Local

By Megan V. Williams

Riegelwood, NC – Long lines of cars began passing slowly along highway 87 as soon as officials reopened the route through the heart of Thursday's tornado damage.

What they found where piles of debris, clothes wrapped around limbless pines, the cracked shells of mobile homes, and empty foundation pads, all standing starkly in the bright November sunshine.

By Catherine M. Welch

Wilmington, NC – Last May the Wilmington Race Riot Commission released an official report chronicling the violent overthrow of Wilmington's elected black government on November 10 1898.

The report came with recommendations, including that some newspapers should publish and education insert of the race riot. The Star-News did just that, Catherine Welch talked with Star-News columnist Si Cantwell about the project.

By Gary Popp

Wilmington, NC – Scattered violence across the county over the new Sony Playstation 3 played out in Wilmington Friday morning when a University of North Carolina, Wilmington student was robbed and assaulted on campus.

UNCW Police Captain G.E. Mathews says a group of four men took approached the student, one beat him repeatedly with a blunt object, then took two Sony Playstations 3 the student had just bought at Wal-Mart.

Riegelwood, NC – Ryan Lacewell never saw the deadly tornado that passed a half-mile from his trailer. He did feel it, though.

"I didn't bother looking out the window. Everything in my house started shaking and everything so I got scared," he says, laughing at the memory.

"I knew something bad was happening, but I didn't know what."

By Megan V. Williams

Bald Head Island, NC – On a warm afternoon last week, large, brightly painted canvases lean against the wooden posts that mark public beach access #36 on Bald Head Island. The paintings belong to some of the two-dozen artists who've taken over the surrounding cabins. Out here on the dunes, between the scrub forest and the sea, hides the annual No Boundaries art colony.

By Catherine M. Welch

Wilmington, NC – The President of Cape Fear Community College has turned in his resignation. Eric McKeithan made the announcement Monday to faculty and staff.

McKeithan landed the president's job at Cape Fear Community College in 1994 and since then has increased the number of faculty, enrollment and expanded the campus.

McKeithan says he realized he accomplished his goals for the college when he learned last month that it received a flawless accreditation report.

By Gary Popp

Wilmington, NC – New Hanover County commissioners rejected a proposal to pick up the tab for dredging the Carolina Beach Inlet and pump the sand onto Carolina Beach.

Board chairman Bobby Greer says this job is usually paid for by the federal government.

Now, they are saying no, we're not going to do it, you pay for it. And I don't think that should be the responsibility of the local government.

By Catherine M. Welch

Wilmington, NC – Data out of the Wilmington Police Department show the number of reported traffic accidents dropped by 13% in the first half of this year compared to the first half of last year.

WHQR's Catherine Welch talks with the head of Wilmington Police Department's traffic unit about why the number of accidents is down.

By Catherine M. Welch

Wilmington, NC – Data out of the Wilmington Police Department show the number of reported traffic accidents dropped by 13% in the first half of this year compared to the first half of last year.

WHQR's Catherine Welch talks with the head of Wilmington Police Department's traffic unit about why the number of accidents is down.

By Catherine M. Welch

Wilmington, NC – A pair of coastal South Carolina counties is aiming to pass a tax break that could bring back certain boats docked in North Carolina.

Boats are considered personal property in South Carolina and are taxed 10.5% of their assessed value.

Lawmakers concerned about the number of boats docked outside the state passed legislation allowing counties to consider certain boats as real property, allowing them to be taxed at 4% if considered primary residence and 6% if considered a secondary residence.