The New Hanover County Commissioners are split along party lines over House Bill 56. And they’re going public with that split.  The bill contains $435,000 in extra funding for the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and UNC Wilmington to study, clean up, and monitor the chemical GenX.

The battle against opioid addiction in Wilmington and across the country is rising to a new level.  North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein came to the Port City to discuss the growing investigation into drug manufacturers. 

Work by artists Mary Zio and Anne Trombetta hangs in WHQR's MC Erny Gallery throught October 27. Listen to Anne Trombetta talk about her work above, and see our extended conversation below.

In the nonpartisan race for Wilmington’s City Council, there are nine people competing for three open seats that carry four-year terms.  Two incumbents are hoping for reelection; they are with us today.  And one seat is wide open since Earl Sheridan decided not to run again. 

Despite the fact that presidential election years turn out the highest numbers of voters, municipal elections have the most direct impact on quality of life.  This fact is pretty widely accepted.  But even the most educated and engaged among us – most notably a political scientist at an esteemed local university – even they are unlikely to know the people who are running for Wilmington’s City Council.

On Thursday North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed House Bill 56. That’s the Republican-sponsored environmental bill that includes funding for Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and the University of North Carolina Wilmington to research GenX.  The bill has more than GenX in its sights.

The Sarus Festival is in its 6th incarnation; this weekend is the Sarus Fall Equinox Retreat. Yoga, meditation, drum circles, wiggle therapy and more public exercises are ongoing, and a performance of The Invisibility Project is Saturday evening at Riverfront Park. 

Not just one party--the Coastal Land Trust is throwing 2 parties for its 25th anniversary: Saturday, 9/23 at Poplar Grove & Saturday, 9/30 at Tryon Palace. After saving 100 square miles of land in North Carolina from development (so far), co-founders Camilla Herlevich & Michael Murchison say there's a lot to celebrate. 

An advocate for historic preservation in Wilmington is retiring.  George Edwards has been the executive director of Historic Wilmington Foundation for 13 years. He's announced he’ll leave by the end of the year.