Throwback Thursday: Early police-tracking website, hospital debate, and hurricane recovery in 1997

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This week’s Throwback Thursday takes a look back nearly 30 years to 1997, when early internet tools, local health care debates, and hurricane recovery efforts shaped conversations across the Cape Fear.

One 1997 story highlighted the growing popularity of Speedtrap.com, an early website where drivers shared locations of police speed enforcement across the country, including in Wilmington. The concept drew mixed reactions at the time.

“As far as the website, I think it’s great. If it gets people to think about it and to slow down, then it’s helping us do our job,” one law enforcement officer said.

One resident said the site could influence her behavior behind the wheel.

“I’m a pretty crazy driver, so I’d definitely look it up so I could slow down and be a little more careful around where they say the speed traps are,” the driver said.

Also that week, New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s future was under discussion as county leaders considered the possibility of selling the public hospital to a private corporation.

“We had the study group. They brought up a lot of positives and a lot of negatives from their perspective, and with the recommendation to put it off and see what state legislators do,” one commissioner said.

Years later, in 2020, county commissioners voted to sell the hospital to Novant Health. In May 2026, UNC Health proposed building a new community hospital in Wilmington.

Finally, the region was preparing for another hurricane season following Hurricane Fran’s impact in 1996, which caused significant damage in Kure Beach and impacted local businesses, including the Seven Seas Inn.

“We had the water coming in over the fence, in the pool, bringing a lot of sand, a lot of debris. We had some water in the rooms, damaging carpets, some ceilings, and some walls,” the Seven Seas owner said.

Despite the damage, the town and local businesses recovered quickly and were ready for the 1997 tourist season.

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.