Zach Solon
Multi-Media Journalist
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Zach joined the WECT team in January 2021 as a reporter and weekend anchor.
Originally from Montvale, New Jersey, Zach attended the University of Maryland and graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. While in college, Zach interned at SiriusXM and reported for UMD’s Capital News Service, covering stories in and around Washington, D.C.
Zach’s passion for local news coverage has led him here to Wilmington. He looks forward to learning, making new connections, and telling important stories.
Outside of the newsroom, Zach enjoys cooking, watching sports, and playing in a Wiffle Ball league with his friends.
Have a story idea? You can email Zach at Zach.Solon@wect.com and find him on Twitter @zachsolon or Facebook @ZachSolonWECT
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A former Sunset Beach police officer and the Town of Sunset Beach are defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by a town resident.
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North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper met with teachers and district staff at College Road Early Childhood Center Thursday to discuss funding for public schools.
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H2GO’s new reverse osmosis treatment plant in Brunswick County is now operational and is working to process millions of gallons of clean drinking water for customers in the northern part of the county.
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A UNC Wilmington senior has qualified for next week’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Austin, TX.
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Jackson started working at WECT, then known as WMFD, in 1954 -- just months before Hurricane Hazel hit.
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The UNC Wilmington baseball team will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.
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More rain is expected for much of southeastern North Carolina this weekend, just one week after nearly 10 inches of rain flooded roads and left cars underwater in parts of Brunswick County.
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The Board of Trustees for Classical Charter Schools of America voted unanimously Thursday to change part of the school’s grooming standards for boys.
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The Topsail Beach Planning Board recommended the rejection of a conditional rezoning request Wednesday.
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Chemours continues to send letters to residents in New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, and Pender counties to determine if they are eligible for private well water testing.
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Lorasine Stackhouse thought her son, Timothy Stephens, was in school on May 15 until she got a call from school administrators that afternoon.
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A weather-related wash out previously closed a portion of the road.
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Work is underway to improve a road that runs through part of Wilmington’s historic district.
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Detectives are currently on the scene and investigating the area.
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A party-line vote in both the North Carolina House and Senate means abortions will soon be outlawed in North Carolina after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions.
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December 4, 2021, is a night Luis Rodriguez will never forget. Rodriguez and his fiancé, Kelley Prince, were sleeping when a car crashed into their bedroom.
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With approval at Monday’s meeting, staff will start working to finalize plans, and Cape Fear Development will put the construction project out for bid.
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More than 3,000 graduates will cross the stage at UNC Wilmington this weekend.
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Due to unforeseen circumstances, the N.C. Department of Transportation has announced that work on the South Banks Channel Bridge in Wrightsville Beach is now expected to be completed in the fall.
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Senate Bill 20 is a bill that would ban abortion in North Carolina in most cases after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
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An oral surgeon accused of sexually assaulting more than 20 patients while they were sedated will face a New Hanover County jury later this year.
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What started out as a normal day for Brunswick County Tow Truck Driver John Bennette quickly changed when he was hit by a car along U.S. 17 near Ocean Isle Beach Road.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed changes to speed regulations along the Atlantic coast.
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When it comes to hurricanes and other severe storms, nothing is more important than staying safe.
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The bill would outlaw abortions in most cases after 12 weeks of pregnancy, increase state funding for paid parental leave and expand access to healthcare for women and children.
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A local pastor says he looks forward to using the North Carolina Strawberry Festival as a way to unite his neighbors.
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Wilmington city staff and council members met with the North Carolina Local Government Commission Tuesday to discuss the city’s plans to spend nearly $70 million to buy the Thermo Fisher building in downtown Wilmington.
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On Sunday, police responded to reports of a shooting in Wilmington that resulted in a man’s death.
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The bond was set at $3 million on Thursday for Gregory Charles Johnson, Jr., a man charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder in Columbus County.
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A group of parents and neighbors rallied outside Classical Charter Schools of Leland Thursday, calling on the board of trustees to reconsider the school’s grooming policy for students.
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A bill making its way through the North Carolina General Assembly would expand scholarship opportunities for students to attend private school.
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Four people have been arrested in connection to a shooting that took place in the Bojangles in Burgaw on Tuesday, April 18.
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Finding a place for children to learn and grow before they are old enough for kindergarten can be difficult, with many local early child care centers at capacity.
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As Debi Burnett mourns the loss of her daughter, Micsha Durham, who was murdered in Wilmington on April 11, she looks forward to the day her alleged killer faces trial.
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Ella’s of Calabash, a popular seafood restaurant, burned down Saturday after a fire tore through the building and destroyed the roof.
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As more people flock to the beaches of southeastern North Carolina, it can be important to know what you might find if you swim in the ocean.
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A piece of Native American history buried beneath Lake Waccamaw for hundreds of years was brought to the surface Wednesday.
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Brunswick County Commissioners want the county’s Board of Elections to pull out of the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence.
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“It never gets any easier:” Daughter frustrated as her mother’s killer considered for parole program
Patricia Sue Ward Smith was found dead in New Hanover County more than 30 years ago. One of the men convicted of killing her, Billy Ellis, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and rape.
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Crews have spent another day searching for a missing teenager off the coast of Fort Fisher. No one has seen 16-year-old David Hernandez since he disappeared in the surf last Saturday.
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Brunswick County released a statement Thursday to address concerns surrounding the cost of a proposed sports and entertainment development in the Leland area.
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The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 opened the door for Marines and their families who experienced adverse health impacts as a result of toxic water exposure at the base to sue the government for damages.
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The first season of paid parking in Oak Island begins Saturday, April 1. Joining Holden Beach, Oak Island is the second Brunswick County beach town in as many years to implement paid parking.
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The founder of The Roger Bacon Academy, the organization that manages Classical Charter Schools, stands by the school’s grooming standards for its students.
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A group of Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would ban abortion in the state unless the mother’s life were to be in danger by carrying the pregnancy to term.
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Wednesday marks 50 years since the start of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from the Vietnam War.
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The North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church has announced the closure of Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church.
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New Hanover County Commissioner Deb Hays died Saturday at the age of 64.
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“Eliminating strong background checks will allow more domestic abusers and other dangerous people to own handguns and reduces law enforcement’s ability to stop them from committing violent crimes,” Cooper said in a statement.
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During a visit to Winter Park Elementary School in Wilmington Thursday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper pushed for higher investment in education and pay raises for teachers as part of his proposed budget for next year.
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