’s recommended “health goal” level for GenX.
Updated: Sep. 23, 2019 at 5:11 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The internal watchdog for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be evaluating the federal agency’s implementation of its consent order allowing DuPont, and later Chemours, to make GenX.
Updated: Sep. 19, 2019 at 10:36 AM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The N.C. State Board of Elections is investigating two cases of alleged double voting in Bladen County during the recent special election in the 9th Congressional District.
Updated: Sep. 5, 2019 at 12:09 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Officers with the Wrightsville Beach Police Department criminally charged several individuals Wednesday night for not complying with the town’s mandatory evacuation order.
Updated: Aug. 13, 2019 at 2:21 PM EDT
|By Ashlea Kosikowski and Brandon Wissbaum
Last fiscal year 19,000 new beer and wine products were approved for sale by the NC ABC Commission but some fall flat. We explore the products that don't make it to store shelves and the reasons why.
Updated: Jul. 29, 2019 at 1:43 PM EDT
|By Ann McAdams and Brandon Wissbaum
A WECT review of all daycares in our five county viewing area uncovered 23 facilities had administrative actions taken against them by the state in the past three years.
Updated: Jul. 19, 2019 at 4:37 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
Approximately 100 acres of property north of Burgaw will now be transferred to Pender County and used to build a new jail.
New Hanover Board of Education flipped its stance on independent investigation. How did we get here?
Updated: Jul. 11, 2019 at 4:14 PM EDT
|By Alex Guarino and Brandon Wissbaum
The New Hanover County Board of Education has reversed its decision not to conduct any internal/independent investigations to look into allegations the school district knew about suspected sex crimes against students.
Updated: Jul. 1, 2019 at 2:46 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
New Hanover County Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rick Holliday on Monday announced his retirement after 37 years with the district.
Updated: Jun. 21, 2019 at 3:47 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum and Emily Featherston
Property management shuttered the property after Hurricane Florence severely damaged many of the complex’s 204 Section 8-subsidized rental units, displacing more than 700 residents.
Updated: Jun. 13, 2019 at 12:16 PM EDT
|By Clint Bullock and Brandon Wissbaum
At its meeting Thursday morning, the Columbus County Board of Elections certified the results of the sheriff’s race and issued Jody Greene his certificate of election.
Updated: Jun. 12, 2019 at 12:07 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
More than seven months after the November general election, a Wake County judge has denied a motion to delay certification of the disputed sheriff’s race in Columbus County, meaning the local Board of Elections can certify Jody Greene’s election as sheriff of the county.
Updated: Jun. 6, 2019 at 4:59 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
For more than two years, residents of the Windsor Park community have pushed for a guardrail along the I-140 bypass, a portion of which lies adjacent to the Leland neighborhood.
Updated: Jun. 4, 2019 at 2:17 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A Wilmington man charged in the killing of his girlfriend claimed in an interview with police the victim pulled a gun on him, according to court filings in the case.
Updated: May. 28, 2019 at 3:56 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A state prison administrator racked up at least 2,800 unaccounted miles during a three-year period, paving the way for potential misuse, a report released by North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood on Tuesday found.
Updated: Apr. 29, 2019 at 11:08 AM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
One of two medical facilities that sued over The Healing Place, a controversial planned treatment center on Medical Center Drive, has dismissed all its claims against the City of Wilmington, City Council, New Hanover County, IS Design and Trillium Health Resources.
Updated: Apr. 15, 2019 at 9:12 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A superior court judge has granted the North Carolina State Bar’s request for a preliminary injunction against embattled attorney R.C. Soles, after allegations that he has mishandled entrusted funds.
Updated: Mar. 26, 2019 at 4:46 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The developer of a proposed $12-million affordable housing project in Carolina Shores has formally withdrawn its application.
Updated: Mar. 26, 2019 at 2:44 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The man accused of killing his wife deleted searches for escort services just days before he allegedly dumped her body in a shallow grave nearly 100 miles away from their Holden Beach home, search warrants obtained on Tuesday reveal.
Updated: Mar. 14, 2019 at 4:38 PM EDT
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The North Carolina Department of Justice is reviewing a fatal trooper-involved shooting that occurred earlier this year due to a conflict of interest in the Brunswick County District Attorney’s Office, a spokesperson for the state agency has confirmed.
Updated: Mar. 1, 2019 at 2:53 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum and Emily Featherston
The criminal and civil matters have stretched on for years, and the disagreement between a Dublin town commissioner and the Bladen County Sheriff came up during the state's election fraud investigation. But now, at least one chapter is closed.
Updated: Feb. 6, 2019 at 1:56 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
A state court of appeals has ordered a registered sex offender’s conviction on child sex crimes be tossed due to a clerical error made in the nearly 15-year-old case.
Updated: Feb. 5, 2019 at 3:40 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The fate of Lewis Hatcher’s lawsuit seeking his reinstatement as sheriff of Columbus County will now be decided by a judge instead of a jury.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2019 at 10:33 PM EST
|By Brandon Wissbaum
The New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing three and a half years’ worth of drug-related cases after the firing of a forensic chemist with the Wilmington Police Department for “untruthfulness.”
Updated: Jan. 31, 2019 at 5:56 AM EST
|By Ben Smart and Brandon Wissbaum
Malec Brothers Transport has withdrawn its request for a state permit to use methyl bromide, a hazardous air pollutant, to fumigate logs on a site near the Columbus and Bladen County line, a company official confirmed on Wednesday.
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