The Newsroom

On this episode, we unpack our town hall for state representative candidates from the Cape Fear region. We put questions from our newsroom — and the public — to eight candidates in four races, pushing them on tough topics like abortion, gun control, inflation, and more.

Our town hall featured questions for the four candidates — two Democrats and two Republicans — facing off for two seats on the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. On this episode, we'll unpack their responses to tough questions from reporters and the public, and provide some analysis, context, and fact-checking.

On this episode: the race for New Hanover County Sheriff, which is seeing a contested seat in the general election for the first time in eight years.

Our town hall featured questions for the eight candidates — four Republicans and four Democrats — running for four open seats on the New Hanover County Board of Education. On this episode, we unpack their responses to everything from evaluating the performance of superintendent Charles Foust to funding pay raises for teachers and staff to serious, and sometimes specious, allegations about what’s going on in the district.

The Wilmington Branch of the North Carolina Food Bank has outgrown its old facility. But they still need about $100,000 in donations to close the funding gap for a new, expanded one. We take a deep dive into the problem of hunger in our region and what the Food Bank hopes to do about it.

The Nov. 8 election will include a ballot initiative for a 1/4 cent transit tax. But what does that mean? We've got all the details for you in this hour-long special, which kicks off our month of election coverage on The Newsroom.

On this episode, we're joined by WHQR's own Rachel Keith to unpack her most recent investigative series looking at issues at Cape Fear Community College — and at the administration of President Jim Morton.

Over the last year and a half, The Newsroom has tackled some of the toughest stories in the region, powered by the reporting of WHQR's journalists. We're grateful to our community for making this work possible— and we're asking you, during WHQR's Fall pledge drive, to join those who are already supporting the WHQR news team.

If you ask law enforcement, the North Carolina Unauthorized Substance Tax provides valuable revenue without burdening taxpayers, and only punishes people participating in criminal activity. But the reality is more complicated. Sometimes, yes, it’s a drug trafficker, rightfully convicted, who ends up paying these fines. But sometimes, it’s a family member that suffers — and sometimes it’s a totally innocent person. On this episode, we unpack the complicated legacy of a tax law many people don’t even know exists.

The majority of renters are housing burdened in New Hanover County, and rental prices continue to surge. But what do those concerning numbers mean for people experiencing this vicious housing market? WHQR's Kelly Kenoyer explores that issue with one person who's been pushed out of the market, alongside a panel of experts who work with the most desperate members of the Cape Fear Community.