NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The first cases of rabies this year in New Hanover County have been identified in raccoons, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Monday, Animal Services officials were called to the 5000 block of Park Avenue to pick up a raccoon that had been killed by family dogs. The raccoon was taken to the state lab, where it later tested positive for rabies.

The owner of the three dogs involved handled the pets after the killing of the raccoon, which resulted in possible exposure. The dogs were up-to-date on their rabies vaccines, and they were re-boostered after the incident, in accordance with the law.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – A potentially fatal disease that is spread by mosquito bites was found in a local chicken flock, according to the New Hanover County Health Department.

A chicken flock tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a disease that has no cure and no vaccine for humans, in New Hanover County.

“Minimize unprotected outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, the times during the day when mosquito activity peaks as they search aggressively for blood meals,” stated David Rice, New Hanover County Health Director. “Protective measures include applying insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.”

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A meeting will take place Thursday evening in Wilmington to discuss the Hewletts and Bradley Creek Watershed Restoration Plan, according to Wilmington spokesperson Malissa Talbert.

The city will host the public meeting from 6-8 p.m. at the New Hanover County Executive Development Center, located at 1241 Military Cutoff Road near the Northeast Public Library.

The goal of the plan is to “restore the water quality, shellfish harvesting and ultimately to remove the Hewletts and Bradley creeks from the State’s Impaired Waters List,” Talbert said.