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Ending Saturday, April 10th, 2021, this week's top stories include all adult North Carolinians becoming eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, and housing bonds in the Cape Fear region. Listen for more.      

On the heels of a new affordable housing report, the city of Wilmington is getting a financial boon aimed at addressing the housing crisis.

Housing bonds have allowed several major North Carolina cities to start addressing the affordable housing crisis. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo recently told WHQR that residents could see one on the ballot in 2022. The idea also received 78% support in an affordable housing study conducted for Wilmington and New Hanover County and presented this week. WHQR took a look at how similar bonds, which have already passed in other cities, have been used.

  Wilmington and New Hanover County have finally released their comprehensive housing study for our area. Some of the main findings: The region’s population growth is driving the housing shortage -- and that a majority in our community worry about the cost of housing.

Last week’s deadly shooting in Wilmington's Southside remains under investigation, and police say they have no suspects. Wilmington City Council took time to address the shootings at Tuesday's council meeting.

Starting Wednesday, all North Carolinians are now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine. WHQR spoke with Dr. West Paul, chief clinical officer at New Hanover Regional Medical Center about the challenges ahead.

The exuberance of spring is axiomatic, but as every spring has its own theme, so does the spring of 2021.  New life and longer days and warmer air and the riotous generosity of nature explode in stark contrast to the rigid stricture of six feet apart, masks, disinfectant, solitude. 

In the Cape Fear Region, there aren’t many ways to get affordable units on the ground. But there is one federal program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), that has had some success.         

 Experts say about 50% of renters are cost-burdened – which puts people at higher risk of homelessness. So who are all these people living beyond their actual means?  You probably interact with them far more often than you know. 

Early Saturday morning, shortly after midnight, a shooting at a private house party in Wilmington, North Carolina killed three and injured at least four. It’s still unclear who opened fire, or why.

Ending Saturday, April 3rd, 2021, this week's top stories include what you can do about increased aircraft noise, and how the American Rescue Act might help create affordable housing in New Hanover County. Listen for more.    

On the latest edition of our new program, The Newsroom, host and WHQR Managing Editor Benjamin Schachtman sits down with Wilmington City Councilman Kevin Spears to discuss affordable housing (or, rather, the lack of it), creating jobs, and systemic racism.

The American Rescue Act signed into law by President Biden last month is sending roughly $45 million to New Hanover County. Officials say $4 million of that is earmarked for infrastructure improvements they say will help create affordable housing -- although it's not exactly clear how that will be worked out yet, or how much additional housing the county will be able to leverage.

Many Wilmington residents have noticed an uptick in military aircraft, flying low -- and loud -- over residential parts of the city. Here's why it's happening, and what you might be able to do about it.

As coronavirus vaccines are becoming more widely available to the public, new questions are popping up. Like: Which vaccine is best for me? And: What if I test positive for COVID between vaccine doses? WHQR has answers. 

Deborah Dicks Maxwell was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and calls it home, but she’s lived and traveled around the world. 

NatCon is the largest annual gathering of post-9/11 US veterans in the world. Ashlie Anderson — an Air Force veteran, and president of UNCW's Student Veterans Organization — was featured as a panelist at this year’s event. She discussed the good and the bad, including the tough topic of sexual assault and discrimination in the military.

On Thursday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper announced the timeline for Group 4 and 5 vaccine distribution would be moved up, meaning all adults will soon be eligible to get a shot.

Governor Roy Cooper continues to urge caution -- and will still require masks and social distancing. But, as WHQR’s Ben Schachtman reports, key Covid-19 restrictions will be further relaxed starting this Friday.    

The Superfund site in Navassa is about to see its first segment transfer to the Town for ownership. 

When North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued a statewide Emergency Declaration a year ago -- on March 10th, 2020 -- some residents called it overreach; some thought it good pandemic policy.  Whether the broad-based business and school closures were necessary to slow the spread of Covid-19 is also a point of contention. WHQR’s Rachel Lewis Hilburn talks with some local residents about how they view the policies of the last year – and explores what a year’s worth of data reveals about what works. 

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilmington has found itself in a better financial situation than initially expected. And local economic experts are feeling optimistic, heading into the summer. But financial impacts to local businesses haven’t been the same for everyone — and while many business owners are thriving, others are still trying to stay afloat.

Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that North Carolina will make Group 4 vaccine eligibility a week sooner than originally planned. But technical issues continue to hamper coronavirus vaccine distribution across the country.

It’s been a tumultuous year for our schools for parents,  teachers, and students. After Governor Roy Cooper officially closed North Carolina schools last March, it was almost seven months before New Hanover County families had the choice to return their kids even part-time to the classroom. WHQR takes a look back at a difficult year and, at some issues that still remain.

Ending Saturday, March 20, 2021, this week's top stories includes tweaks to Project Grace, and big news in local education: New Hanover County School students can return full-time starting April 12th. Listen for more.  

This week, on a special edition of The Newsroom -- the WHQR news team takes an hour-long look at the past, present, and future of Covid-19 in the Wilmington area.

  New Hanover County Schools secondary teachers are preparing for more students in the classroom. That’s because the district is allowing families to choose between three options: full-time, part-time, and remote. While these appease parents, some in the community are not entirely supportive.   

Middle and high school students in New Hanover County Schools now have the option to return full-time to the classroom starting April 12th.