Benjamin 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 loves spending time with his wife and playing rock'n'roll very loudly. You can reach him at BSchachtman@whqr.org and find him on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman.
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In the wake of a shooting at a downtown Wilmington nightclub this weekend, City Councilmember Luke Waddell is calling on city staff to compile crime data on establishments he feels are a "catalyst" for violent incidents. -
Every week, WHQR news director Ben Schachtman sits down with The Assembly's Johanna Still, to talk about our joint newsletter, The Dive. For this edition, a look at Heal Our People’s Endowment, a new nonprofit pushing the North Carolina Attorney General’s office to keep a closer eye on the $1.25 billion New Hanover Community Endowment. -
Several Brunswick County listeners and readers have written in to ask about James Geiger, a Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was arrested in early January of last year for a DUI in Myrtle Beach. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman did some digging to find out. -
Last year, we reported on the abrupt closing of the Career Readiness Academy at Mosley — a little-known but beloved program in the New Hanover County Schools district. Public pushback saved the Mosley program, but developed into a debate over a 'newcomer school' for immigrants who had recently arrived in the United States, introduced as a possible replacement for Mosley. On this show, we unpack some of the narratives and misinformation that became part of that debate. -
Every week, WHQR's Ben Schachtman sits down with The Assembly's Johanna Still to talk about our joint newsletter, The Dive. This week, a lawsuit in Currituck County puts a spotlight on the so-called Tourism Tax. Plus, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's role in kicking off the Azalea Festival puts organizers in a tough spot. -
During Monday’s meeting, the county unanimously approved Mary Lyons Rouse to fill the seat vacated earlier this year by Pat Kusek. There was no discussion, but documents provided by the county showed Rouse faced tough competition, including the former president of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and other members of the business and non-profit community. -
Over the years, a constellation of issues — including financial, legal, and engineering problems — whittled the number of red light camera programs in the state down to just a handful. Now, as Raleigh sunsets its program, Wilmington is the last municipality in North Carolina with enforcement cameras. City staff hasn’t had any recent conversations about changing that, even though the program loses money and its efficacy is, at best, a mixed bag. -
Every week, WHQR's Ben Schachtman sits down with The Assembly's Johanna Still to talk about our joint newsletter, The Dive. This week, the arrest of a top Port City United employee puts the whole department at risk. -
On Monday evening, the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County both confirmed Stephen Barnett, who has helped lead the county's Port City United department since it was founded in 2022, had been arrested in relation to last week's shooting. -
In honor of Sunshine Week — an annual event focused on government transparency and reporters who work to hold governments accountable for being open to the public — WECT, Port City Daily, and WHQR took a look at warrants and domestic violence protection orders. WHQR also took a closer look at a new policy aimed at giving New Hanover County school board members first crack at public documents — something that definitely isn't in keeping with the spirit of Sunshine Week.
