🌱 Two Wilmington Restaurants Closed + Wilmington Local On The Voice

Hello all. It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Wilmington Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: A little afternoon rain. High: 63 Low: 43.
• Saturday: Partly sunny and windy. High: 60 Low: 42.

Business owners and marketers in Wilmington: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories today in Wilmington

1. Two popular restaurants in Wilmington are closing their doors for good within minutes of each other. Hops Supply Company on Oleander Drive and Wild Wing Cafe on Military Cutoff are both shutting down unfortunately suddenly. Wild Wing Cafe cites the shutdown is due to management changes that are resulting in the ending of operations, Hops Supply Company does not list a reason but promises to support employees in relocating to other restaurants in the family. (WWAY NewsChannel 3)
2. Carlos Rising, a musician based out of Wilmington, will be a part of Team Blake on the popular show "The Voice" after being selected from his audition on Tuesday night's episode. Rising moved to Wilmington from Seattle a few years ago after losing his job during the pandemic and has since dedicated full-time to pursuing his music career. Country legend Blake Shelton was the first judge to turn his chair during Rising's performance and this was the connection that pushed Rising to select his team. Rising will be moving into the battle round now, where he will compete against other members of Team Blake for the opportunity to advance in the competition. (WECT)
3. On Mar. 8, Terry Earl Hooper Jr. of Wilmington was sentenced to 63 months in prison for the possession of a firearm as a felon. Hooper pled guilty back in February of 2022 and was sentenced earlier this week. He was originally pulled over in October 2021 for operating a vehicle with a window tint violation. A search of the vehicle ensued where drugs were found as well as a semi-automatic firearm with a laser attachment. Hooper has been convicted previously with several different charges. (WECT)

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Today and tomorrow in Wilmington:

Friday, March 10

• Teen Game Night - New Hanover Church (6:00 PM)
• Thalian Association Presents School House Rock Live! Jr. - Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center (7:30 PM)
• Dons & Divas - The Lookout At Iron Front (10:00 PM)

Saturday, March 11

• Street Safe - John T Hoggard High (8:00 AM)
• Kings Of The Highway At Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival - Live Oak Bank Pavilion (12:00 PM)
• St. Patrick's Day Parade - 1 Market Street (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• A special congratulations to Detective Cranford and Deputy Spell for the Service Above Self awards they received this week. The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office is lucky to have both of these wonderful officers a part of their department. (New Hanover County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• Spring is officially springing over by Thalian Hall. If you take a look, you can see the azaleas are really starting to bloom with the change in the seasons. (City of Wilmington, NC Government via Facebook)
• This month, the Wilmington Fire Department recognizes and celebrates the women on the team who work hard every day to support the community and keep all safe. The Wilmington Fire Department is very close to the national standard of women on the force and hopes to see that number rise. (Wilmington, NC Fire Department via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• JP+3 Band is at JM's this Friday night! (March 10)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all soon for 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.