Ben Schachtman
News DirectorBen Schachtman is a journalist and editor with a focus on local government accountability. He began reporting for Port City Daily in the Wilmington area in 2016 and took over as managing editor there in 2018. He’s a graduate of Rutgers College and later received his MA from NYU and his PhD from SUNY-Stony Brook, both in English Literature.
He and his wife met and were married in Wilmington; they returned to the area after nearly a decade in New York City.
Your can reach him at Bschachtman@whqr.org and on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman
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You might have seen a petition going around asking Wrightsville Beach to bring back free parking hours on weeknights. But given the history of the town's paid parking policies, it's likely to be an uphill battle. WHQR reporter Nikolai Mather asked news director and longtime resident Ben Schachtman for some context to this latest challenge. -
Last month, the Cape Fear Housing Coalition held its annual housing affordability breakfast. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman and Kelly Kenoyer break down their legislative update — and a case study in housing trust funds from Charlotte. -
Members of the New Hanover County school board will decide this week whether or not to censure their colleague Dr. Tim Merrick. The proposed censure is based on allegations that Merrick violated policy and possibly state law, but the situation ultimately seems to stem from questions about how a board member can respond to an employee’s complaints or concerns. -
On Monday, New Hanover County commissioners heard a presentation from Dr. Roger Shew, a UNCW Department of Geography and Geology and Environmental Sciences professor, about the future preservation of the Flossie Bryan Tract off Independence Boulevard. -
New Hanover County commissioners recently kicked off their annual budget process. WHQR’s Kelly Kenoyer and Ben Schachtman stepped into the studio to talk about the preliminary round of discussions. -
Note: this story includes discussion of sexual assault.Last month, WHQR covered the trial of Michael Hasson, who was found guilty of a string of sexual assaults on his patients, concluding a case that had lasted for years. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman spoke with Reporter Aaleah McConnell about the case and her conversations with lead prosecutor, Connie Jordan. -
It’s been over three and a half years since former U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters assaulted the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the U.S. Department of Justice is still making arrests. One Wilmington resident, Justina Guardino — until very recently the Vice Chair of the New Hanover County chapter of Moms for Liberty — was taken into custody on Thursday, September 12. -
It’s been just over a year since Wilmington City Council bought the former PPD Building, now called the Skyline Center. It cost the city $68 million, and staff have slowly been moving into it for months. -
Several people reached out with questions after a particular moment in WHQR’s latest Newsroom episode, so WHQR’s Ben Schachtman invited reporter Kelly Kenoyer into the studio for some answers, in our latest installment of Ask a Journalist. -
According to Duke Energy, powerful tides damaged a safety device designed to keep federally protected turtles out of the plant’s cooling canal. The utility company also pointed to increasing turtle populations as a factor. Because the fatalities exceeded the limits set by the plant’s Endangered Species Act permit, the plant must now submit to a review by federal authorities.
