A bill that exempts Monkey Junction residents from paying Wilmington property taxes has passed the North Carolina Senate and House.  The bill is currently in the hands of Governor Pat McCrory to be signed into law.

A new affiliation between UNCW and the Fayetteville VA Medical Center opens the door for students, researchers and VA staff to work collaboratively. The agreement, signed Monday, is a collaboration that aims to improve health care for veterans.

Getting a handle on where the state tax reform discussion is heading has been a particular challenge during the first quarter of 2013.  Whether income taxes -– personal and corporate -- will be completely swept away and North Carolinians will find themselves paying more for goods and services is still a wide-open question.  A new, bi-partisan piece of legislation, however, might force the debate into a broader public forum.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, New Hanover County Commission Chair Woody White called for Brian Berger’s resignation.  The call came after a series of recent incidents that have heightened concerns about the safety of county staffers and what some are calling Berger’s deteriorating mental condition. 

As National Flood Safety Week draws to a close, the predictions for spring are here. 

The group’s name is FOCUS.  It may be short and easy-to-remember, but it encompasses a huge mission for the future of the Cape Fear Region.