Star-News (Wilmington, NC) articles from August 2007

Star-News (Wilmington, NC) archives from August 2007

Legislature restricts menhaden harvest.
August 2, 2007

State shortchanging highways, jeopardizing Skyway plan.
August 3, 2007

Law would prevent landfills near game lands.
August 3, 2007

Airplane noise increasing.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Patrick Gannon Aug. 6--With jets roaring overhead, a recent outdoor tea party in downtown Wilmington wasn't as peaceful as hoped. And it's not only the tea party host who has called Wilmington International Airport to complain....

Wilmington to pay former convention center developer less than firm requested.
August 6, 2007... Byline: Chris Mazzolini Aug. 6--Wilmington officials plan to pay Armada Hoffler $477,756.69 as the city's final payment to the development giant that withdrew from the convention center project in May. Armada Hoffler asked for more...

Officials discuss inlet project costs.
August 10, 2007... Byline: Sherry Jones Aug. 10--Wrightsville Beach residents who pay a special tax to cover the cost of relocating and maintaining Mason Inlet now want others to share the financial burden, but New Hanover County officials are still...

Hospital manager Novant buys MedQuest.
August 14, 2007... Byline: Shelby Sebens Aug. 14--Novant Health, the private nonprofit company that manages Brunswick Community Hospital in Supply, announced Monday that it is buying and merging with MedQuest, a for-profit national diagnostic imaging...

Researchers say Brunswick needs more affordable housing.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Shannan Bowen Aug. 15--Concerned residents, housing experts and local government officials agree Brunswick County needs more housing that members of its work force can afford. That shared thought led to a year of summits to...

Burgaw bypass might move.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Tyra M. Vaughn Aug. 15--BURGAW -- Ruth Thompson walked as fast as her legs could move Tuesday morning, hoping to escape the rising afternoon heat. Thompson's stroll down Stag Park Road -- like the cane that guides her steps --...

Aldermen now require final development plans.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Shelby Sebens Aug. 15--The Southport Board of Aldermen wants to ensure there is no confusion over what the city expects from developers. So it voted without opposition Tuesday to amend the Unified Development Ordinance,...

Sewers spur backup septic system plan in case building cap drags on.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Sam Scott Aug. 16--The idea of putting septic tanks in a riverfront community of million-dollar homes is absurd, developer Dave Spetrino said. But that's exactly what he's busy planning for at the old Dean Hardwoods site, six...

Officials push for tax referendum.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Gareth McGrath Aug. 16--As any politician will tell you, increasing taxes is never popular. Now some Southeastern North Carolina county officials could get a chance to put the issue to their voters as early as this fall, with...

Mobile home park residents ask Leland for sewer break.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Ana Ribeiro Aug. 17--Time is running out for Baldwin Estates in Leland. The decades-old mobile home park, which uses septic tanks, has another 60 days to connect to the town's sewer system. Failure to do so is a violation of...

Southport seeks to replace ball fields, protect access near disputed land.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Shelby Sebens Aug. 17--Southport is trying to cover its interests in property entangled in a lawsuit between one of the city's major developers and his financial backers. The efforts so far include making sure three ball fields...

$7M North Carolina budget hike includes plan to boost Raleigh-area rail access.
August 20, 2007... Aug. 20--RALEIGH -- Lawmakers inserted more than $7 million into the new state budget, some of which may be used to dramatically improve railroad access to New Hanover and Brunswick counties. Some of the money from the short line-item,...

More passengers, noise, parking places at ILM indicate boom.
August 22, 2007... Aug. 22--When airplanes land, the rubber from their tires leaves black skid marks, eventually concealing the bright white paint that marks the center line of the runway for pilots. Nowadays, the white stripes are repainted once a year -- up...

Dosher Hospital tax rate is cut.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Shannan Bowen Aug. 22--Brunswick County and Dosher Memorial Hospital have reached an agreement that cuts the Dosher tax rate to 2.25 cents on each $100 of valuation for property owners in Smithville Township in the 2008-09 fiscal...

Plan to use tax for Mason Inlet opposed.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Brittany Butcher Aug. 22--KURE BEACH -- An effort to tap into the New Hanover County room occupancy tax fund to help pay for the Mason Inlet relocation project is getting sandbagged by some beach town leaders. The Kure Beach...

Port to examine security.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Patrick Gannon Aug. 22--Call it a team approach to public safety. The N.C. State Ports Authority has received a federal grant to study the vulnerability of the Port of Wilmington and the proposed N.C. International Port in...

Oak Island puts new beach clubs on hold.
August 23, 2007... Aug. 23--OAK ISLAND -- This town's council unanimously approved a moratorium Wednesday night on beach clubs, spurring questions of legality from one development company that has already started construction on the island. Inland developers...

Star-News, Wilmington, N.C., business briefs column.(Column)
August 23, 2007... Aug. 23--BANK OFFICE TO CHANGE TO FULL-SERVICE BRANCH: Park Sterling Bank says it has applied to convert its Wilmington loan production office into a full-service branch. The Charlotte-based firm also announced that Vinton E. Fountain III...

Chamber looks to court 'creative class'.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Sam Scott Aug. 24--Nice place. Shame about the pay. It's an age-old refrain in Wilmington where sunshine doesn't pay the bills, but the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce hopes to put the area on the path to a more...

Region's restaurants often go far afield for seafood ingredients.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Shelby Sebens Aug. 24--CALABASH -- Although the restaurant wouldn't open until 4 p.m., the Wright family of eight was waiting to enter their favorite Calabash seafood spot a half-hour early. "It tastes better when you're at the...

School system deals with challenge.
August 27, 2007... Byline: Ana Ribeiro Aug. 27--It's been a tough summer for Brunswick County Schools, with the marriage of one of its coaches to a 10th-grader attracting a hurricane of bad publicity and a lawsuit. This has given the public the wrong...

New Hanover Regional Medical Center considers raising its rates.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Veronica Gonzalez Aug. 29--For the fifth year in a row, New Hanover Regional Medical Center is considering raising prices. This time, the hospital is weighing a 5 percent rate increase that would net an additional $5.5 million...

Area SAT scores decline.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Angela Mack Aug. 29--Students in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties are scoring lower on their SATs, according to a report released Tuesday by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. New Hanover County's scores...

Mobile home park's closing worries residents.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Si Cantwell Aug. 29--LELAND -- In 1996, Shannon Nealey's child was born prematurely and died five minutes after birth. She blamed the father, who pleaded guilty to assaulting her while she was pregnant. In 1998, Nealey's...

Sewer repairs gear up.
August 30, 2007... Byline: Chris Mazzolini Aug. 30--Large-scale repairs on the troubled Northeast Interceptor have begun near Hewletts Creek, Wilmington officials announced Wednesday. Work crews began digging trenches along the edge of the municipal...