Today's News

Brian Brown gave little thought to danger as he slipped on his boots and headed out for a typical afternoon of weed-eating and lawn work on a family farm Saturday.

Shortly after setting to work, he felt what he thought was a bee sting on his knee. Thinking little of it, Brian swatted the annoyance off and went back to work.

But by that evening, his mother Patricia Brown of Calabash recounts, Brian’s knee started to swell and streaks could be seen shooting upward from his knee to his groin.

Looking for ways to save money on fuel costs?

Trying to decrease your dependence on gas-guzzling vehicles?

Wilmington-based Cape Fear Breeze, New Hanover County’s public transportation system, which is now reaching out to surrounding counties, wants to help.

The agency has planned its Second Annual Commuter Challenge for Sept. 15-Oct. 17 to encourage employers, employees and the general public in Brunswick New Hanover and Pender counties to take advantage of alternate methods of transportation.

Maggie Stephens will start sixth grade in the fall, and she is already considering a career as a crime scene investigator.

Like thousands of other students in Brunswick County, she is preparing for Aug. 25, the first day at her new school—Shallotte Middle.

Maggie says math is her best subject, and after spending the summer in a school-age kids program at Tiny Tots Child Center near Shallotte, she’s ready for the challenges of middle school.

Last week’s article was about some of the issues people have brought up about the use of mulches in the landscape.

I promised this week we would look at the benefits of mulching, but before we proceed, I want to let you read what our specialist from N.C. State provided to ease some of the concerns about the use of mulch and the presence of termites. Excerpt from Mike Waldvogel:

The bottom line