Jon Evans
Anchor/Assistant News Director
Wilmington, NC
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/raycom/76aa12f5-16bf-4bcf-96ee-f52f1152643b.png)
Jon Evans is marking his 39th year in television news in 2022 and his 45th year in broadcasting. He anchors “WECT News at 5:30”, co-anchors “WECT News at 6pm” and “WECT News at 11pm” with Frances Weller, and co-anchors “WECT News at 10” on Fox Wilmington with Daniella Hankey. Jon also hosts and produces the award-winning “1on1 with Jon Evans” podcast, available on all major podcast apps.
Jon came to WECT as an anchor/reporter in 2008 after working at the ABC affiliate in Wilmington starting in 1992. He was named WECT’s Assistant News Director in 2016. He also leads the station’s political coverage and oversees the newsroom’s student internship program.
Jon’s awards include being a five-time TV News Anchor of the Year from Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013) in Division II. He has also won several first-place awards, including Best Podcast and Best Hard News Feature in 2020 for his story “Hurricane Florence: Memories of Mercer Avenue”.
In the community, Jon has donated his time to several service organizations as an emcee or event host, including JDRF, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Communities in Schools and The Willie Stargell Foundation and others. He is currently on the board of the Purple Heart Foundation of North Carolina.
Jon and his wife Sheila have been married since 1985. They have three adult children, Jonathan, Monica and Abby, and they have two grandchildren. Sam was born in June, and Jack will turn three years old in September.
You can get in touch with Jon several ways:
Email: jevans@wect.com
Facebook: JonEvansWECT
Twitter: JonEvansWECT
YouTube: JonEvansTV
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/KZCRRU7QVNF4NI6PZ3TYSTCGOM.bmp)
UNCW head basketball coaches Takayo Siddle and Nicole Woods join the '1on1 with Jon Evans" podcast to talk about the state of the Seahawk hoop programs, coaching and recruiting athletes in 2023, and the turning points in their lives that helped guide their career paths.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/B4G5TDV66FFYPAVFE2ZAX7YVRU.bmp)
Jerri Holliday has used her voice in music ministry for decades. Now, as Executive Director of Philippians 3 Ministries, she uses clothing donations from the community to help men, women and families in desperate need. The clothing transforms a person's outside, while Jerri's words and actions uplift and inspire their inside.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6RWEST25QRBQ5ASLP5PG7QLH5M.bmp)
While most little league baseball players dream about making the major leagues, that’s never been enough for Walker Jenkins. Setbacks like not making the all-star team as a six-year-old have fueled his competitive fire to work harder and be better than everyone who has played the game.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/W3ZRUFMP3RHMHKSJOFWW64DWNI.bmp)
Walker Jenkins, the former South Brunswick High School star and recent first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins, has a determination to be more than just a major league baseball player. He wants to be the best to ever play the game.
Walker Jenkins, the former South Brunswick High School star who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins with the 5th overall selection in the recent MLB draft, became the last first-round pick to sign when he agreed to a contract with the team Tuesday afternoon.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/OUNZF4EBXFHDHPNCGSWT3BJNKU.bmp)
New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor returns with "Dead Fall", the twenty-second thriller in the Scot Harvath series. Thor sets the story inside Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with action mirroring current events unfolding in the European war zone.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4YYUVUYIMJR2GRFRIEMWLSYS7M.jpg)
Candidate filing ends, Wilmington, Leland, Whiteville mayors to run unopposed in municipal elections
The candidate filing period for the 2023 Municipal Elections in North Carolina has closed. Several area mayors, including Bill Saffo in Wilmington and Terry Mann in Whiteville, will run unopposed in November.
Candidates planning to run in 2023 Municipal Elections in North Carolina can begin filing at Noon on Friday, July 7, and they have until the period ends at Noon on Friday, July 21, to sign up.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VJKD4CO7GNCF7NOULTPU2UZSDE.bmp)
If you have attended a concert at Live Oak Bank Pavilion or Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, you’ve probably seen some of Tom Shaw’s work. Shaw has become one of the most popular concert poster designers in the United States, and his portfolio continues to grow.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/TRIJXZWVR5HYDORZRV2CZOGHYU.bmp)
Season One of "Divine Renovation", which shot in Wilmington in late 2022, launches Saturday, July 1 on streaming services and video-on-demand platforms including Prime Video, Google Play and iTunes.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PGNAYVREIJBZDLYJ67RLUM33MA.bmp)
The local independent film “The Devil’s Stomping Ground”, which opened the 2022 Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington before gaining a theatrical release, will be available for streaming audiences on June 27, 2023.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/RLP2FUXTE5AA3DVF5BEEKMIZPM.bmp)
The New Hanover County Board of Education made the decision in 1968, at the height of America's civil rights movement, to close the county's all-Black high school. Now, 55 years later, there is an effort to give the last two classes of Williston Senior High the graduation ceremony they missed.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/FQ33INDWJFDV3DMTA4Q7RX7ARY.bmp)
Erik Estrada, the former star of NBC's hit show "CHiPs", joins the "1on1 with Jon Evans" podcast, talking about his memories of that series and his new project, "Divine Renovation". The home improvement show shot in Wilmington last year, and debuts on July 1.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4AYWXKG2NRFPTKXNK3R3X4PG7M.png)
The top-seeded UNCW Seahawks will open Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament play on Thursday, taking on fifth-seeded Delaware at 3:00 p.m. in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/IX7XG5ECAZHAXB5KLRCMX5SLVU.bmp)
New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr has brought former Navy SEAL turned CIA operative James Reece back for a sixth adventure in his sixth thriller called "Only the Dead".
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/BFL6WH2DYJHPVCFFJDA3HYUEFY.bmp)
The annual event has become the traditional kick-off of the summer season for this community in Bladen County.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/LEFNWF2IU5CSPG4KE6LSNCT7FE.JPG)
Phu Khine of UNC Wilmington won her second PGA Works Women’s Golf Individual Collegiate Championship
The UNCW track and field teams are headed to the CAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend on the campus of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/CYAW5MCTRBCMZD7CFKBWQ7WUYY.jpg)
The CAA men’s tennis champions from UNCW will travel to take on 12th-seeded Duke in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/X3J52MJE3JEY3L336QUZUJ4PV4.bmp)
The 13-year-old from Hampstead is riding a wave of increased notoriety as one of the stars of the hit Disney Channel show "Secrets of Sulphur Springs".
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/RJ44Z52T5FA37MCRHUVPWXKDNI.jpg)
Holcomb led the Spartans team with an average score of 75.3 in 23 rounds of competition during the season.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/D2X4XSLBMJFARNPUBQ324EWC4U.bmp)
“It’s bittersweet, because I love what I do,” is how Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram feels about retiring as of April 30, ending a law enforcement career that spans more than 30 years in southeastern North Carolina, the last 15 as the leader of the sheriff’s office.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/LKCWFPKZINEEPFXYGJSZBNIM6Q.jpg)
The Executive Committee of the Brunswick County Republican Party will meet Monday night, April 24, to decide on a candidate to succeed the retiring John Ingram as the county’s sheriff.
55 years after the school board's decision, alumni from Williston's last two classes will get the chance to walk across the stage at their school and receive the graduation they've waited more than a half-century to enjoy.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4DFGB6FZAJFPPIL2XCQJWERC2U.bmp)
Carli Batson has worn many crowns since getting into the pageant world as a teenager.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/2OAXK7R2LZCJPFH54BMOZOH3D4.bmp)
Smart Start of New Hanover County honored several people at the organization’s Breakfast of Champions for their work in ‘going above and beyond in improving children’s lives’.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QMZSA2V6DZDHPFREZ5N5L2B7SI.bmp)
Olga Lodiana waited just days after the Russian invasion began to escape Ukraine with her two sons. Svetlana Baranava and Natalia Melnik waited ten months before making the same decision. These families are all safe in Wilmington, thanks to the efforts of local and national organizations that have made a commitment to assist individuals fleeing their homeland during the war.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6SLYJR3HIJH4JNJI46HDH6MVUA.bmp)
'Courtland Gentry' is back for his twelfth adventure. His creator, New York Times Best-Selling author Mark Greaney, has released "Burner", the latest in the series of thrillers featuring Gentry, also known as "The Gray Man."
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/I4PICBTVLRCYZOMAUIPFMLBEYA.bmp)
Jonas Pate, one of the creators of the hit show 'Outer Banks', is the guest on the '1on1 with Jon Evans' podcast. Fans can’t wait to see what Pate and the other co-creators have planned for the show’s third season, which starts streaming February 23 on Netflix.
After premiering as the opening night feature at the 2022 Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, the independent film, "The Devil’s Stomping Ground" begins a week-long theatrical run on Friday, February 10, at Stone Theaters in North and South Carolina.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/GIRZZZAD5FHBNB35C2KCAUNW6M.jpg)
The locally shot, edited and produced independent film "Remember Yesterday" will be available for audiences to stream on Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, YouTube and other digital channels starting on Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/N4AII5VYW5HJTNHPCLHPKKH4W4.bmp)
Their recognizable blue and teal canopies wave on nearly every beach in the United States. Three North Carolina natives, Dane Barnes, his brother Scott and best friend Alex Slater, invented the Shibumi Shade after years of lugging their family’s heavy umbrellas on beach vacations.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/YHXMJVVGTNCTRDDMR6WRS7C3VY.jpeg)
On Wednesday's first day where lawmakers could file bills in the new General Assembly session, Senators Michael Lee (R-New Hanover) and Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) filed Senate Bill 3, which would legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PXJCLG4UEBEKVCHHDRWFKFTNUM.png)
On Tuesday evening, Wilmington City Council unanimously approved two items related to the possible purchase of the Thermo Fisher building and adjacent properties downtown.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VLU3QMTMJ5GEPHIV34RXPASUPM.bmp)
Evan Smoak is back in action again when New York Times best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz brings back Orphan X for his eighth thriller novel, 'The Last Orphan'.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Z5GQTGEGTRGAVIPO7BECQD25DA.bmp)
Eric Terashima, the current chairman of the Brunswick County Democratic Party, says he plans to run for the same position with the state democratic party when members gather virtually for the 2023 Winter State Executive Committee Meeting on February 11.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JUOGMIZ545CSBEONQUJQ55ALBM.bmp)
The chairman of the Columbus County Republican Party says the organization is looking at trying to get Jon David, the District Attorney, removed from office.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HLQ6KRBQ25GEXNXCV2IZC4U5V4.jpg)
Senators representing counties in southeastern North Carolina will hold leadership positions on several committees for the 2023-24 session of the NC General Assembly, which begins its work later this month.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/BLXRVMQHAVEO3JMQHQ7O652E5I.JPG)
Bevin Prince's roles have ranged from 'Bevin Mirskey' on the TV show 'One Tree Hill', to entrepreneur with 'Recess by Bevin Prince', her high-intensity cycling center in Wilmington. On the '1on1 with Jon Evans' podcast. Bevin talks for the first time publicly about the lightning strike that killed her husband, Will Friend, and how family and friends helped her find strength for the role she never wanted, as a widow.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/3LO3PK7AZRBSFEDMH6S3LLUYBE.bmp)
Filmmaker Christopher Everett has released the first trailer for the sequel to his award-winning 2015 documentary Wilmington on Fire, and has set a tentative release date for Wilmington on Fire II of November 10, 2023.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ACZ5VWDJFBDG7DJVMOWYJELDWE.bmp)
Changes are coming for Half United, the Wilmington-based organization that has helped provide more than two million meals to needy people around the world since its inception 13 years ago.
When the curtain rises Wednesday evening for the 28th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, a movie shot and produced in North Carolina will be the event’s opening feature. 'The Devil’s Stomping Ground,' produced by the team of Jon and Marty Landau, will be shown at 7:00 p.m. on the Thalian Hall Main Stage.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5D7RQ5HUSZDA5IXK3OHI5MHTOM.bmp)
Two candidates who previously served in the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office ran for the top job in the 2022 General Election. Jody Greene, a republican who won the office in 2018 but resigned last month under allegations of racial discrimination, intimidation and abuse of power, led the way in votes for Columbus County Sheriff with all precincts reporting Tuesday.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/KYOK4VYHKVDWLOTAF76FUUH4RQ.bmp)
Sheriff Ed McMahon has been re-elected for a fourth full term in New Hanover County.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/CWWJNTEWTJFJ3NQISC3CJQFN3Q.bmp)
The 2022 race for Sheriff in Bladen County features the same two candidates who faced off in 2018: incumbent republican James McVicker and democratic challenger Hakeem Brown.
The UNCW men’s and women’s basketball teams dropped their 2022-23 season openers Monday night in similar fashion.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VTQW77LFPBHKJMKVHDODB72YJU.jpg)
Registered voters across North Carolina who choose to cast a general election ballot on Election Day, should vote at their assigned precinct. Anyone unsure of their assigned precinct can use the link inside this story to find that location.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/2QP7XME5JNHFBE6E67R5YP757M.jpg)
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has released the brackets for the men's soccer playoffs, which begin Monday, October 31 at schools across the state.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SXLQ6YPKVBC7HGYJJRKQJ6QK5I.bmp)
Mark Robinson pulls no punches when it comes to his beliefs and principles. Robinson’s direct, some would even say fiery, approach to sharing his opinions is one reason for his rapid ascension into political relevance and history in North Carolina. The outspoken lieutenant governor has written a memoir, recalling how his life’s experiences helped shape the values that Robinson’s supporters admire and his critics dislike.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/IWPNMFOTCFHYTCVRYRG46CLVYI.bmp)
Congressman David Rouzer is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. House, representing North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District. His challenger in the 2022 General Election is state Rep. Charles Graham, who won the democratic primary in May.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/BIURBXLHVNCV5PNCFFXUNA325U.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/MU4EXRFTZVDBNDW5HZXWVAUXUM.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QLXR5PZCYNOP3LCS345QKLTOKE.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4RSR25NDAZGE3FFGUKGBLJGX6I.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/GLTJGVG3JRAMDEHNR3KGFK2T54.JPG)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4HOY7FUBQBCQ3MICANFBC2WSM4.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Z3FOVDZKFNGXTKMEZZI4QZ74PY.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6YSQGOEZ3BGHJLEVP44KKGOKQM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WFSHYSGG3RA5VM232P4YT2IDUE.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/AUI4O6F3LNB7ZDBDU4V4OG7H2M.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/LVHUA4AQXBGPVI4O7FKCBYEABE.bmp)