Shoresides
A local solutions journalism podcast by and for BIPOC communities in coastal North Carolina. Through news stories, interviews, updates, and special programs we keep you engaged with local news from across the region. Shoresides News is a nonprofit newsroom covering the stories that matter most to coastal North Carolina. Got a question or a tip? Reach out to our team at info@shoresides.org. Shoresides News is made possible through community support. To help sustain this vital local reporting, visit https://givebutter.com/shoresides
Episodes
On this episode of Shoreside, host Nicholas Merino speaks with Catherine Moore, director of the Health Professions Data System at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about striking projections: by 2033, North Carolina may face shortages of 12,500 registered nurses and 5,000 licensed practical nurses if current trends continue. We explore regional d...
This episode, Shoresides delves into the strange, ethically murky world of octopus aquaculture with scientist Dr. Jennifer Mather—to ask: Should North Carolina go ahead with banning Octopus farming? Does it need to?
Links:
My Octopus Teacher
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12888462/?ref_=ttawd_ov_i
Octopus farming in NC? A bill was filed banning it
https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/12/octopus-farming-house-bi...
In this episode, Shoresides talks with Jessica Thai, who grew up with immigration, tradition, and economic shifts shaping daily life and collective identity in a place that rarely makes the headlines—but offers powerful lessons about family, perseverance, and belonging.
Cultural anthropologist Barbara Garrity-Blake takes us into the world of North Carolina’s menhaden fishery — a once-thriving industry built by coastal communities, African American crews, and the haunting work songs they sang. In this episode, we explore how this small but vital fish fed both the economy and the environment, and what was lost when machines replaced people and tourism replaced tradition. It’s a story a...
In Wilmington, North Carolina, the demand for healthcare workers is growing rapidly. Nurse Camp Academy, a program of the nonprofit Better is Possible based in New Hanover County, is stepping up to meet this need by inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals. One of the program’s most innovative aspects is its focus on workforce development starting with young teens, even before they reach high school. ...
In this episode of Shoreside, host Nicholas Magno explores the uncertain future of Eagle Island, a fragile stretch of wetlands that connects Wilmington to Belville, North Carolina. Once central to rice cultivation and shipbuilding, the island now sits at the intersection of climate vulnerability and development pressure. With sea levels rising and ghost forests replacing hardwood swamps, half a billion dollars’ worth ...
On this episode of Shoresides, host Nicholas Magrino explores the challenges and realities of substance use disorder in coastal North Carolina. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 10 to 12 percent of North Carolinians struggled with substance use disorder in 2022.
To better understand the journey of recovery, we speak with Megan Weber-Youssefi, Director of Development at T...
Rising seas. Dredged rivers. Dying forests. In this episode of Shoresides, we investigate one of North Carolina’s most subtle yet devastating climate threats: ghost forests. These vast expanses of standing dead trees are creeping inland, driven by rising sea levels and relentless dredging of the Cape Fear River.
UNCW scientists Monica Rother and Andrea Hawkes join us to explain how their research—combining tree ring da...
In this episode of Shoresides, we hear from Charles Seaton, President of International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Local 1766 in Wilmington, North Carolina, as he speaks on the fight to protect jobs from automation in the maritime industry. Historian David Cecelski connects the modern labor struggle to the long and often-overlooked legacy of African American maritime labor on the North Carolina coast, while ...
Shoresides explores life in coastal North Carolina through the lens of resilience, justice, and community action. In this episode, host Nicolas Magrino examines the implications of President Trump’s second term, focusing on the private prison industry’s role in mass deportations and the human cost of immigration policies. Featuring insights from immigration defense lawyer Martin Rosenbluth and Prison Legal News editor...
In this episode of Shoresides, we explore the challenges faced by low-income and elderly homeowners in Carteret County, North Carolina—a place of vibrant coastal life but growing climate vulnerability. Host Nicholas Magrino speaks with Catissa Head, Executive Director of Coastal Community Action, whose organization supports those struggling to maintain safe and livable homes amid increasing financial strain and extrem...
On this episode of Shoresides, we dive into the hidden side of North Carolina’s senior housing crisis. Coastal North Carolina has long been a retirement hotspot, but the influx of wealthy retirees has made it harder for lifelong residents to remain in their communities. While some seniors receive critical services like meal delivery and in-home care, others compete for the few affordable housing options left, often wi...
You Don’t Need a Home to Vote dives into the intersection of homelessness and democracy in America. In this episode, Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, speaks candidly about the barriers unhoused individuals face in accessing their voting rights. Whitehead shares why this issue is vital, detailing the practical steps and advocacy efforts needed to ensure everyone can parti...
North Caroloina voter ID requirements. With the 2024 election underway, many voters are encountering ID rules for the first time, raising questions and concerns about how to vote without a hitch. Host Rend Smith shares his own experience of uncertainty at the polls and digs deeper with insights from experts, including Amy Campbell Bogie of You Can Vote and Karen Brinson-Bell of the NC State Board of Elections. They sh...
In this episode, we take you to Wilmington, North Carolina, where community members have gathered for Souls to the Polls, an event organized by local faith groups and the NAACP. We speak with Larry Dennis, the social action chair for St. Stephen's AME Church, on why supporting voting access is critical to democracy. Tune in to witness democracy in action.
Early Voting Dates and Sites
- The in-person ea...
Welcome to Shoresides and our series on voter access. In this episode, Rend Smith sits down with Nicole Wolf-Camplin, the Adult Literacy Coordinator at the Cape Fear Literacy Council. Nicole discusses the range of programs offered by the Council, including their ESL program, which supports non-native speakers on their path to citizenship. She highlights the critical role literacy plays in ensuring voter participation,...
In this episode of Shoresides, we sit down with Dr. Thomas M. Dalton, founder of Eden Village in Wilmington, North Carolina. Dr. Dalton discusses the growing issue of chronic homelessness in New Hanover County and how housing is the critical linchpin to improving healthcare for the homeless. He shares insights from his work, highlighting how Eden Village is addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, chronically home...
In this episode of Shoresides, we dive into the housing challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals and seniors in Wilmington, NC. Dr. Robert Ferber, retired physician and president of Independent Works, joins us to discuss their mission to create inclusive housing through the CityPlace project. Ferber shares his personal connection to the cause, driven by his daughter’s experience with autism, and highlights how Ind...
In this episode of Shoresides, we delve into the often-overlooked reality of human trafficking survivors in coastal North Carolina. Join host Nick Magrino as he interviews Dawn Ferrer, Executive Director of A Safe Place, a nonprofit supporting survivors of human trafficking. Many of these survivors are left homeless, with few possessions, while struggling with substance use and the long-term effects of their experienc...
This episode of Shoresides delves into the growing affordable housing crisis in Brunswick County, North Carolina. We sat down with Sally Learned of Brunswick Partnership for Housing to learn more about challenges and solutions to affordable housing.
Despite being employed, many residents are unable to make enough money to afford rent, forcing them into unstable living situations such as living in their cars...
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