All Things Leland

Pleased to share our conversation with Laurie Whalin, President of Novant Health Coastal Region, regarding their application for 225-new hospital beds in New Hanover County to serve the region. You can read their press release on the application here: https://www.novanthealth.org/newsroom/releases-20260615 The public comment period for this and other applications to bring more hospital beds and se...

As someone who has had family members successfully participate in future teacher programs in another locality, I was pleased to have a conversation with Ms. Jennie Bryan who leads the Brunswick County Schools’ Teacher Scholar Academy to increase the number of homegrown teachers. The four High Schools in the County send students to the Academy. In addition to the Academy, there is a locally funded...

The mission of the Brunswick County Literacy Council is to advance social and economic opportunities for underserved adults 16 and older by identifying, developing, promoting, and delivering literacy and other academic programming. A study released in 2020 by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and Gallup examined the impact of adult literacy on the U.S. economy, finding that the natio...

It's been a long time since I delivered the Long Island Press as a kid, and the delivery of news has changed dramatically since then—24-hour news cycles, social media, the decline of long-standing newspaper outlets, and the rise of digital media. I am pleased to be able to have a conversation with George Willoughby a reporter for the North Brunswick News. North Brunswick News is a local report...

UNC Health announced plans to build a new community hospital on a 62-acre proposed site in New Hanover County, pending regulatory approvals. This proposed hospital will strengthen UNC Health’s statewide reach – connecting North Carolina communities from the mountains to the coast. Planned for the southeast corner of South 17th Street and Shipyard Boulevard, the site was selected for its accessibil...

Established in 1983 as a modest Soup Kitchen, Good Shepherd has grown to become the largest provider of homeless services in the region. Current programs include the Soup Kitchen which serves over 89,000 meals a year; Second Helpings food salvage and distribution program; Sgt. Eugene Ashley Center providing transitional and permanent supportive housing for Veterans and men with disabilities; a Day...

Since 1982, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has been in the field restoring miles of coastline; training and educating students, adults, and communities to take actions that result in cleaner coastal waters and advocating for an accessible, healthy, productive coast. North Carolina has 3,375 miles of coastline which contributes billions in economic value to the state. Created to give a unite...

Novant Health has made a series of announcements detailing their investment in facilities and services for the residents of the region. Recently, the State approved Novant Health’s planned hospital in Leland (in the Terrapin community). The new facility will include 20 acute care beds and five procedure rooms. The facility will include a 24/7 emergency room, ten observation beds and imaging servic...

Brunswick Partnership for Housing, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization. They provide services for more than 500 unsheltered individuals and families annually and advocate for the development of permanent, safe and affordable housing in Brunswick County. Services include: Outreach and case management Information and referrals Emergency shelter through area motels Transitional housing for hom...

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 recent news article in the Brunswick Beacon reported that the number of students attending Brunswick County Schools (BCS) is expected to grow by 42% over the next decade - nearly 6,000 students. This November residents will have t...

For more than 20 years, Brunswick County offered aging services to provide support to older adults. In 2002, the county identified and projected the growing population of older adults and Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc. (BSRI) was established. With the ever-evolving needs of people over 50, BSRI has adapted by offering active lifestyle activities, while continuing to provide resources and support...

You may recognize them locally as Cape Fear Solar, but the company has recently rebranded as Cape Fear Energy Systems — reflecting a broader commitment to bringing comprehensive energy improvements and efficiency upgrades to both homeowners and businesses in the community. Cape Fear Energy Systems is a participating company in North Carolina’s Energy Saver program which was launched in Brunswick C...

The Cape Fear Council of Governments is the designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for North Carolina Planning Region O serving Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender Counties. The Area Agency on Aging is mandated by the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, to plan, develop, implement, and coordinate aging services for the Region. According to the U.S. Census, Brunswick County by the medi...

Having a child at home with severe diaper rash, Diaper Bank founder Michelle Schaefer was changing his diaper 20 – 30 times a day, she could not stop the infections from taking over, causing her son to be extremely ill and in pain. As her son started to heal, Michelle started to wonder about parents who were not able to grab that next diaper to help their babies stay clean, dry, and healthy and kn...

For 40 years the Sister Isaac Center has been serving residents across the region. In 1983, Sister Isaac Koenig, a Catholic nun of the Society of St. Ursula, came to Wilmington to serve at St. Mary parish and began assessing the social needs of the local community. She immediately saw that there was a food desert in the area, and those with limited means found it especially difficult to buy afford...

It is no secret that electricity rates are increasing in North Carolina. This past November Duke Energy has requested a rate increase of more than 13%. Both the Governor and Attorney General have expressed their opposition to the rate proposal. To help consumers, in January 2025 the Governor launched Energy Saver NC, an initiative to promote energy efficiency that provides rebates to households th...

We were pleased to have a conversation with Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, Regional Economist, at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington regarding the economic profile he has authored for Brunswick County. We previously interviewed Dr. Guettabi in November. In the report Dr. Guettabi points out the County has demonstrated strong economic performance from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025 with employment growth of...

Cape Fear River Watch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was founded in 1993. Founders Bouty Baldridge and Bruce Watkins envisioned a permanent nonprofit organization, open to everyone, and dedicated to the improvement and preservation of the health, beauty, cleanliness, and heritage of the Cape Fear River basin. According to the University of North Carolina , 1.5 million residents depend on...

Three hundred years ago in 1726 Maurice Moore, the son of a former South Carolina governor, founded this port town. North Carolina was a colony of England, and the town was named Brunswick to honor George I, the king of England, who was also duke of Brunswick in what is now Germany. A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 an...

27% of Brunswick County's children live in food insecure households. Pleased to share our All Things Leland interview with the Pastor of the The Bridge Presbyterian Church on what they are doing in partnership with our local schools and other organization to make a difference. Learn about how you can help: www.allthingsleland.com .