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Local News

  • School officials cherry pick ideas for facility master plan needs

    BOLIVIA—Renovate or rebuild?

    That was what was on the minds of school officials at a meeting March 6.

    The Brunswick school board and staff has reached the stage in their facilities master plan discussion where gathering information turned to cherry picking the best ideas at the latest meeting with consultants KBR Building Group.

    In February, KBR made building upgrade recommendations based on interviews with 359 Brunswick County students, parents, administrators and elected officials.

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  • Mystery bones on Holden Beach solved

    Unidentified remains found on Holden Beach in February have been identified.

    According to the local medical examiner at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, the bones were definitely not human, and most likely were from a spiral ham.

    Sgt. Frank Dilworth of the Holden Beach Police Department said the bones could have been a discarded dog chew toy, something a fisherman used for chum or washed away when someone used it for crabbing.

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  • Leland talks signs before March 21 vote

    Leland officials gathered the town council, planning board, sign committee and local business owners for a final roundtable on non-conforming signs.

    Leland has a sign ordinance in place that allows 48-square-foot, 8-foot-tall signs in the town’s busier commercial district, zoned C2, near Village Road at U.S. 17.

    The less dense commercial area, zoned C1, allows 32-square-foot, 6-foot-tall signs.

    Shopping centers are allowed 100-square-foot, 15-foot-tall signs for multiple businesses.

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  • Planning board recommends easing land restrictions along highways

    BOLIVIA—Property owners along Brunswick County highways told the planning board there are too many restrictions on their land use.

    The planning board hosted a public hearing Monday that brought dozens of property owners with land along U.S. 17, N.C. 211, U.S. I-74/76, N.C. 130, N.C. 133 and N.C. 904.

    The planning department was looking for input on its corridor development standards (CDS), additional development standards beyond the property zoning for non-residential, multi-family and mobile home parks.

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  • Alderman upset with county commissioners’ communication

    SHALLOTTE—Alderman Walt Eccard wasn’t happy when he read the paper last week and learned the town’s budgets would need to be adjusted—because town officials were never consulted.

    “Taxes owed to us have been forgiven by the county,” Eccard told other aldermen during the March 5 meeting. “When taxes are owed to us that are being compromised, I would like to see the town consulted before the fact, not after the fact. This is not an attempt to be critical of the county, but I think the good order thing is to be advised before.”

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  • Beach town gears up for tourist season

    OCEAN ISLE BEACH—Eleven events/group activities are returning to Ocean Isle Beach in 2013.

    On Tuesday morning during the board of commissioners’ regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve group activities by four organizations.

    Girls on the Run/Stride 5K will return to the island on April 27, the South Brunswick Sea Turtle Festival returns on July 10, and Paws-Ability’s third annual Bicycle Poker Run will be Oct. 12.

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  • BEMC makes change in pay-as-you-go service

    Recent changes to Brunswick Electric Membership Corporations’ PowerStat Prepaid Power had many customers concerned when a misconception circulated.

    On Monday, March 4, BEMC’s pay-as-you-go metering program implemented a change at its payment terminals.

    The machines no longer accept $1 bills.

    The change is intended to allow the PowerStat program to operate more efficiently for customers and BEMC, officials said.

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  • Coastal homeowners' insurance rates to go up 20 percent

    North Carolina residents are going to pay more for homeowners insurance—again.

    North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin has signed a settlement agreement with homeowners insurance companies that will impact coastal counties with the highest rate hikes.

    The agreement represents an overall average statewide increase of 7 percent. The highest hikes are nearly 20 percent for beach coastal areas of Brunswick County, with lower increases for inland coastal areas.

    The increases take effect July 1.

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  • Driver charged: Car crash shuts down Wendy's in Shallotte

    Wendy’s fans in Shallotte will temporarily have to head out of town to get their Baconator or Frosty fixes.

    The Wendy’s restaurant on Whiteville Road in Shallotte has been closed for the past week after a driver lost control and slammed into the building.

    A restaurant employee was taken to the hospital, and the building sustained significant structural damage following the incident reported at 10:26 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.

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  • Generations bring in fresh, local seafood in Varnamtown

    VARNAMTOWN—Fishing boats lining the docks along the Lockwood Folly River are a common sight in this Brunswick County town where time seems to stand still.

    That’s the way the locals like it, one reason why the town incorporated a quarter-century ago in 1988.

    But just like everywhere else, Varnamtown hasn’t been immune to changes in the economy or the time of year, when boats along the docks are idle.

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