Local Planet Fitness locations announced they have opened to members in the area this week. The fitness center, which had been closed because of state orders since March, has decided to open "in accordance with the North Carolina Attorney General's commentary on Executive Order No. 141," the fitness center in Ogden stated in an email. Joe Bernardini, a ...

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep people out of office buildings throughout the U.S., a majority of the employees of the Verizon Wireless call center in Wilmington will work from home permanently, a company official said this week. “Thanks to overwhelming positive feedback from our employees, we’re excited to make work from home permanent for our ...

Editor’s Note: Starting in March, the Business Journal featured area businesses and how they are adjusting operations, innovating and coping in general with the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Here are updates on some of those businesses as they continue to work through the ongoing pandemic. Print shop gets a boost from loans, county grant For Betsy Ka ...

With heightened unemployment benefits timing out Friday and no new federal package to replace them, a regional economist says there might not be enough jobs in the region to employ all of those who want to return to the workforce. Unemployment benefits under the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law by President Trump in ...

Small business owners continue to face challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Three small business owners with establishments in downtown Wilmington discussed the issue Wednesday during BizTalk. They were Jenna McKnight, owner of boutique Aqua Fedora; Andrew Bopes, who opened Mon Âme Chocolate & Wine Bar in 2017; and Miriam Oehrlein, owner of ...

For some local small businesses, Gov. Roy Cooper’s mask mandate meant business as usual.   The Transplanted Garden in downtown Wilmington, for example, had been requiring customers to wear both masks and gloves ever since the nursery reopened in mid- April.   “We shut down for two weeks at the end of March because I wanted to know how bad and how ...

As local schools are making decisions about how to move forward with student instruction this fall, local businesses also have decisions to make regarding their working parents. Businesses have shared with the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce that they are concerned about maintaining adequate staffing given the challenges that are facing parents, said Natalie English, pre ...

Margaret Grago had to close her bowling alley, again, after reopening last week. A court ruling allowing bowling alleys to reopen, won by a group of bowling alley owners July 7, was placed on temporary hold Tuesday by the N.C. Supreme Court. Along with other initial restrictions, Gov. Roy Cooper had announced the closure of bowling alleys in March to help slow the sp ...

There were a few customers ready to bowl at Cardinal Lanes Shipyard in Wilmington when the business opened its doors Thursday for the first time in about four months.  Cardinal Lanes Shipyard, owned by Ron Schnell, was able to open because of a favorable outcome this week in a lawsuit against Gov. Roy Cooper. The lawsuit was filed by a bowling membership assoc ...

It’s not an unusual sight these days: A crowd of mostly masked shoppers lining up outside for a chance to shop at Trader Joe’s in Wilmington.   Grocery stores across the country, including the Trader Joe’s chain, are experiencing a boost during the age of coronavirus from consumers who haven’t been dining out as much – or at all – ...