Wilmington, NC News

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington City Council gave its official approval to a bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly during Tuesday’s meeting.

The bill allows the city not to charge Monkey Junction residents for city taxes for the six months the area was legally annexed into the Port City’s limits.

Wilmington annexed about 1,000 acres of Monkey Junction last January, after a court ruling found that changes the General Assembly made to the annexation laws were unconstitutional.

The General Assembly later passed a law that requires cities to get approval from a majority of property owners before involuntary annexations can go forward. Monkey Junction residents overwhelmingly opted out of the annexation.

City Council also held a public hearing for the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.

Highlights of the 2013-2014 budget include no property tax increase for residents, and a two percent pay increase for city employees.

Council is also planning for a fund balance for emergencies which totals $25 million.

The City also plans to continue funding for an infrastructure improvement plan, as well as funding for the Wilmington Police Department’s Mobile Field Force.

The first reading of the budget will be June 4th.

During the meeting, Council also approved a resolution authorizing the city to pay $300,000 in civil penalties to the Environmental Protection Agency.

This comes as a decree between the EPA, Wilmington, and CFPUA for sewer spills that happened several years ago.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A longtime advocate for people with mental disabilities in North Carolina is joining state government as the director of the agency that oversees services for them and others with mental illness or alcohol or drug abuse problems.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that Dave Richard will head the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services starting next week.

Richard has been executive director of The ARC (ark) of North Carolina since 1989. He previous served in similar ARC positions in Louisiana and Delaware.

Richard succeeds acting director Jim Jarrard.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MOORE, OK (WWAY) — Tonight in Oklahoma the storms have calmed, but it will take some time for the folks there to recover.

At least 24 people including nine children were killed when a massive tornado struck the small town of Moore Monday afternoon. More than 200 people were injured. The National Weather Service says the massive tornado was a top-of-the-scale EF-5, packing winds of more than 200 miles per hour.

WWAY talked earlier by phone to Wilmington resident and American Red Cross Communications Director for Eastern NC, Autum Mihm, about her experience in the tornado-torn town.

“People have just lost everything. But what I’ve also seen is the community coming together rallying around everyone,” Mihm said. “Also all of the organizations including the Red Cross are working diligently to make sure that their immediate needs are met and that not only are we taking care of things like sheltering, feeding, clothing but also taking into consideration their mental health and emotional well-being.”

If you want to help, you can make a donation at http://www.redcross.org/. You can also make a $10 donation by texting “Red Cross” to 90999.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – Prosecutors have completed their closing arguments in the trial of a man accused of the rape and murder of a 5-year-old Fayetteville girl.

The Fayetteville Observer reports (http://bit.ly/13GlAZ7) that Cumberland County Assistant District Attorney Robby Hicks said it was clear that Mario McNeill who kidnapped, raped and suffocated Shaniya Davis in November 2009.

Statements from District Attorney Billy West twice led defense attorneys to seek a mistrial. Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons ruled against both motions.

Defense attorneys began their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon.

McNeill could face the death penalty if convicted. The 32-year-old decided not to testify.

Ammons said he would prefer not to recess court over the four-day weekend if the jury has not reached a verdict by Thursday afternoon.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)