Bob Liepa

2 weeks ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

Artifacts were illegally removed from one of the most historically rich sites in the City of Southport, the Fort Johnston garrison area, according to a city official. The Cape Fear Explorers’ retrieval of several artifacts near the garrison lawn recently sparked a reaction from the city. The city has two dig sites on Davis Street, which runs alongside the garrison lawn, for the installation of underground electric power.

3 weeks ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

WWAY chief meteorologist Lee Haywood delivered a sobering remark when discussing hurricanes that have struck the Cape Fear region: the area hasn’t experienced a Category 3 hurricane or higher since 1996, he said. “We’ve had a lot of storms, but we really haven’t had one that absolutely blasted the area,” said Haywood, who has covered hurricanes for a quarter of a century.

3 weeks ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

When the budget process for the 2025-26 fiscal year began this past December, the City of Southport was looking at an anticipated $1.4 million deficit due to the loss of the water and sewer fund with the transition of those services to Brunswick County. So when Interim City Manager Noah Saldo stepped to the podium on May 30 at Indian Trail Meeting Hall to deliver a presentation on his proposed budget, he had a surprise for the Southport Board of Aldermen.

3 weeks ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

The Waterway Community development wants to be a part of the City of Southport, which begs the question: Is the feeling mutual? That is what it boils down to now as the city considers a text amendment to the Southport Unified Development Ordinance that would allow residential conditional zoning in the city and a rezoning application by East West Partners Management Co. Inc. East West Partners and the property owner, Bald Head Island Ltd.

1 month ago | stateportpilot.com | Bob Liepa

A fiscal year 2026 budget proposed by Bald Head Island Village Manager Chris McCall would see an overall 2.3-cent property tax increase per $100 of valuation. If approved, that would bring the village-wide tax rate to 65.07 cents, with an additional 9.14 cents for properties in Municipal Service District Zone A and 6.88 cents more in Municipal Service District Zone B. Those are supplemental taxes based on the proximity of those zones to the shoreline.