🌱 Fire Displaces Family + Construction Begins In Historic District

Morning, everybody! I'm here with your fresh copy of the Wilmington Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the things you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Mostly cloudy. High: 80 Low: 61.
• Tuesday: A passing shower or two. High: 78 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories in Wilmington today:

1. In nearby Winnabow, the Winnabow Fire Department responded to a call about a house fire on Funston Road at 12:56 p.m. on Saturday. Crews responded quickly, and the fire was extinguished in roughly 20 minutes. Two dogs were discovered unresponsive in the home, but Brunswick County EMS was able to revive them with oxygen. The incident displaced the family, but the Red Cross is providing assistance. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. (WWAY NewsChannel 3)
2. After a 4-week trial for the murder of Jody Marie Lopez, Ray Anthony Southers, 39, of Wilmington, was found guilty on Friday of second-degree murder, misdemeanor breaking and entering, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Southers received a prison term of between 21 and 27.5 years from the judge. According to the Wilmington Police Department's incident report, officers responded to the 1300 block of South Front Street and found Lopez with a gunshot wound. Officers began performing life-saving measures at the scene. Lopez was then taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where she later died. Lopez had just given birth to her third child, only three months before her passing. (StarNewsOnline.com)
3. Construction has started to help improve a road that runs through part of Wilmington’s historic district. This week, construction on the Fifth Avenue improvement project began. The work between Market Street and Greenfield Lake will upgrade the water and sewer lines, the road, and the sidewalk and is anticipated to last until 2025. Crews will begin to change the traffic pattern on 5th Avenue once work is complete. This will include reducing the number of lanes from two to one to make room for a bike lane and on-street parking. According to City of Wilmington Director of Public Services Dave Mayes, the lengthy construction project is essential to the city’s growth. (WECT)

Today and tomorrow in Wilmington:

Monday, May 22

• Wrightsville Beach Farmers' Market At Wrightsville Beach Parks & Recreation (Wrightsville) (8:00 AM)
• Wilmington Ribbon Cutting At Food Bank CENC (4:00 PM)
• Yoga In The Gardens At Airlie Gardens (5:00 PM)

Tuesday, May 23

• Greenfield Lake Walking Eco-Tour At Cape Fear River Watch (10:00 AM)
• Pizza And Pages Teen Book Club At NHC Public Library Pine Valley (5:30 PM)
• Incubus In Concert At Live Oak Bank Pavilion At Riverfront Park (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Service Announcement! Due to a pushed completion date of fall 2023 and for a second summer, construction is set to continue on one of the two bridges that carry residents and visitors onto Wrightsville Beach. (StarNewsOnline.com)
• Save the date! Come join the NCWorks Career Center-New Hanover County as they welcome Choice Health Management Services, Wave Transit, and Hire Quest Direct for a multi-employer job fair on May 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (WECT)
• New Hanover County Senior Resource Center sends out a big thank you to the amazing volunteers at AmeriCorp Senior! These individuals made a difference by showing up and delivering meals in the rain Friday! Rain or shine, these dedicated volunteers always show up to help the community! (New Hanover County Senior Resource Center via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with another update.

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.