20th annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge Feb. 17 at Kure Beach

Hundreds of participants hope to raise more than $110,000 to fund programs for special athletes in New Hanover County

Brooke DeAmaral, Special Olympics Coordinator, tells WWAY’s Donna Gregory how the Polar Plunge has grown over the last 2 decades, and how this year’s fundraising plunge and run Feb. 17 hopes to raise a record amount of money for local programs.

Sports Betting is coming to NC in one month

Raleigh, N.C (WWAY) – The North Carolina Lottery Commission, who is in charge of regulating the sportsbooks, says it has received nine applications for interactive sports wagering operator licenses. No companies are approved yet, but officials say seven sports betting suppliers, which provide things like data feeds, betting content, and fraud prevention to the operators, have already been given provisional…

Sunset Park residents express concern about dust pollution

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Enviva Biomass has operated a wood pellet manufacturing facility out of the port of Wilmington since 2016.  Many residents living in Sunset Park said that over the years sawdust that is coming off the facility has gotten worse, to the point that they’re finding it blanketing their homes, cars, and pets daily.  Residents filed multiple complaints…

Wilmington-based company to be featured on ‘Shark Tank’

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington company will be featured on “Shark tank” this Friday.  How to be a Redhead co-founding sisters Adrienne Vendetti Hodges and Stephanie Vendetti got the chance to present their brand to the “sharks.”  The company was created to provide specialty hair care for redheads.   The Vendetti sisters say their company’s appearance on the show…

The search for lost family: Radar offers hope to find unmarked graves

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW Is partnering with the Historic Wilmington Foundation to find unmarked graves at a historic cemetery.  Volunteers, researchers, and graduate students are using ground-penetrating radar to find unmarked graves at the Maides Cemetery in Wilmington.  The historic African American cemetery dates back to the late 1800s and is the final resting place of an estimated 216…

UNCW hosts Southeast NC Regional Science Fair

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW hosted the Southeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Saturday.  The fair combined the best science fair projects in Southeastern North Carolina under one roof.  Elementary, middle, and high schools from across the Cape Fear were represented at the event, with the best in each division moving on to the North Carolina State Science Fair…

Ashley high school retires Alex Highsmith’s jersey

No Screaming Eagle student-athlete will ever wear #34 again

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – Alex Highsmith has been immortalized at Ashley High School. Watch the NFL star see his jersey get hung in the rafter and hear Highsmith talk about how much it means to him. Categories: Sports

Full Court Press February 9, 2023

Week 10

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – There’s one week left in the regular season! Most of the seeds are still up for grabs for the post season tournaments that begin February 19. GIRLS BASKETBALL FINAL SCORES LANEY 31 – NEW HANOVER 38 HOGGARD 45 – ASHLEY 41 TOPSAIL 57 – SOUTH BRUNSWICK 50 NORTH BRUNSWICK 45 – WEST BRUNSWICK 52 WHITEVILLE 33…

Bed bugs discovered in Wilmington hotel, guest left to pay thousands

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Dec. 6, 2023, Floridian resident Kelly Lehman was staying at the Residence Inn by Marriott Landfall with her family.   Lehman said she noticed nothing out of the ordinary until she returned home with bed bug bites. Lehman then contacted the hotel about the bites on Dec. 14. Emails from the hotel provided by Lehman confirm…

Brunswick County Medical Center gives back with “Soup or Bowl” food drive

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — The staff at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center are giving back to the community in a unique way by hosting a “Soup or Bowl” food drive on Friday.  All of the different departments within the hospital collected more than 1700 donations from staff.   In first place, with the most donations per person, was the Supply Chain…

Fire on Green Hill Road in Brunswick County

Investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a Brunswick County home Wednesday, February 7th. Fire officials say it happened off of Green Hill Road and was reported just after 4 in the afternoon. When crews with the Winnabow volunteer fire department arrived, flames were coming from the roof. A spokesman for Winnabow fire says it appears…

UNCW uses second half surge to down Drexel

Seahawks went on 19-2 run over the Dragons; now tied for first in CAA

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – UNCW now is tied for first place in the conference after defeating the first place Drexel Dragons Thursday in Trask Coliseum. Acter trailing by one point at halftime, the Seahawks outscored the Dragons by 20 in the second half to secure a 75-56 victory. KJ Jenkins scored a season-high 24 points and knocked down a career…

Attorney General Josh Stein Presents Dogwood Award to Precinct Chief Judge Ernestine Bryant

Stein has given out these awards annually since 2017 to recognize people who are working to improve the health, safety, and well-being of their fellow North Carolinians. Bryant was recognized for her work in elections administration for nearly 50 years. She also worked at many schools in the Cape Fear, both in cafeterias, and currently as a bus monitor. Bryant’s…