Good morning Wilmington!

Want to jump into 2026 head-first? Or feet-first? Either way, you can sign up now for the 11th Annual Wrightsville Plunge, the only New Year’s tradition that guarantees cold water, big crowds, and a great cause.

In today’s Port City Pulse:

• Wilmington Declares “Share the Warmth Day”

• Cape Fear Museum to Close Market Street Location

Wilmington Declares “Share the Warmth Day” to Support Residents with Winter Energy Bills

WECT Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo has officially proclaimed Dec. 12 as “Share the Warmth Day,” spotlighting Piedmont Natural Gas’s emergency assistance program for residents struggling with winter energy costs. The initiative helps cover propane, electric, and natural gas bills and is funded through customer Round Up contributions, community donations, and Piedmont’s own support. Enrollment options include texting, online sign-up, phone registration, and mail-in forms. All donations stay local, distributed through nonprofit partners to ensure neighbors in need don’t face cold-weather hardships.

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Cape Fear Museum to Close Market Street Location as It Prepares Move to Grace Street

WWAY The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science will close its Market Street location on December 31 to relocate over 400 artifacts to a new, larger Grace Street campus. The new facility will feature permanent and rotating exhibits, a planetarium, classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, and interactive science and history displays. The museum expects to reopen in July 2026, while the existing site will continue serving as a research, collections, and educational workspace.

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News Roundup

Local News

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Jon will headline the Night Concert at the 79th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival on April 9. The concert will be held at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and the show starting at 7 p.m.; tickets go on sale December 12. WECT

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has canceled Medicaid reimbursement rate cuts that were set to reduce payments by 3% to 10%. The reversal protects short-term access to care for more than 3 million Medicaid recipients while ongoing legal challenges and legislative funding disputes are resolved. WWAY

What You Should Know

The Small Business Administration has ordered all companies benefiting from the 8(a) minority contracting program to submit detailed financial records to prevent fraud and abuse. The review targets potential “pass-through” schemes where firms subcontract work to non-disadvantaged companies while keeping a cut, with noncompliance by January 5 risking loss of contract eligibility. DailyWire 

What Might Surprise You

The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is exhibiting a mysterious “heartbeat,” with rhythmic jets of gas and dust causing its glow to brighten and dim every 16.16 hours as it nears Earth. While NASA and ESA classify it as a lifeless comet, some scientists note that the precise, pulsing light from its coma remains unusual and not fully explained. Daily Mail

New audio has been released from the 2023 incident in which an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms, attempted to shut down the engines mid-flight. Joseph David Emerson was arrested, charged with multiple counts including attempted murder, pled guilty, and received a 50-day sentence with credit for time served plus five years of probation. The Gateway Pundit

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