From the editor: A look at how the StarNews covers ongoing issues

After living here for nearly 25 years, I’ve learned that some things never change, especially when it comes to topics in the news.

For instance, we’ve been reporting a lot lately about repairs being made to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the need for another bridge to handle the area’s growth. Plans for just such a crossing -- the Cape Fear Skyway -- were first proposed in 1999, the year I moved to Wilmington.

After years of discussions, that plan was shelved. And here we are with the same topic dominating headlines.

More:From detours to traffic updates, your guide to Cape Fear Memorial Bridge lane closures

Another recent example is whether Wilmington’s west bank – near the Battleship North Carolina – should be developed and what that development might look like.

While current New Hanover County regulations do allow certain types of development along the west bank, some developers have other ideas. That’s prompted county leaders to look at potential uses for the property.

More:Will Wilmington's west bank ever be developed?

So you might wonder how the StarNews decides what to write about these ongoing issues. Obviously, we’ve written a lot on both topics in the past couple of decades.

Typically, as these topics resurface, editors and reporters discuss what we’ve written before and what angles we want to cover now. We often include stories that look back at the history of topics because we know the area has experienced a lot of growth.

We have many new residents who won’t remember that we wrote about the issue 20 years ago. And they certainly won’t know what was discussed or how it was handled.

Our goal is to offer enough insight into the past that newer residents feel more informed while also providing in-depth coverage of what’s happening now.

Are there ongoing issues in the Cape Fear region that you’d like to see more in-depth coverage of? Let me know at sjones1@gannett.com.