North Carolina was named CNBC’s Top State for Business back-to-back in 2022 and 2023; could it go for a “three-peat”? During N.C. State Ports Authority’s annual Cold Chain Summit at Wilmington’s Hotel Ballast, Scott Cohn, a CNBC special correspondent gave a keynote speech about the news organization’s state business ranking. Cohn laud ...

Kimberly Belfer, founder and education director of Marine CSI: Coastal Science Investigations, has taught area students about the region’s ecosystem through fun, interactive activities since 2014.  Belfer has continuously updated her lessons, and she now provides curricula that relate to state science education standards as well as lessons developed specifica ...

The mayor of Surf City recently said a new mainland park and recreation complex will “absolutely” be a draw for both tourists and residents. Especially the skate park. “When it’s too cold to surf, when there’s no waves, they’ll have an alternative to go and skateboard at our skate park,” said Mayor Teresa Batts. The town&r ...

W.R. Rayson Co. Inc. 720 S. Dickerson St., Burgaw No. of local employees: 26 Year founded: 1969 Top local official: Michael DiMartino, president and CEO Company description: W.R. Rayson is a family-owned manufacturer and converter of disposable paper products used in the dental, medical laboratory and beauty industries. Products made locally: The company makes Hi-L ...

A new council from the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce will put a spotlight on supply chain and logistics firms in the Cape Fear region. The Supply Chain and Logistics Council, which will hold its first meeting next month, aims to bring together various industry stakeholders for “cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation.” Forming the council seemed like a g ...

About 100 miles up the Cape Fear River from Wilmington, Environmental Protection Agency officials announced on Wednesday the agency's first-ever standard for PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, traveled to Fayetteville to annou ...

Everybody drinks water, and all of the water is contaminated. “All of the people here who have been drinking from the Cape Fear River for the past 40, 50 years have been contaminated,” said Dana Sargent, executive director of the Cape Fear River Watch. The contamination Sargent is referring to is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The imp ...

Since Jennifer Harjo opened New Hanover County’s Public Defender’s Office in 2008, she has strived to ensure her clients receive their Constitutional rights for legal representation.  With the advances in scientific and digital evidence, Harjo said she and her staff can better meet that goal. Scientific and digital evidence “allows both the pro ...

Hundreds of lawyers made Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite list this year. The group included Wilmington-area lawyers. To compile the annual list, Business North Carolina asks the thousands of active N.C. State Bar members to vote for recommendations of top lawyers in various areas. Lawyers were not able to vote for themselves. They were allowed to vo ...

Another legal industry accolade that comes out each year is the Super Lawyers list, which is a publication of Thomson Reuters. Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers across the nation. Peer nominations and evaluations along with third-party research are used to review candidates.  CHRISTOPHER K. BEHM CATEGORY: Super Lawyers-Construction Litigation  FIR ...