BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – About $2 million worth of emergency radio equipment will sit on shelves in Brunswick County until officials hear back from the state.

The county recently upgraded its VIPER radio system and got all the needed equipment. Now, the state needs to provide the system IDs so they can actually use the new radios.

With hurricane season approaching, officials are doing their best to be patient.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – Weather Radio Wednesdays are back!

WECT and the First Alert Weather Team have joined forces again with Walgreens and Midland Radio to bring you Weather Radio Wednesdays.

For the next few weeks, the First Alert Weather Team will be at a different Walgreens location from 4:00-7:00 p.m. to help program your weather radio.

Every home and business should have a weather radio. While most radios provide programmable options for your specific county, the programming can be difficult.

So let the First Alert Weather Team program your radio for free! Bring ANY weather radio to our Wednesday location and we will program it for you.

Don't have a weather radio? Pick one up while you are there at Walgreens, and have it programmed for free.

Here's the upcoming Weather Radio Wednesday Schedule:

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The 41st annual Odell and Virginia Williamson Oratory Scholarship Competition was held at Brunswick Community College on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Eight seniors representing North Brunswick, South Brunswick, West Brunswick, and Early College High School competed for top honors. 

Congratulations to Christina Marie Tolley, SBHS and James Daniel White, ECHS! Tolley and White both walked away with $2,500 scholarships and engraved plaques! Presenting the awards were Michael and Heather Borton of the Williamson family. All 8 participants advancing from the school competition to the county competition received an attractive framed certificate and check for $100.00.

The following students competed in the county competition:

• Joseph Riley Denman (NBHS)--"The Illusion of an Institution"
• Taylor Elizabeth Benson (NBHS)--"Wouldn't You Want to Know?"
• Erin Brooke Phelps (ECHS)--"Retaining the Resurrection"
• James Daniel White (ECHS)--"My Houseguest, Cancer"
• Christina Marie Tolley (SBHS)--"Society's Serial Killer"
• Kenneth Casey Shadid (SBHS)--"Abused by Alcohol"
• Megan Elayne Mauldin (WBHS)--"Filling in the Blanks: What School Really Teaches"
• Jacob Hamilton Hill (WBHS)--"Capacity for Evil"

Serving as Master of Ceremonies was Mike Sapp, Director of the Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College and a theatre professional. 

Judges included Donald Byrum, former Director of the School of Art and Design at Wichita State University and Brunswick Arts Council Board Member; Dr. David Corley, retired secondary director and principal for Brunswick County Schools; Tiffany Fullwood, Assistant Clerk of Superior Court for Brunswick County; MaryAnn Nunnally, retired principal and former New Hanover County Board of Education member; and Dr. Edward Pruden, Superintendent of Brunswick County Schools.