LELAND, NC (WWAY) — We want to hear your thoughts on the latest top news topics!

Click HERE to cast your vote and let your voice be heard.

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WASHINGTON, DC (WWAY) — The Smithsonian National Museum of American History wants copies of your trips to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.

The museum is looking for pictures for all decades to show how the parks has changed over time.

Candid photos, posed phots, and even blurry photos are all OK and the museum wants your story behind the photos too.

Not all photos will be used due to limited space and privacy and permissions rules will be in place, but a great number are expected to be catalogued and kept for posterity.

To send your photos click here.  Don’t forget to include contact information!

 

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Omicron variant is making an already challenging year even harder for restaurants across the Cape Fear. Even the most successful shops in Wilmington say supply shortages, staffing issues, and price increases are burning local eateries.

Molly Kurnyn, co-owner of Cheesesmith says they close the restaurant Mondays to give staff a break. Though crowds are back, prices for basic supplies like to-go containers and food have gone up 25 percent.

“Everything. Cheese, bread. All the things we use in our food,” Kurnyn said.

Supply chain shortages also pushed back the brick and mortar’s opening.

She continued, “We literally were waiting to open to get refrigerators because they’re not manufacturing them.”

Kurnyn and her husband applied to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which according to NC Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Lynn Minges quickly ran dry last year.

“During that time, we saw about 2,500 restaurants in North Carolina receive funds,” Minges said. “But essentially there were about 6,000 that were eligible, that have not yet received funding.”

Congress will consider renewing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) this February. In the meantime, Kurnyn and her husband take on multiple shifts to make up for labor shortages. They hope customers will support local businesses more and complain about cost less.

“A lot of people come in and think that it’s insane there’s a 13 dollar grilled cheese,” the business owner explained. “But we just take a number of what it costs for us to make it, add in labor, and come up with this little sliver that’s left. And that’s what we keep. And as soon as a pipe breaks or our heat breaks, or whatever, that profit margin gets chipped away.”

Without grants, she worries hundreds of local restaurants could shut down by winter’s end. According to the National Restaurant Association, replenishing the RRF could save 1.6 million jobs.

Kurnyn hopes in spite of COVID-19 and the typical slowdown that comes with winter, people will step up and help out.

“It’s time for a beer and a grilled cheese,” she grinned. “Right now.”

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington is kicking off the new year with a huge list of programming for children and adults.  The events include Martin Luther King holiday programming for kids, homeschooling help, painting classes, readings, yoga, and the return of Jazz@cam.

Here is the complete list:

January 2022

Saturday and Sunday January 15^th and 16^th

KIDS @ CAM – I Have A Dream Peace Flag weekend

In-Person: Saturday, January 15^th or Sunday, January 16^th

Cameron Art Museum honors the life and work of civil rights activist Martin Luther King with the “I Have a Dream” Peace Flag Project. We invite the community to take inspiration from King’s iconic speech from 1963 and think deeply about our own hopes and dreams for ourselves, our city, our nation, and the world. These dreams will be written on squares of cloth, emblematic of the peace prayer flags created for centuries in Tibet. Your peace flag will be included in a community installation that will be displayed around the CAM pond. Together, these flags represent our collective desire for racial unity, community healing, and peace.

Packages for classes will be available. Please check our website for registration and participation details, or email education@cameronartmuseum.org to find out ways to involve your students!

 

Sunday, January 16

2 pm

Members: $16 Nonmembers: $20 Students: $12

USCT Public Programs Series: Mary D. Williams

Join us as musician, educator, and historian Mary D. Williams explores the legacy of the USCT through song. Williams has performed and provided her voice to the soundtrack of Blood Done Sign My Name (February 2010). She has also performed at the North Carolina State Capitol and has been featured on Dick Gordon’s The Story, as well as on National Public Radio. Williams is both a scholar and a musician, whose breathtaking voice takes listeners on a journey through time.

Tuesdays, January 18 – February 8

10am – 12pm

 

Homeschool Tuesdays

Instructor: Renato Abbate

CAM member price: $108; non-member: $120

This clay class will cover all the basic hand building techniques:  pinch, coil, and slab. Students will also discuss 3-D design elements as well as bisque and glaze firing.

Tuesdays, January 18 – February 22

10am – 1pm

 

Principles of Drawing

Instructor: Todd Carignan

CAM member price: $234; non-member price: $260

The foundation of all representational art is drawing. This class covers how to start a drawing, measuring, mark-making, arranging your subject and lighting, creating texture and depth.

Tuesday, January 18 – February 8

4pm – 5:30pm

 

Create a Story

Instructor: Carolyn Faulkner

CAM member price: $85.50; non-member: $95

Draw an outline using your favorite bird, insect, animal or whatever you choose. Even an anime character that you create! Then draw a story inside using designs and/or memories. This can be make believe or something personal you wish to express. You will then color with markers or colored pencil. Your story can be hidden, by attaching another cutout layer (such as a wing on the bird). It will be like opening a book! We will continue to explore more pieces and movement on your art as time permits.

Wednesday, January 19

9 – 10 am

 

Gentle Yoga with Steve Unger

Donation $5

Wednesday, January 19

1:30 pm

 

Public Tour

Free with admission

Wednesday, January 19

 

Capturing our Colorful Coastal Skies

Instructor: Carolyn Faulkner

CAM member price: $153; non-member: $170

Living in coastal Carolina you most likely have witnessed the variety of skies; from brilliant sunrises/sunsets to threatening thunder skies and everything in between. This course will provide you with the basic concepts of achieving some of those classic features found in our colorful skies. In this class you will learn the balance between soft and hard edges while creating beautiful multi-colored sunrises, sunsets, and storm clouds, using acrylic paints. This course will provide you with the confidence to be bold with your brush and colors as you softly blend colors to achieve that memorable look. Some key features of this course are understanding that nothing is truly white in the sky and the use of a variety of colors becomes an asset. Both sky and clouds have some of the softest edges found in nature. A balance between soft and hard edges are important to the painter to describe the volume of the clouds and their translucency.

Thursday, January 20

All Day

 

Member Preview of Confluence

Member tours at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 7:00 pm

Friday, January 21

 

Public Opening of Confluence

11:00 am Gallery Talk with Artist Gene Felice

CAM Member $15/ NonMember $20

Thursday, January 20

10am – 4pm

 

Watercolor Fresh Market workshop

Instructor: Janice Castiglione

CAM member price: $171; non-member: $190

Spend two days painting still lives. There’s something to be said about painting from life and having it right in front of you. Each participant will be asked to bring in a fresh fruit or vegetable to add to existing backdrops. What fun! On Day Two, we will change places to work on new compositions, so bring a camera.

 

Educators Night

Thursday, January 20^th

4pm to 7pm

FREE for teachers

Spend a fun and relaxing evening at CAM with free admission during an exclusive event for educators and view our new exhibitions. Docents in the galleries will answer your questions and provide information about the exhibitions. Our Educators Night will provide information and materials about tours, workshops, and other free resources for area educators. All educators and administrators – from Pre-K to College – welcome and encouraged to attend and explore fun ways to bring art into your classroom and spark creativity in your students.

Thursdays, January 20 – February 24

6 – 9pm

 

Thursday Night Clay

Instructor: Renato Abbate

CAM member price: $225; nonmember: $250

A fun class for all skill levels. Make your own custom plates or mugs. Work on some wild sculpture. Explore how clay can work for you and gain a new appreciation for handmade pottery.

 

Gallery Talk: Antoinette Vogt

Saturday, January 22

1pm-2pm

Artist Toni Vogt will discuss the prints by Willy Cole in the Shadow We Create exhibition.  His printing process is akin to a collagraph, where found objects are used to create a printing plate.  By using ironing boards, Cole finds a new means to explore a familiar motif.

Antoinette Angela Vogt received a B.F.A. with a concentration in Drawing from the State University of New York at Purchase and a Master of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology. She worked in Architecture for several years while teaching drawing at night through Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC. After moving to Norman, Oklahoma in 2011, she began volunteering at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art assisting in the classroom for their educational programs. Antoinette also taught drawing at a small art school in Norman before moving on to teach Drawing and Art Appreciation at Oklahoma City Community College.

Sunday, January 23

2 pm

 

Reading: Jason Mott, Hell of a Book, winner of the 2021 National Book Award

CAM members $10/ Nonmembers: $15

Free for students

Admission includes entry to the galleries

***2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER***

Winner of the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction

Longlisted for the 2022 Carnegie Medal Fiction, the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize

A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

One of Washington Post‘s 50 Notable Works of Fiction | One of Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Best Books of 2021 | One of Shelf Awareness’s Top Ten Fiction Titles of the Year | One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books | One of NPR.org’s “Books We Love” | EW’s “Guide to the Biggest and Buzziest Books of 2021” | One of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Adults | One of Entertainment Weekly‘s 15 Books you Need to Read This June | On Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List” | One of The NY Post‘s Best Summer Reading books | One of GMA’s 27 Books for June | One of USA Today‘s 5 Books Not to Miss | One of Fortune‘s 21 Most Anticipated Books Coming out in the Second Half of 2021 | One of The Root‘s PageTurners: It’s Getting Hot in Here | One of Real Simple‘s Best New Books to Read in 2021 |One of The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Best of 2021

Join National Book Award Winner Jason Mott for a reading from Hell of a Book. Hell of a Book is an astounding work of fiction from a New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, always deeply honest, at times electrically funny, that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans, and America as a whole. Jason Mott has published four novels. His first novel, The Returned, was a New York Times bestseller and was turned into a TV series that ran for two seasons. He has a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry, both from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His poetry and fiction have appeared in various literary journals, and his most recent novel, Hell of a Book, was named the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, 2021.

Wednesday, January 26

9 – 10 am

 

Gentle Yoga with Steve Unger

Donation $5

Wednesday, January 26

1:30 pm

 

Public Tour

Free with admission

Thursday, January 27

10 am – 11 am

 

Art Explorers with Airlie Gardens

Thursday, January 27

10am – 1pm

 

The Power of Pastels Returns to CAM!

Instructor: Jerri Greenberg

CAM member price: $171; non-member: $190

Come along and explore the sheer joy of painting in pastels, learn to use different brands, softness, papers, and lighting to make the “ordinary EXTRAordinary”. Each week we will work from a still life setup or a model, to expand your repertoire and your comfort zones, working with this wonderful, immediate medium.

Thursday, January 27

6pm – 8:30pm

 

Art Buzz- Mixed Media Fashion Illustration

Instructor: Jennifer Gironda

CAM member price: $45; non-member: $50

Join us for a fashion sketching session featuring mixed media collage materials.  We will work from various images from fashion magazines (feel free to bring images from YOUR favorite runway looks!) and we will go over how to do a quick croquis and then add the garments using a variety of 2D collage materials.  An assortment of papers and adhesives will be available, but please feel free to bring any scrap papers, magazine pages or other materials for your looks!

Thursday, January 27

7 pm

 

Exhibitions After Dark: Gallery Talk with Zedrick Applin

Learn about Stephen Hayes’s exhibition Voices of Future’s Past from the unique perspective of community member Zedrick Applin, Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Involvement at nCino. Join Zedrick for this interaction conversation and grab dinner and a cocktail from CAM Café before or after. Free with admission.

Fridays, January 28 – March 4

10am – 12pm

 

Interactive color

Instructor: Lois DeWitt

CAM member price: $153; non-member: $170

Interaction of Color by Josef Albers was published by Yale University in 1963. A seminal study, it provided new perspectives on color and how it is perceived visually. Through a series of visual projects using Color-aid papers, students develop new cognitive and visual skills towards seeing and analyzing the perception of color. These skills can transfer easily to other artistic skills like painting, drawing and printmaking.  Keeping close to Alber’s instruction and projects, this six-week course leads students through a series of fascinating, unique and informative color theory using Color-aid and found papers.

Saturday, January 29

11– 4pm

 

Memory Jar – Capturing Your Past through Narrative and Assemblage

Instructor: Fritzi Huber and Dina Greenberg

CAM member price: $72; non-member: $80

Why is it so difficult to throw away all the “stuff” we accumulate? Perhaps these objects carry meaning beyond simple explanation. In this five-hour workshop: (1) We’ll first use (your chosen) objects to spark a brief work of creative writing: poetry, prose, or hybrid (2) create a three-dimensional “memory jar” to capture the meaning of your treasures.

  

February 2022

Wednesday, February 2 – 23

6pm – 8pm

 

VIRTUAL- Winter Words on Paper – Telling our Stories in Memoir

Instructor: Dina Greenberg

CAM member price: $108; non-member price: $120

You, dear writer, are uniquely qualified to tell the stories of your past, present, and perhaps even an imagined future.  This creative writing workshop in memoir for adult writers is open to community participants with varying degrees of writing expertise. The workshop follows a traditional format where group members critique one another’s work with the instructor’s guidance. Literature and craft articles will also be presented for discussion. The goal is to instill respect and compassion in the critique process while helping participants improve their writing and literary analysis.

Thursdays, February 3 – March 10

4:30 – 6:30pm

 

Foundations of Drawing: Teen and Young Adult

Instructor: Antoinette Vogt

CAM member price: $148.50; non-member: $165

Learn how to draw realistically through the study of still life. Students will develop drawing skills by understanding and improving ability to see objects in space to better represent them on the page. Learn how to see and draw objects in proportion and understand perspective. Topics covered will include working with line; blind and modified contour drawing; seeing and drawing negative space (the space around objects); visual perspective (perceiving angles using sighting technique); proportion (objects in relations to one another).

Friday, February 4^th

12pm

 

‘Resilience’ Community Screening

View the award-winning documentary ‘Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope’. The film screens in our spacious reception hall from 12 PM to 1 PM, followed by an optional brief discussion with other community members. Learn about the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force. https://www.nhcbouncesback.org/

The CAM offers free screenings of ‘Resilience’ on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holiday and then it moves to the second Friday). Feel free to grab lunch at the CAM café, or bring your own lunch!

No fee and no registration necessary.

Fridays, February 4 – 25

1pm – 3pm

 

Introduction to Ikebana

Instructor: Karen Chevrotee

CAM member price: $117; non-member: $130

IKEBANA, the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging. Originally used in Temples, simple, elegant, at once meditative. Following prescribed rules to create Beauty for your home or office with natural flowers, leaves and branches.

Friday, February 4

8-9am

 

All Levels Flow Yoga with Kim Gargiulo

Saturday & Sunday, February 5 – 6

10am – 4pm & noon – 4pm

 

Rock, Paper Stitches – Joomchi & Embroidery  – Virtual

CAM member price: $144; non-member: $160

‘Rock’ two slow-process crafts in one unique class! Day 1 will concentrate on learning an ancient Korean paper craft to create a ‘felted’ paper called joomchi. Joomchi utilizes layers of thin hanji papers that, through agitation and manipulation, create a sturdy piece that can be used alone or in other artistic endeavors. One such endeavor will be achieved on Day 2. Taking the previous day’s joomchi pieces, you’ll use simple hand stitches for mark making, to add found objects, or to stitch several joomchi together for a larger, dramatic piece of finished paper art. (This is not a paper making class.)

Thursday, February 10

7pm-8pm

 

Exhibitions After Dark: Gallery Talk with Cedric Harrison

Cedric Harrison, a Wilmington native, is the founder of both Support the Port and wilmingtoNColor. Harrison has dedicated his professional career to supporting and creating opportunities for economic growth and advancement for African Americans in the Wilmington area. He is a local historian (in his own right) and passionate about the rich history of African Americans in Wilmington, NC.

Due to his impactful efforts and work, Harrison has earned several accolades and much recognition in this space. Most recently, Harrison was a recipient of the 40 under 40 award presented by StarNews meds and Wilmington Chamber of Commerce – an award which recognizes professionals who are high performers in their field.

In 2019, Harrison was selected out of over 400 applicants to be part of the inaugural cohort of the All for NC Fellows. Since the fellowship, Harrison has seized the opportunity to continue his journey of bringing transformational change to his local community.

Cedric Harrison also had the opportunity to deliver his first TEDx talk in 2019 at the TEDx Airlie event in Wilmington, NC. His speech, Bridging the Racial Gap of Socio-Economics, provided viewers with a compelling history lesson on Wilmington in conversation with his personal experiences and journey.

Friday, February 11

8-9am

 

All Levels Flow Yoga with Kim Gargiulo

Saturday, February 12 & February 19

10 – 1pm

 

Collagraph Printmaking Workshop

Instructor: Antoinette Vogt

CAM member price: 81; non-member: $90

A two-day workshop to learn the art of collagraph printmaking using plates created by collage. In this workshop students will create printing plates by gluing elements onto the printing surface to create an image. Students are asked to gather collage supplies ahead of time and bring them to the first-class session. Collage items should not be more than 1/8″ thick and can include scraps of cardboard; textured item such as sandpaper, fabric, burlap or lace; string or twine, leaves. seeds, buttons, etc. Students will create their plates during the first session and print them during the second session.

 

Saturday, February 12

1pm – 2:30pm

CAM Members $20/ Nonmembers $25

 

Book Buzz- Women Who Misbehave

Instructor: Sayantani Dasgupta with Heather Wilson

Join author Sayantani Dasgupta for a discussion of her new novel, “Women Who Misbehave”. Dasgupta states, “Well-behaved or not, woman or not, each of our lives is made up of stories. How you tell it is where the art lies. Each of us lives through historic moments every day, and ends up with thousands of stories. Now who gets to tell stories, whose stories are valued and heard is another matter altogether.” Registration includes a glass of wine or sparkling water. Studio dinner and half-priced bottles of wine available from the CAM Cafe.

Sayantani Dasgupta has taught creative writing in the United States, India, Italy, and Mexico. She is an essayist, a short story writer, and the author of Fire Girl: Essays On India, America, & The In-Between- a finalist for the 2016 Foreword Indies Award for Essays- and the chapbook The House Of Nails: Memories Of A New Delhi Childhood. Born in Calcutta and raised in New Delhi, Sayantani received a BA in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, an MA in Medieval History from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho.

Saturday, February 12

11am – 2pm

 

Woven Hand built Ceramic Basket

Instructor: Shannon Gehen

CAM member price: $50; non-member: $55

Learn how to make a woven ceramic basket, combining the tradition of basket weaving with the ease of a glazed surface for your kitchen, coffee table, or special event.

Sunday, February 13

 

WSO Sunday Concert Series

2-3pm

Thursday, February 17

 

Jazz@ CAM

6:30-8:00pm

$25 for CAM and CFJS members, $30 for non-members, $15 for students and military

The John Brown Quintet

The multi-talented John Brown brings his quintet to the CAM on February 3. The performance is part of our ongoing concert series, which begins at 6:30 PM.

A successful bassist, composer, educator and actor, John currently serves as Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University. He has a long history of performance excellence. At the age of 13, he began performing with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. He was playing Principal Bass with that orchestra and performing with the Florence Symphony in South Carolina while still in high school.

John has performed in the United States and abroad with artists that include Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Diahann Carroll, Rosemary Clooney, Nell Carter, Lou Donaldson, Slide Hampton, Nicholas Payton, Frank Foster, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley and Mark Whitfield.  He also has a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free. His extensive experience includes performances at notable venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood Bowl and at major jazz festivals like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Free Jazz Festival (Brazil) and Jazz e Vienne (France).

For more information on any of these events click here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Musuem’s Floating Lantern Ceremony is Sunday, January 9 on the museum’s grounds.

This year it returns to an in-person event at the Reflection Pond.  It is called an expression of remembrance, reflection, and gratitude.

CAM admission lets you into all the indoor exhibitions, but the Lantern Ceremony is free.  There will be live music near the pond, hot chocolates, beverages, and light food service from the CAM Cafe.

Lantern sales are happening now for you to decorate for $12 at the CAM Museum Shop.  The ceremony is from 4 – 7pm.

Click here for more information.

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Country music megastars Shenandoah will bring ‘The Every Road Tour’ to Brunswick Community College’s Odell Williamson Auditorium on January 15.

Led by Marty Raybon’s distinctive vocals, the group is celebrated for hits like “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road,” and the Grammy winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart.”  The band’s latest album includes collaborations with Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, and Brad Paisley.

The stop in Bolivia comes just days before the band returns to the Grand Ole Opry stage on January 21.

Tickets are available by clicking here.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Two people including a state highway patrol trooper were killed in a traffic crash Monday night.

The accident occurred around 8:58 p.m. in Boiling Springs near the intersection of High Shoals Church Road and Goodes Grove Church Road.

Trooper John S. Horton had pulled over a driver and both of were standing alongside the road prior to the deadly crash.

The trooper’s brother, Trooper James N. Horton, also responded to the scene to assist. According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Horton collided with his brother’s patrol vehicle striking Trooper John Horton and the detained driver.

Trooper John Horton was taken to a hospital in Spartanburg, SC, where he later died from his injuries. He was a 15-year veteran assigned to Rutherford County.

The detained driver died at the scene and the highway patrol has not released that person’s identity at this time.

Trooper James Horton was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

“Our hearts are broken with the loss of our friend and our brother, Trooper John Horton” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “For all involved in this tragic event, the coming days will undoubtedly be difficult but we are committed to stand alongside with them with our thoughts, prayers and unwavering support.”

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the crash along with assistance from the NC State Highway Patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday morning, the league said. He was 85.

The NFL said he died unexpectedly and did not detail a cause.

Madden gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record, and his .759 winning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games.

But it was his work after prematurely retiring as coach at age 42 that made Madden truly a household name. He educated a football nation with his use of the telestrator on broadcasts; entertained millions with his interjections of “Boom!” and “Doink!” throughout games; was an omnipresent pitchman selling restaurants, hardware stores and beer; became the face of “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most successful sports video games of all-time; and was a best-selling author.

Most of all, he was the preeminent television sports analyst for most of his three decades calling games, winning an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, and covering 11 Super Bowls for four networks from 1979-2009.

“People always ask, are you a coach or a broadcaster or a video game guy?” he said when was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I’m a coach, always been a coach.”

He started his broadcasting career at CBS after leaving coaching in great part because of his fear of flying. He and Pat Summerall became the network’s top announcing duo. Madden then helped give Fox credibility as a major network when he moved there in 1994, and went on to call prime-time games at ABC and NBC before retiring following Pittsburgh’s thrilling 27-23 win over Arizona in the 2009 Super Bowl.

“I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden, and I know of no one who loved the game more,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.

Burly and a little unkempt, Madden earned a place in America’s heart with a likable, unpretentious style that was refreshing in a sports world of spiraling salaries and prima donna stars. He rode from game to game in his own bus because he suffered from claustrophobia and had stopped flying. For a time, Madden gave out a “turducken” — a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey — to the outstanding player in the Thanksgiving game that he called.

“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”

When he finally retired from the broadcast booth, leaving NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” colleagues universally praised Madden’s passion for the sport, his preparation, and his ability to explain an often-complicated game in down-to-earth terms.

“No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John,” play-by-play announcer Al Michaels said at the time.

For anyone who heard Madden exclaim “Boom!” while breaking down a play, his love of the game was obvious.

“For me, TV is really an extension of coaching,” Madden wrote in “Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!).”

“My knowledge of football has come from coaching. And on TV, all I’m trying to do is pass on some of that knowledge to viewers.”

Madden was raised in Daly City, California. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines for Cal Poly in 1957-58 and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the school.

Madden was chosen to the all-conference team and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, but a knee injury ended his hopes of a pro playing career. Instead, Madden got into coaching, first at Hancock Junior College and then as defensive coordinator at San Diego State.

Al Davis brought him to the Raiders as a linebackers coach in 1967, and Oakland went to the Super Bowl in his first year in the pros. He replaced John Rauch as head coach after the 1968 season at age 32, beginning a remarkable 10-year run.

With his demonstrative demeanor on the sideline and disheveled look, Madden was the ideal coach for the collection of castoffs and misfits that made up those Raiders teams.

“Sometimes guys were disciplinarians in things that didn’t make any difference. I was a disciplinarian in jumping offsides; I hated that,” Madden once said. “Being in bad position and missing tackles, those things. I wasn’t, ‘Your hair has to be combed.’”

The Raiders responded.

“I always thought his strong suit was his style of coaching,” quarterback Ken Stabler once said. “John just had a great knack for letting us be what we wanted to be, on the field and off the field. … How do you repay him for being that way? You win for him.”

And boy, did they ever. Many years, the only problem was the playoffs.

Madden went 12-1-1 in his first season, losing the AFL title game 17-7 to Kansas City. That pattern repeated itself during his tenure; the Raiders won the division title in seven of his first eight seasons, but went 1-6 in conference title games during that span.

Still, Madden’s Raiders played in some of the sport’s most memorable games of the 1970s, games that helped change rules in the NFL. There was the “Holy Roller” in 1978, when Stabler purposely fumbled forward before being sacked on the final play. The ball rolled and was batted to the end zone before Dave Casper recovered it for the winning touchdown against San Diego.

The most famous of those games went against the Raiders in the 1972 playoffs at Pittsburgh. With the Raiders leading 7-6 and 22 seconds left, the Steelers had a fourth-and-10 from their 40. Terry Bradshaw’s desperation pass deflected off either Oakland’s Jack Tatum or Pittsburgh’s Frenchy Fuqua to Franco Harris, who caught it at his shoe tops and ran in for a TD.

In those days, a pass that bounced off an offensive player directly to a teammate was illegal, and the debate continues to this day over which player it hit. The catch, of course, was dubbed the “Immaculate Reception.”

Oakland finally broke through with a loaded team in 1976 that had Stabler at quarterback; Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch at receiver; tight end Dave Casper; Hall of Fame offensive linemen Gene Upshaw and Art Shell; and a defense that included Willie Brown, Ted Hendricks, Tatum, John Matuszak, Otis Sistrunk and George Atkinson.

The Raiders went 13-1, losing only a blowout at New England in Week 4. They paid the Patriots back with a 24-21 win in their first playoff game and got over the AFC title game hump with a 24-7 win over the hated Steelers, who were crippled by injuries.

Oakland won it all with a 32-14 Super Bowl romp against Minnesota.

“Players loved playing for him,” Shell said. “He made it fun for us in camp and fun for us in the regular season. All he asked is that we be on time and play like hell when it was time to play.”

Madden battled an ulcer the following season, when the Raiders once again lost in the AFC title game. He retired from coaching at age 42 after a 9-7 season in 1978.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia, and two sons, Joseph and Michael. John and Virginia Madden’s 62nd wedding anniversary was two days before his death.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Public Utility Authority will be closed for New Year’s Eve on Friday, December 31.

The Customer Service Centers at 235 Government Center Drive and 305 Chestnut Street will reopen for regular business at 8am Monday, January 3.

Customers may manage their accounts using the Interactive Voice-Response system by calling 910-332-6550 or online via the Customer Self-Service portal by clicking here.

To report a water or sewer emergency during the holiday, call CFPUA’s emergency hotline at 910-332-6565.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Nobody won the Powerball or Mega Millions drawings this week, so there a lot of money on the line right now.

Tonight you have a chance to win more than 378 million dollars in the Powerball drawing. It has a cash value of nearly 276 million.

If you don’t win tonight you have another chance on Friday.  The Mega Millions Jackpot stands at 187 million dollars.  It has a cash value of more than 134 million.

Your chances of winning are estimated to be about 1 in nearly 14 million.

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The holidays can be difficult for military members, veterans, and military families.  Festive events can trigger feelings of loneliness, isolation, grief, survivor’s guilt, and sadness.  Large crowds and loud noises can bring on PTSD symptoms.

Coastal Horizons and the nonprofit Save A Vet Now (SAVN) are working to help veterans and military members get outpatient treatment services.  SAVN has a special account to cover any co-pay or self-pay costs for treatment at its Brunswick, New Hanover, or Pender outpatient locations.

Coastal Horizons offers services to promote healthier lives, stronger families and safer communities. Telemental Health Therapist and veteran Justin Gibson says “there is no need for them to ‘go it alone.’ Help is just a phone call away.”

If you need help reach out to Coastal Horizons at the following numbers:

•  New Hanover County        910-343-0145
•  Brunswick County              910-754-4515
•  Pender County                    910-259-0668

For immediate help call Mobile Crisis at 1-866-437-1821.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Saint Nicholas Foundation is spreading cheer near and far to make sure no child or elderly person is forgotten at the holidays.  The foundation gives toys and gifts to more than 500 people in six states.

Founder Nicholas Newell was born on Christmas day and is lovingly referred to as St. Nick.  The organization says it’s goal is to “Spread holiday cheer near and far.  Making sure no child or elder in need is forgotten.  Everyone makes our nice list.”

Newell says the pandemic changed how things were done the past two years but now he is “happy that we can at least bring them gifts.”  He adds that he “started this organization informally 8 years ago asking family and friends to donate so I could purchase stuffed animals for kids in hospitals. In 2018 we expanded to those in assisted living facilities.”

The foundation is accepting donations in various ways.  You can donate through Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Corning Credit Union as well as other options.

Learn all you options by visiting here.

 

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — It’s a candy cane Christmas in Southport!  The Southport Garden Club displaying dozens of handmade candy canes in Keziah Park as part of Winterfest and to support a more beautiful and green city.

The Candy Cane Garden Party kicks off at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Keziah Park in downtown Southport.  It features candy canes decorated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals.  The event is free and includes hot chocolate and entertainment.

Other Winterfest events this week:

•  Annual Cookie Contest, December 8, 3 – 5:30pm, Community Building
• Supper with Santa’s Elves, December 8, 5-7pm, 209 Atlantic Ave., beside Southport Gym
• Christmas movie ‘Polar Express,’ December 9, dusk, Garrison Lawn
• Costumed Holiday History Tour, December 10, 3pm, 204 E. Moore St.
• Caroling with The Sea Notes, December 10, 5:30pm, Franklin Square Park Stage
• Light Up the Night Christmas Parade, December 10, 6:30pm, Howe St.
• Winter Craft Festival, December 11, 9am – 4pm, Franklin Square Park
• Winterfest Performing Arts, December 11, 9am – 4pm, Franklin Square Park
• Book Sale, December 11, 9am – noon, 727 N. Howe St.
• Santa’s Workshop, December 11, 10 – 11am, 209 Atlantic Ave., beside Southport Gym
• Southport Christmas Flotilla, December 11, 7pm, Southport Waterfront

For more information click here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear looks to a world in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future.  It is celebrating 25 years of providing case management, transitional housing, and emergency shelter to families in need.

The 25th Anniversary Celebration Low Country Boil has a happy hour, dinner, and entertainment from comedian Orlando Jones.

Board member Karon Tunis says the event is about “educating people about Family Promise and letting them know that we have been active in the Lower Cape Fear for 25 years.”

The event is at Plaza on Princess in downtown Wilmington Tuesday, December 7, 2021, and kicks off at 6pm.

For tickets or more information click here.

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 2022 North Carolina Azalea Festival has a signature event before spring arrives.  The 2022 Chef’s Showcase will bring together five chefs from around the state to the Hotel Ballast in January.

The Showcase is a seated culinary adventure consisting of a 5-course meal with fine wine pairings, light entertainment, high-end silent auction items, and a luxury vacation raffle. Notable chefs from our region (and beyond!) work together to prepare the dishes.

The chefs this year are:

•  Sheri Castle, host of The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle, on PBS North Carolina
• Tiesha Lewis, the 2021 North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown Pastry Chef of the Year
• Saif Rahman, the 2021 North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown Chef of the Year
• Nathan Sims, Hotel Ballast Executive Chef
• Fabio Capparelli, Bluewater Grill Executive Chef

The event is Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 1 – 4pm at The Hotel Ballast in downtown Wilmington.

For more information and tickets click here.

Supply, N.C. (WWAY) — An AMBER Alert has been issued for two Brunswick County juveniles who authorities say may be in danger and are believed to be with their father in violation of a court-issued custody order.

The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said Wyatt Wilcox and Chance Wilcox were last seen Thursday in the Oak Island-Supply area.

According to investigators, the children are believed to be with their father, Brandon Wilcox, despite a court-issued non-secure custody order. Authorities said concerns regarding the children’s safety and welfare were raised during contact with the Department of Social Services, prompting law enforcement involvement.

Deputies attempted to locate Brandon Wilcox and the children at a residence on Southeast Frying Pan Road in Supply, but officials said they were no longer at the location when investigators arrived.

The current whereabouts of the children are unknown. Authorities said they do not know the method of travel or direction of travel.

Wyatt Wilcox is described as a white male juvenile with brown hair, a small build and glasses. Chance Wilcox is described as a white male juvenile with brown hair and a small build. Investigators believe the children may still be in Brunswick County or surrounding areas.

Brandon Wilcox’s last known contact was in the Supply area, according to the sheriff’s office.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Wyatt Wilcox, Chance Wilcox or Brandon Wilcox is asked to contact the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office at 910-253-2777 or call 911.

Authorities advise the public not to approach Brandon Wilcox and to immediately contact law enforcement with any sightings or information.

The investigation remains ongoing.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Carolina Hurricanes fans packed Carolina Ale House on College Road Thursday night as they gathered to watch Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The restaurant was filled with “Caniacs” sporting Hurricanes gear, cheering on their team and creating an atmosphere that rivaled being inside the arena itself.

“It’s absolutely electric,” said fan Ayden Zollins. “It’s the closest I’ve been to a game without actually being at the arena.”

For many fans, the Hurricanes’ return to the Stanley Cup Final is years in the making. The team has not reached the championship series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, making this playoff run especially meaningful for longtime supporters.

“We’ve been close so many times and just haven’t been able to get over the hump,” Zollins said. “We’ve been waiting for years.”

The excitement surrounding the Hurricanes’ postseason success is also providing a boost for local businesses.

Fans spent hours at Carolina Ale House ordering food and drinks, participating in game-day activities and staying through the action on the ice.

“The more, the merrier,” said Sharie Bullen, general manager of Carolina Ale House.

According to WorldMetrics.org, sports bar occupancy can reach as high as 90% on game nights. The site also reports that customers stay an average of two and a half hours and spend roughly $42 per visit. During major championship events, sports bars can see sales increase anywhere from 20% to 100%.

Bullen said the energy inside the restaurant has been contagious throughout the Hurricanes’ playoff run.

“When they score, everybody gets excited,” she said. “The atmosphere is incredible.”

While bartenders and servers worked to keep up with the crowd, fans remained focused on the game — and some even leaned on their favorite game-day traditions to help bring the Hurricanes a little extra luck.

“If I’m not working, I’m at Ale House wearing my jersey,” one fan said. “That’s the best I can do.”

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime. They will head to T-Mobile arena in Vegas for game 3.

(WWAY) — When a romantic relationship comes to an end, what happens to the pets caught in the split?

Brandon Pettijohn, in addition to being a jiu-jitsu champion and marine veteran, is a legal eagle!

Known on social media as “Port City Attorney,” he will be making regular stops at WWAY to offer advice on the law.

Recently, he had to handle a divorce case where instead of disputing custody over items like cars, a couch, or a TV, both sides were arguing over custody of a dog.

In North Carolina, this situation falls under personal property laws rather than custody laws, like you would see with children.

However, ownership of a pet prior to a relationship, while it may support your case, doesn’t guarantee an outcome.

According to Pettijohn, it’s usually whoever has the most paperwork, like the ownership records and purchase agreement.

“Unfortunately, the courts in North Carolina don’t treat them like child custody cases,” said Pettijohn. “It’s going to be a strict ownership issue.”

He says the best way to prevent battles like this is to have an agreement before a breakup.

“It’s easier to agree when you’re getting along than when you’re not.”

Another path is to ensure you have clear and detailed ownership information, whether than be an adoption agreement, veterinary records, or your name being on the microchip.

Do you have a legal question for the Port City Attorney?

Contact us at newsroom@wwaytv3.com, and Brandon will render a verdict.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A free Water Safety & Swim Clinic for parents is happening this weekend at UNCW.

The clinic is happening on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the UNCW Pool.

The event will be led by UNCW Swimming & Diving Coach Bobby Guntoro.

Organizers said the free, hands-on clinic is designed to help parents build confidence in the water and keep their families safe.

Parents will also learn key safety tips and create a checklist to help protect their family.

To register for the event, click here.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Jurors in the Tru Colors double-murder trial reviewed text message exchanges Thursday between defendants Omonte Bell and Dyrell Green as prosecutors continued presenting digital evidence in the case.

Bell and Green are charged in the 2021 killings of Briyanna Williams and Koredreece Tyson at the home of George Taylor III, the chief operating officer of Tru Colors Brewing. The Wilmington brewery gained national attention for employing active gang members before closing in 2022.

In New Hanover County Superior Court, prosecutors walked jurors through a digital analysis of text conversations extracted from cell phones connected to the investigation.

Among the messages presented was an exchange that occurred after the killings, in which one defendant wrote, “Stop worrying,” followed by, “You’re overthinking it.”

Jurors also saw a separate conversation involving an unidentified woman. According to testimony, Bell wrote, “She’s asking too many questions,” and Green responded, “Just delete her messages, you’re good.”

Defense attorneys raised several objections to portions of the digital evidence as prosecutors presented the messages. The judge overruled those objections, allowing the evidence to be shown to the jury.

The digital evidence is part of the state’s effort to establish the defendants’ alleged involvement in the killings and their communications surrounding the case.

Before the court adjourned, prosecutors asked the judge to allow a witness to testify out of order because the witness is expected to be unavailable next week.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Friday.

(WWAY) — Recreational anglers will have two weeks to harvest flounder in North Carolina waters this year.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced the 2026 recreational flounder season will open Sept. 1 and run through Sept. 14 in Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters.

The season dates are the same as those offered in 2025.

“North Carolina’s decision to open the 2026 recreational season to match last year’s season stems from a review of recreational data from 2025 and deliberate management actions aimed at balancing sustainability with angler access,” Division of Marine Fisheries Director Kathy Rawls said in a statement. “Whenever we can, we aim to provide some consistency in the recreational flounder seasons from year to year.”

The season, size and bag limits comply with provisions of the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s flounder season also will run Sept. 1-14, making the season, size limit and daily bag limit consistent across jurisdictions.

Under the regulations:

• The season opens Sept. 1 at 12:01 a.m. and closes Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m.
• Anglers may keep one flounder per person per day.
• The minimum size limit is 15 inches total length.
• All harvested flounder must be reported to the Division of Marine Fisheries through an online form or iPhone app.
• Only hook-and-line and gig fisheries are allowed.
• Harvesting flounder with a Recreational Commercial Gear License is prohibited.

The commercial flounder season for internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters will be announced at a later date through a separate news release and proclamation.

(WWAY) — Visitors will soon have another day each week to explore two of southeastern North Carolina’s most popular historic attractions.

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson and Fort Fisher are among 13 North Carolina historic sites that will offer Sunday hours this summer as part of a new pilot program announced by the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites.

Under the eight-week program, participating sites will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays from June 14 through Aug. 2. Most state historic sites currently operate Tuesday through Saturday.

The pilot program was mandated by the 2025 “mini budget” bill approved by the North Carolina General Assembly.

For residents and visitors in the Cape Fear region, the expanded hours will provide additional opportunities to visit Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson in Brunswick County and Fort Fisher in New Hanover County during the busy summer tourism season.

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson preserves the remains of one of North Carolina’s earliest colonial ports and a key Civil War fortification along the Cape Fear River. Fort Fisher, located near Kure Beach, played a critical role in protecting Wilmington during the Civil War.

The General Assembly selected 13 sites across North Carolina to participate in the pilot program. Other include Aycock Birthplace, Historic Bath, Bentonville Battlefield, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Historic Edenton, Historic Halifax, Reed Gold Mine, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Somerset Place, the State Capitol and Thomas Day State Historic Site.

 

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — An investigation has led to the recovery of more than $630,000 worth of stolen vehicles and the arrest of two men accused of operating a vehicle theft scheme spanning North and South Carolina.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced that agents executed search warrants Wednesday at properties in Hope Mills and Hoke County as part of a multi-agency investigation into motor vehicle theft.

During the operation, investigators recovered two motor vehicles, six semi-trucks and three trailers with an estimated value exceeding $630,000.

According to the SBI, the vehicles had been stolen from locations across North and South Carolina. Investigators believe dozens of additional vehicles connected to the alleged scheme remain unaccounted for.

Authorities allege the suspects stole trucks, altered vehicle identification numbers and license plates, and then rented the vehicles to unsuspecting individuals and businesses.

Andre David Horace Jumpp, of Hope Mills, was charged with:

• Two counts of felony breaking and entering
• Two counts of felony larceny of a motor vehicle

Prince Leon Raymond Betts, of Raeford, was charged with:

• Two counts of felony breaking and entering
• Two counts of felony larceny of a motor vehicle
• Two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon
• One count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle

The SBI said the investigation was identified and initiated by investigators with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

“This operation demonstrates the impact that coordinated local, state, and federal partnerships can have in disrupting organized vehicle theft and protecting the public,” SBI Director Chip Hawley said in a statement. “We will continue to follow every lead to identify additional suspects, recover additional stolen property, and hold those responsible accountable.”

The investigation involved the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Hope Mills Police Department and the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office.

The SBI is asking anyone who rented a vehicle from either suspect to contact investigators at 919-662-4500.

 

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Pender County jury has convicted a man of killing two people in a 2022 stabbing attack, resulting in two consecutive life prison sentences.

According to the Pender County District Attorney’s Office, a jury on June 3 found Cody Camron Coffield guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Ricky Bullard and Roy Batson.

Judge Quintin McGee sentenced Coffield to two consecutive terms of life in prison.

Prosecutors said the murders happened on Feb. 17, 2022, when Coffield drove to Batson’s property on Watts Landing Road and began stabbing Batson and Bullard multiple times with a knife.

Batson died at the scene. Bullard died in an ambulance while being transported to a hospital. Before he died, Bullard told a witness that “Cody” was responsible for the attack, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said Coffield left the scene after the stabbings and forced Sharona Bettis to drive him away. Bettis later drove Coffield to Stag Road, where he got out of the vehicle and ran into nearby woods.

The escape led to a lengthy manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Investigators eventually located Coffield in the woods later that evening using a drone and took him into custody without incident.

When Coffield was arrested, authorities said he had blood on his clothing and shoes. Testing by the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory determined the blood contained Bullard’s DNA.

District Attorney Jason W. Smith and Assistant District Attorney Shirley Smircic presented evidence over the course of more than a week. The jury deliberated for just over an hour before returning guilty verdicts on all charges.

“This was a senseless, unprovoked act that resulted in the deaths of two men,” Smith said in a statement. “My office is grateful for the work of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office for the work they did on this case and for the witnesses who came forward to testify so the State could hold Cody Coffield accountable for his actions.”

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center has been recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals for 2026.

The list includes 460 hospitals nationwide that Newsweek says were selected based on clinical outcomes, patient experience and approaches to maternal and newborn care.

Hospital leadership said the recognition reflects the work of physicians, nurses and other staff who provide maternity services to families in Brunswick County.

“As both a Brunswick County resident and president of Brunswick Medical Center, I am incredibly proud of this recognition for the maternity care we provide,” said Kevin Briggs, president of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center. “This honor reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and care teams, who support families through every stage of the birth experience.”

Briggs said the hospital helped deliver 747 babies in 2025.

The hospital said its maternity services include nine delivery rooms, prenatal tours, lactation support services and the option for wireless fetal monitoring. It also said doulas are allowed as part of the care team.

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center said it also offers prenatal services at multiple locations in Brunswick County and hosts support programs for new parents, including weekly breastfeeding support meetings and community baby-focused events.

Newsweek publishes annual rankings across multiple healthcare categories using a methodology that includes clinical performance data and patient survey results.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This week’s Throwback Thursday looks back at major Cape Fear traditions, including high school graduations and decades of Carolina Beach Music Festival memories.

With graduation season underway, WWAY’s archives revisited the New Hanover High School Class of 1983 as students prepared to walk across the stage and enter a new chapter in their lives. Many reflected on the emotions that came with the milestone.

“I’m gonna miss my friends. I don’t wanna graduate this year,” one student said.

“All the friends I’ve made through high school, tonight’s probably the last time we’ll ever be together, so it’s pretty special,” another student said.

“I’m really proud of myself because I accomplished something out of life. If I don’t accomplish anything else, I know I’ve made it out of high school,” a student said.

“I’m gonna miss y’all so bad. Y’all have been so good to me and so sweet to me,” another student said.

The segment also highlighted the Carolina Beach Music Festival, which has brought beach music fans together for decades. Organizers are preparing for the festival’s 40th year this weekend.

Archive footage shows crowds braving rain in 1988, while in 1990, beach erosion left much of the shoreline reduced but did not stop attendees from showing up.

In 1994, organizers tightened alcohol policies in an effort to curb rowdy behavior.

“It was more or less that the pendulum swung one way all the way, then it swung the other way all the way, and this is kind of a medium,” one organizer said.

By 1997, the festival had rebranded as a more family-friendly event, continuing a tradition that remains popular in the Cape Fear today.

The segment is part of a weekly Throwback Thursday series that features stories from WWAY’s historical news archives. That archive can be accessed here.

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Every day for the past week, Aline Kasiwa has fed her sick mother, helped her drink and washed her clothes, all while fearing she could catch the Ebola virus as eastern Congo is plagued by one of the fastest-spreading outbreaks of the disease on record.

“She is the only family I have left. I cannot abandon her,” Kasiwa told The Associated Press, adding that she is too afraid to take her mother to the hospital where an infection could be confirmed. “These days we hear that many people are dying there, even nurses,” she said.

With no protective equipment beyond a cheap face mask, the 28-year-old in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak, symbolizes the women in eastern Congo who are almost always the first caregiver, a role that health workers say is putting them at higher risk of contracting Ebola.

“It’s the woman who gives them a bath, it’s the woman who feeds them, and it’s the woman who’s there to wash the dirty clothes and everything else,” said Dr. Furaha Elisabeth, director of the Karibuni Wa Maman gynecology and obstetrics clinic in Bunia.

Bundibugyo, the type of Ebola in this outbreak, has no approved treatment or vaccine. Even health workers have said they don’t have the masks, gloves and other gear to protect themselves.

That leaves some women with impossible choices, especially pregnant ones.

“When you see the way people die — even the nurses who treat us are dying — how can you not be afraid?” said Anny Ekyambo, a 32-year-old in Bunia who said she is too afraid to go to a clinic for checkups, even though she is five months pregnant.

Ebola outbreaks have affected women more

The outbreak was identified weeks late because the rare Bundibugyo type was not tested for at first. Congolese authorities said Wednesday they have confirmed 363 cases, including 62 deaths, and more are suspected. Neighboring Uganda has reported 15 confirmed cases, including one death.

It is not clear how many women have been infected. But history shows that previous Ebola outbreaks have affected women more.

In the first recorded outbreak in the 1970s, women accounted for 56% of deaths, UN Women said. During the 2018-2020 outbreak in Congo, the deadliest in the country’s history, women and girls made up about two-thirds of reported cases.

“We will certainly see the same pattern emerge in the current outbreak,” Sofia Calltorp, UN Women’s chief of humanitarian action, said in a statement. “Ebola transmission follows social realities. The virus spreads along the lines of care-giving, domestic labor, front-line health work and burial practices.”

Women in many eastern Congo communities are the ones preparing bodies for burial.

‘They had no protection and no equipment’

At the Karibuni wa Maman clinic, staff said they had received no personal protective equipment since the outbreak began, despite appeals to health authorities.

Patients showing symptoms are examined at the clinic before being referred to larger treatment centers, exposing doctors and nurses to potential infection with minimal safeguards.

Julienne Lusenge, president of Women’s Solidarity for Inclusive Peace and Development, the aid group running the clinic, said they have sought protective equipment from various partners, receiving only hand sanitizer and a few masks for nurses.

She said the equipment gap also endangers the women caring for sick relatives at home, with most of them unaware that Ebola may be the cause.

“During previous outbreaks, many women died because they were the ones nursing sick family members,” Lusenge said.

Despite new arrivals of aid and better-organized health facilities in recent days, Doctors Without Borders has said the virus continues to spread faster than the response.

“Nobody knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak,” Dr. Alan Gonzalez, the medical charity’s deputy director of operations, has said in a statement.

The outbreak is unfolding in unforgiving surroundings. Ituri province has poor road networks and underequipped health facilities more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

Attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group allied with the Islamic State group, and a coalition of ethnic militias also have hindered the response. Other cases have been reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group controls key cities Goma and Bukavu.

Wariness of outsiders after decades of conflict in the remote region is another factor keeping people away from clinics and in women’s care.

Pregnant women can be particularly exposed

Fears of contracting Ebola at a health center have become common.

Ekyambo, the pregnant woman in Bunia, said other women in the community share her fear of going to the clinic.

“I know that there are steps we must follow with the doctors to monitor the pregnancy and the baby, but we have no choice because this epidemic frightens us,” she said.

UN Women has said pregnant women could be more exposed by their frequent contact with health services.

Lusenga, however, warned that staying away from clinics could mean missing crucial prenatal and postnatal care consultations.

“We risk seeing a rise in prenatal and postnatal mortality, for both mothers and children,” she said.

___

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

___

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

Some experts still question whether North Korea has functioning nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland. But the nuclear plant’s disclosure implies that Kim is eager to cement his country’s status as a nuclear power and has no intentions of placing his bomb program on a negotiating table.

After visiting the site on Wednesday, Kim said he and other top officials “confirmed the order of priority for implementing the ambitious future plan designed to beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The site is likely a uranium enrichment plant

KCNA said the facility used “more sophisticated technology” but didn’t provide further details like its location. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed the site as a uranium enrichment plant and said it was closely coordinating with the United States to monitor North Korean nuclear activities.

KCNA photos showed Kim walking through narrow aisles lined with dense rows of silver tubes and pipes, in what appeared to be a centrifuge hall. Another image showed him speaking with senior officials in a meeting room, where a blurred graphic depicting a cone-shaped object was spread across a table. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the graphic showed a warhead design.

It’s the third time that North Korea has disclosed a uranium enrichment site. In 2010, North Korea showed one at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American scholars, and in 2024, North Korea released photos of another covert uranium-enrichment plant, which experts believe was at its Kangson complex.

Experts say the newly disclosed site is likely an additional uranium enrichment facility that North Korea is suspected to have been building at Yongbyon.

“Based on a preliminary analysis, it appears that this facility is likely the newly added Yongbyon enrichment facility. It appears to have two levels and represents a substantial expansion of enrichment capability,” said Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“North Korea’s ongoing nuclear expansion does not have a near-term end in sight,” he said.

Last September, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said that North Korea was operating a total of four uranium enrichment facilities including the Yongbyon complex, and that they were running everyday.

Kim wants nuclear weapons state

During his plant visit, Kim said the urgency for bolstering up the country’s nuclear war deterrent, both in quality and quantity, has grown because of confrontations with “the most ferocious enemies,” an apparent reference to the U.S. and South Korea.

Kim said exercising “the position of a nuclear weapons state” is his country’s “invariable” stand. He said North Korea’s nuclear materials production capacity has more than doubled compared with five years ago, a claim that cannot be verified independently.

Experts say Kim wants an international recognition as a nuclear state so that he could demand the lifting of U.N. economic sanctions. They say Kim would ultimately push for arms reductions talks with the U.S. as a way to win concessions in return for a partial surrender of his nuclear capability.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to resume diplomacy with Kim, but the North Korean leader responded the Americans must first drop its demand for North Korea to denuclearize as a precondition for talks.

Some question North Korea’s nuclear program

Since his first round of nuclear diplomacy collapsed in 2019, Kim has performed a provocative run of weapons tests and vowed repeatedly to “exponentially” expand the country’s nuclear arsenal.

This led to many experts believing North Korea now likely has nuclear missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. But some still note North Korea hasn’t proved it mastered last-remaining technological hurdles to obtain such missiles, including ensuring its warheads survive the conditions of atmospheric reentry. They say North Korea also need to perfect technologies to place multiple nuclear warheads on a single missile to defeat U.S. missile shields.

A senior South Korean official told lawmakers in 2018 that North Korea was estimated to have manufactured between 20 and 60 nuclear weapons, but some experts now put the size of the North’s arsenal at more than 100 warheads.

In 2023, North Korea unveiled a type of battlefield nuclear warheads. Some analysts speculated the warhead’s unveiling might be a prelude to a nuclear test. But North Korea hasn’t carried out a test, which would be its seventh detonation overall and the first since September 2017.

(WWAY) — Hurricane season is here, and WWAY is helping you get prepared.

The WWAY 2026 Hurricane Special takes a closer look at what people across southeastern North Carolina need to know as hurricane season gets underway.

WWAY’s StormTrack 3 Team breaks down the forecast for the season, the difference between watches and warnings, how to prepare your home and family, and what local communities are doing to stay ready.

The special aired this week on WWAY, but if missed it, you can watch the full special in the video player above.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cameron Art Museum will kick off its summer exhibition season with a special opening night celebration on Thursday, June 18, featuring the debut of three major exhibitions that explore contemporary art, cultural heritage, and interactive experiences.

The event, scheduled from 6:30 to 9 p.m., will introduce visitors to Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures, Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds, and Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green. Museum officials say the exhibitions offer distinct yet complementary experiences centered on imagination, identity, and artistic innovation.

The evening will begin with a vinyl-only DJ set by Fort Lowell Records and will include exhibition-inspired ice cream from Boombalatti’s Sprinkles VW Bus, a cocktail tasting hosted by End of Days Distillery, and a special menu from CAM Café. Guests will have the opportunity to explore all three exhibitions while celebrating the start of the museum’s summer season.

Admission to the event is free for CAM members, while tickets for non-members are $20. Students and educators will be admitted free of charge.

Among the featured exhibitions is Fresh Air: Inflatable Sculptures, on view June 19 through Sept. 6. The exhibition explores inflatable sculpture as a medium, showcasing works that blend soft materials, large-scale forms, and interactive elements. Included in the exhibition is contemporary artist Nick Cave’s installation Augment, which transforms gallery space into an immersive environment designed to inspire reflection and collective joy.

Also opening June 19 is Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds, which runs through Sept. 27. Originally created in 1966, the installation transforms CAM’s Studio One Gallery into an interactive environment filled with approximately 80 floating silver balloons. Widely regarded as one of Warhol’s most iconic works, the exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with the artwork while exploring themes of mass production, repetition, and popular culture.

The third exhibition, Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green, will remain on display through Jan. 24, 2027. Featuring vibrant paintings by acclaimed artist Jonathan Green, the exhibition celebrates the traditions, history, and resilience of Gullah Geechee culture. Green’s works will be presented alongside traditional crafts, including sweetgrass baskets, quilts, and Adinkra-printed cloth, creating a dialogue between fine art and cultural heritage.

Together, the three exhibitions reflect Cameron Art Museum’s ongoing mission to connect Eastern North Carolina audiences with significant artistic and cultural conversations from across the region and beyond.

Tickets and additional information are available on the museum’s website.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Families seeking a welcoming and accessible museum experience for children with sensory, developmental, and physical needs will have the opportunity to attend Sensory Sunday events free of charge for the remainder of 2026 at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington.

Tiffany Cripps speaks with Samantha Redfern to learn more about Sinderellas Rockefellas.

 

(WWAY) — Nice weather is expected as sunny skies return for today.

Surface high pressure will dominate the Carolinas today bringing sunny skies with seasonable highs in the lower to mid 80s along with low humidity air. The high pressure remains across the Carolinas and offshore Friday allowing for a warmer S/SW wind and mostly sunny skies with highs reaching the upper 80s. This weekend… the high pressure is expected to fully shift offshore allowing a return of tropical flow across the southeastern United States. This pattern will usher in increasing moisture and humidity while supporting a continued gradual warming trend. Look for sunshine and clouds mixed both Saturday and Sunday with highs reaching the upper 80s and pushing to 90 by Sunday. A cold front swings through the region Monday bringing a few showers or thunderstorms with it and highs again in the upper 80s. Behind this cold next Tuesday and Wednesday temps will drop off into the lower 80s and with enough lingering moisture there will be a slight chance of daily showers or a thunderstorm.

WWAY FORECAST:                                                  

Tonight: Sunny skies. A nice and seasonable afternoon high in the lower to mid 80s. Winds north becoming east around 10 mph.

Tonight: Clear and comfortable. Low near 60.

Friday: Mostly sunny and warmer. High in the upper 80s.

Saturday: Partly to mostly sunny skies with temperatures into the upper 80s

-Meteorologist Jason Korver

(AP) — Some of the leading artificial intelligence companies are moving toward initial public offerings this year at eye-popping valuations. From Anthropic to SpaceX to OpenAI, tech giants are looking to take their shares public to access more capital in the race to shape the technology’s future.

The amount of money involved in building and maintaining artificial intelligence models, the pursuit of artificial general intelligence that can surpass humans at many tasks, and widespread AI adoption all have led to an air of excitement around the technology that has helped lift the stock market to record highs.

“These companies are now burning through cash to win the AI race, and public equity is the cheapest source available, particularly in a rising interest rate environment,” said Michael Field, chief equity analyst at Morningstar.

But amid the billions — even trillions — at stake, worries about an AI bubble are looming in the background. Some experts fear tech companies and venture capitalists are pouring too much money into a still-nascent and unproven technology.

For now, though, the market shows no signs of a slowdown. Here’s a look at some of the biggest AI-focused companies.

SpaceX

Elon Musk’s SpaceX was valued at $800 billion last year, but its value grew to $1.25 trillion after the space exploration company merged in February with Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. Now, SpaceX plans an IPO that could become one of the biggest stock sales ever — even though the company is currently losing billions of dollars a year. SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, according to a May regulatory filing, and the losses kept piling up at the start of this year. xAI, which features the Grok chatbot, lost $6.4 billion in operations last year, according to a company document.

Musk got SpaceX to buy xAI earlier this year despite protests from some SpaceX investors that it was a bailout and unethical given that he was a controlling shareholder in both.

SpaceX said on Wednesday it plans to raise up to $75 billion when it goes public this month, setting the stage for the largest-ever stock market debut and putting Musk on course to becoming the world’s first trillionaire. An offering of that size would easily break the record for the largest IPO, which was set by Saudi Aramco in 2019 when the oil giant went public and raised $26 billion.

Anthropic

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, was formed in 2021 by ex-OpenAI leaders. It was recently valued at $965 billion, making it one of the world’s most valuable startups. It has been a meteoric rise for what was once a little-known research laboratory. The San Francisco-based company is moving toward going public on Wall Street, announcing June 1 that it has submitted a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO.

Anthropic has said it is making annualized revenue of $47 billion from selling its technology to people and organizations using Claude to write code and do other work and personal tasks on their behalf.

OpenAI

The maker of ChatGPT began in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to developing AI for the common good. It is now a company valued at $852 billion planning an IPO as soon as this fall.

While OpenAI may have helped set off the current AI boom, Anthropic’s meteoric rise and Claude’s growing popularity have left the ChatGPT maker playing catch-up.

In an unsuccessful lawsuit against OpenAI and its top executives, Elon Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claimed the company diverted from its founding mission to make more money. OpenAI had countered that Musk was simply seeking a bigger slice of the company. OpenAI has not yet reported filing initial IPO paperwork with the SEC.

Several AI heavyweights are already public companies

Google designed the Gemini AI assistant in response to a competitive threat posed by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which came out in late 2022. Gemini AI models are integrated into Google search and other products such as Maps. The market value of Alphabet, Google’s Mountain View, California-based parent company, was $4.54 trillion at the beginning of June, up from $2.3 trillion a year earlier. That growth is a sign that Alphabet’s spending spree on AI is producing dividends so far, despite investor worries about some of its peers’ massive AI investments.

Meta’s AI push has meant integrating its assistant, Llama, into all aspects of its business, including advertising and consumer-facing tools such as a digital assistant that can help with daily tasks, as well as image and video creation. Unlike many rival models, Llama is open source, meaning it is largely available to the public and to developers. Meta AI is available as a standalone app and it is integrated into the Menlo Park, California-based company’s smart glasses. Meta’s market value as of early June was $1.55 trillion, down from $1.76 trillion a year earlier amid investor concerns about the company’s massive AI spending.

Microsoft, which went public 40 years ago, likely would have been running behind in the AI race were it not for a timely multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI. Microsoft provided the computing power and financial backing that helped OpenAI build ChatGPT. In turn, Microsoft was able to use the same technical foundation to power its own AI assistant, now called Copilot. The once-exclusive partnership has since evolved as both companies look to other partners to advance their AI ambitions.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

Some experts still question whether North Korea has functioning nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland. But the nuclear plant’s disclosure implies that Kim is eager to cement his country’s status as a nuclear power and has no intentions of placing his bomb program on a negotiating table.

After visiting the site on Wednesday, Kim said he and other top officials “confirmed the order of priority for implementing the ambitious future plan designed to beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The site is likely a uranium enrichment plant

KCNA said the facility used “more sophisticated technology” but didn’t provide further details like its location. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed the site as a uranium enrichment plant and said it was closely coordinating with the United States to monitor North Korean nuclear activities.

KCNA photos showed Kim walking through narrow aisles lined with dense rows of silver tubes and pipes, in what appeared to be a centrifuge hall. Another image showed him speaking with senior officials in a meeting room, where a blurred graphic depicting a cone-shaped object was spread across a table. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the graphic showed a warhead design.

It’s the third time that North Korea has disclosed a uranium enrichment site. In 2010, North Korea showed one at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American scholars, and in 2024, North Korea released photos of another covert uranium-enrichment plant, which experts believe was at its Kangson complex.

Experts say the newly disclosed site is likely an additional uranium enrichment facility that North Korea is suspected to have been building at Yongbyon.

“Based on a preliminary analysis, it appears that this facility is likely the newly added Yongbyon enrichment facility. It appears to have two levels and represents a substantial expansion of enrichment capability,” said Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“North Korea’s ongoing nuclear expansion does not have a near-term end in sight,” he said.

Last September, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said that North Korea was operating a total of four uranium enrichment facilities including the Yongbyon complex, and that they were running everyday.

Kim wants nuclear weapons state

During his plant visit, Kim said the urgency for bolstering up the country’s nuclear war deterrent, both in quality and quantity, has grown because of confrontations with “the most ferocious enemies,” an apparent reference to the U.S. and South Korea.

Kim said exercising “the position of a nuclear weapons state” is his country’s “invariable” stand. He said North Korea’s nuclear materials production capacity has more than doubled compared with five years ago, a claim that cannot be verified independently.

Experts say Kim wants an international recognition as a nuclear state so that he could demand the lifting of U.N. economic sanctions. They say Kim would ultimately push for arms reductions talks with the U.S. as a way to win concessions in return for a partial surrender of his nuclear capability.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to resume diplomacy with Kim, but the North Korean leader responded the Americans must first drop its demand for North Korea to denuclearize as a precondition for talks.

Some question North Korea’s nuclear program

Since his first round of nuclear diplomacy collapsed in 2019, Kim has performed a provocative run of weapons tests and vowed repeatedly to “exponentially” expand the country’s nuclear arsenal.

This led to many experts believing North Korea now likely has nuclear missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. But some still note North Korea hasn’t proved it mastered last-remaining technological hurdles to obtain such missiles, including ensuring its warheads survive the conditions of atmospheric reentry. They say North Korea also need to perfect technologies to place multiple nuclear warheads on a single missile to defeat U.S. missile shields.

A senior South Korean official told lawmakers in 2018 that North Korea was estimated to have manufactured between 20 and 60 nuclear weapons, but some experts now put the size of the North’s arsenal at more than 100 warheads.

In 2023, North Korea unveiled a type of battlefield nuclear warheads. Some analysts speculated the warhead’s unveiling might be a prelude to a nuclear test. But North Korea hasn’t carried out a test, which would be its seventh detonation overall and the first since September 2017.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover Community Endowment held its semiannual public meeting Wednesday evening, providing residents an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the organization’s work, including a recently announced proposal that could provide significant funding for local schools.

The meeting came less than a week after the endowment unveiled a proposed $116 million grant that would be distributed over the next 10 years to support modernization and improvement projects across New Hanover County Schools.

The funding proposal is contingent upon voters approving the school district’s $320 million bond referendum in November.

Several members of the public raised questions about the proposed grant during the meeting’s question-and-answer session. Members of the New Hanover County Board of Education and district leadership also addressed the proposal.

School board member Dr. Tim Merrick and Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes briefly spoke during the meeting, expressing appreciation for the endowment’s commitment to supporting the district’s facilities needs.

Endowment President and Chief Executive Officer Sophie Dagenais said the proposed funding would provide benefits beyond the school system by helping the county manage multiple large-scale infrastructure investments.

“When the county issues these bonds, it will be paying on two debt loads. For most of us, that’s like having two mortgages,” Dagenais said. “And so what we are doing is enabling the county to afford that debt load. And therefore, the $116 million is helping the county get out there, put more money into infrastructure, don’t delay because you still have that first mortgage to pay.”

The proposed grant would help offset the financial burden associated with major capital projects, Dagenais said, allowing county leaders to continue investing in infrastructure while addressing school facility needs.

In addition to the school funding proposal, community members asked questions about efforts to address food insecurity on Wilmington’s Northside, support for the performing arts, and housing-related issues.

The Endowment hosts public meetings twice each year as part of its efforts to provide transparency and engage with residents about its grantmaking priorities and initiatives.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — As Wilmington continues to grow, city and county leaders say bringing a grocery store to downtown remains a key priority.

The topic was one of several discussed during a recent Economic Development Luncheon and Leadership Forum, where Wilmington City Council members, New Hanover County commissioners, business leaders, and community stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of downtown Wilmington.

Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns about issues impacting the area. One topic that generated significant discussion was improving access to fresh food and attracting a grocery store to serve downtown residents.

The issue has remained a challenge since Publix withdrew from a proposed project on city-owned property along Chestnut Street.

Despite that setback, New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple said he believes downtown Wilmington has grown enough to support a grocery store and hopes other retailers will consider the opportunity.

“I know they are hesitant because their business models all show a thin margin. They don’t want to jump into something that is not sustainable. I get that, but I think downtown has grown,” Zapple said.

Zapple added that a future development on the site could include more than just a grocery store. He said surrounding space could potentially be used for retail businesses, commercial development, or workforce housing.

Another topic that also brought in conversation, was the issue of available housing. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo offered one possible solution.

“We have the capacity and the parking where people can go out and walk around. So we don’t have the large expansion that a lot of subdivisions or neighborhoods need, but we can do it vertically. We want to see more vertical construction, especially in northern downtown, northern riverfront,” Saffo said.

 

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– More than 10,000 miles into a journey across America, Kyndall Ray Edwards is carrying a simple message: “You matter.”

Edwards is walking across the country to raise awareness about mental health, addiction recovery, and suicide prevention. The mission, he says, was born from his own struggles.

“So, I am walking across America for mental health and recovery because too many people are losing their lives daily to drug overdose, suicide, mental health, and recovery issues,” Edwards said.

Pushing a cart filled with his belongings and emblazoned with the words “You Matter,” Edwards recently made his way through Wilmington as part of a journey that began in Jacksonville, Florida, in January 2022.

The walk is deeply personal.

“In the last 18 years of my life, I’ve tried to take my life twice, I overdosed, I’ve been in county jail 11 times and prison twice,” Edwards said. “I have over seven years drug-free now, and I’m just a firm believer that my past does not define me.”

Since starting his cross-country trek, Edwards has documented more than 10,000 miles of travel through social media posts, photos, and maps. His route has taken him through the Florida Keys, the Mojave Desert, the Grand Canyon, the Pacific Northwest, and along California’s Pacific Coast Highway.

One of the most memorable moments of the journey came on his 31st birthday.

“March 30th, 2024, I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge with a big group of people that came out with ‘You Matter’ signs, and the last person to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge and actually survive,” Edwards said. “It was a very special opportunity.”

Beyond the miles, Edwards has built a following as a public speaker and social media influencer, using his platform to encourage people struggling with addiction, depression, and other challenges.

During the interview, that impact was on display when another man joined the conversation and shared that he was four months sober.

Edwards quickly offered words of encouragement.

“Every day counts,” he said. “There’s 86,400 seconds in every day, and every second counts.”

As he leaves Wilmington and heads toward Surf City before meeting up with his father in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Edwards hopes his story inspires others to make positive changes in their own lives.

“As somebody who has changed my life from depression, addiction, and a life of crime, I want other people to know that there is hope,” Edwards said. “I want to inspire people to be able to make positive changes internally.”

To help Edwards’ mission, you can donate to his website, or head to his social media.