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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In the latest installment of our series based on listener questions, we delve into water quality (and quantity) issues in Pender County. -
The regulations, which set very strict limits for cetain PFAS in drinking water, are the first of their kind and will go a long way toward protecting people from harm, according to the EPA. But meeting the regulations will fall on water utilities, and ratepayers, not companies like Chemours which do the actually polluting.
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The head of Wilmington Housing Authority sees the end of the mold crisis on the horizon, and hopes for growth and development for the authority in the future.
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A retirement home for low-income residents has gone without consistent running water for nearly a week. WHQR’s Kelly Kenoyer went to the scene, and News Director Ben Schachtman asked her about it.
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Our town hall featured questions for the four candidates — two Democrats and two Republicans — facing off for two seats on the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. On this episode, we'll unpack their responses to tough questions from reporters and the public, and provide some analysis, context, and fact-checking.
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This week, New Hanover County took another step forward with Project Grace, its plan to combine private development with a new library and museum in downtown Wilmington.
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Recently, Chemours has been running a series of television ads, touting themselves as 'good neighbors' — sparking fierce pushback from local leaders, as well as local news station WECT, which noted it was not responsible for the ad content that airs during broadcasts and shared the feedback it had received from disgusted viewers.
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Years of committees, surveys, and studies culminated in a big push for a $50 million housing bond — with elected officials, advocates, and developers all seemingly on board. Then, the idea abruptly died, killed in part by political concerns about raising taxes during an election season. So — now what?
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Years of committees, surveys, and studies culminated in a big push for a $50 million housing bond — with elected officials, advocates, and developers all seemingly on board. Then, the idea abruptly died, killed in part by political concerns about raising taxes during an election season. So — now what?
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At last Thursday’s Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees meeting, board member Deborah Dicks Maxwell asked President Jim Morton about creating a new equity position — Morton didn't seem interested.
