Michael Praats

Beach nourishment projects in New Hanover County could soon be even more complicated due to a new interpretation of a federal law known as the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA).

a controversial plan that has been getting a lot of attention will have its fate decided this week – the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization or WMPO, will vote on an unsolicited proposal to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge with a new toll bridge.

Dozen of residents packed into the Wilmington Convention Center on Friday morning to attend the final joint City Council and Planning Commission to discuss some major changes to the Land Development Code (LDC).

The Port City Podcast is a collaborative effort between WECT and WHQR. Every two weeks, WECT’s investigative reporter Michael Praats and WHQR’s News Director Ben Schachtman will break down the latest happenings in local politics.

On Tuesday night, Wilmington City Council members voted to approve a resolution that approved the purchase of a VIP table at the new Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park with four seats for a total of more than $14,000.

The COVID-19 pandemic had unexpected impacts on businesses across the region, from struggling restaurants to a surge in boat sales, but that surge has led to its own set of issues for boat owners.

Wilmington taxpayers already spent millions on paying for the newest venue in downtown – the Live Oak Bank Pavilion. Now, they could be on the hook paying thousands for box seats reserved mainly for City Council members.

It’s been nearly a week since allegations regarding New Hanover County Commission Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman were made public and on Tuesday, the first time the board has met since then, Boseman once again refused to comment.

After a nearly two-hour public hearing and discussion, the Southport Board of Aldermen became the latest governmental body to put new restrictions on short-term rentals.

The legal battle between a jet ski rental company and the Town of Wrightsville Beach continues after more than a year without incident.

When Gary Holyfield tragically lost his 16-year-old daughter in a car crash on I-140, he turned to Julia Olson-Boseman, licensed attorney and chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, to help settle a $30,000 insurance claim for her death.

If you’re planning on enjoying the Fourth of July weekend here in Wilmington and the surrounding beach towns, you aren’t alone! The City of Wilmington, along with AAA of the Carolinas say they are expecting plenty of travelers heading to the region – which means you can expect to wait in some traffic.

Masoboro Island is one of the last barrier islands in North Carolina to remain undeveloped but – every year thousands of visitors flock to beaches to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the surf for the Fourth of July.

From the fairways to the roadways, golf carts are becoming a more common sight on roads all around the Cape Fear Region.

Big changes are planned for a major intersection in Wilmington - it’s all part of the 2014 - voter-approved $44 million dollar transportation bond.

Details surrounding a death investigation in Leland are scarce but at least three agencies, the Leland Police Department, the ATF, and the SBI, are currently investigating.

A UNCW Professor is facing scrutiny after posting ‘Blow up Republicans’ on his Facebook page. The post was created on May 17, according to Campus Reform and screenshots have been published of the post, which has since been deleted.

Carolina Beach is no stranger to sunny day flooding, especially along Canal Drive. In fact, the floodwaters prompted the town to create the Canal Drive Flooding Committee to study the problem and look for solutions.

Politics and money – they are two topics that lots of people prefer to avoid talking about, especially in public. But for county commissioners, avoiding these conversations is not something they can do.

For years, the Town of Carolina Beach has brought in millions of dollars through Freeman Park – however – lengthy legal battles with private landowners as well as a battle against mother nature has cost the town.

A former detention officer and his father have countersued a family who accused them of orchestrating an armed “white mob” in an incident that gained national attention last year.

Getting hit by Hurricane Isaias was bad enough for boat owners moored at the Southport Marina, with more than 100 boats damaged and nowhere to store their vessels – but when boat owners got notices from the marina that they would be responsible for paying for damages to the docks – it was like salt on a wound according to one boat owner.

A woman says she captured a video of a firefighter with the Acme-Delco-Riegelwood Fire Rescue pointing a gun at her.

A retired Wilmington engineer is suing the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors for what he says were violations of his First Amendment rights.

For years, visitors to Wrightsville Beach have had few places they could park for free but visitors this year have found out that the land they once used free of charge is going to cost them.

County Commissioners approved the budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year on Monday for $457 million dollars

A federal judge has granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against media company Netflix, along with brothers, Josh and Jonas Pate -- the creators of the show Outer Banks -- which was filed by a North Carolina author who says the show infringed on the copyrights of his own book.

Carolina Beach’s boardwalk and marina areas are the town’s biggest draw for visitors and locals. But, providing security with additional police officers and maintaining things like lighting, bathrooms, and signage all cost money.

A bill that has passed the House and is now in the State Senate could have big implications for Wilmington’s short-term rental lawsuit. HB 829 looks to once again amend state law – this time – to remove any ambiguity about municipalities’ abilities to require registration of short-term rentals.

From groceries in your fridge, to your fridge itself – our economy depends on trucks to get goods from suppliers to distributors. Like any business -- the pandemic did a number on the trucking industry -- and things like the recent gas shortage didn’t help it get back to normal either.

Wave Transit has faced a number of challenges over the past few years. After a complete overhaul of the board and a new director, leaders are looking to get things back on track.

For years, the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County have talked a lot about affordable housing, and while some action has been taken, there is still more that can be done.

The summer heat is here in the Cape Fear region, and along with it, a dry spell that has fire officials nervous - nervous enough to implement a burn ban in 26 different counties in the state.

More than 15,000 rape test kits have gone untested in North Carolina due to an extensive backlog - but Attorney General Josh Stein is working to fix that.

The recent cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline has shown just how quickly things many people take for granted, like being able to drive to the gas station at any time and fuel up, can cause chaos.

Gasoline isn’t the only thing Southeastern North Carolina is running low on - rainfall has also been lacking. In fact, it’s the first time since late 2019 that the state has seen moderate drought or D1 conditions, according to North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) and the latest

n the State of North Carolina personnel records of public employees are closely guarded secrets, with extremely limited information available to the public - but a new bill in the Senate would make it much easier to look into employees, and possibly spot problems before they have a chance to get wor

The trial has been ongoing for more than three weeks now, and it is now time for the jury to decide whether or not Lee is guilty. Lee previously pleaded not guilty.

Taking a drink outside of a bar or restaurant’s property in North Carolina – for the most part – is not allowed. But a new bill that is making its way through the state House of Representatives right now could change that.

It started off as a regular spring night at the park – little league games taking place and people practicing their swings at the batting cages.

Gun violence in Wilmington and New Hanover County seems to be on the rise, and over the past several years, the fighting has continued to spread throughout the community.

When Autumn Blake got a text message from a number she did not know, she was skeptical but curious. She had been looking for jobs and thought the text was a legitimate offer, but as she moved forward with communications with the person on the other end of the line, she began to see some red flag

Former New Hanover County Schools teacher Michael Kelly is already serving time in prison for sex crimes committed against students, now, three more alleged victims have joined a pending lawsuit against the school board, and staff members.

Since 2009 the Tobacco Control Act has prohibited ‘characterizing flavors’ in cigarettes - except for menthol. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to ban the lone remaining flavored cigarette.

It’s one of Wilmington’s most well-known companies, and is behind the Real Vaccine ID Cards, now, CastleBranch has announced new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put an increased need on the relativity new services like Uber and Lyft, as well as the tried-and-true car services like taxis

As a judge deliberates on the release of body camera footage from the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr., the discussion surrounding North Carolina’s body camera law is once again called into question.

For years city and county leaders have discussed the importance of affordable housing and public transportation. Now, elected officials are beginning to come together and putting aside past differences to address the needs of the community - which don’t stop at jurisdictional lines.

It’s a development that spawned resistance from folks in the Ogden community that opposed the development of 12, three story buildings, along with some other, smaller buildings off Lendire Road.

The Town of Oak Island, like other coastal towns, has been struggling with beach nourishment funding. Recently, the town decided on an option to charge residents of the beach town to split the $40 million price tag - but on Thursday, town officials agreed to postpone assessing any fees, and explore