Year in review: WWAY’s top stories of 2024
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — From bridge closures to presidential visits, 2024 was a busy year for the Cape Fear.
In September, our area was struck by Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight.
The unnamed storm brought flooding and road closures across the Cape Fear, with Gov. Roy Cooper visiting a Southport cut off from the rest of Brunswick County.
“Neighbors coming together, people of faith coming together, nonprofits as well as government resources can help us get through this thing and to recover as quickly as possible,” Cooper said at a news conference.
Gov. Cooper wasn’t the only person to visit.
This year’s political season saw visits from President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, now President-Elect Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tim Walz, Bill Clinton, and Doug Emhoff.
But motorcades weren’t the only thing holding up traffic.
From January to May, a restoration project for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge gave drivers on both sides of the river headaches for months.
In September, District Attorney Ben David stepped down after 20 years of service in the Sixth Prosecutorial District. He would be succeeded by Rebecca Zimmer Donaldson, before she was defeated in November by opponent Jason Smith.
“We’re here to be your voice in this courtroom, we’re here to be your voice when we’re seeking justice for you,” Smith said after being sworn in.
2024 saw a change in leadership but also change in laws.
To the delight of many sports fans, sports betting became legal in June, opening the door for apps like Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
This year also saw its share of crime related news.
In November, Walmart employee Mark Paz was shot and killed by man attempting to shoplift. A vigil was later held in his memory.
“It just meant the world to me, and it felt like Mark was all over the place, because he was. He was in each and every person that came here,” Mark’s wife Alma Paz said at the vigil.
In lighter news, one story that caught the attention—and the hearts—of many was the story of Bibi the cat, who took over the town of Kure Beach, becoming something of a local celebrity.
“I’ll come down from Delaware just to look for Bibi, and then I look for the parents. She’s the main attraction here. We in Rehoboth Beach don’t have anything like this,” one visitor said about Bibi.
From all of us at WWAY, we thank you for trusting us to bring you the news you need to know. We hope you will join us in the new year telling the stories of our beloved community.
We also have a look back at people we lost in 2024, including our own Donna Gregory. You can view that story here.
