 Hurricane Earl’s path edges closer to Cape Hatteras
The forecast track of Hurricane Earl edged closer to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands today.
At 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center forecast the storm to pass by
offshore of Cape Hatteras, but much too close for comfort. Any slight
deviation in the path could bring the storm directly over the Cape – or
send it further offshore.
There are mandatory evacuations for residents of and visitors to Hatteras and Ocracoke. ....Read more
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 A new player on the scene proposes wind farm off Morehead City
Wind turbines will not be on the horizon any time soon off Hatteras
Island, but there could be a wind energy project to the south with an
Outer Banks name.
Last week, right after Duke Energy Carolinas made a surprise
announcement that it was not going to pursue a wind demonstration
project in Pamlico Sound, Apex Wind Energy Inc. of Charlottesville,
Va., announced that it had applied for 24 lease units in 216 square
miles off Morehead City to explore wind production. ....Read more
Duke Energy changes focus of Coastal Wind Demonstration Project
Duke
Energy Carolinas will no longer pursue a plan to place up to three
demonstration wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound. Instead, the company
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will refocus their
collaboration to study and help enable large-scale offshore wind
development on the oceanside of the North Carolina coast. ....Read more
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 Divisive sandbag policy on North Carolina’s coastal areas to receive more scrutiny in coming weeks
North
Carolina’s fitful and uneasy enforcement of its sandbag policy is set
to pick up where it left off a year ago, as policymakers are facing a
difficult balancing act between the inevitability of sea-level rise,
preservation of beaches and private property rights.
With
the lifting of the moratorium on sandbag removal on Sept. 1, the state
Division of Coastal Management can technically resume its efforts to
force real-estate owners to remove non-compliant sandbag structures
from their oceanfront properties. Except the agency won’t do so, at
least not right away. Legal challenges and outright defiance have made
the state’s coastal sandbag rules, by all practical measures,
unenforceable.
By Catherine Kozak in The American Independent
http://www.americanindependent.com/divisive-sandbag-policy-on-north-carolinas-coastal-areas-to-receive-more-scrutiny-in-coming-weeks/
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 Dare’s on-time graduation rate is the best in the state
For
the second year in a row, the on-time graduation rate for Dare County
Schools is the best among the state’s 115 school districts. At a rate
of 90.5 percent, Dare was the only North Carolina school district to
break the 90 percent threshold, also for the second consecutive
year. ....Read more
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 Maryland man drowns at Ocracoke beach
A
visitor from Maryland was caught in a rip current and drowned on
Saturday, Aug. 7, on Ocracoke. According to Cape Hatteras National
Seashore ranger Ed Fuller, the victim was John Wolf, 51, of Woodbine,
Md. ....Read more
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 NCDOT reports historic number of comments on Bonner Bridge Replacement
A historic number of citizens – more than 3,800 people – sent comments
regarding the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge replacement project to the N.C.
Department of Transportation during the public comment period that
ended Aug. 9.
About 95 percent of those comments favor replacing the 48-year-old bridge immediately with the short bridge option. ....Read more
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 Support for oil drilling rebounds in North Carolina despite inconclusive report on its impact
Favorable
opinions about offshore drilling among North Carolinians are creeping
back up as the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is subsiding.
A poll released Thursday
by Public Policy Polling found that 50 percent of respondents in the
state now support drilling, and 39 percent oppose it. Coastal residents
in the northeastern part of the state, where oil companies in the past
have expressed interest in exploring offshore, are even more amenable
to drilling, at 55 percent. Southeastern coastal residents, at 52
percent, also favor the idea more than the rest of the state.
Although the percentages who favor drilling off the coast is still a
ways from the 61 percent approval from those polled by PPP in April —
before the disastrous leak — it is a leap from last month’s PPP poll
that found only 42 percent of North Carolinians supportive of drilling,
while 46 were against it.
Yet, a report
(PDF) from the Legislative Research Commission Advisory Subcommittee on
Offshore Energy Exploration released in May to the North Carolina
General Assembly revealed that very little definitive information is
available about the amount of hydrocarbon resources available or what
the implications would be in tapping them. The report was approved just
one week before the BP spill.
By Catherine Kozak in the American Independent online news report.
http://www.americanindependent.com/support-for-oil-drilling-rebounds-despite-inconclusive-evidence-of-its-impact-on-state/
Impact of Gulf oil spill on marine life is still uncertain
Chances are remote that oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the
Gulf of Mexico would wash ashore in North Carolina, according to the
state Department of Crime and Public Safety. If anything, beach-goers
might see some tar balls on the beach, not a smothering blanket of oil
choking the life out of marshes and wildlife, officials say.
But the consequences of the spill for marine life beneath the ocean
surface, something scientists say is difficult to assess, could flow
far beyond the Gulf. ....Read more
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 Three rescued from burning shrimp boat in Pamlico Sound
Good
Samaritans rescued three crew members from a burning shrimping vessel
near the Bluff Shoal in the Pamlico Sound on Friday, Aug. 6. Crew
members from the fishing vessel Lady Susie II safely removed all three
crew members from the 75-foot vessel, First Chance, after Coast Guard
watchstanders received calls at approximately 3:45 p.m. from the
crew aboard the North Carolina ferry Roanoke. ....Read more
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 Long-time ferry captain receives prestigious award
Capt.
Donald Austin, a long-time N.C. Department of Transportation Ferry
Division employee in Ocracoke, has been awarded the Order of the Long
Leaf Pine from Gov. Bev Perdue. This special certificate was presented
to him Thursday, July 29, in between ferry runs in Ocracoke by
Assistant Director of Operations Harold Thomas. ....Read more
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 Ocracats hosts N.C. State vets at clinic to spay and neuter 97 feral cats
Ocracats,
Inc., a local non-profit organization started in the early ‘90s, raised
donations, lodging, food, and volunteers to host the North Carolina
State University School of Veterinary Medicine at a clinic that managed
to get 97 feral cats spayed or neutered over four days in July.
Some were kittens that are still available for adoption. ....Read more
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 Dare County is given ultimatum on future of Hatteras health centers
Two health centers on Hatteras Island are bleeding money, and Dare
County has less than six months to decide whether to pay lots more
money to keep them open, look elsewhere, or close one or both
facilities. But even if Greenville-based University Health Systems of
Eastern Carolina ends up pulling out of the Avon and Hatteras
locations, county officials promise they will find another health
provider. ....Read more
East Carolina Health considering closing one of its Hatteras medical centers
East
Carolina Health, which owns two medical centers on Hatteras Island, is
considering closing one and consolidating its operations in the other.
“At
this point, we are assessing the options,” said Roger Robertson,
president of East Carolina Health, which is part of University Health
Systems, based in Greenville, N.C.
“At this point, we haven’t made any decisions.”
However,
Dare County officials who have talked with East Carolina Health
representatives think the possibility is very real and that the office
closed will be in Hatteras village. ....Read more
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 UPDATE…Hatteras Island Farmers’ Market moves to Avon
The
weekly Hatteras Island Farmers’ Market will be held on the grounds of
Hatteras Realty in Avon beginning on Tuesday, July 27. Hatteras Realty
is located on the west side of Highway 12 next to the Avon Post
Office. ....Read more
Outdoor markets bring local food and crafts to Hatteras Island….WITH SLIDE SHOW
It
may have been an oppressively hot and humid day, but that certainly
didn’t stop a multitude of islanders and visitors from stopping by the
first Hatteras Island Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, June 22. It seems the
opportunity to finally buy fresh, all-natural food direct from local
farmers trumped the need for air conditioning, and, despite the heat,
the general vibe at the farmers’ market was one of excitement and
gratitude. The farmers’ market is sponsored by Coastal Harvesters,
Inc., a non-profit, membership-based organization that was formed early
last year, with the specific goal of bringing a farmers’ market to
Hatteras Island. ....Read more
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 Historic shipwreck moves to Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras village …..WITH SLIDE SHOW
In the wee stormy hours of Tuesday morning, July 20, what is likely the
oldest shipwreck to be discovered in North Carolina slowly made its way
down the Outer Banks highways to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
in Hatteras village.
....Read more
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 Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescue three fishermen from sinking boat off Ocracoke
Coast
Guard crews and good Samaritans rescued three fishermen after their
fishing vessel began taking on water and sank Monday, July 19, in the
Pamlico Sound northeast of the Brant Island Shoal. ....Read more
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 Ocracoke’s July Fourth celebration was ‘calm and peaceful’…..WITH SLIDE SHOW
After
last year’s fireworks truck explosion that killed four people and
seriously injured another, Ocracoke islanders and visitors enjoyed all
of the usual activities – except the pyrotechnics. By all
accounts, it was a calm, peaceful, and healing day on the island.
....Read more
One year later, Ocracoke remembers the horrific fireworks explosion that killed four people
One
year ago on July 4, as employees of a South Carolina company were
setting up for the annual fireworks display, their truck, loaded with
pyrotechnics, exploded, killing four workers and seriously injuring
another. A year later, Ocracokers reflect on that morning and talk
about why they are grateful that there will be no fireworks show this
year. ....Read more
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 General Assembly approves rental tax increase
A
final vote in the state Senate Wednesday, July 7, gives Dare County the
authority to add another 1 percent to the occupancy tax to help pay for
beach nourishment.
The additional tax is a key step in advancing a $36 million plan by Nags Head to pump sand from offshore onto 10 miles of beach.
Dare
County was included in a bill allowing new or increased occupancy taxes
for a number of towns and counties. One cent of the 5-cent tax is
already set aside for beach nourishment and has built a reserve of $22
million in the county’s Shoreline Management Fund.
Before the additional one percent can be imposed, the county Board of Commissioners must hold a public hearing and approve it.
“We can act pretty quickly, though,” Judge said.
By Rob Morris in The Outer Banks Voice.
http://outerbanksvoice.com/2010/07/07/general-assembly-approves-rental-tax-increase/
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 UPDATE….Liquor returns to empty shelves at Ocracoke ABC stores
Liquor shipments to the Ocracoke Island’s only ABC store are expected
to resume first thing Wednesday morning, June 23, and it couldn’t be a
moment too soon -- just in time for the July 4 holiday. It’s been
about four months since the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control
Commission cut off liquor supplies to Hyde County, which had about
$100,000 in unpaid bills to distillers. Only slim pickings remained at
the store, where the shelves were mostly empty. ....Read more
Where has all the liquor gone? The shelves are empty in Ocracoke’s ABC store
Will
that be blueberry schnapps or a nice stiff anisette? It won’t be long
before that’s about all customers at Ocracoke’s only liquor store will
be able to choose from, at least until the Hyde County ABC Board
is able to pay its overdue booze bill.
Shelves
at the ABC store, located by the Variety Store on the outskirts of the
village, are nearly bare. Whatever stock remains is mostly what people
don’t want: expensive brandies, whiskies, flavored rums and syrupy
liqueurs. What they do want --- Crown Royal, gin, fifths and
half-gallons of vodka --- is long gone.
How did the situation with the ABC stores in Hyde County reach this point? ....Read more
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 Air Force jet combat practice provides a show for Hatteras islanders
Hatteras
islanders may have noticed the booming noise and flashing lights out
over the ocean last night. Not to worry. The show was
provided by 20 F-15 jets from Seymour Johnson Air Force base that were
practicing air combat maneuvers. ....Read more
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 Four seniors receive their diplomas at Ocracoke graduation…WITH SLIDE SHOW AND VIDEO
Ocracoke School can probably lay claim to having the smallest
graduating class in North Carolina this year. In a commencement
ceremony on Sunday evening, June 13, four seniors at the school, which
includes kindergarten through 12th grade, received their diplomas. ....Read more
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 Gov. Beverly Perdue delivers a message to the Cape Hatteras Class of 2010…WITH SLIDE SHOW
Gov. Beverly Perdue, the keynote speaker at the Cape Hatteras Secondary
School of Coastal Studies 2010 Commencement, urged the 51 graduates to
“become the next generation of great citizens of North Carolina.”
“This state and this country need you,” she told the Class of 2010 at
the ceremony in the school gymnasium on Saturday evening, June 12.
....Read more
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 Hatteras Island Food Pantry has first summer shortage
The
Hatteras Island Food Pantry, a non-profit, completely volunteer-staffed
organization that serves numerous Islanders and their families, is
having its first annual summer food drive. The food pantry is very
active in the winter, when many local businesses are closed and many
residents are out of work. But in the summer, it’s normally a
different story. It’s the height of the tourist season, when businesses
are staffed to the hilt and nearly everyone has at least one job.
....Read more
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 NOAA expects busy Atlantic hurricane season
An
“active to extremely active” hurricane season is expected for the
Atlantic Basin this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued last
week by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National
Weather Service. ....Read more
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 Frisco Pier unlikely to open this season
Owners Tod and Angie Gaskill had hoped to re-open part of the damaged
Frisco Pier this season, but it seems unlikely now that will
happen. They say the pier is safe part of the way out and could
be used by locals and visitors, who badly want to see it back in
business.
However, the Park Service says the pier is safe only to the third
piling. And going out that far would not even get anglers over the
ocean.
....Read more
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 Dr. Beach says Cape Hatteras is No. 4 for 2010
The
beach at Cape Hatteras has moved up a notch on Dr. Beach’s Top Ten list
of America’s best beaches for 2010. This year the lifeguarded beach
near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse ranks No. 4 on the list – up from No.
7 last year and No. 8 in 2007. ....Read more
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 Serendipity: Relocated, renovated, redecorated, and ready for the rest of its life …WITH SLIDE SHOW
Serendipity,
the Hatteras Island beach house that has captured the imagination of
the public, started a new life this week on the seashore in Rodanthe.
It has been relocated, renovated, and redecorated. ....Read more
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 Dare and Hyde release re-entry permit information
Dare
County will not issue new re-entry permits this year. Instead
residents and property owners are asked to continue using the 2008-2009
permit.
Hyde
County will distribute new re-entry passes for Ocracoke from May 19-21
or they can be obtained by e-mailing, faxing, or mailing the required
information. ....Read more
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