Today's News

Autopsy reports for the seven college students killed in the Ocean Isle Beach are complete.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill completed the final autopsy late last month. Justin Michael Anderson, 19, died of “carbon monoxide poisoning secondary to smoke inhalation,” his autopsy report states.

Dr. Steven D. Dubner and Dr. John D. Butts, chief medical examiner, noted Anderson had an ethanol concentration of 290 mg/dl, or a blood alcohol concentration of .29.

SHALLOTTE—One of the developers of the San Rio project on Gray Bridge Road has been fined $10,000 plus $835 in enforcement costs for installing sewer lines without a permit.

On Friday, Shallotte received notice from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality stating Sandler at Shallotte LLC, had “knowingly and willfully” decided to initiate construction of the sewer lines before the pending application was approved in October.

SUNSET BEACH—The town planning board has approved proceeding with extending the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) north and east of town.

At its Feb. 7 meeting, the board was presented with copies of a map showing a proposed ETJ expansion on the town’s northeast side.

The expansion, if approved by Brunswick County, would extend the town’s ETJ along N.C. 904, Beach Drive and Old Georgetown Road. The map shows the expansion also would serve as a buffer to a newly annexed, vacant 64-acre parcel where a continuing care facility is to be built.

News media, like any other profession, is a competitive field. Every reporter wants to be the first one with the story, the first one to break the news.

Competition is fine, and some would even say it’s healthy. But when it reaches the point of being a journalist’s top priority and causes harm, it needs to stop.

Last week, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office sent two press releases to the four newspapers and two television stations that serve Brunswick County.