Home Care In Wilmington, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Most people decorate Christmas trees for the holidays, while others put lights on their boats.

A coastal tradition has sailed by in Wrightsville Beach on Saturday night.

The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla invited people from far and near for a holiday show.

Boaters decorate their vessels in creative themes using Christmas lights. The displays can been seen from miles away.

This is the 42nd time it’s been held in the area. The event has been dedicated in the memory of one boat owner who participated in just about every show, Billy Baggett. The committee says he alongside his sister, helped to cultivate the event into one of the most treasured coastal traditions in the state.

It’s why a boat owner of 38-years decided to join in on the fun this year.

“We are just grateful to be here,” said Sid Gulledge Sr.

Gulledge and his family wanted to pick a theme that was out-of-the-world.

“They theme is beam me up Santa. It’s a little bit of Christmas, a little bit of UFO, a little bit of extraterrestrial,” said Gulledge’s son.

The family wanted to make their boat stand out from the crowd, since it’s smaller in size.

It consists of lights in the shape of a UFO, a disco ball, a blown up alien prop, and outfits that represents Santa Claus and Astronauts.

One of the judges this year was WECT’s Jon Evans.

The winner of the contest will be announced on their website.

The event committee says while it’s a friendly contest, they really just want to bring neighbors out for a good time.

“It’s just really a cool opportunity to see everyone come together and to bring the town together,” said Bradley Alsip.

The holiday events continues on Sunday.

Dogs are a huge part of many people's lives all across the United States. In Wilmington, even if you don't own a dog, you're bound to see them all around the city, whether it's walking through parks, neighborhoods, or even downtown.

And there may be a good reason for that. A recent study from LawnStarter looked at the best cities in the United States for dog lovers, and Wilmington was ranked well inside the top 10.

For Wilmington residents who own a dog, this could confirm that they're providing a great home for their pet. And for those who are considering getting a dog, this might make that decision that much closer to being made.

But what makes Wilmington such a great city for dog lovers? Let's break down LawnStarter's study and look at why the Port City ranks so high.

Why is Wilmington one of the best cities for dog owners?

LawnStarter's study examined the United States' 500 largest cities on a variety of factors covering five major categories: care, community, businesses, housing, and affordability.

The study analyzed 37 individual metrics, with each being given a specific weight. These metrics included things like availability of veterinary care, home/yard size, access to dog parks and animal shelters, number of dog-friendly businesses, and much more.

Wilmington's highest rank was in the "care" category. LawnStarter ranked Wilmington as the sixth-best city in the country for that category. Wilmington was also ranked 19th in the businesses category, which reflected how dog-friendly a city's commercial spaces were.

But according to the LawnStarter study, Wilmington still has a lot of room to grow in terms of how the city supports its dog owners. Wilmington came in at 233 in the "community" category, its worst ranking by far. This category included specific metrics such as the amount and quality of dog parks.

While Wilmington may lack facilities that are dog parks in name, many local parks are very pet-friendly and offer walking trails and fenced-in areas for dogs to run and play.

Wilmington also ranked 130th in affordability. While this puts it above most of the 500 largest cities in the United States, affordability is certainly an area that pet owners would love to see improve.

Where did Wilmington rank overall?

Overall, LawnStarter ranked Wilmington as the sixth best city for dog lovers in the United States, narrowly missing out on the top five.

What other cities made the top 10?

Two other North Carolina cities cracked the top 10 in LawnStarter's study. That makes North Carolina the only state with more than one city in the top 10.

Asheville achieved the second best score out of all cities. It was also the highest ranked city in the "business" category.

Raleigh was the ninth ranked city overall, with strong scores across all categories but none that were especially high.

Finally, Charlotte ranked at 31st and Cary came in at 44th.

North Carolina wakes to a hazy, muted sky, where early light presses through thin patches of coastal fog and the pavement still holds its cool dawn sheen. Travelers stepping out before sunrise may feel the crisp, moist air brushing across open lots and quiet neighborhoods—an early sign of shifting conditions as Thanksgiving approaches.

Residents should stay alert through the morning, especially along US-17 and smaller inland routes where fog pockets linger longest. Reduced visibility may slow early errands, school travel, or airport drop-offs. For now, calm winds keep the fog settled, though sunshine will quickly take over and dry out the region. Anyone preparing for weekend Holiday Travel should use today to get ahead on plans while conditions remain simple and roads stay dry.

Models hint at a small Winter Tease farther north across the US, where temperature whiplash may spark late-November snow chances. While Wilmington remains far from that risk, the broader pattern signals bigger national impacts as Thanksgiving week begins. A mild, steady warmth holds here through Saturday, but coastal residents should still watch for a possible changeover to light showers later in the weekend.

Friday brings partly sunny skies with a high near 73°F. Winds ease in the afternoon, creating ideal conditions for outdoor decorating, leaf cleanup, and early holiday events. Saturday features highs near 78°F with only a slight chance of showers or a low-end thunder rumble after midday—nothing disruptive, but enough to keep late travelers aware.

Five-Day Outlook (Sunday–Wednesday):Sunday: Sunny, high near 66°F.Sunday Night: Mostly clear, low near 44°F.Monday: Sunny, high near 68°F.Tuesday: Partly sunny, high near 73°F; 40% shower chance late.Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high near 78°F.

The East Carolina Pirates and the UNC Wilmington Seahawks meet Tuesday in college basketball action from the Trask Coliseum. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s an East Carolina Pirates vs. UNC Wilmington Seahawks prediction.

East Carolina Pirates Recap

The East Carolina Pirates come into this game looking to build on a 71-70 win over subdivision Elizabeth City last time out to sit at 2-1 this season. After this game, East Carolina will head home for a game against Charleston Southern.

Pirates Narrowly Get By Subdivision Team

Jordan Riley leads the Pirates with 20 PPG along with 7 RPG while Giovanni Emejuru has 20 PPG of his own along with a team-high 10.7 RPG to lead the Pirates in rebounding so far this season by averaging a double-double per game. Tybo Bailey has 10.3 PPG with 2.3 RPG to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for East Carolina so far this season while Corey Caulker has 7.7 PPG with 3.7 APG and Isaiah Mbeng has 7 PPG with a team-high 5 APG to lead the Pirates in assists. As a team, East Carolina is averaging 78.3 PPG on 44.3% shooting from the field, 18.3% from three and 70.8% from the foul line this season.

UNC Wilmington Seahawks Recap

The UNC Wilmington Seahawks come into this game looking to add on to their 73-60 win over USC Upstate last time out to sit at 2-1 this season. After this game, UNC Wilmington will head on the road for a game against Radford.

Seahawks Looking For Some Consistency

Nolan Hodge leads the Seahawks in scoring with 18.7 PPG along with 5 RPG while Madison Durr has 14.3 PPG with 3.7 RPG and Greedy Willias has 14 PPG with 4.3 RPG and a team-high 3 APG to lead the Seahawks in the assist department up to this point in the year. Patrick Wessler has 13.7 PPG with a team-high 9.3 RPG to lead UNC Wilmington in rebounding and to cap off the group of double-digit scorers for UNC Wilmington up to this point in the year. Noah Ross has 8.7 PPG with 4 RPG and 2.7 APG and Christian May has 8 PPG with 4.7 RPG as well so far this season. As a team, UNC Wilmington is averaging 85.3 PPG on 44.1% shooting from the field, 31% from three and 68.2% from the foul line this season.

East Carolina Pirates @ North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks Betting Trends: November 18, 2025

East Carolina Pirates vs. UNC Wilmington Seahawks Prediction

I’m on UNC Wilmington here. I just think this Seahawks are the better team and I don’t feel like the Pirates can compete here and I really didn’t like what I saw from the Pirates against a subdivision team in their last outing. UNC Wilmington is one of the better mid-majors out there and I think they get the job done in this game. Give me UNC Wilmington.

It’s a cool Wednesday morning in October, and people are milling around the parking lot behind First Baptist Church of Wilmington.

Layla Perez, emergency assistance specialist, and two volunteers are busy operating Catholic Charities of the Cape Fear Region’s Clean Start mobile laundry trailer.

A tall man walks up to the side of the trailer, and Perez greets him by name.

“Hi, Ronnie,” she said. “Let me check on your things.”

She steps into the laundry trailer, checks with the volunteers and returns, telling him it will be a few more minutes.

Catholic Charities initially built the laundry trailer to assist people after disasters, such as hurricanes and floods. Perez explained that often people are left with little — sometimes only “the clothes on your back” — and being able to wash those items can mean a lot in those moments after a disaster.

But Perez said they noticed the trailer was “hanging around in the warehouses” when it wasn’t in use, and staff wondered how they could use it on “blue sky days.”

“We decided, let’s bring it downtown for our unhoused neighbors,” she said.

But the idea wasn’t without challenges. The trailer requires a level space, electricity, water and a drain runoff system to operate.

Catholic Charities partnered with several organizations, including The Harrelson Center and First Baptist Church of Wilmington, which provided them with the space and connections needed to operate. Perez said since mid-July, they have been setting up in the parking lot between the two buildings offer laundry services for the community’s unhoused population.

Initially, Perez said they began setting up on Tuesday nights when the Vigilant Hope shower trailer would be at the site.

“You know, you take a shower, you go get your laundry so you’re feeling clean and you’re feeling compassionate and feel good about yourself for the next day,” she said.

But they decided to extend the time to include Wednesday mornings when the Living Hope Day Center is open so that people could get assistance with their needs while their laundry is done.

Perez said they are glad to be able to provide this service to the community and credits the support from their partners for helping it come to fruition.

“Everyone’s so thankful that we’re here, and we’re so thankful to be here with our partners,” she said, adding that they were welcomed with open arms.

Perez said they are also grateful for the people they meet through this service with some stopping by to check in even if they’re not getting their laundry done that week.

“They have just touched all of our hearts,” she said. “It has been a great response, and we’re very, very thankful to be here and serving our community.”

Catholic Charities of the Cape Fear Region’s Clean Start mobile laundry trailer sets up in the parking lot behind First Baptist Church of Wilmington, 411 Market St., Wilmington, NC. The hours of operation are from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings and from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday mornings.

Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected].