Michael Praats

Senate Bill 354 hopes to raise transportation revenue for the state. As more electric and hybrid vehicles hit the roads, fuel tax revenues are dropping and some say EV owners aren’t paying their fair share.

The bill passed in the Senate will now be sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence, if that happens it will be sent to Governor Roy Cooper for final approval.

The widow of WBTV’s Meteorologist Jason Myers has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Mecklenburg County Superior Court. The suit alleges negligence by several companies involved in the fatal helicopter crash that took the lives of Myers and Sky3 Pilot Chip Tayag in November of 2022.

Improving teacher longevity, master’s degree pay, and reciprocity for out-of-state teacher licenses are all topics of bills in the NC Senate.

Since 2010 states have had the option to expand the eligibility requirements for Medicaid recipients, North Carolina is one of 11 states that still haven’t.

If you need an attorney you’d probably like to know whether they’re under investigation for wrongdoing, ethics violations, or even criminal behavior. In North Carolina, that’s not possible due to state law preventing the North Carolina State Bar from making any grievance public, sometimes, for years.

The housing market in Wilmington continues to favor sellers due to a housing stock shortage in the area and a high demand from buyers — but as the seller’s market continues it’s also becoming a scammer’s market.

A Second Amendment bill in the North Carolina State Senate has progressed through the chamber and is now headed to the State House of Representatives.

A federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of environmental groups against the EPA went to court on Tuesday morning, now its up to a judge to decide whether or not the EPAs testing of PFAS chemicals goes far enough.

Basketball games can get heated, but a high school basketball game last week moved past the normal cheering and jeering after racial slurs were reportedly yelled at players from North Brunswick High School.

Can breathing in small particles of fentanyl really kill you? What about touching it? Body camera footage from police departments shows incidents like that happening but experts say the reality is—it’s not plausible.

State lawmakers have their sights set on a law that’s been on the books in North Carolina since 1919 that requires a local sheriff’s permission and permit before a North Carolinian can legally buy a handgun.

It’s been almost ten years since the city of Wilmington voters approved a $44 million transportation bond, and about seven since they approved a $36 million parks bond. But progress is slow, and costs are starting to add up.

Nearly 75% of the country allows the use of medical marijuana and North Carolina could be next after lawmakers in Raleigh introduced the Compassionate Care Act --- that would legalize medicinal use of marijuana.

From the beaches of Southeastern North Carolina to the mountains in the west, the Old North State has plenty to offer — and it’s no longer a well kept secret. North Carolina took second place last year in terms of states retirees are moving to, second only to Florida.

The City of Wilmington has spent millions of dollars in the past year acquiring property around town, now, City Council has its sights set on the tallest building in the skyline.

Who gets to pick the music? It’s a question that has caused plenty of arguments from house parties to road trips—but what about who picks the music that comes to Wilmington’s music venues?

Sonya Patrick, director for the Southeast Region of the National Black Leadership Caucus, says seeing this sort of hate so boldly painted in a place where hundreds of families call home is appalling.

District Attorney Jon David is facing animosity from members of his own party in Columbus County and according to the Columbus County GOP they are considering a petition to remove David from office — what basis they would have to remove him is yet to be seen.

A recent court decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the federal ban on bump stocks — a policy change implemented by the Department of Justice — not Congress.

A 200-bed long-term treatment facility, The Healing Place, is almost ready to open its doors to people in southeastern North Carolina struggling with substance abuse, and county commissioners approved a lease agreement with the operator of the facility on Monday.

Former Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene resigned on Wednesday morning at a hearing to remove him from office brought by District Attorney Jon David.

When Neal Schulman, a New Hanover County resident, got up to address the Board of Commissioners in October of 2022 it was clear he wasn’t happy with something the board had done — but before he was ever able to get to his point he was ejected from the meeting.

Wilmington’s flagship attraction, the downtown Riverwalk, could see new growth making it even longer than it currently is and offering new accessibility to the waterfront.

New Hanover County’s Register of Deeds Tammy Piver is retiring, and that means a new Registrar will need to be appointed by county commissioners, but there’s a caveat: under state law, it’s up to the local political party of the departing Registrar to give a recommendation to the county board.

Columbus County Sheriff-Elect Jody Greene could be one step closer to taking office nearly two months after voters reelected him in November. Greene’s eligibility to serve as sheriff has been challenged by two voters in Columbus County however the Columbus County Board of Elections, the State Board of Elections, and now a judge in Wake County dismissed the challenges.

Cold weather can be a challenge for everyone, from higher costs to heat homes to spending less time outdoors. For many it’s a just a nuisance, but for those who don’t have a place to call home, cold weather poses even bigger challenges.

Cold weather combined with high winds heading into the Christmas weekend led to problems for customers of Duke Energy with thousands being left in the dark during some of the coldest days of the year.

As the holidays approach charities often make one final push to raise money before the end of the year, but with the influx of donations scammers are also looking to take advantage of people’s generosity.

It’s a Christmas present you’ve probably been asking for all year — lower prices at the gas pumps and according to data, gas price averages in Wilmington could drop below three dollars a gallon just in time for the holidays.

The past year has seen some big decisions both nationally and across the state with issues like abortion rights, access to healthcare, and more continuing to draw attention and some criticism from all sides. Governor Roy Cooper spoke with WECT to give us his thoughts on some of these issues as well as his plans looking ahead to 2023.

The opioid epidemic has taken its toll on Wilmington and the country as a whole which is why manufacturers of drugs like OxyContin have faced lawsuits and shelled out billions of dollars in settlements. The City of Wilmington along with New Hanover County have partnered to find the best ways to utilize these funds and hopefully have a positive impact on fighting the ongoing crisis.

On this episode, we welcome the new (and returning) faces as New Hanover County commissioners and school board members are sworn in – and take a lot at some of the power dynamics that played out as they elected chairs and vice-chairs.

Cheryl Bosewell moved to Lake Waccamaw over the past summer and one of the first home improvement projects she needed to undertake was the painting of her home, both inside and out. So asked around and was recommended a painter who she eventually hired for nearly $20,000 — but she said she wasn’t happy with the quality of work she received.

Having a pet escape can be scary, not knowing if they’ll come back home or worrying that they might be hit by a car, but most people don’t ever think that their pets might be shot and killed.

New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington are a step closer to funding new programs to help fight the ongoing opioid epidemic thanks to a partnership that will utilize money from opioid settlement lawsuits.

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.

With several ongoing investigations by several state attorneys general, customer complaints of faulty equipment costing them hundreds of dollars each month, and a pending bankruptcy by Pink Energy, a North Carolina-based solar company, Attorney General Josh Stein is asking lenders to now help customers out while these problems get resolved.

After facing demands for tens of thousands of dollars, more than 100 boat owners in Southport have settled a lawsuit with the Southport Marina --- coming as a relief those who rented slips at the docks.

Chris Mangum runs a successful jet ski rental business and has for nearly 25 years. His customers meet him at the Wrightsville Beach boat launch ramp located under the bridge heading onto the island --- there’s just one problem --- for the last eight years Mangum has faced pushback from the town and even lawsuits.

On this episode, we sit down with Andre Brown, chair of the New Hanover Democratic Party. We’ll talk about the tough, but relatively close, loss of all four school board spots in this year’s election — and what that means for the coming years. Plus, what’s next for the party as many are already gearing up for the 2023 municipal elections.

Jody Greene, former sheriff and now sheriff-elect of Columbus County, asked the county to pay him $170,000. Then, just before the county commissioners met Monday, he pulled back on that request.

Election day results are now official across southeastern North Carolina now that county boards of elections conducted canvasses on Friday morning. The canvass is the date set by the state where local boards must confirm the results and ensure their accuracy.

It’s been more than two years since Dr. Henry Patel went into a Wilmington dentist’s office for a routine procedure that ended up claiming his life. During that time, his wife, Shital Patel, has been fighting for changes to the rules related to anesthesia procedures by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.

Local leaders and the American Flood Coalition announced that the state is investing $15 million to help improve transportation resiliency.

The developers hoping to rezone the site containing the Carolinian Inn for apartments and townhomes have now pulled their request.

Business owners in the Holiday Village shopping center in Ogden are facing new challenges after an access road connecting Market Street to Lendire Road was blocked off by neighboring property owners. The road in question isn’t part of any official roadway map. Instead, it’s part of the private property according to New Hanover County records.

It’s been more than two years since several recordings of three former Wilmington Police Department officers revealed racism within the police department’s rank and file.

Incumbents lead against challengers in N.C. House District races across southeastern North Carolina.

Conversations surrounding election integrity in the past several years have led to concerns of voter intimidation and harassment of poll workers but data provided by the North Carolina State Board of Elections shows these instances are few and far between.