Good morning Wilmington!

Ready to shamrock and roll? Wilmington’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend is bursting with music, parades, and celebrations. The Downtown Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts tomorrow at 11AM. Lot’s of celebrations going on…from Fermental’s live music to the Beer Garden at Rooster & Crow.

Need more options? Check out today’s Port City Jams for JAM-PACKED live music and parties!

In today’s Port City Pulse:

• Bomb Threat Prompts Evacuation at Wilmington International Airport

• Southport Places Four Parks & Rec Employees on Leave

Wilmington Airport Operations Resume After Bomb Squad Clears Threat

WECT Wilmington International Airport (ILM) was evacuated Thursday night after officials received a bomb threat around 8:50 p.m., prompting a response from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad. After conducting a sweep of the terminal, authorities determined the airport was safe and lifted the evacuation around 9:49 p.m., allowing normal operations to resume. Officials said the evacuation was carried out as a precaution to ensure passenger and staff safety.

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Southport Places Four Parks & Rec Employees on Leave After Financial Irregularities Found

WHQR Four employees in the City of Southport’s Parks & Recreation Department were placed on paid administrative leave following the discovery of apparent financial irregularities during a forensic accounting investigation. The State Bureau of Investigation is now reviewing the matter, leading the city to suspend its Parks & Recreation Before/After-School Program indefinitely and close associated facilities and events until further notice.

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News Roundup

Local News

Cape Fear Community College will begin offering two new food service continuing education courses this April, including Food Service 101 and a ServSafe Manager Certification. These classes aim to help local residents gain essential skills and credentials for employment in the hospitality and restaurant industries, with topics covering kitchen operations, food safety, and customer service. WWAY

Wilmington’s 25th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, celebrating Irish heritage and community spirit with a festive procession through downtown. The event will feature floats, music, and participants of all ages while bringing residents and visitors together for one of the city’s most beloved traditions. WWAY

North Topsail Beach Town Manager has announced his resignation, effective April 10, after serving the community in local government leadership. The decision follows a period of service where he worked on ongoing projects and town initiatives, and the town council will now begin the process of selecting a successor. WECT

Vice President JD Vance is visiting Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Friday to deliver remarks at a public event. The visit will take place at Rocky Mount Mills, where doors open ahead of his scheduled 2 p.m. speech, marking his second trip to the state since becoming vice president. WRAL News

What You Should Know

Unexplained internet blackouts in Moscow have left residents relying on walkie-talkies, pagers, and paper maps as disruptions affect daily life and businesses. Officials say the outages are for “security” reasons, but critics fear they could signal expanding government control over online access, including a potential system allowing only state-approved websites. The Guardian

A shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, left one person dead and two others injured after a gunman opened fire inside a campus building before being found dead. The incident occurred in Constant Hall, prompting an active-threat alert and a rapid law-enforcement response, after which officials declared the campus safe and canceled classes while the investigation continues. CBS News

The CL.1 listing tracks the front-month futures price for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, one of the main global benchmarks used to measure oil prices. It reflects the current market price per barrel for the nearest-expiring crude oil futures contract traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, which investors and energy companies use to hedge risk or speculate on oil price movements. MarketWatch

Oil prices have surged sharply as the near‑closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict severely disrupted global crude flows, with Brent crude topping around $100 a barrel. The bottleneck—through which about one‑fifth of the world’s oil normally passes—has been choked by attacks and threats, prompting emergency releases from strategic reserves and heightening fears of prolonged energy‑market instability. CNBC

What Might Surprise You

A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, before being shot dead by security during the attack. The incident at Temple Israel prompted a major police response and lockdowns in the area; one security guard was injured after being struck by the vehicle, but no children or staff at the synagogue’s preschool were harmed. The Sun

Friday

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