When communities talk about economic development, the conversation often focuses on recruiting new companies, building industrial parks, widening roads, or offering incentives to businesses.

Those things matter.

But there is another piece of economic development that is sometimes overlooked: having a workforce with the skills employers need.

That is where community colleges become critically important.

In Brunswick County, Brunswick Community College (BCC) provides a good example of how a community college can serve as much more than a place where students earn degrees. It is part of the county’s workforce infrastructure, a resource for existing businesses, a partner for entrepreneurs and a tool for attracting new investment.

I was pleased to speak with Dr. Gene Smith, President of BCC, about the college, the programs and services it provides and get his take on what the future of programming in the future looks like.

You can view this video on our YouTube channel.

Building the Workforce Businesses Need

When companies decide where to locate or expand, finding qualified employees is paramount. Brunswick Community College addresses this need directly by offering workforce-development pathways in high-demand fields like healthcare, technology, welding, HVAC, plumbing, construction, and culinary arts—many of which can be completed in six months or less.

The Brunswick Guarantee: Investing in Local Talent

A key initiative connecting education with workforce needs is the Brunswick Guarantee. Eligible Brunswick County high school and GED graduates with at least a 2.3 GPA can pursue a certificate, diploma, or degree at BCC with in-state tuition, fees, and books covered up to $750 after financial aid.

This program acts as an investment in keeping local talent connected to the local economy, creating a powerful cycle: Local student → local education → local credential → local job → local economic activity.

Career and College Promise

The Career and College Promise (CCP) program provides seamless dual enrollment educational opportunities tuition-free for eligible North Carolina high school students. As part of CCP, students can accelerate the completion of college certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees that lead to college transfer or provide entry-level job skills. It is possible through this program to graduate from High School with a full Associates Degree from BCC. The program is available to public, private, and homeschooled students.

Additionally, BCC has a number of articulation agreements with NC-based four year colleges for admission to these schools. Brunswick Community College’s articulation agreements with neighboring universities help students to transfer seamlessly to North Carolina universities and beyond. Complete your first 2 years of college at BCC and be guaranteed admissions to over 16 UNC Universities and participating partners.

Click on the document to learn which colleges and the various requirements that need to be met.

Articulation Agreement Handout July 2026

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Training Existing Workers Is Economic Development, Too

Most economic growth comes from existing local businesses. BCC’s Customized Training program collaborates directly with companies to deliver targeted instruction in technical skills, leadership, and Lean manufacturing to support job growth, technology investment, and productivity enhancement. BCC also partners with the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership to ensure training aligns directly with local industry needs.

Community Colleges Also Help Small Businesses

BCC’s Small Business Center supports local entrepreneurs through free one-on-one business counseling, seminars, and networking. Along with its Business & Industry Incubator, BCC fosters ground-level economic development by helping residents launch and scale companies locally.

Preparing for Growth Instead of Reacting to It

Rapid population growth creates increased demand for skilled workers in construction, healthcare, trades, and services. BCC’s 2023–2028 strategic plan directly aligns its academic and workforce programs with regional business attraction and community growth needs.

Community colleges sit directly at the center of economic development by providing accessible, localized, and career-focused training tailored to business demands.

Investing in a community college is an investment in human capital—the skilled tradespeople, nurses, technicians, and entrepreneurs who sustain and grow the local economy every day.

Looking Beyond the Classroom

Brunswick Community College is far more than a school; it is a vital community economic-development asset that connects education, workforce skills, and local business growth.

North Carolina is making a major shift in how taxpayer dollars are used for K-12 education.

The state’s Opportunity Scholarship program helps families pay tuition and required fees at participating private schools.¹

The state appropriated $625 million for 2025-26 and $675 million for 2026-27. That is more than three times the $191.54 million appropriated for 2024-25.²

And there is an important change in who can receive the money:

There is no income cap.

Income determines the size of the scholarship, but not eligibility for the lowest award tier. For 2026-27, a family of four earning more than $274,725 falls into Tier 4 and can receive an award of up to $3,574 per student.³

That means the program is no longer limited to lower-income families. North Carolina is using taxpayer dollars to provide private-school scholarships to families across the income spectrum.³

What About Accountability?

Participating private schools are required to administer standardized tests to scholarship students. Beginning in 2026-27, testing includes designated nationally standardized assessments in grades 3 and 8 and the ACT in grade 11.⁴

But the accountability system is different from that used for public schools.

Under changes taking effect in 2026-27, participating private schools certify compliance with the testing requirements rather than annually submitting test-performance data to the State Education Assistance Authority. The state is required to select at least 4% of participating private schools each year to verify testing compliance. Test-performance data collected by the state is not considered a public record.⁵

So there is testing, but private schools receiving Opportunity Scholarship money do not operate under the same public accountability and transparency requirements as traditional public schools.

This Isn’t a Temporary Program

The current funding schedule does not contain a sunset date. Under current law, annual appropriations are scheduled to increase to $825 million beginning in 2032-33 and continue thereafter.²

That makes the scale of this policy difficult to ignore.

North Carolina is committing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars every year to private-school scholarships, with no income cap and no scheduled expiration.

The question for taxpayers isn’t simply whether parents should have school choice.

It is whether accountability and transparency should grow along with the price tag — particularly when the state is making an ongoing, billions of dollars commitment to private education.

Sources

1. North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Opportunity Scholarship.
NCSEAA Opportunity Scholarship Program

2. North Carolina General Assembly, Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve funding schedule.
NC General Assembly — Opportunity Scholarship funding legislation

3. North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Opportunity Scholarship Income Guidelines, 2026-27.
NCSEAA 2026-27 Income Guidelines

4. North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Testing and Reporting Requirements.
NCSEAA Testing and Reporting Requirements

5. North Carolina General Assembly, 2026 Appropriations Act — Opportunity Scholarship testing requirements.
NC General Assembly — Testing and Accountability Provisions

I was pleased to have a conversation with Wilmington Council Member Salette Andrews on a wide range of issues.

We talked about the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, tolls, preservation of the historic district, regional cooperation amongst local governments and a number of related issues.

This is Council Member Andrews’ latest blog post on the subject matter of the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

Salette Andrews

Something Has Changed in the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Debate

In March 2025, while NCDOT was still considering three alternatives for replacing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, I brought a resolution before the Wilmington City Council supporting a 100-foot fixed-span bridge…

Read more

20 days ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Salette Andrews

You can view this video on our YouTube channel.

North Carolina is on a path to eliminate its corporate income tax by 2030.

The phaseout was enacted in 2021 as part of Senate Bill 105. The rate is 2% in 2026 and 2027, drops to 1% in 2028 and 2029, and reaches zero in 2030.[1]

That raises a question: How much revenue will the state give up—and how does that compare with North Carolina’s investment in public education?

Billions in foregone revenue

The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management estimates that eliminating the corporate income tax will reduce state revenue by approximately $1.8 billion annually by FY 2033–34, compared with maintaining the 2% rate.[2]

For perspective, the state’s 2026–27 budget provides approximately $1.86 billion in General Fund support for community colleges.[3]

So the eventual annual corporate-tax reduction could be roughly equivalent to the state’s entire General Fund appropriation for the Community College System.

It also represents about 8.6% of the $15.64 billion in requirements for the Department of Public Instruction.[3]

How does North Carolina compare with its neighbors?

North Carolina is already an outlier among its immediate neighbors when it comes to corporate income taxes.

The comparison is based on state corporate income-tax rates; it does not include other business taxes such as franchise, gross-receipts or capital taxes.[4]

North Carolina therefore has a substantially lower corporate income-tax rate today than each of its four neighboring states—and is the only one with a statutory path to a zero corporate income-tax rate.

That distinction is important when discussing North Carolina’s tax competitiveness. A lower corporate income-tax rate may affect business decisions, but the ultimate economic effect depends on many factors beyond the tax rate.

How does North Carolina rank in school funding?

The Education Law Center’s Making the Grade 2025 report provides one measure of the state’s education funding.

The same report ranked North Carolina 50th of 50 states in education funding effort—the percentage of the state’s economic resources devoted to K–12 education.[5]

The National Education Association uses a different methodology and ranks North Carolina 39th nationally in current spending per student and 43rd in average teacher salary.[6]

The different rankings illustrate why the methodology matters. But under either measure, North Carolina is not among the nation’s highest-spending states on K–12 education.

The bigger question

Eliminating the corporate income tax doesn’t mean North Carolina will suddenly remove $1.8 billion from the education budget.

It means the state is projected to collect approximately $1.8 billion less each year than it otherwise would have collected under the 2% corporate tax rate.

That money will remain with businesses rather than being available to the state for education, transportation, public safety, health care or other public purposes.

Supporters argue that lower business taxes can encourage investment and economic growth. Critics point to the loss of a recurring source of state revenue.

The policy choice is straightforward: North Carolina is choosing to eliminate a tax that generates revenue for state government.

The question for taxpayers is what the state will receive in return—and how policymakers will balance reduced revenue with education and other public priorities.

Sources

[1] North Carolina Department of Revenue, corporate income-tax rates.
North Carolina Department of Revenue

[2] North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, Scheduled Income Tax Cuts.
NC OSBM analysis

[3] North Carolina 2026–27 State Budget, Session Law 2026-41.
2026–27 North Carolina Budget

[4] Tax Foundation, 2026 State Corporate Income Tax Rates & Brackets. State corporate income-tax rates are subject to differences in tax bases, deductions, credits and other business taxes.
Tax Foundation — 2026 corporate tax rates

[5] Education Law Center, Making the Grade 2025, North Carolina state profile.
Education Law Center — Making the Grade 2025

[6] National Education Association, Educator Pay & Student Spending: How Does Your State Rank?
NEA state education data

Pleased to share my conversation with George Willoughby who is a reporter for the North Brunswick News.

By clicking on the following link you can sign up for updates from North Brunswick News either by email or by text message. You can reach George at the following email address: georgewilloughby@northbrunswicknews.com.

We spoke about a number of issues including:

• Cape Fear Memorial Bridge

• PFAS Settlement

• Jackey’s Creek Elementary School Design

• Interview with J.K. Somers - Candidate for District Attorney

• Development Approved in Winnabow by Brunswick County

• East Lake Development Project Proposed Rezoning

You can also view this video on our YouTube channel.

About the North Brunswick News

North Brunswick News is a local reporting initiative from the team behind The News Reporter, a family-owned community newspaper that has served Columbus County since 1896.

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has carried US 17/76/421 traffic across the Cape Fear River since 1969. Built to handle far less traffic than the roughly 65,000 vehicles that now cross it daily, the bridge is nearing the end of its usable life. NCDOT is moving forward with a replacement project — estimated at $1.1 billion — and the coming weeks are a critical window for public input before a design and funding path are locked in.

Here’s where the project stands, what’s being decided, and exactly how to weigh in before the October 15 comment deadline.

Where the Project Stands

NCDOT held two in-person public hearings in mid-September 2026 — one in Wilmington at Cape Fear Community College and one in Leland at the Leland Cultural Arts Center — to present two design alternatives and gather public reaction:

• Alternative A: A movable (lift) span providing 65 feet of clearance when lowered, rising to 135 feet when raised.

• Alternative B: A fixed-span bridge sitting at a constant 135 feet, letting boat traffic pass without a lift.

More than 60 residents spoke at the Wilmington hearing alone, and the reaction was strong: attendees largely rejected Alternative B — nicknamed “Option Bad” by critics — over concerns it would tower over downtown, require removing homes and businesses near Fifth Avenue, and increase construction costs.

Nearly every commenter who spoke also opposed adding a toll to the bridge, though NCDOT has indicated a toll may be difficult to avoid, since the project’s funding score in the state’s Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) process was built around a tolled model.

Here is a synopsis from the North Brunswick News regarding the meeting that was held in Leland.

The Funding Gap Behind the Toll Discussion

The federal government awarded a $242 million grant toward the project in 2024, but that — combined with other state and federal funds — still leaves a substantial shortfall against the $1.1 billion total cost. That gap is why tolling (including a proposed private toll arrangement) is on the table, with figures discussed as high as $2.75 per one-way crossing.

Local governments have already staked out positions on this. Wilmington City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing bridge tolls in January 2024, and Leland’s Town Council followed with its own resolution in April 2026.

What Happens After October 15

Once the comment period closes:

1. NCDOT’s project team will review all submitted comments and prepare a public comment summary, posted to the project website.

2. NCDOT will meet with local government and agency partners to weigh public input alongside engineering, environmental, safety, cost, and benefit analysis.

3. A preferred alternative — covering both the bridge design and the funding approach — is expected to be selected by late 2026.

NCDOT has stated that comments carry equal weight regardless of how they’re submitted, so an emailed comment counts the same as one given in person at a hearing.

Five Things You Can Do Right Now

Drawing on the action steps outlined by nocfmbtolls.org, here’s how to make sure your voice is part of the record before the window closes:

1. Submit a formal comment to NCDOT before October 15. This is the single most direct way to influence the outcome. You can:

   • Submit online through NCDOT’s public input portal

   • Email comments to CapeFearMemorialBridge@publicinput.com

   • Call and leave a comment at (984) 205-6615, project code 10626

   • Find general project updates at NCDOT’s Cape Fear Bridge Replacement page

2. Contact your state legislators. Let them know your position on tolling and ask what alternative funding sources they’re pursuing. Find your legislators

3. Reach out to the WMPO board. The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization board is the body that actually votes on whether to accept a tolled funding model. WMPO contact info

4. Contact your federal representatives. Since federal transportation dollars are part of the funding picture, your U.S. Senators and Representative can be asked to support non-toll funding options. Tell them to support a Section 216 review of the project to re-examine the need for the proposed height of the bridge. Find your member of Congress

5. Reach out to Governor Josh Stein’s office. As the state’s chief executive, the Governor has visibility and influence over how NCDOT and the STIP process weigh major funding decisions like this one. Let his office know your position on the bridge design and the toll. Contact Governor Stein.

New Hanover County Weighs In

Members of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners sent a joint letter to our US Senators and Representative Rouzer requesting additional federal funding and a new navigational study of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers.

New Hanover Commissioners Letter

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Joint letter from the New Hanover County Commissioners to our US Senators and Representative Rouzer.

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The Bottom Line

The design alternative and the funding structure — including whether a toll is part of the final plan — are still open questions. With the public comment period closing October 15, 2026, and a preferred alternative expected by the end of the year, this is the window where public input has the most influence on the outcome. If you have an opinion on the bridge height, the toll, or the project generally, now is the time to put it on the record.

This post summarizes publicly available information from NCDOT and community advocacy resources as of September 2026. For the most current project details, hearing materials, and comment submission options, visit NCDOT’s project page directly.

Brunswick County is the sixth fastest growing County in the United States. And, as our County grows, so do the number of children who are attending our public schools. A news article earlier this year in the Brunswick Beacon reported the number of students attending Brunswick County Schools (BCS) is expected to grow by 42% over the next decade - nearly 6,000 students.

You can also view this video on our YouTube channel.

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge needs to be replaced. On that, nearly everyone agrees. But how we replace it — and who pays for it — deserves a much harder look than it’s getting right now.

Last evening I presented testimony at the North Carolina Department of Transportation public hearing on the environmental assessment for the bridge replacement project.

Bridge Testimony

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Testimony presented on September 15, 2026 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

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Two Options, One Big Problem

The community is currently being asked to weigh in on an Environmental Assessment covering two bridge replacement alternatives. Both come with a price tag north of $1 billion. And both share the same catch: the financial plan behind them depends on tolling drivers to cover construction, operation, and maintenance costs — on a bridge that has always been part of the public road system.

Charging tolls on a road that’s never had them isn’t a minor detail. It’s a fundamental shift in how the public pays for infrastructure it already owns, and it deserves real scrutiny before it becomes the default assumption baked into every option on the table.

What Happened to the Cheaper Option?

There was a third path: Alternative C, a lower-cost design. It was dropped from consideration early — and the reasoning behind that decision is worth examining.

The justification centers on protecting a federal navigation channel north of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, as though it still needs to accommodate large commercial vessels. But before we let that assumption drive a billion-dollar decision, the public deserves real answers about what that channel actually requires, who actually uses it, and what it actually costs to maintain.

The Real Cost of “Keeping Options Open”

Maintaining that navigation channel isn’t free. It’s tied to a dredging project estimated at more than $800 million — and North Carolina hasn’t committed its share of that funding. On top of that:

• There’s no clear evidence of economic activity north of the bridge that would justify engineering a bridge around large freight vessels.

• Disturbing river sediment in that stretch raises real environmental red flags, including the risk of stirring up PFAS and other contamination.

A Reasonable Next Step

Rather than accepting the current assumptions at face value, there’s a clear path forward: ask North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a Section 216 review.

Put simply, that review answers one question: Does maintaining a deep federal navigation channel north of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge still make navigational, economic, and environmental sense?

If the review finds that it doesn’t, this community shouldn’t be locked into a taller, costlier bridge — and a tolling scheme — built to serve a need that may no longer be real.

The Bottom Line

Nobody is arguing against replacing the bridge. The argument is about making sure we replace it the right way — at the right height, for the right reason, without asking the public to shoulder tolls and billions in costs based on outdated assumptions. That starts with getting real answers before locking in a billion-dollar decision.

Lowering Bridge Height Has Been Done Elsewhere

Wilmington Council Member Salette Andrews authored an informative blog post on the fact that just eight months ago in the Pacific Northwest the U.S. Coast Guard reconsidered the required clearance for another major bridge replacement—and reduced it by 62 feet.

We deserve the same reconsideration.

Salette Andrews

The 135-Foot Requirement Is Not Set in Stone

Tonight, NCDOT will hold the first of two formal public hearings on the proposed replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge…

Read more

a month ago · 5 likes · 1 comment · Salette Andrews

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has carried traffic between Wilmington and Leland for nearly 60 years, and it’s now on track for a full replacement — one that, for the first time, would come with a price tag every time you cross it.

A proposal floated by private developer Delivering Bridges LLC set that price at $2.75 per crossing for passenger vehicles, with higher rates for multi-axle trucks. The North Carolina Department of Transportation rejected the Delivering Bridges proposal.

With an estimated 65,000 daily crossings, that single number ripples out into a much bigger story about who pays, who benefits, and how the region might change shape over the next decade.

NCDOT’s Current Path is to Pursue a Tolled Option

The Direct Hit: About $65 Million a Year

Start with the simple math. At $2.75 one way and 65,000 crossings a day, the toll would pull roughly $178,750 out of drivers’ pockets every day — or about $65 million a year — that would otherwise have stayed in household budgets across Brunswick and New Hanover counties.

For a daily commuter making the round trip five days a week, that adds up to somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 a year, depending on the final toll structure. That’s not pocket change for the tens of thousands of people who cross the bridge for work, medical care, school runs, or a trip to the beach.

It Doesn’t Stop at the Toll Booth

Money that leaves household budgets for tolls is money that isn’t spent at the restaurant downtown, the hardware store, or the salon in Leland. Regional economists typically apply a multiplier to a direct economic hit like this one to estimate the full “spin-off” effect — the indirect losses to businesses that would have received that spending, and the induced effects as those businesses’ employees have less to spend themselves.

Using typical regional multipliers (roughly 1.5x to 2x for consumer spending in a metro area the size of Wilmington), the total regional economic impact of diverted spending could land somewhere in the $95 million to $130 million range annually — though that’s a back-of-envelope estimate, not a formal published study. It’s also worth noting this isn’t a clean loss to the region: toll revenue funds the bridge itself, supports construction jobs, and — according to UNCW regional economist Mouhcine Guettabi — reduced congestion has real economic value of its own, especially for higher-income commuters for whom time is expensive.

Wilmington and Leland Could Start to Pull Apart

Guettabi’s most striking point isn’t about total dollars — it’s about geography.

Right now, roughly a third of New Hanover County’s workforce, about 52,000 people, commutes in from elsewhere, and a lot of lower-wage workers specifically choose to live in Brunswick County because rent is cheaper there.

A toll changes that calculation. If the added cost of crossing the bridge outweighs the rent savings of living across the river, people will start choosing to live in New Hanover County instead — pushing rents up on the Wilmington side and down in Leland. Guettabi expects this to happen fairly quickly as people “sort into places that make sense,” with slower adaptation following as businesses and developers respond to the shift.

There’s an upside for Leland buried in here: if the town can move fast enough, it could capture more local spending from residents who no longer want to cross the bridge for everyday shopping and dining, building out its own commercial base rather than leaking that spending to Wilmington.

The Workforce Squeeze

The people most exposed to a toll are lower-wage workers who already live in Brunswick County for affordability reasons — cops, nurses, teachers, retail and hospitality workers — many of whom didn’t choose that commute, it chose them, as Wilmington’s housing costs pushed them out.

Guettabi flags this as the central equity concern with any toll: tolling tends to be regressive, hitting lower earners harder as a share of income than higher earners. If employers don’t help absorb that cost, either through wage adjustments or benefits, it could show up in two ways: workers relocating away from the region entirely, or the cost getting passed along in higher prices at local businesses trying to keep staff.

Two mitigation paths get discussed most often:

• Targeted toll discounts for lower-income commuters — only possible if the bridge is built as a public-private partnership, since state law limits discounting under other funding models. The State has rejected the private proposal.

• Local investment in affordable and multi-family housing inside New Hanover County, addressing the underlying housing cost pressure directly rather than through the toll structure.

Traffic Won’t Just Disappear — It’ll Move

Tolling reliably changes driving behavior. Some portion of drivers will divert to the Isabel Holmes Bridge or the Dan Cameron Bridge (I-140) to avoid the fee, concentrating more traffic on Wilmington’s north side and through downtown streets like 3rd and 5th. Wilmington got a preview of this during the bridge’s 2024 closure, when traffic backed up significantly on those same corridors.

Guettabi doesn’t expect diversion at that scale under a toll — some drivers, especially high earners, will happily pay $2.75 to save time — but he does expect meaningful behavior change: people shifting arrival times, consolidating errands into fewer bridge trips, or choosing to shop and eat closer to home instead of crossing the river. Paradoxically, that could reduce overall congestion even as it reshapes where traffic concentrates.

The Bottom Line

A $2.75 toll is a small number that touches a lot of moving parts: household budgets, local business revenue, housing markets on both sides of the river, workforce retention, and daily traffic patterns. The region’s leaders are weighing that against the alternative — a bridge replacement that has already grown from $245 million to over $1 billion in cost since 2020, with waiting only making the math harder.

Whether the final structure includes discounts, dynamic pricing, or stays flat at $2.75 per crossing will shape a lot of what happens next in Wilmington and Leland — from where people choose to live, to what kind of businesses show up on each side of the bridge.

Sources: WHQR — “What a toll bridge would mean for the Cape Fear region’s economy”, WWAY TV3 — NCDOT public hearings coverage, WilmingtonBiz — private developer toll proposal, Historic Wilmington Foundation — bridge replacement overview

For many adults in Brunswick County a trip to the doctor isn’t just inconvenient — it’s often out of reach. Without insurance, without extra income, and sometimes without reliable transportation, basic medical, dental, and pharmacy care can feel impossible to access. That’s exactly the gap New Hope Clinic has spent years working to close.

I am pleased to share my conversation with Sheila Roberts the Executive Director of the New Hope Clinic.

You can also view this interview on our YouTube channel.

A Mission Rooted in Compassion

New Hope Clinic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Southport, NC, dedicated to providing patient-centered healthcare and wellness services for underserved adults in Brunswick County. Its mission is simple but powerful: ensure that every individual — regardless of financial situation or insurance status — has access to quality medical, dental, and pharmacy care.

The clinic’s vision goes even further, imagining a healthy, thriving community where no one has to go without essential treatment because of financial hardship. That vision shows up in everything from the services offered to the way patients are treated when they walk through the door. Staff and volunteers take extra time with each patient, making sure questions are answered and concerns are heard — not just handled.

More Than Medicine

While primary care checkups form the core of what New Hope Clinic offers, the organization’s approach to health is holistic. Patients can access:

• Primary care for routine and ongoing health needs

• Dental care

• Pharmacy and medication assistance

• Wellness programs focused on prevention and long-term health

Just as importantly, the clinic connects patients to resources beyond the exam room — partnering with local organizations to help with utility assistance, food programs, and mental health support. Healthcare, in New Hope Clinic’s view, doesn’t stop at a diagnosis.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

One of the most significant developments in recent years has been the clinic’s investment in mobile care. The Wellness Wagon, a 170-square-foot mobile medical unit, now travels directly into communities across Brunswick County that have historically struggled with transportation access to the main clinic. A second mobile unit, the Care-A-Van, expands that reach even further, bringing checkups, screenings, and basic care to residents in more remote areas.

This shift didn’t happen by accident. In its 2024 Annual Report, New Hope Clinic described a year of significant change: North Carolina’s implementation of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act meant that more than 500,000 additional residents statewide became eligible for coverage. Rather than see this as a reason to scale back charity care, the clinic made the strategic decision to enroll as a Medicaid provider — allowing it to serve both newly insured Medicaid patients and those who remain uninsured, all without breaking continuity of care.

A Community Effort

New Hope Clinic runs almost entirely on the generosity of its community. It’s a volunteer-driven organization, relying on physicians, dentists, pharmacists, medical assistants, front desk staff, and administrative volunteers to keep its doors open and its mobile units on the road. Donations fund everything from day-to-day operations to major investments like the Wellness Wagon and Care-A-Van.

For a county where too many adults have had to choose between paying a bill and seeing a doctor, New Hope Clinic offers something rare: a healthcare model built entirely around access, dignity, and community trust.

Get Involved

Whether it’s through a donation, a few hours of volunteer time, or simply spreading the word, there are many ways to support New Hope Clinic’s work. For patients, the message is straightforward — insured or not, help is available close to home.

Learn more or get involved at newhopeclinicnc.org.

(Sept. 10, 2026, Wilmington, N.C.) North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson announced a $590 million deal between the state of North Carolina, 11 local governments, and DuPont/Chemours over PFAS contamination in North Carolina, the largest total environmental damages recovery in the state’s history.

The agreement guarantees $455 million to the state and to 11 local governments that joined the deal, to be paid over the next 10 to 15 years. Of that amount, $75 million will be allocated to the state with roughly $55 million going to an Emergent Contaminant Mitigation Fund recently created by the North Carolina General Assembly. The fund supports efforts by local governments to detect and reduce contaminants in drinking water.

The remaining $380 million will be divided among the following local governments that were affected by Fayetteville Works’ pollution and previously sued Chemours and Dupont:

• Bladen County

• Brunswick County

• Columbus County

• Cumberland County

• New Hanover County

• Robeson County

• Sampson County

• Town of Wrightsville Beach

• City of Lumberton

• Village of Bald Head Island

• Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority

The deal also establishes a $135 million reserve fund from DuPont and sister company Corteva to guarantee the work that Chemours must continue to complete for decades in the future under the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s 2019 consent order.

I was pleased to welcome back Mr. Brayton Willis of Leland as our guest. Brayton brings a distinguished 40-plus year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the conversation.

With public hearings on the Environmental Assessment for the bridge replacement set for next week (September 15 in Leland), I thought it would be helpful for folks to hear from an expert on the process regarding projects of this magnitude.

In a nutshell, the cost of the replacement bridge hinges largely on the Corps of Engineers’ findings regarding the height of the bridge. After completing its technical review, the Corps reached a clear conclusion.

This video can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Detailed Testimony

I have attached a copy of Brayton’s detailed testimony that was submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation on the Environmental Assessment.

Detailed Testimony

375KB ∙ PDF file

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Testimony submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation by Mr. Willis.

Download

Previous Conversation

Pleased to share the previous conversation we had with Brayton and Leland Council Member Veronica Carter. The Town of Leland has gone on the record opposing the imposition of a toll on the bridge.

Public Hearings Scheduled

Public hearings for the project will be held on September 14 and September 15.

Monday, September 14
Doors Open at 4:30 p.m.
Formal Hearing begins at 6:00 p.m.
Cape Fear Community College (Daniels Hall)
502 N. Front Street
Wilmington, N.C. 28401

Tuesday, September 15
Doors Open at 4:30 p.m.
Formal Hearing begins at 6:00 p.m.
Leland Cultural Arts Center
1212 Magnolia Village Way
Leland, N.C. 28451

About Brayton

Brayton Willis is a retired Senior Project Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program. During a career spanning more than four decades, he worked on federal navigation studies, environmental impact statements, water resources planning, and intergovernmental coordination involving federal, state, and local agencies. He is a resident of Leland, North Carolina, and writes in his personal capacity. The views expressed are his own and do not represent the official positions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Army, or any other governmental agency.

What Eden Village Is

Eden Village of Wilmington is a 31-unit tiny home community built specifically for people experiencing chronic homelessness in New Hanover County. Many residents are also patients at the local medical center, living with chronic illnesses that are treatable in theory but nearly impossible to manage without a stable place to live. A consistent home turns out to be one of the most effective forms of healthcare a person can receive.

The community sits next to the Wilmington airport, adjacent to a Salvation Army complex, which puts residents close to support services, transportation, and job training resources they may need as they rebuild their lives.

The model isn’t original to Wilmington — it’s based on Eden Village of Springfield, Missouri, a proven approach the Wilmington team partnered with rather than reinventing from scratch.

I was pleased to interview Dr. Tom Dalton the Founder of Eden Village about the founding of this effort in 2020, how it has grown and future plans.

You can also view this video on our YouTube channel.

What Life There Looks Like

This isn’t a shelter or a transitional program. It’s designed to be permanent, dignified housing:

• Fingerprint-controlled, gated, pedestrian-only courtyard setting, so residents live somewhere safe and quiet

• Fully furnished, handicap-accessible tiny homes, each with its own front porch

• A one-acre community garden residents can tend

• A community center/clubhouse with offices for support services, space for workshops and group dining, private space to meet with counselors, and access to computers

• A Community Market, where residents can earn points by serving their neighbors — points that convert into benefits and currency they can spend at the market

• A “home team” of volunteers that meets with each resident monthly, providing an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time hand-off

Residents pay $300 a month to live there. Most have some income of their own — commonly around $750 a month from government sources — since having some income is a requirement to move in. The goal is affordability paired with real accountability, not a free handout.

Built to Be Sustainable, Too

Dignity isn’t the only thing baked into the design — sustainability is a core part of the model. Eden Village’s 400-square-foot tiny homes were designed to be energy efficient, and the community has been steadily building out a solar power system meant to eventually cover the community center, a gazebo structure, and every tiny home on-site. The Wilmington homes were built as solar-powered from the outset, and outside grants have continued to fund solar installations across the remaining homes in the gated community.

The payoff isn’t just environmental.

Lower utility bills also mean more of the community’s limited budget can go toward services and programming instead of power costs — and the savings help keep rents affordable for residents. It’s a good match for the tiny-home model generally: a smaller footprint means lower construction costs and lower ongoing energy use, which benefits residents’ wallets as much as the environment.

The Numbers Behind the Mission

Local advocates who track chronic homelessness through shelters, hospitals, and police departments estimate there are roughly 100 disabled, chronically homeless single adults across the area Eden Village serves. That’s a strikingly solvable number — not an abstract, unsolvable crisis, but a defined group of neighbors who could realistically all be housed.

Eden Village’s long-term vision is to build additional communities of similar size to house more of them, with the timeline depending entirely on funding.

The Philosophy

The organization sums up its approach simply: the solution to poverty is dignity, and the solution to homelessness is a home and a community. That shows up in small design choices throughout Eden Village — furnished homes instead of bare rooms, front porches instead of anonymous doors, a market where residents earn their place instead of just receiving aid, and a home team that shows up every month instead of disappearing after intake.

How to Get Involved

Eden Village of Wilmington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it relies on the community to keep running and to grow:

• Volunteer by joining a Home Team or supporting the community in other ways

• Donate — financially, through the endowment, by sponsoring a home, or by giving items from their current needs list

• Take a tour — staff offer guided tours on Mondays at 2 p.m., meeting at the community center

• Apply — if you or someone you know is disabled and has experienced homelessness for more than a year, Eden Village has an application process

For more information, visit edenvillagewilmington.org or reach out at 910-200-7571.

You can read the full history of Eden Village by clicking on the button.

Eden Village History

Pleased to share this video from Eden Village.

Pleased to share my conversation with George Willoughby who is a reporter for the North Brunswick News.

By clicking on the following link you can sign up for updates from North Brunswick News either by email or by text message. You can reach George at the following email address: georgewilloughby@northbrunswicknews.com.

We spoke about a number of issues including.

• Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement

• Hospital Certificate of Need Hearing

• Leland Citizens Academy, Transparency Portal and proposed new Town Park

• New School Year

You can also view this interview on our YouTube channel.

About the North Brunswick News

North Brunswick News is a local reporting initiative from the team behind The News Reporter, a family-owned community newspaper that has served Columbus County since 1896.

Leland area residents have recently started the Leland Area Garden Club. The organization was incorporated on February 26 and received 501(c) 3 Non-profit status April 2.

Their mission:

• To inspire a love of gardening, conservation and environmental stewardship.

• To enhance community beauty through education, volunteerism and partnerships.

• To promote native plants, pollinators, bluebirds and healthy public landscapes.

Upcoming educational topics include:

• Soil 101 and soil testing

• Pollinator gardens

• Native plants of southeastern North Carolina

• Sensory gardening

• Build-a-Bluebird Box workshops

The organization presented to the Leland Town Council at its July 16, 2026 meeting. You can find the Club on Facebook by clicking on the button. They are working on building a website.

Garden Club Facebook Page

Leland Area Garden Club Presentation

1.51MB ∙ PDF file

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Presentation made to the Town Council in July.

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It was my pleasure to speak with Bess Blackburn one of the leaders in the community that helped form the organization. Previously Ms. Blackburn was 12 year member of the Cape Fear Garden Club.

The video can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services held a public hearing Thursday, August 20, to gather testimony on three Certificate of Need (CON) applications proposing additional hospital beds for the region. The state has identified a need for 225 new hospital beds to serve New Hanover County and surrounding localities.

The hearing opened with each of the three applicants given the opportunity to make a 15-minute presentation, followed by public comments. As of 4 p.m., 36 people had spoken on the applications.

Here are the requests by the various applicants:

• Atrium Health Coastal Inc and Advocate Health Inc propose to develop a new hospital in Wilmington — Atrium Health Wilmington Medical Center — with 42 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $395.7 million and would be completed in January 2032.

• Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center LLC and Novant Health Inc propose to develop 225 additional acute care beds at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center for a total of 954 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $236.7 million and would be completed in January 2030.

• UNC Health Wilmington Medical Center Inc proposes to develop a new hospital in Wilmington — UNC Health Wilmington Medical Center — with 150 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $852.6 million and would be completed in July 2031.

As a refresher, here is link to previous blog post and podcasts on the CON process and the interviews with the applicants.

Next Steps

It is anticipated that the State will make a decision on the applications by late Fall or early Winter.

Was pleased to re-connect with Mike Kozlosky the Executive Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Planning Organization to catch up on a number of subject matters.

We spent a good deal of time talking about the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the challenge of obtaining federal and state funding for transportation projects in the region.

You can also view this video on our YouTube channel.

About the MPO

The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) was created in 1973 when our region reached a population density threshold of 50,000 people to constitute the federally-mandated creation of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

As a federally-mandated and federally-funded entity, the Wilmington MPO is tasked with providing a regional and cooperative transportation planning process that serves as the basis for the expenditure of all federal transportation funds in the greater Wilmington area. The WMPO is required to prepare long range transportation plans for the planning area with a minimum of a 20-year horizon. Additionally, the WMPO prepares an annual planning work program and assists with the prioritization of projects for inclusion in the State Transportation Improvement Program (outlines NCDOT’s funding for a 10-year period).

It was my pleasure to re-connect with Deb Mansir, the President of the North Brunswick Newcomers Club, to talk about their plans for the Fall into the Spring months ahead. The Club takes off for the months of July and August.

You can also view this interview on our YouTube channel.

About the Club

The North Brunswick Newcomers Club (NBNC) is a social club for adults living in Brunswick County. Meetings typically are the second Friday of each month from September through May. There is a special event that is held in June with no meeting in July or August.

They meet at the Leland Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) located at 1212 Magnolia Village Way in Leland. Meetings typically feature 2 speakers who focus on familiarizing members with area culture, history, lifestyle, volunteer opportunities, special local programs, and topics of general interest.

Annual dues are $40 per household for up to two persons. Membership eligibility is indefinite (with paid dues); rejoining after a lapse is allowed.

The Club was featured in the Brunswick Forest Living Magazine in August 2024.

2024 Brunswick Forest Living Article

1.07MB ∙ PDF file

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You can learn more about the Club and upcoming events by clicking on the button.

Newcomers Club

The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has been published on NCDOT’s project website. The Environmental Assessment can be found in the project documents section.

CFMB Project

Public Hearings Scheduled

Public hearings for the project will be held on September 14 and September 15.

Monday, September 14
Doors Open at 4:30 p.m.
Formal Hearing begins at 6:00 p.m.
Cape Fear Community College (Daniels Hall)
502 N. Front Street
Wilmington, N.C. 28401

Tuesday, September 15
Doors Open at 4:30 p.m.
Formal Hearing begins at 6:00 p.m.
Leland Cultural Arts Center
1212 Magnolia Village Way
Leland, N.C. 28451

You can read the press release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation by clicking on the button.

NC DOT Press Release

Comments can also be submitted on NC DOT’s public input portal which can be assessed by clicking on this link: https://publicinput.com/capefearmemorialbridge

Many of us know Bill McHugh as a husband, dad, community advocate and former member of the Leland Town Council, but we can now add author to his list of titles.

As a four-year member of the Leland Town Council he realized it was a topic not frequently discussed at a young age. As such he as created something that helps children understand the people and processes that keep their communities running and plant the seed for a potential important and rewarding career path.

For those interested in the book click on the picture or the link in the callout box above.

Pleased to share this conversation with you.

You can view this interview on our YouTube channel.