Ask a Journalist

Q: Why is my rent so [expletive] high?A: Capitalism — which is to say, it’s complicated. Part of the recent increase in rents has to do with the basic economic principles of supply and demand, and the phenomenon of filtering, where the lack of higher-end options pushes consumers into less expensive markets, increasing competition there. But it likely also involves the darker side of capitalism, including anticompetitive price-fixing practices and algorithm-based rent-setting software that is far more aggressive than a ‘human’ manager might be. For the latest installment of ‘Ask a Journalist,’ WHQR's Kelly Kenoyer and Ben Schachtman unpack how all this works.

Some new bollards have gone up at a couple intersections in Wilmington. One listener decided to reach out and ask: Why? WHQR News Director Ben Schachtman interviewed Reporter Kelly Kenoyer after she found out the answers.

In February, a New Hanover County Schools district employee posted an image of a mock crime scene with fake blood from the Facebook account of the J.C. Roe Center to celebrate ‘SRO appreciation day.’ It was quickly taken down, and denounced by the district — but readers and listeners had a lot of follow-up questions, like ‘how did this even happen?’ and 'was anyone held accountable?’

Question: Are health inspectors no longer including the ‘bar area’ of restaurants in their inspections (and restaurant grades)? What happens with potential health hazards that occur at these bar areas?Short answer: Yes, bar areas are now exempt. It's complicated but, in many cases, health inspectors are now being directed to forward issues or complaints to ALE or the local ABC board.

In the latest installment of our series based on listener questions, we delve into water quality (and quantity) issues in Pender County.

WHQR has started an occasional series called: Ask a Journalist. We take listener questions and track down the answers. If you have a question you’d like answered, email us at staffnews@whqr.org.