Nikolai Mather
ReporterNikolai Mather is a Report for America corps member from Pittsboro, North Carolina. He covers rural communities in Pender County, Brunswick County and Columbus County. He graduated from UNC Charlotte with degrees in genocide studies and political science. Prior to his work with WHQR, he covered religion in Athens, Georgia and local politics in Charlotte, North Carolina. In his spare time, he likes working on cars and playing the harmonica. You can reach him at nmather@whqr.org.
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For the first time, Columbus County is hosting partisan primaries for its school board elections. That’s because of a little-known legislative maneuver from state Republicans, and it’s part of a broader pattern. WHQR’s Nikolai Mather and Ben Schachtman break it down. -
Earlier this month, the mayor and town council revisited the idea of drawing voting districts for Leland's town council. The practice could drastically change local election outcomes. -
During Tuesday night's meeting, commissioners discussed the prospect of redistricting, which hasn't been done in over 15 years. Since then, the county has changed significantly, and new districts could drastically reshape future election results. -
Thirty-two-year-old Alec Chambers died in Wilmington on December 30th. Last week, his friends in Wilmington's alternative music scene held a benefit for his family. -
The Pender County Clerk of Court is set to stand trial on several criminal charges just over a week before she goes up for primary elections. -
The Marine veteran arrested for opening fire on a restaurant in Southport was due to appear in court on Thursday. His hearing was canceled after a grand jury issued over a dozen indictments, including several new charges filed on Thursday. -
During this week's commission meeting, Pender County officials shared new details about a scam involving over $650,000 of county money. WHQR's Ben Schachtman and Nikolai Mather break it down. -
Last month, Pender County officials revealed that a scammer had stolen over $650,000 in county money by impersonating a vendor. During Monday's meeting, county manager Colby Sawyer shared new details about the investigation, including changes to the county's financial processes. -
On today’s show, we’re looking back at the year that was 2025 with my colleagues, Rachel Keith, Aaleah McConnell, Kelly Kenoyer, and Nikolai Mather. From the local impacts of DOGE and the Trump Administration to the struggles over education funding, from rural reporting to community engagement, we’ll recap the toughest, most rewarding, and some of the most fun stories of the year. -
Employees have been picketing the Market Street franchise location in hopes of bringing Starbucks corporate officials to the bargaining table.
