On Thursday, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission today took a step towards adoption of draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 by approving the draft plan for public and advisory committee review. Draft Amendment 4 would move the already scheduled sector allocation shift to 50/50 (commercial/recreational) in Amendment 3 up by one year to [...]
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COA Small Business Center announces free March seminars and workshops
March 14, 2025 | Business Briefs
College of The Albemarle’s Small Business Center is pleased to announce a series of free seminars and workshops this month designed to support small business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals interested in growing their businesses. Google Tools for Business Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025, 2-3:30 p.m. – Webinar In this session, we explore free and low-cost Google [...]
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore ranks 35th most visited national p ...
March 13, 2025 | Seashore News
From SamWalkerOBXNews.com A new report from the National Park Service ranks Cape Hatteras National Seashore as the 35th busiest national park in the country in 2024. And all three units of the Outer Banks Group of National Parks ranked in the top 15 for the number of visitors to their category of park. Cape Hatteras [...]
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With a number of Hatteras Inlet projects either cued up or awaiting final permits, the Dare County Waterways Commission on Monday quickly dispensed of its business at a briefer-than-usual meeting at the Dare County administrative building in Manteo. Still, with the June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season looming, the panel expressed its uneasiness [...]
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Dare Arts Now Seeking Artists For The 28th Annual Mollie Fearing M ...
March 13, 2025 | Island Features
In 1975 a group of citizens gathered at Mollie A. Fearing’s house and started a nonprofit, originally called the Sea and Sounds Arts Council, to bring cultural arts programming to Dare County, and Mollie was its first president. 50 years later, Dare Arts is proud to announce a call for entry for the 28th Annual [...]
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From SamWalkerOBXNews.com As long as the clouds cooperate, northeastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks have the potential for a great view of the total lunar eclipse that starts late Thursday and lasts into early Friday morning. But you’ll have to be a night owl, or at least set an alarm for the middle of [...]
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By Maggie Miles for Outer Banks Voice Eduardo Chavez, owner of Eduardo’s Taco Stand in Ocracoke, has been fascinated by the restaurant industry since he was a young boy helping out in his mother’s restaurant in Mexico City. When he came to the United States 25 years ago, he found his first opportunity in Ocracoke, [...]
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Three advisory committees to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet this month to accept public comment, discuss, and vote on recommendations for adaptive management for the draft Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3 Revision. “The Draft Amendment 3 Revision contains options for adaptive management to address overall declining trends in the blue crab [...]
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From SamWalkerOBXNews.com A bill introduced last month in the North Carolina General Assembly would make it illegal to launch any type of vessel from the right-of-way of a public highway or road. But state Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck), who represents the northeast corner of the state, said in an interview he is adamantly opposed to [...]
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The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) is a statewide organization with deep Hatteras Island roots. Founded in 1965, just two years after the Bonner Bridge linked Hatteras Island with the rest of the world, the NCBBA had more than 5,000 members at one point, from more than 30 states. The NCBBA’s membership peak coincided [...]
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NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education is set to launch the 71st annual Sport Fishing School this June in Hatteras, North Carolina, continuing a transformative educational tradition that spans over seven decades. This immersive five-day program offers participants a comprehensive journey into sport fishing, blending classroom instruction with hands-on training. The program’s unique curriculum combines two days [...]
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From SamWalkerOBXNews.com NOAA Fisheries has announced a voluntary slow zone has been implemented off the Outer Banks after endangered North Atlantic right whales were spotted offshore on Sunday. There are approximately 360 individual North Atlantic right whales remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females. Vessel strikes are considered the primary threat to the whales [...]
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The Dare County Public Works Department will host a three-day household hazardous waste collection event in three separate locations from Thursday, May 8, 2025 through Saturday, May 10, 2025. During this free event, Dare County residents and property owners can drop off a variety of hazardous materials—including motor oil in spill-proof containers, along with paints, polishes, varnishes, fluorescent lightbulbs, [...]
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With a number of Hatteras Inlet projects either cued up or awaiting final permits, the Dare County Waterways Commission on Monday quickly dispensed of its business at a briefer-than-usual meeting at the Dare County administrative building in Manteo. Still, with the June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season looming, the panel expressed its uneasiness [...]
Local News | Full Article
From SamWalkerOBXNews.com As long as the clouds cooperate, northeastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks have the potential for a great view of the total lunar eclipse that starts late Thursday and lasts into early Friday morning. But you’ll have to be a night owl, or at least set an alarm for the middle of [...]
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From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The Dare County Board of Commissioners have approved a proposal and contract with McGill Associates—the firm tasked with developing and implementing plans to improve Dare County Parks and Recreation facilities throughout the county—for the second phase of the recently completed Dare County Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment Plan. Nearly 10% of the county’s population [...]
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Drivers may experience brief traffic delays in Hatteras Village this week, as a transmission pole is scheduled to be replaced on the corner of N.C. Highway 12 and Eagle Pass Road, according to an update from Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC). CHEC contractor River City Construction has been working for the past few months to [...]
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1:00 P.M. UPDATE: The Ocracoke-Cedar Island and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter ferry operations have resumed normal operations. The Ocracoke-Cedar Island and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter ferry operations have been suspended on Tuesday morning due to inclement weather, according to an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division. The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry is running as of 7:30 a.m., however, service may [...]
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A Coastal Flood Advisory, Wind Advisory, and High Surf Advisory have been issued for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands due to an approaching low pressure system that is expected to pass off the North Carolina coast on Monday night and Tuesday. Ocean overwash, rough surf, and minor beach erosion are likely, with 1-2 feet of above-ground flooding [...]
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From CoastalReview.org Campers, cyclists, hikers, birding enthusiasts and other outdoor recreationalists would be required to buy an annual pass to access game lands in the state under a proposal floated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The “conservation access pass” proposal targets those users because they are increasingly visiting game lands and utilizing state [...]
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Weather permitting, a prescribed burn is planned for Sunday, March 9, at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, according to a recent update from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North Carolina. The North Pond Wildlife, Salt Flats, and North Pond Levee Trails will all be closed to the public during the burn [...]
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An Avon man already facing multiple charges and being held at the Dare County Detention Center was charged with three additional counts of (F) Indecent Liberties with a Minor on Friday, March 7, stemming from a June 2004 incident. The charges resulted in a $300,000 additional bond, with a new total bond amount of $700,000. [...]
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The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) invites communities and contractors to apply to participate in Phases 1 through 4 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP), which aims to equip communities with additional capability to understand and enhance coastal resilience at the local level. DCM estimates that approximately $2 million [...]
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From the Ocracoke Observer Passengers from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter Thursday afternoon on the M/V Silver Lake had their travel plans crushed when the boat got stuck in Big Foot Slough just outside Ocracoke for more than 12 hours. Thursday was sunny and clear from the storm front that had passed through Wednesday afternoon and [...]
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The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and the Association of Park Rangers sent a letter on March 3 to Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Jessica Bowron to initiate action in order to reinstate probationary employees who were recently fired. Bill Wade, Executive Director of the Association of National Park Rangers, confirmed that six [...]
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The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) will hold its first Adopt-a-Beach clean-up of 2025 on March 22, and its first Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) clean-up of 2025 on April 12, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in either event, or both. “Join the team – Be an active volunteer member,” stated the NCBBA in [...]
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Six employees let go from NPS Outer Banks Group; Possible changes ...
February 28, 2025 | Seashore News
Following the February dismissal of approximately 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees nationwide, coupled with a February 26 memo from the Office of Personnel Management on the National Workplace Optimization Initiative, questions remain as to how the NPS Outer Banks Group could be impacted in the future. Bill Wade, Executive Director of the Association of [...]
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Fort Raleigh National Historic Site reschedules shoreline stabiliz ...
February 5, 2025 | Seashore News
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) has rescheduled its shoreline stabilization public meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Public comment on three preliminary alternatives for stabilizing approximately one mile of Fort Raleigh’s shoreline is open until Feb. 21, 2025, an extension of two weeks due to a weather-related public meeting postponement. Three preliminary alternatives are available for public comment in the Shoreline Stabilization [...]
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Outer Banks Forever provides update on Bodie Island Light Station fire
January 30, 2025 | Seashore News
Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, provided an update in their January newsletter on the Jan. 7 fire at the Bodie Island Lighthouse’s Double Keepers’ Quarters. The organization noted that while remediation efforts were ongoing, the annual lighthouse climbing season, (which is scheduled to start in April), would [...]
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The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) has reopened ORV ramps 2 and 4, most Hatteras Island ramps, and all Ocracoke Island ramps, according to a Thursday afternoon update. “After assessing conditions this morning at ramps 43 and 44, a decision was made to keep these two ramps closed to ORVs for the next 24-48 hours [...]
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Visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleig ...
January 22, 2025 | Seashore News
National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will remain closed Thursday, Jan. 23. Fort Raleigh’s shoreline erosion public meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 23, is postponed—a new date will be announced in the coming days. All off-road vehicle (ORV) [...]
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All ORV routes temporarily closed on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands ...
January 22, 2025 | Seashore News
As a safety precaution, Cape Hatteras National Seashore has temporarily closed all ORV ramps due to difficult beach driving conditions. The combination of snow and sand has resulted in numerous vehicles getting stuck on Hatteras and Ocracoke Island beaches. At least 5-6 inches of snow fell overnight on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, and another half [...]
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh, and Wright Brothers ...
January 21, 2025 | Seashore News
Ahead of an impending winter storm, National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will close at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 and remain closed Wednesday, Jan. 22. Outdoor areas at the Seashore and Fort Raleigh will remain open. As [...]
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All six episodes of The Outer Edge docuseries are now available on YouTube, featuring spotlights on commercial fishing, Outer Banks creators and musicians, photographers, the wild environment, and the region’s boat building tradition. The six-part series, produced locally by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (OBVB), is part of the organization’s “ongoing commitment to responsible travel [...]
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Cape Hatteras Secondary School (CHSS) Science Olympiad teams earned top placements at the Regional Science Olympiad Tournament, held Saturday, March 1, at East Carolina University. This year’s competition was the largest regional Science Olympiad in North Carolina, with more than 20 teams in each division. CHSS students demonstrated exceptional scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills, earning [...]
Island Features | Full Article
Dare County, in partnership with Current TV, has released a new video, “Spring Gardening Tips from the Dare County Extension Master Gardeners,” which is designed to help local gardeners prepare for the spring planting season with expert advice tailored to the unique coastal conditions of the Outer Banks. Hosted by Jenna Livernois, Dare County’s horticulture agent [...]
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Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation will host its annual St. Patrick ...
March 10, 2025 | Island Features
The Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation (HICF) will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day Brunch on Sunday, March 16, at the Hatteras Village Civic Center from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event will feature a range of fabulous brunch fare, live music by Rory, mimosas, beer, a Bloody Mary bar (BYO Vodka), non-alcoholic beverages, a [...]
Island Features | Full Article
From SamWalkerOBXNews.com Relive the terrifying impacts of the 20th century’s strongest nor’easter that struck the Outer Banks 63 years ago this week in a mini-documentary titled, “The Ash Wednesday Storm in Nags Head.” Funded by a grant from CurrentTV, produced by Rayolight Productions, in collaboration with the Town of Nags Head and the Outer [...]
Island Features | Full Article
According to the Dare County Extension Master Gardeners, it’s time to start propagating seeds, and if you’re in search of some special seeds to get you started this season, the Dare County Library has you covered with its free Seed Libraries program. Thanks to generous donations made by Burpee Seeds, Sow True Seed, Seed Savers Exchange [...]
Island Features | Full Article
From SamWalkerOBXNews.com Dare County property owners will see a significant increase in their real estate values when the 2025 revaluation notices are mailed out at the end of this month. According to Dare County Tax Assessor Hosea Wilson, the overall countywide change in the tax base is estimated to be 67%, increasing from $16.4 billion [...]
Real Estate | Full Article
Community encouraged to participate in Housing Survey led by East ...
February 28, 2025 | Real Estate
The Dare Community Housing Task Force is pleased to announce that a team of researchers from East Carolina University (ECU) has launched a new survey to assess workforce housing challenges in the Dare County community. Led by Dr. Misun Hur, Associate Professor in Community and Regional Planning, and Dr. Emily P. Yeager, Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation [...]
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ECU is teaming up with Dare Housing Task Force to collect public i ...
February 12, 2025 | Real Estate
East Carolina University (ECU) is partnering with the Dare Community Housing Task Force to better understand community attitudes toward workforce housing, and they are looking for insight and feedback from the Outer Banks community. In this vein, they are hosting of open house sessions, including two on Hatteras Island, and residents can drop by anytime [...]
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From OuterBanksVoice.com The nearly hour-long presentation of the Dare Housing Task Force’s recent 2024 report at the Feb. 3 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting did more than lay out the daunting obstacles to home ownership in Dare County. It also triggered an extensive discussion on how to get community buy-in for that elusive goal [...]
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Well another year is in the books, and there was a surprising development – of all areas tracked by the Outer Banks Association of Realtors in their statistical reports, Hatteras Island was the only area that didn’t see year-over-year home price appreciation. There is a caveat, because sales volume was much lower in 2024 than [...]
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Outer Banks Community Foundation shares highlights from annual meeting
March 14, 2025 | Community News Brief
By Tatum Clements for Outer Banks Community Foundation Bright blue skies lining the ocean’s horizon were the perfect backdrop for the 150+ civic leaders, nonprofit professionals, and donors who attended the Outer Banks Community Foundation’s (OBCF) Annual Meeting at Jennette’s Pier on Friday, March 7. The meeting began with positive messages from the Community Foundation’s Board [...]
Community News Brief | Full Article
Meet the Outer Banks SPCA pet of the week, courtesy of their latest video produced by Dare County’s CURRENT TV. For more information on this pet, and the many other Outer Banks pets currently up for adoption, visit the Outer Banks SPCA website at https://www.obxspca.org/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/obxspca/
NCDEQ now accepting grant proposals to address flood resiliency, w ...
March 11, 2025 | Community News Brief
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources is now accepting proposals for projects that address flood reduction or flood resiliency in key river basins in the state. In addition, DWR is also accepting proposals statewide for projects that address stream restoration, water-based restoration and water management. In response to a $5 [...]
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The North Carolina Ferry Division is looking for seasonal and permanent employees to kick off its busy summer season. All job seekers are welcome to attend a career fair on March 11 in Hatteras to learn about and apply for a new and rewarding career with the Ferry System. The career fair, hosted by the [...]
Community News Brief | Full Article
Community Health Fair and Pop-up Library will be held in Rodanthe ...
March 9, 2025 | Community News Brief
The Community Care Clinic of Dare will be hosting a Health Fair at the Rodanthe Community Building on Monday, March 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to everyone, thanks to support from Outer Banks Health, and includes blood pressure checks, blood glucose screenings, cholesterol checks, and A1C checks. (which [...]
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Continuing a wave of recent donations to Hatteras Island organizations, the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) recently made a $1,500 donation to the Hatteras Island Futbol Club, which teaches soccer to local children, and has more than 100 young players participating in the program Hatteras Island Futbol Club has been in existence in some way, shape, [...]
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WANCHESE — Joshua Leigh Whitehurst, age 46, died Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Joshua was born September 15, 1978 in Norfolk, VA. He was preceded in death by his mother, Susan Marie Bunch Skinner. He loved the beach and enjoyed cooking. He is survived by his father, Floyd E. Whitehurst of [...]
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Kathleen “Kathy” A. Maurer, 88, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2025 in Nags Head, NC. Kathy was born on April 30, 1936 in Bayonne, New Jersey. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Catherine Reid; her husband, Frederick John Maurer; and sister, Joanne ‘Reid’ Fox. Together with her husband, Kathy raised [...]
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NAGS HEAD — Paul Alfred Byberg, 86, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2025, in Nags Head, NC. Paul was born on November 14, 1938, in Ridgway, PA. He is reunited with his parents Wern and Clara Byberg and his daughter, Suzanne Harman. Paul graduated from Cooley High School, Detroit, MI in 1957. He attended [...]
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October 31, 1964 – March 1, 2025 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Rebecca “Becky” Jean Riffe Bowman, 60, of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina passed away peacefully with her family by her side on March 1, 2025. She was born on October 31, 1964, in South Charleston, WV and was the daughter of Franklin Delano Riffe [...]
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August 22, 1960 – February 28, 2025 NAGS HEAD — On Friday, February 28, 2025, Elaine McMichael White passed away peacefully at home during her battle with cancer. From Pennsauken, New Jersey, Elaine was the only daughter of the late Wallace and Elaine McMichael (neé Daisey). Elaine will be greatly missed by her devoted husband [...]
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September 8, 1962 – November 20, 2023 SOUTHERN SHORES — Retired Master Sergeant William David Boxmeyer, Jr. of Southern Shores, NC, passed away after a short illness on November 20, 2023, at the age of 61. Born on September 8, 1962, in Ridgewood, NJ, David made an enduring impact on the lives of those he [...]
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