Benjamin Schachtman

The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association surveyed nearly half of the officers in the Wilmington Police Department, aiming at issues the organization believed were also part of a $75,000 third-party investigation conducted last year, although the final report was withheld from the public. The survey results paint a negative picture of the department, with just 7% of officers saying they would recommend WPD as a “good place to work.”

Every week, WHQR’s Ben Schachtman and The Assembly’s Johanna Still sit down to talk about The Dive, our joint weekly newsletter. This week it's a look at some of the policies snuck into the North Carolina Senate’s budget proposal, and closer to home, efforts to trim New Hanover County’s budget.

On the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, WHQR's Ben Schachtman sat down with Curt Farrison, president of Chapter 885 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, to talk about coming home from war, understanding and managing PTSD, and what the country could do better for men and women who have worn a uniform.

Sunday Edition is a weekly newsletter from WHQR's News Director Benjamin Schachtman, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at our reporting, context and analysis of ongoing stories, and semi-weekly columns about the news and media issues in general. This editorial segment and letter to the editor are excerpts from the original version.

On this week's edition of The Dive, Johanna Still from The Assembly looks at North Carolina businesses who are actually quite enthusiastic about President Trump's tariffs, and WHQR's Ben Schachtman follows up on how UNCW's neutrality policy shapes (or doesn't) the type of public events held on campus.

Every week, WHQR's Ben Schachtman and The Assembly's Johanna Still tackle stories from around the greater Wilmington area in our free weekly newsletter, The Dive. This week, a look at how an advocate for increased dental safety almost made it onto the state's dental oversight board, until dentists themselves got involved. Plus, the idea of combining the governments of Wilmington and New Hanover County has resurfaced — we check out the past, present, and future of consolidation.

Sunday Edition is a weekly newsletter from WHQR's News Director Benjamin Schachtman, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at our reporting, context and analysis of ongoing stories, and semi-weekly columns about the news and media issues in general. These editorial segments are excerpts from the original version.

This week, county staff shared the first concrete budget for Project Grace’s finishing touches: $21.5 million. For years, these costs — which include exhibits, equipment, furniture, and other final additions — have been unknown, represented by a smaller “placeholder” amount. Officials say an increase was always expected and that it’s being driven by the desire for a top-tier museum and library, not budget overruns. County commissioners also shifted some of this final work to the existing agreement with Cape Fear Development. The overall cost of Project Grace is now over $77 million.

It’s budget season, which means local governments have to prepare a balanced financial plan for the upcoming year — no easy feat with headwinds like inflation and other rising costs. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman sat down with reporter Kelly Kenoyer for the latest on the City of Wilmington’s budget process.

In mid-March, Brunswick County Sheriff's Office Deputy Martina Marie Morales was charged with abusing her child, a serious misdemeanor. The following day, she was fired by Sheriff Brian Chism.