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Kelly Kenoyer

Watchdog reporter and radio host for WHQR in Wilmington, NC. I've covered inequality, city government, the alt-right, transit, and urban planning. I'm always on the prowl for my next investigative story.


Previous bylines: The New Era, Portland Mercury, Eugene WeeklyThe GuardianThe Lund Report, and Willamette Week.


Want to work together? Email me at kellykenoyerwriter@gmail.com.

News Articles

Firefighter gear is full of cancer-causing PFAS. What can be done about it?

Last year, scientists released a study showing that turnout gear — that's the clothing firefighters wear into burning buildings — is filled with PFAS. All three layers of the standard protective gear tested for high levels of the chemicals, linked to a host of cancers and other health issues. That study followed a 2020 scientific paper that showed similar results. Given that firefighters die of cancer more than anything else in the field, the news was heart-rending.

Living Hope Day Center offers hope and respite for Wilmington-area unhoused

Wilmington is officially home to a new day shelter for the unhoused, located on Fourth and Market in downtown Wilmington. In the basement of the First Baptist Church, the first thing you see is a kitchen table full of people chatting away. The first thing you smell is freshly brewed coffee. “Endless cups of coffee. That's kind of our number one thing,” Tony Perez explained. He's the director of the Hope Living Day Center, and to him, the coffee is a symbol of the atmosphere he wants to foster.

Advocates say NC bill will hurt tenants, and could financially benefit its primary sponsor

A bill featuring a host of legislation supporting landlords looks likely to pass both chambers, but it's getting pushback from tenant advocates, who say it will hurt renters. House Bill 551 has four parts, three of which impact landlord-tenant relationships. The bill bans cities and counties from enacting source of income non-discrimination policies. That means no local governments could institute protections for those who use Section 8 funding or VASH vouchers, which provide housing for veter

Luke Waddell's lonely crusade against Housing First policy

Last month, using about $2 million in federal funds to create 66 permanent supportive housing units for the chronically homeless. The plan was popular with city council members, save for one: Luke Waddell. I mean, Housing First sounds great,” he said at the initial March 7 hearing. “But it's antiquated, and I think the data shows in no uncertain terms, it doesn't work.” Waddell said he’s ideologically opposed to Housing First policy – but what is it?

Dispatch: What I saw at Wilmington's warming shelter

It takes dozens of volunteers to run a warming shelter, starting with the set-up crew. They wrestle with cots and set out blankets on each, working to provide shelter for dozens of unhoused residents in Wilmington. Every winter, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees for two nights in a row, this massive volunteer operation activates, ready to serve those with nowhere else to go in freezing weather. There’s an army of helpers, but it’s really just a small number of mainstays who keep the shel

North Carolina researchers have a new, tiny, and far more effective weapon to fight PFAS

There's a new sheriff in town to fight the emerging contaminants in the Cape Fear River. The newly developed technology — known as 'ionic fluorogel' — is years in the making, and aims to unseat existing technologies that are less effective. Granular Activated Carbon, or GAC, is the filter of choice for many water treatment plants, as it covers a wide spectrum of contaminants. But Frank Leibfarth, a chemist and researcher at UNC Chapel Hill, said it’s not perfect.

In the midst of a national blood shortage, gay men are still excluded from helping

There’s a major blood shortage in the U.S. right now, exacerbated by the pandemic, the holiday season, and recent winter storms that have cancelled blood drives while sometimes increasing demand. Cally Edwards, the Communications Director for the Eastern North Carolina Red Cross, said the shortage is the worst in ten years. Tornadoes in Kentucky and Tennessee limited blood collection in those areas, and recent winter storms have likely caused similar problems.

Test Drive: WHQR tries out WAVE's micro-transit system

I've been excited about RideMicro for a while now, but haven't had the chance to use it because I rarely cross the river into Leland. But I finally had time this holiday season, and made the journey using WAVE's newest innovation. WAVE transit’s micro-transit system has been running for over a month, and is slowly expanding in phases. The grant-funded service is meant to bridge gaps in within New Hanover County and surrounding areas.

The Cape Fear economy is defined by unequal opportunity -- but it's not too late to change course

Millennials have long bemoaned the tough circumstances that have defined their adult lives, from the economic crash of 2008 to political upheavals to a global pandemic. National data show that millennials, on average, are worse off than their parents were at the same age. And local data follow a similar trend, according to a recent equity report with Cape Fear Collective. The landmark report shows significant economic growth within the region, but which is skewed heavily to certain earners and

After rowdy meeting, New Hanover Health and Human Services Board unanimously approves (slightly tweaked) mask mandate

Masks are now indefinitely required indoors in all public settings in New Hanover County. The policy came into effect Tuesday, August 31 — 11 days after a Notice to Abate a Public Hazard created a similar policy. While that order came directly from NHC Public Health Director David Howard, the new order was voted into place by the Health and Human Services Board.

Townhomes are making a comeback in Wilmington. Here's why that could be a good thing

The city of Wilmington is in the midst of changing its land-use codes, and a big part of that shift is aimed at developing more "missing middle housing." Townhomes, also known as rowhouses, perfectly fit the “ ” moniker. The umbrella term is meant to encompass anything from a duplex to a cottage court apartment: Those homes that are denser than the average single-family house, but less overwhelming than a large mid-rise apartment complex.
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