“They would wear ski masks, they would cut phone lines, they would kick in the front door and then they would find the people in the house who knew where things of value were hidden. Drugs, jewelry, guns, and obviously money,” District Attorney Ben David recalled. “And they would literally threaten the lives of the people inside those houses.... torture was frequently involved.”
Three children were entrapped in this way during the summer of 2021, including a seven-year-old boy who died while using the elevator in an Outer Banks vacation rental home. In other incidents, children have suffered multiple skull fractures, fractured vertebrae, traumatic asphyxia and other horrific and lifelong injuries.
Across the nation golf courses have been losing money and shutting their doors, leaving those who bought into the idea of an idyllic retirement on the fairway with a nightmare situation on their hands.
A judge sentenced Peter Drutchal to 30 years in prison Wednesday, after Drutchal pled guilty to sex crimes he committed against Wilmington children. He also pleaded guilty to the aggravating factor of taking advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offenses. The crimes happened over a span of several years in the 1970s and 1980s, but the now-adult victims only recently came forward.
The Village of Bald Head Island is now requiring all employees to sign a new Technology/Social Media Policy, prohibiting employees from using images of themselves in uniform on their personal pages, or making offensive posts that could interfere with the effective delivery of services by public officials,
A petition to the federal government has been granted by the Environmental Protection Agency that will compel companies that produce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) substances, to conduct testing on health effects.
In some neighborhoods, not cooperating with police is part of the culture. Even though residents living in high crime areas are more likely to become victims of crime, or to be impacted by the crime around them, the “don’t snitch” mentality pervades.
The funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed in November. This has been a major issue along the Cape Fear River since 2017, when scientists discovered concerning levels of GenX in the drinking water supply for 300,000 people. GenX is a type of PFA toxin also known as a “forever chemical” because of how long it stays in a person’s body once they’ve been exposed to it.
Both of the newer cases remain under investigation. One happened on Halloween in Terrapin Hall. Another was reported in the Cornerstone Hall dorm. That victim said she was assaulted in October, but did not report the crime until November 5.
“We believe this trial will take between four and six weeks. It is a big deal and it is very expensive and it’s really not good for anyone,” said Plaintiff's Attorney Joel Rhine.
North Carolina schools have $316 million in federal funding to spend by June to conduct preventative COVID-19 testing this school year, but many schools’ testing programs are just getting started.
Hackman woke up to learn her Facebook page had been hacked. The issue with her personal social media account became a threat to her livelihood when she was shut out of her Facebook business account as well.
The parking company with a combined 30 years of experience managing operations in Wrightsville Beach and downtown Wilmington has had its regional stronghold undercut in the past year by an upstart competitor called Pivot Parking.
A copy of the contract for the newly hired airport director for Wilmington International Airport shows he will be making more in his first year than the former director was making after 22 years of service to ILM.
Effective this fall, state statute no longer requires sheriff candidates to live in the county they wish to serve for a full year leading up to the election. House Bill 312 also disqualifies a candidate from serving if they have ever been convicted of a felony in the United States, even if the conviction is later expunged.
According to a news release Wednesday, Chemours must assess the extent of contamination in downstream communities to include well sampling and provision of replacement drinking water supplies.
A four-part investigative series of reports by reporter Jordan Wilkie and Carolina Public Press takes an in-depth look at ‘how and why North Carolina counties decide to build or expand jails, the costs of these decisions and possible alternatives’.
For years, we’ve known GenX, a chemical compound known as PFAS, is in the water supply for thousands of residents across the Cape Fear. However, Tuesday’s new report from the EPA states GenX is likely much more toxic than we previously thought.
In a performance evaluation dated February 3, 2021, Airport Authority Chair Donna Girardot wrote, “Julie has come as close as possible to receiving a perfect score for successfully navigating the unprecedented circumstances of 2020.”
Shannon Rippy Van Newkirk and Elisha Tucker died at the hands of a serial killer. Their lives were cut short by James Bradley, who in 2013 was released from prison in Wilmington after serving time for the murder of his own 8-year-old step daughter.
Keeping our water clean is an ongoing process, but Cape Fear Public Utility Authority customers now have to wait a bit longer to see PFAS removed from their drinking water.
When the civil case was filed by victims of Mike Kelly, attorneys say Liberty Mutual took “a very hard position that there would be only $4 million of insurance coverage made available.” School Board attorney believes school system purchased significantly more coverage than that.
All too often, the person on the other end of that text is not who they are pretending to be. Instead of the trusted source you thought you were communicating with, the person who sent the text may be a fraudster. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says complaints about text scams doubled in 2020 to more than 334,000. Americans who fell for these text schemes lost a whopping $86 million last year.
The lawsuit states Sidbury “repeatedly raised the belt above her head before bringing it down on the girls” and the Minor Child “sustained blows to her midsection, arm, shoulder and legs” before being told to dry their eyes and go out to play with the other children.
“The McLambs paid personal bills with church funds (home schooling, traveling, insurance and credit cards)... without the church members knowledge,” the application continues. It also notes that Ransom McLamb was believed to have had a procedure completed in 2018 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) using church funds.
Over the years hundreds of residents have been tested in New Hanover and Brunswick County--specifically those who use Cape Fear Public Utility Authority water.
After failing to get a response to an email again asking questions about man impersonating an officer on Wednesday, a WECT news crew went to Navassa Town Hall in person. The building was locked, but a staff member came to the front door, explaining the building was closed “due to COVID-19.”
67-year-old Gail Tice was shot three times by her estranged husband, Robert Hewson. He had scaled the fence of her gated community, and was lying in wait when she came downstairs that morning. Just days earlier, Tice had informed Hewson she wanted to end their marriage, and had a restraining order in place against him.
It was the first time a Pender County jury gave a defendant the death penalty in 75 years. It was also the first time now-veteran prosecutor Ben David ever saw a dead body.
"Mr. Taylor agreed to allow detectives to look at the camera footage on his cell phone, but a short time later, revoked consent to do so," paperwork connected to the search warrant reads."Taylor was the only person found inside the residence... that was not harmed. [He] barricaded himself in a bathroom with a shotgun and a handgun, and admitted to detectives that he.... did not call 911."
The North Carolina State Bar (NCSB), the state agency tasked with regulating lawyers is continuing its investigation into New Hanover County Commission Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman, and a new letter shows that it could be December before the review of her case is complete.
One year after a prominent Wilmington doctor died during a dental procedure in the care of Dr. Mark Austin, Austin has permanently surrendered his dental license. An investigative panel for the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners found Austin’s actions resulted in his patient’s death.
An ACLU attorney says the removal of existing comments, as the WPD did in July, does raise constitutional concerns. Removing the comments also appears to conflict with the City of Wilmington’s social media policy on comments.
Hamilton said she had insurance, but it was not enough to cover the estimated $85,000 in damage to her home. That’s when she learned about Rebuild NC, a state agency that administers federal disaster recovery money to help people impacted by natural disasters.
The amended complaint details two disturbing events where a former teacher of the year is accused of raping a student after drugging him so he could not defend himself.
In 2004, young women living in Downtown Wilmington were on edge. One woman told police she’d been raped by a stranger who broke into her house and appeared to be homeless. More than half a dozen other women living nearby reported a man fitting the same description had attempted to sexually assault them too.
Dobson said regulating private elevators is not something he or the governor could do unilaterally. They would need legislation to pass to enact that requirement. Several lawmakers WECT contacted on both sides of the aisle seemed receptive to the idea.
Two Wilmington daycare workers arrested on child abuse charges are off the job, but the state has yet to announce any action against the daycare where they worked. Carr’s Academy on Peachtree Avenue remains open, and continues to be listed as a four star, superior daycare on the state’s website.
New Hanover County had seven oral surgeons in 2000, but just six in 2019, despite a huge population surge during that time frame. There were nine oral surgeons working here in 2016, but some left, and some had their licenses suspended.
The insurance company for the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office just agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by residents accusing deputies there of using excessive force. $6 million is the maximum payout allowed under the insurance policy carried by the sheriff’s office.
WECT is attempting to verify information presented in a series of anonymous letters, alleging that a now-high-ranking official at the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office (NHCSO) helped cover up a teacher sex scandal in the school system, and that another deputy engaged in improper activity with minors himself.
A series of anonymous letters questioning the behavior of two high ranking members of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office have gotten the attention of the Sheriff, school administrators, and the attorneys involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the New Hanover County School Board. The letters allege suspicious behavior by the law enforcement officers at critical times in the teacher sex abuse scandal, and imply they helped make sure allegations of improper teacher behavior did not result in criminal charges.
A civil lawsuit against Kelly and the New Hanover County School Schools System, filed by some of the victims from the criminal case, is now proceeding through the court system. Other former students who did not participate in the criminal proceedings against Kelly have since come forward to allege he also abused them, and joined the list of plaintiffs in the civil suit.
