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Cigarette Surfboard Documentary Film Screening will be held at Pio ...

March 21, 2025 | Island Features

The Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), in partnership with the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, is hosting a film screening of the award-winning The Cigarette Surfboard at the historic Pioneer Theater in Manteo on April 17, 2025. The film screening is part of CSI’s ongoing Science on the Sound, a monthly series that brings together perspectives from across the state [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Killer whale spotted in the ocean off the Outer Banks

March 21, 2025 | Island Features | By: Sam Walker | 1

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com An aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute made an extremely rare find off the Outer Banks last Thursday, as a killer whale was spotted off Kitty Hawk. The Florida-based institute’s team focuses their work off our coast on surveying activity of endangered North Atlantic right whales, as part of their [...] Island Features |  Full Article

North Carolina Shell Club is heading to Ocracoke Island on March 2 ...

March 20, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The North Carolina Shell Club is heading to Ocracoke Island on March 21-22 for their annual Spring Meeting, and the public is welcome to come by the Ocracoke Community Center during the two-day event to check out the club’s activities and auctions. “Guests are welcome to North Carolina Shell Club meetings,” said John Timmerman of the [...] Island Features |  Full Article

80th birthday in the ‘Tank’ just another day for longtime referee

March 19, 2025 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich

From OcracokeObserver.com When was the last time you saw a sports referee get a standing ovation? This is exactly what happened before the Ocracoke Dolphins’ home game Feb. 4 against the Bear Grass Charter Bears. Before the tip-off, one of the referees, Gene Stoel, approached Ocracoke School Athletic Director Mary McKnight to say he would [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Marsha Mann Brown

March 18, 2025 | Obituaries

MANTEO — Marsha Mann Brown, 74, of Manteo, NC, was surrounded by her family when she grasped the hand of our Lord and Savior at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on March 14, 2025. Marsha was born on September 20, 1950, in Key West, Florida, where her father was stationed in the US Coast Guard. In [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operations suspended on Saturday morning d ...

March 15, 2025 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

UPDATE: The Hatteras-Ocracoke, Ocracoke-Cedar Island, and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter ferries have resumed normal operations as of 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 The Hatteras-Ocracoke, Ocracoke-Cedar Island, and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter ferry operations have been suspended due to low visibility from heavy fog as of Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m., per an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division. [...] Local News |  Full Article

Dare County to host household hazardous waste collection May 8-10

March 14, 2025 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

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, [...] Local News |  Full Article

Waterways Commission voices concern about Rodanthe-Stumpy Point em ...

March 13, 2025 | Local News | By: Catherine Kozak

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

Contract approved for next phase of Dare County Parks and Recreati ...

March 12, 2025 | Local News | By: Sam Walker

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 [...] Local News |  Full Article

NCBBA will host Adopt-a-Beach and Adopt-a-Highway clean-ups on March 22

March 18, 2025 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

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 a recent announcement. “You will have fun, meet new and old friends, and get some exercise.” Information on both events is below. The Adopt-A-Beach clean-up The Adopt-A-Beach will be launched from the ORV Ramp 23 parking lot, just south of Salvo, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 22. Volunteers will be asked to drive and walk the beach to the north and south directions looking for trash, litter, boards, burned firewood, etc. The NCBBA will provide trash bags, grabbers, and vests. It is recommended to bring a five-gallon bucket as well, which is much easier [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Organizations send letter to NPS Deputy Director asking for reinst ...

March 3, 2025 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 3

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 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Six employees let go from NPS Outer Banks Group; Possible changes ...

February 28, 2025 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 4

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 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

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 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Outer Banks Forever provides update on Bodie Island Light Station fire

January 30, 2025 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

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 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

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) [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

All ORV routes temporarily closed on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands ...

January 22, 2025 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

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 [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 is invading Hatteras Island this weekend

March 22, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

One of the most grueling races to launch from the Outer Banks – the Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 -- begins on Saturday, March 22, and travelers along N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island are advised to be on the lookout for participants as they trek from Corolla to The Wreck Tiki Bar in Hatteras. On Friday, race organizers stationed temporary port-a-potties and SurfBox aid stations at various Cape Hatteras National Seashore parking areas, which will be removed once the race is complete. While the race officially began on Saturday morning, it will easily extend through Sunday as participants walk, run, or trudge along the 100-mile course. “The Outer Banks are a temperamental mistress,” states the race summary. “Temperatures could be 80 or they could be 20 degrees. Winds could be calm, but surely, you'll face some blustery conditions at some point on your journey. The road may be flat [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Killer whale spotted in the ocean off the Outer Banks

March 21, 2025 | Island Features | By: Sam Walker | 1

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com An aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute made an extremely rare find off the Outer Banks last Thursday, as a killer whale was spotted off Kitty Hawk. The Florida-based institute’s team focuses their work off our coast on surveying activity of endangered North Atlantic right whales, as part of their [...] Island Features |  Full Article

North Carolina Shell Club is heading to Ocracoke Island on March 2 ...

March 20, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The North Carolina Shell Club is heading to Ocracoke Island on March 21-22 for their annual Spring Meeting, and the public is welcome to come by the Ocracoke Community Center during the two-day event to check out the club’s activities and auctions. “Guests are welcome to North Carolina Shell Club meetings,” said John Timmerman of the [...] Island Features |  Full Article

80th birthday in the ‘Tank’ just another day for longtime referee

March 19, 2025 | Island Features | By: Peter Vankevich

From OcracokeObserver.com When was the last time you saw a sports referee get a standing ovation? This is exactly what happened before the Ocracoke Dolphins’ home game Feb. 4 against the Bear Grass Charter Bears. Before the tip-off, one of the referees, Gene Stoel, approached Ocracoke School Athletic Director Mary McKnight to say he would [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Cancer Foundation’s St. Patrick’s Day Brunch attracts ...

March 18, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation’s St. Patrick’s Day Brunch attracted a colorful crowd of residents, visitors, and a stylish pack of Dolly Partons who donned their best boots and asset-enhancing attire to invade Hatteras Island for the day. The annual brunch featured live music by Rory Kelleher, mimosas, a full buffet, a Selfie Station, and [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Hatteras Village Waterfowl Festival returns for 2025 on March 21-22

March 17, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

Celebrating its fifth year in 2025, the Hatteras Village Waterfowl Festival (HVWF) is returning to Hatteras Island on Friday and Saturday, March 21-22, after being postponed from its original February dates due to a winter storm. The festival will kick off Friday evening with the delicious Fin, Feather, and Bourbon event, where small plates featuring seafood [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Outer Banks Chamber will host virtual session on NC Fortified Roof Program on March 18

March 18, 2025 | Real Estate

Thinking about a new roof? The Outer Banks Chamber will be hosting a March 18th Lunchtime Live Virtual program on the NC Fortified Roof Program at 12 p.m. This program will feature Mark Goins, Managing Director of NC Fortified. Mark leads a team of certified Fortified Evaluators dedicated to enhancing storm resilience for NC Coastal communities. The program will also have Mark Mueller, owner of Mueller Builders who will lend his expertise and dedication to supporting and strengthening the Outer Banks Community. This virtual event is for Chamber members and the community. The session is free to attend; pre-registration is required. Registration for the October event can be found at www.outerbankschamber.com/lunchtimelivemarch25. Once you registered, you will receive a link to the program. The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce represents 850+ businesses and organizations in the Dare, Curr [...] 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 [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

ECU is teaming up with Dare Housing Task Force to collect public i ...

February 12, 2025 | Real Estate | By: Joy Crist

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 [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Nearly 13-foot great white shark caught and released off Hatteras Island beach

March 15, 2025 | Fishing | By: Joy Crist | 2

A team of local fishermen made waves on Saturday when they reeled in a 12 to 13-foot great white shark from a Hatteras Island shoreline. Luke Beard, Jason Rosenfeld, and Dan Rothermel have been fishing at local beaches for years, and the 1,400-1,800 pound great white was reeled in by Beard - who works at Frisco Rod & Gun - on a custom rod and reel that was designed for unusually big fish. “It jumped at one point when it first got hooked, and we were pretty sure it was a great white, but we confirmed it soon after by the shape and size of the dorsal fin,” said Rothermel. “It felt really heavy, and when it was hooked up for a few minutes, we realized that this was a different animal,” said Beard. The shark took 35 minutes to reel in, but less than 90 seconds for the team to release. “We didn’t want to waste any time,” said Beard. “It feels like an eternity, but for mo [...] Fishing |  Full Article

Outer Banks Community Foundation shares highlights from annual meeting

March 15, 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 Mia

March 11, 2025 | Community News Brief

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 [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Clara Poole Bellman

March 19, 2025 | Obituaries

NAGS HEAD — Clara Bellman passed away on March 16, 2025, in Nags Head, NC, at the age of 102. Clara was born November 25, 1922, in Charleston, SC, to Ethel (Welling) and Ralph Poole. Ralph was a U.S. Navy Corpsman, and so Clara lived around the world, including Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Marsha Mann Brown

March 18, 2025 | Obituaries

MANTEO — Marsha Mann Brown, 74, of Manteo, NC, was surrounded by her family when she grasped the hand of our Lord and Savior at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on March 14, 2025. Marsha was born on September 20, 1950, in Key West, Florida, where her father was stationed in the US Coast Guard. In [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Jeffery Quinn Sumerlin

March 17, 2025 | Obituaries

KILL DEVIL HILLS — Jeffery Quinn Sumerlin, 57, of Kill Devil Hills, NC, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on January 22, 2025. Jeff was born on May 31, 1967, in Rocky Mount, NC to the late Dodsworth & Lettie J. Sumerlin. In addition to his parents, Jeff was preceded in death by his brother [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Robert Williams Black III

March 17, 2025 | Obituaries

May 28, 1967 – March 1, 2025 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Robert “Rob” Williams Black III, born on May 28, 1967, in Raleigh, NC, passed away suddenly on March 1, 2025, in Kill Devil Hills, NC, at the age of 57. A talented carpenter and electrician, Rob’s hands were always busy crafting and creating, but [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Joshua Leigh Whitehurst

March 14, 2025 | Obituaries

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 [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Kathleen A. Maurer

March 11, 2025 | Obituaries

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 [...] Obituaries |  Full Article