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A year and a half after the sale process of the New Hanover Regional Medical Center began, the state Attorney General has approved a deal with Novant Health -- but, the approval does come with some new conditions. If those are met, the partnership between NHRMC and Novant will begin on February 1.

Note: You can find details of the AG's review of the deal, along with responses from New Hanover County and other key stakeholders below.

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Wilmington’s Rail Trail project is one step closer to becoming reality.

This week, city councilmembers approved the master plan for the project, which would transform the abandoned railbed in the city’s Northside and create a space for walking and biking.

New Hanover County Schools is looking to revamp their district-wide Title IX survey. Proposed questions would include topics on discrimination, bullying, and school climate. And maybe one on sexual harassment.

At the Wilmington City Council Agenda Briefing, the Wilmington Police Department presented their annual Year End Crime Review--and the numbers reflect a strange year. On Tuesday, Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams addressed a significant increase in homicides in 2020.  

An upcoming tiny home community, set to house dozens of homeless individuals in the region, has installed its first home. The project is called Eden Village.

On Tuesday, New Hanover County commissioners will vote to approve a new deal to redevelop the government center. The new arrangement will save millions in financing, but involves selling public land to a developer for $2 million less than originally planned.

Ending Saturday, January 16, 2021, this week's top reports included school reopening plans changing (again), and an interview with Republican Congressman David Rouzer to discuss the insurrectoin, impeachment, and what the future holds for Trump’s party. Listen for more.

Shortly after it was announced, a joint meeting between county commissioners and school board members has been postponed indefinitely. The decision was made just hours after the school board made an abrupt about-face on the issue of school reopening.

After an insurrection in the US Capitol and the second impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump, it’s a fraught time for the GOP. WHQR spoke with Republican Congressman David Rouzer, who represents North Carolina’s 7th district, including Wilmington, to discuss the recent violence, the impeachment, and what the future holds for Trump’s legacy and his party.

The New Hanover County School Board decided Wednesday that pre-K through 5th-grade students will remain in remote learning until January 25th. On that date, they will transition back to Plan B, a hybrid model.

After two decades the Wilmington based non-profit Full Belly Project has closed up shop. Here's a closer look at what made the project special, what brought an end to the organization, and the legacy the group leaves behind.

There are close to forty-four hundred preschool students in licensed programs in New Hanover County, but that represents just 37% of pre-K aged children. The county has been asked to consider universal pre-K, but there are barriers to expanding.

Wilmington planning staff is reworking open space requirements for new developments after officials passed on an initial proposal; they questioned how the new regulations would work, and what counts as green space.

Over a year after announcing a lead hazard reduction program, the city of Wilmington is moving along with its initiative to mitigate lead paint risks in low-income homes.

New Hanover County joins 83 other North Carolina counties marked red, with the most severe levels of Covid-19 spread. Officials are calling for residents to stay home except for necessities and emergencies.

  At Tuesday night’s New Hanover County School Board meeting, the announcement came that school staff will be vaccinated in Phase 1B. There were also concerns from some community members about the impending elementary reopening.

Wilmington-based Genesis Block is looking to take ten local minority-owned businesses to the next level. It’s part of the coworking space and accelerator’s ambitious plan for the next three years.

  With a new year underway, a new future for Wave Transit appears closer to reality -- although uncertainties remain. And most of those questions pertain to Wave’s funding.  

Governor Roy Cooper’s final COVID press conference of the year echoed the messages of previous weeks: The numbers are worsening. Individuals must make “good decisions.” Prevention efforts are key. 

To the relief of many, 2020 has drawn to a close. It was a chaotic and often confusing year, one that challenged people to make sense of rapidly evolving stories and difficult issues. WHQR managing editor Ben Schachtman has a retrospective, with archival audio managed by Rachel Keith.

Ending Saturday, December 26, 2020, this week's top stories included a new financing model for New Hanover County's $46 million redevelopment of the Government Center and the significantly shorter Wilmington Police Department's internal report for 2020. Listen for more.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke Tuesday, joined by Covid-19 task members and faith leaders. Cooper warned of potential scams related to vaccines and continued to caution against holiday travel. He also urged families to gather, and worship, remotely.

New Hanover County is changing its funding structure for the redevelopment of the Government Center. The county will now finance the close to $46 million dollar project itself instead of repaying the developer.

Note: This article has been updated with additional information from the Wilmington Police Department concerning the use of force data.

Ending Saturday, December 18, 2020, this week's top stories included COVID vaccines arriving in North Carolina and continued challenges facing the New Hanover School Board. Listen for more.  

  The New Hanover County School Board has approved reopening pre-k-5 schools for full in-personing learning on January 19th, pushing back an earlier opening date by a week. It’s been a difficult decision for members, especially the newest ones who had to make up their minds quickly. 

It’s a special holiday edition of CoastLine with two original stories of the season.  

Zelda Lockhart is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Creative Writing Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  She is the 2010 winner of the Piedmont Laureate for Literature.   And she is the author of three novels, including Fifth Born and Fifth Born 2:  The Hundredth Turtle.

At Tuesday afternoon's press conference, Governor Roy Cooper announced that the Covid-19 vaccine arrived in North Carolina on Monday. But he says the vaccines will not be available to the general public anytime soon and that coronavirus infection rates are continuing to rise.