By From staff reports
Wilmington, NC –
No. 10: Tropical Storm Hanna
Emergency management officials across the region braced for a hurricane but got a tropical storm when Hanna made landfall on September 5th, along the North and South Carolina state line.
Tropical Storm Hanna caused beach erosion, power outages and brought a few trees down before scraping along the eastern coastline, up into Massachusetts.
Before reaching the U-S Hanna left nearly 100 people dead as it moved across Haiti.
Tropical Storm Hanna was the 8th storm in the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It was followed by Hurricane Ike, which slammed into Galveston, Texas nearly a week after Hanna causing severe gas shortages in western North Carolina.
No. 9: Military Growth
In late 2007, the Marine Corps announced its plan to recruit and train 27,000 additional Marines. Camp Lejeune, New River Air Station and Cherry Point will divvy up more than 11,000 of those Marines.
Almost half of the Marines arrived in 2008. That prompted local officials to build new schools and make upgrades and additions to the local water and sewer systems.
But infrastructure already is overburdened and area leaders say current residents will pay for the upgrades before their new neighbors arrive.
The growth around Camp Lejeune is expected to bring 9,500 new civilians and create 7,200 jobs with an average pay that exceeds the Onslow County average.
No. 8: NC Senator Julia Boseman's Custody Battle
Senator Boseman won her re-election bid to represent New Hanover County in the state senate. During the race, Boseman became the target of negative campaign ads that used testimony from the custody battle with her former domestic partner for their young son.
During those hearings Boseman testified that she smoked pot five years ago. Boseman made assurances that her drug use was behind her, but she continued to make headlines, when it came to light last summer that the couple failed to make property tax and mortgage payments.
No. 7: Dedication of 1898 Memorial
The 1898 Foundation started its work 12 years ago and revved up fundraising back in 2000.
And last November Wilmington dedicated the long-awaited 1898 Memorial at 3rd and Davis Streets, just blocks from where the first shots were fired.
The 1898 Memorial, of six bronze paddles organized on a stone circle marks the only coup d' tat in U.S. history. The 1898 Foundation says it raised every dime for the memorial from Wilmington businesses and residents, including descendants of the men who planned the bloody coup.
No. 6: Economy Impacts Wilmington
The City of Wilmington has slashed spending by 5%, and officials have hammered out plans to cut spending by 10%, even 15% if necessary.
City officials are expecting a $6 million shortfall in next year's budget, primarily from dwindling property and sales tax revenues.
A hiring freeze is in effect across city departments, and a number of capital improvement projects across the city are hanging in the balance. That includes improvements to Front and Third streets in downtown Wilmington, as well as sidewalk construction around the city.
No. 5: The Fall of Thomas Wright
The New Hanover County democrat will ring in 2009 inside a state prison, but for the early part of 2008, Thomas Wright battled to stay out of prison, denying allegations that he mishandled nearly $340,000 in loans, campaign and charitable contributions.
He lost that battle last April and was found guilty of three felony fraud charges.
A month before that, House lawmakers expelled Wright from the General Assembly. It was the first time in more than 100 years that lawmakers booted out one of their own.
In August, Wright returned to the courtroom where he was found guilty of a felony obstruction charge.
Democrat Sandra Spaulding Hughes was tapped to fill Wright's seat, which she was won in the November election.
No. 4: Brunswick County Sheriff's Downfall
In March former Brunswick County Sheriff Ronnie Hewett's staff signed a 33-page petition accusing him of various misdeeds. He was suspended for those misdeeds, which include sexually harassing coworkers, showing up at crime scenes intoxicated, and forcing sheriff's office employees to work on his re-election campaigns.
Based on information in the petition, Hewett was indicted on three counts of embezzlement and one count of obstruction of justice.
Hewett resigned in April and was indicted on federal charges of obstruction of justice in May. He pled guilty and in November began a sixteen month stay in the Butner Correctional Institute and three years of probation.
No. 3: The Digital Switch
Starting with his first town hall meeting in May, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin and his posse of experts spent most of their summer in Wilmington talking about digital TV.
They were at ball games, farmer's markets and senior centers spreading the word about Wilmington's switch from analog to digital television.
The FCC says Wilmington was the only town on its short list willing to take one for the nation and have its broadcasters convert their television signals from analog to digital. And so at noon on September 9th Martin and the mayor joined the crowed packed into city hall and made the big switch.
Since then Hawaii has stepped up to make its digital conversion in mid-January, a month before the rest of the country makes the switch.
No. 2: Titan Cement Announces Big Plans
Once word got out that Titan America was looking to build a state-of-the-art cement plant in Castle Hayne, residents raised their voice in outrage and organized against the plant and its adjoining quarry.
They packed New Hanover County Commissioner chambers last April when the board approved $4.2 million in tax breaks. And they pressed on through the summer, forming the group Stop Titan, holding town hall meetings and quizzing experts at the cement company's own education events.
Titan America says the Castle Hayne the plant's modern technology will cut down on pollutants emitted into the air and nearby wetlands. And say it will boost the economy through 160 jobs and 450-million dollars of investments.
The debate rages on as Titan moves ahead with the permitting process and construction plans.
No. 1: Candidate Love
With North Carolina as a surprise toss-up in the presidential election, the candidate love flowed through Wilmington in 2008
In April, Democratic primary candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama made back-to-back visits to the port city.
First, Clinton gave President Bush a wag of the finger for his handling of the war in Iraq. Clinton delivered her stump speech to a downtown crowd in front of the Battleship North Carolina.
The next day, Obama rolled up his sleeves for a packed town hall-style meeting at UNCW. Then, less than a month before the general election, Republican presidential candidate John McCain made a quick stop downtown at Cape Fear Community College.
He asked North Carolina voters to fight for his campaign, but despite his efforts, the state voted for a Democrat for the first time in three decades.
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