Pender County News

Within a few days, North Carolina families and small businesses have reserved all money available in a program to replace appliances damaged by Hurricane Irene. Full story...

Critics are telling North Carolina regulators they should only allow Duke Energy and Progress Energy to merge and become the largest electric utility in the country if they also make revolutionary changes in how they operate. Full story...

Pender County Manager Rick Benton has announced he will retire at the end of the year, reports the Pender Post. Full story...

Other than Trask's postponement, week number five of the high school football schedule is complete. Laney remains undefeated along with North Brunswick. Full story...

Gov. Bev Perdue announced that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will provide food assistance in the form of Disaster Food and Nutrition Services benefits (formerly called food stamps) in the following additional disaster NC counties: Pender and Wayne. Full story...

Duke Energy and Progress Energy are asking North Carolina regulators to skip consideration of the economy in deciding whether to approve the companies' merger into the country's largest electric utility. Full story...

Week number five of the high school football season kicks off on Friday night. Half of our area teams will begin conference play on Friday. A few teams will have the night off. Some schools are still finishing out non-conference play. Full story...

Rep. Mike McIntyre is standing up for the Surf City Post Office. Earlier this year the US Postal Service said the Surf City location is on a list of possible cuts to help the USPS as it faces mounting massive debt. Full story...

The East Central Conference is clearly one of the top conferences in the state for 2-A soccer. Two of the top East Central squads played on Wednesday. Topsail hosted East Duplin. Full story...

A Pender County murder case is headed to a grand jury. Deputies say 34-year-old Michael Grant shot and killed his neighbor Anthony Wayne Edens August 31 and later fired at officers during a standoff. Full story...

Nearly $12 million in state and federal money has been approved for people in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Irene. Full story...

Paul Parker was fired Sept. 6 for failing to meet expectations, county attorney John Morrison said. As county officials set up an emergency operation ahead of Hurricane Irene's arrival, Parker was supposed to lead the effort. Instead, he left town, Morrison said. Parker had served as public works director in Pender County before going to Chowan County. Full story...

Week four of the high school football season is complete. Topsail is no longer undefeated. Hoggard, Laney and North Brunswick remain unbeaten. In fact the Vikings, Bucs and Scorpions all posted impressive victories and for the second week in a row all four high schools in New Hanover County won. Full story...

Pender County will open two vegetative debris collection sites on Monday for residents to bring Hurricane Irene storm vegetative debris for disposal. Only vegetative debris will be collected at these sites. The sites will be open for debris disposal through Sunday, September 25, at which time material will no longer be accepted. Full story...

Where do you go to put a little spice in your life? This week would like to know which local restaurant serves up the best Mexican food in the Cape Fear. Here's how the votes are grilling up (4p Thurs.):
La Costa - 34%
K-38 Baja Grill - 20%
Camino Real, Surf City - 13%
VOTE NOW! Full story...