About 250 people showed up at River Front Park in downtown Wilmington yesterday for a protest. They took issue with the New Hanover County Commission’s unanimous rejection of an almost $9,000 family planning grant from the state earlier this week.
The county health department proposed using the funding to buy intra-uterine devices, or IUDs, to meet increasing demands for the long-term contraceptive. After commissioners endured a heated week from the public, Chairman Ted Davis announced the board will revisit the issue at its meeting next month, but the rally still went on yesterday. WHQR’s Bob Workmon spoke with reporter Sara Wood who was there.
CORRECTION: WHQR incorrectly reported each speaker will get 15 minutes at the April 2 NHCo. Board of Commissioners' meeting. There will be a 15-minute limit for each side, not per person. Also, only four of the five NHCo. commissioners are up for re-election or another office this year. Brian Berger is not up for re-election.