Novant Health Acquires Wilmington Surgical Associates After 50 Years as an Independent Practice

WilmingtonBiz — Novant Health has acquired Wilmington Surgical Associates, which has operated in Wilmington since 1972 and now carries the name "Wilmington Surgical Associates, a Novant Health affiliate." The practice recently moved into a new 20,000-square-foot facility at 2739 Iron Gate Drive (opened 2024), where the same surgeon team continues to provide general, breast, oncologic, and bariatric surgery as well as wound and vein care. The acquisition brings five decades of independent surgical practice under the umbrella of one of the region's largest health systems.

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Wawa Coming to S. College Road After Council Approves Rezoning Near UNCW

WECT — Wilmington City Council voted to rezone 524 S. College Road — the site of a long-vacant Furniture Fair — from Office/Institutional to Community Business, clearing the way for a Wawa convenience store and gas station near UNCW's campus. The project still needs to pass technical review and permitting before construction can begin.

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News Roundup

Local

Sea Tow WB expands Cape Fear fleet with new vessel. Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach added a 26-foot Twin Vee to its fleet, now operating from Port City Marina. The new boat is expected to cut response times along the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers by about an hour. WWAY

NHC deputies investigate late-night shooting in Ogden’s Marsh Oaks neighborhood. A woman was found dead and a man is in critical condition after a Tuesday night shooting on Sanderlin Place near Market Street. Sheriff Ed McMahon says the case is being treated as a murder-suicide. WECT

NC bar owners’ COVID shutdown lawsuit keeps shrinking. Fifteen more plaintiffs dropped out of the six-year-old case challenging Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision to keep bars closed while other businesses reopened — leaving fewer than 30 active plaintiffs. A hearing Aug. 18 will address whether Cooper and former DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen can be compelled to give depositions. Carolina Journal

What You Should Know

Charlotte police chief calls for a 9 PM curfew for minors. CMPD Chief Estella Patterson urged Charlotte City Council to enforce a curfew for anyone under 18, warning that “teen takeover” gatherings will eventually turn fatal. The council postponed its vote pending more clarity on consequences for violations. WRAL

What Might Surprise You

ICE is planning to spend $20 million on electric shock gloves for agents. DHS is seeking G.L.O.V.E. (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) gloves for ICE officers — devices that deliver an electric stimulus to gain compliance during arrests. Deliveries are expected by March 2027. Civil rights groups are calling the plan “disgustingand barbaric.” NBC News

National

Newsom calls Trump an “invasive species in the White House” during a Detroit church visit. California’s governor told a Detroit congregation that Trump wants to “bring us back to a pre-1960s world.” Newsom was in Michigan campaigning for Democratic candidates, including Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, and is openly positioning for 2028. The Midwesterner

Paramount CEO threatens to move studios out of California over merger stalemate. David Ellison told his leadership team he’s prepared to relocate Paramount if CA Attorney General Rob Bonta won’t negotiate the Warner Bros. Discovery merger before a $7M/day ticking fee kicks in Oct. 1. Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia are all being considered. The Wrap

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