Good morning Wilmington!

If you're heading to Carolina Beach today, you might run into film traffic.

The ABC series RJ Decker is filming along Lake Park Boulevard between Charlotte Avenue and Cape Fear Boulevard, plus Swordfish Lane, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today. Charlotte Avenue between Lake Park Boulevard and 3rd Street may close temporarily — so if you're in the area, expect some traffic disruption.

In today’s Port City Pulse:

• A 46,000-square-foot wellness destination is moving into the former Lowe's Foods on Pine Grove Drive

• Tomorrow morning’s committee vote could bring North Carolina's contested hemp potency bill one step closer to passing — or kill it for the session.

Wave Wellness Is Turning a Former Lowe's Foods Into a $16M Wellness Destination

WilmingtonBiz Wave Wellness has purchased the former Lowe's Foods at 805 Pine Grove Drive for $7.5 million and plans an $8.5 million upfit to convert the 46,000-square-foot space into a comprehensive wellness center. The facility will include a medspa, fitness center, yoga and Pilates studios, sauna, café, coworking space, and athletic development programming. Founding memberships are currently available. CEO Andrew Krichman and COO Whitney Smith — who also operates Wave Aesthetics — are behind the project, with an expected December opening.

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NC Hemp Bill Would Cap THC Potency at Levels Industry Calls Fatal to Business

WECT House Bill 328 would restrict hemp product THC content to 0.3% or 0.4 milligrams per serving — limits that dispensary owners say would effectively end legal hemp sales in North Carolina. Justin Hamilton, CEO of The Hemp Farmacy, called the bill "a handcuff" that would eliminate products even he can't legally sell in his own stores. The bill is in the House Rules Committee, which meets Thursday at 8:30 a.m.; if it clears committee, it heads to the full House. Sen. Michael Lee backs the legislation as a public safety measure; Rep. Deb Butler opposes it. (Pairs with WUNC hemp feature already in queue.)

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News Roundup

Local News

A lifelong friend says the Willetts had already buried both of their sons before Tracey killed Stephen and herself last week. Fuller Royal describes the couple as deeply loved in their community who had endured two devastating losses — son Zach died in military service, and son Colby from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. WWAY

A Hampstead man faces 23 felony child sex offense charges across two counties. John Martin Trott, 53, was arrested in connection with incidents in Pender and New Hanover Counties and is being held without bond pending a court appearance August 6. WECT

A Maple Hill man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a multi-county drug trafficking ring. Eugene James, 48, sold meth and fentanyl directly to undercover officers across New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender Counties before federal investigators closed in. WECT

What You Should Know

NC Sen. Thom Tillis voted Tuesday to advance Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general after the Trump administration agreed to rescind the controversial "1776 fund." The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Blanche 12-10 on party lines; a full Senate vote is still needed before the Senate breaks for its August recess this weekend. News & Observer

National News

Federal authorities arrested a convicted felon in connection with Spokane's Old Trails Fire, the most destructive of the recent Washington wildfires. Aaron Farinacci, 37, faces first-degree arson charges and is held on $1 million bail; the fire displaced 65,000 people and destroyed more than 700 structures. WHQR/NPR

A Hawaii congressional candidate was arrested after threatening beachgoers with a knife over loud music — then getting knocked out by a bystander. Kirill Basin, 40, who challenges incumbent Rep. Jill Tokuda in Hawaii's August 8 primary, faces two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening with bail set at $1 million. Hawaii News Now

World News

At least seven explosions rocked Dubai's Jebel Ali industrial zone Tuesday night, sending thick smoke into the sky and knocking out power in nearby neighborhoods. Authorities haven't confirmed the cause; Emirati media cited an industrial accident while Iranian news outlets reported a missile strike launched from Yemen. Express