Good morning Wilmington!

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In today’s Port City Pulse:

• RJ Decker Season 2 in downtown Wilmington

• Parkour Gym Opening in Wilmington

Photos: "RJ Decker" Season 2 hits the streets of downtown Wilmington

Star News — The Star News was on the ground as the ABC series "RJ Decker" filmed on North Water Street in downtown Wilmington Tuesday. Season 2 has been shooting in Wilmington since early July. The North Water Street block between Princess and Market Streets was closed Wednesday for production. The show offers background roles at $180/day and has been casting locally. Season 2 filming wraps July 23.

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A stuntman who doubled as Nightcrawler in the X-Men films is opening a parkour gym in Wilmington

Wrightsville Beach Magazine — Jesse La Flair — athlete, stuntman, actor, and now Wilmington resident — is planning to bring Tempest Academy East to the Port City. La Flair has a 2.3 million social media following and a Hollywood résumé that includes doubling for Nightcrawler in the X-Men films, plus stunts in Divergent and 300: Rise of an Empire. He moved here with his wife and plans a gym that blends parkour fitness, stunt training, and film industry support — modeled on Tempest Academy locations in LA and Dallas but with a Wilmington twist. NC's 25% filmmaker rebate program makes the city an attractive base. The gym would host birthday parties, summer camps, and stunt rehearsals, with the goal of building a local "film family." Investors welcome: [email protected] 

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News Roundup

Local

A Wilmington Powerball player is $50,000 richer after matching four white balls and the Powerball in Saturday night's drawing. The winning ticket was sold at the Harris Teeter on Oleander Drive. This week Mega Millions and Powerball are offering a combined $1.27 billion — Mega Millions at $707M, Powerball at $567M. WECT

The Star News captured Season 2 of "RJ Decker" filming on North Water Street in downtown Wilmington on Tuesday. The ABC series, which began its Wilmington shoot in early July, closed the block between Princess and Market Streets Wednesday for production. Background actors are paid $180/day; season 2 filming runs through July 23. Star News

What you need to know

The YMCA of Southeastern NC is hosting a free swim safety clinic this Saturday for kids ages 3 to 14 — registration is required and space is limited. The "Safety Around Water" clinic runs 9 a.m. to noon at Legion Stadium Pool, 2131 Carolina Beach Road. Children learn what to do if they fall into water, basic swimming and floating, and how to recognize emergencies. Register at ymcasenc.org. WWAY

National and world news

The House narrowly passed a $1.15 trillion defense budget Wednesday in a 216–212 party-line vote, a record figure driven largely by Iran war spending. The FY2027 NDAA includes a 5–7% pay raise for service members, a mandate to revert nine southern military bases to non-Confederate names, an increase in active-duty force size, and an official Pentagon name change to the "Department of War." The Iran war has cost $37.5B to date; Hegseth requested $67.1B more in supplemental funding this week. The bill now goes to the Senate. Military Times

What might surprise you

While Wilmington sweats through 89°, Phoenix, Arizona is bracing for an extreme heat wave with temperatures forecast to hit 110–116°F through at least Monday. The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning across metro Phoenix and much of the state. Overnight lows will stay near or above 90°F — warm enough that the body can't recover overnight. Phoenix has received just 0.32 inches of rain all year, well below the expected 3+ inches by this point in July. AccuWeather