Featured Outer Banks News

What's New

After more than two years, sewer moratorium lifted for Kinnakeet S ...

November 29, 2023 | Real Estate | By: Joy Crist | 1

After more than two years, a sewer moratorium on the wastewater treatment plant that serves the Kinnakeet Shores area in Avon has been lifted, per a November 28 announcement issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). In the years leading up to the moratorium, Ray Hollowell, the managing member of Outer Banks/Kinnakeet [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

CHNS invites community to Ocracoke Light Station project groundbre ...

November 28, 2023 | Seashore News

The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking event for the $3.6 million project to raise and make repairs to the Double Keepers’ Quarters and other structures at Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s Ocracoke Light Station. The 15-minute event, which caps off the year-long celebration of the Ocracoke Light Station’s 200th anniversary, will occur in front of the [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Meet the Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week Bella

November 28, 2023 | 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/

Merry Melodies A Christmas Carol Sing-Along sponsored by Twiford&# ...

November 28, 2023 | Community News Brief

Merry MelodiesA Christmas Carol Sing-Along Get into the festive spirit with Tripp Harrison and his “electronic orchestra” as you sing along to avariety of traditional Christmas carols.   Join us for one or all…5 FREE COMMUNITY CONCERTS! December 7, 2023 – 1:00 pm – Tyrrell House (950 US Hwy 64, Columbia, NC 27925)  December 11, 2023 – 2:00 pm – Brookdale [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Dare County Emergency Management receives prestigious award for Lo ...

November 28, 2023 | Local News

Dare County is pleased to announce that Dare County Emergency Management has received the 2023 Preparedness Award from the International Association of Emergency Managers—a 6,000-member nonprofit educational organization that is globally recognized as being the premier organization for emergency management—for the county’s “Love the Beach, Respect the Ocean†campaign. The prestigious award was presented to [...] Local News |  Full Article

Hatteras and Ocracoke ferry operations resume on Sunday

November 25, 2023 | Local News

9 a.m. Sunday Update: All ferry operations have resumed. The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operations have been suspended due to inclement weather as of Saturday morning, November 25. Ferry service will resume once weather conditions improve. In addition, the morning trips for the Ocracoke-Cedar Island and Ocracoke-Swanquarter ferry routes have been canceled. The N.C. Ferry System will reassess [...] Local News |  Full Article

Hatteras Island will have a new way to stay connected during futur ...

November 23, 2023 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

The next time there’s a communications outage that affects the southern Outer Banks, the Hatteras Island Community Emergency Response Team (HI CERT) will be ready. For the bulk of 2023, the non-profit organization has been working on a new initiative to provide communication stations at strategic points throughout the island. Founded in 2011 after Hurricane [...] Local News |  Full Article

Reminder: Bodie Island Lighthouse will have two winter climbing dates on December 2 and December 16

December 1, 2023 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

For the first time ever, the Bodie Island Lighthouse will be open for adventurous climbers for two dates in December – Dec. 2 and Dec. 16 – per an update from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Traditionally, the Bodie Island Lighthouse is open seasonally for climbing from mid-April until mid-October, and closes to the public in the winter months. Climbing tickets will go on sale at 7:00 a.m. and may only be purchased on the same day of the intended climb. Climbing will be available on both dates from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and tickets are available for purchase online at: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/252034/ticket/10087143. “We're grateful for park volunteers and members of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society - OBLHS, who will be onsite supporting operations and assisting visitors,†stated the National Seashore in an online update. “Come and conquer the 219 stairs [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

CHNS invites community to Ocracoke Light Station project groundbre ...

November 28, 2023 | Seashore News

The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking event for the $3.6 million project to raise and make repairs to the Double Keepers’ Quarters and other structures at Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s Ocracoke Light Station. The 15-minute event, which caps off the year-long celebration of the Ocracoke Light Station’s 200th anniversary, will occur in front of the [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

As temperatures drop, beachgoers are advised to be on the lookout ...

November 28, 2023 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

As the temperatures on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands drop in the winter months, cold-stunned sea turtles begin to make an appearance along the soundside beaches. As cold-blooded reptiles, a sea turtle’s body temperature closely matches that of their environment. When water temperatures dip under 50 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days, these turtles become lethargic, float [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Researchers to provide information on Ocracoke Island horse herd a ...

November 26, 2023 | Seashore News

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) and its philanthropic partner, Outer Banks Forever, will host an educational presentation titled “The History and Management of the Ocracoke Horse Herd at Cape Hatteras National Seashore†from 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29 at the Ocracoke Community Center at 999 Irvin Garrish Highway. The presentation, led by researchers Kent Redford, [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Cape Point, Frisco campgrounds close on November 27; Ocracoke and ...

November 24, 2023 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

Two of Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s (CHNS) campgrounds – Cape Point Campground and Frisco Campground – will close for the season on Monday, November 27, however, the National Seashore’s other two campgrounds at Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke will continue to stay open year-round. The Ocracoke Campground, which has 136 sites, used to also close after [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Work officially begins on the new Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Pathway ...

November 16, 2023 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist

After years of planning, a new multi-use pathway in Buxton took a big step forward on Wednesday, November 15, as stakeholders celebrated the imminent construction of the first 1.25-mile-long phase of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony steps away from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In 1984, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) prepared a General [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Mike Henry named chief ranger at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, ...

October 25, 2023 | Seashore News

National Park Service law enforcement ranger Mike Henry has been named as the new chief ranger at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial (Outer Banks Group). Henry’s promotion from the Outer Banks Group’s deputy chief ranger to chief ranger occurred Oct. 22. The chief ranger position at [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works to address petroleum soil found ...

October 23, 2023 | Seashore News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has completed its initial analysis of historical documentation and information gathered during site visits and soil samples since peat balls containing petroleum appeared in September on a section of shoreline in Buxton, N.C., near the former U.S. Navy facility. The Savannah District’s Formerly Used Defense Site Program [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The CHSS Theater Program’s newest production debuts December 1-3

December 1, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Cape Hatteras Secondary School's (CHSS) Drama Club will unveil its newest production this weekend, with the opening night of Peter and the Starcatcher scheduled for Friday, December 1, at 7:00 p.m. This is the third community production hosted by the drama club since it was revitalized by CHSS alumni Blake Taft, alongside co-directors Jordan Tomberlin and Michelle Reider O'Brien, in the fall of 2022. Prior to last year, the drama club had been in limbo due to the aftereffects of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, followed by the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when many extracurricular activities were put on hold. But 2022 ushered in a new beginning for the program, and in 12 short months, the enthusiasm and support surrounding the CHSS Drama Club has exceeded all expectations. “We’ve had amazing community support,†said Taft in an earlier interview. “I’ve never seen a comm [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Rodanthe will host third annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturda ...

November 28, 2023 | Island Features

The Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association (RWSCA) will be hosting its third annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturday, December 2 at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building located at 23646 NC Highway 12 in Rodanthe. The celebration includes light refreshments, holiday songs, live music, [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Shuck Hatteras Oyster Festival is returning for its second year on ...

November 27, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The grand success of the first-ever Shuck Hatteras Oyster Festival – held in mid-December 2022 – was somewhat surprising. Featuring two days of music, food, art, and entertainment, the event attracted an estimated 500 attendees during a time of year when the island is typically dormant. As a result of the first festival’s community support, [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Breakfast with Santa in Hatteras Village will be held December 9

November 27, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

Hatteras Village will host a special Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday, December 9, before the annual Hatteras Village Christmas Parade. The menu is extensive and includes pastries, parfaits, hot biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles, and much more. There will be a “creation station” for children to make and take a craft, and Santa will [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund provides more than $55,800 in ...

November 22, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund (HIYEF) recently awarded $55,803.67 to local educators for varying initiatives at the Cape Hatteras Elementary and Cape Hatteras Secondary Schools, in two grant cycles that took place in August and October 2023. The 26 grants, which provided funds for a range of initiatives from field trips to new equipment, [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station will host Open House and an earl ...

November 21, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe is hosting a post-Thanksgiving celebration on Friday, November 24, with an Open House, an early visit from Santa, and an opportunity for the community to learn more about the 2024 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Life-Saving Service in North Carolina. Santa will be at the museum and [...] Island Features |  Full Article

After more than two years, sewer moratorium lifted for Kinnakeet Shores

November 29, 2023 | Real Estate | By: Joy Crist | 1

After more than two years, a sewer moratorium on the wastewater treatment plant that serves the Kinnakeet Shores area in Avon has been lifted, per a November 28 announcement issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). In the years leading up to the moratorium, Ray Hollowell, the managing member of Outer Banks/Kinnakeet Associates and a former developer of Kinnakeet Shores, allowed the wastewater treatment plant to fall into disrepair, per multiple reports. The treatment plant serves about 180 properties in Kinnakeet Shores, as well as the Hatteras Island Plaza, the Avon Post Office, and other nearby commercial buildings. The Kinnakeet Shores Wastewater Treatment Plant was designed to discharge wastewater that did not meet permit standards to the five-day upset pond, a lined pond, and through the treatment plant. However, because many of the treatment plantâ [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Public hearing scheduled for proposed shellfish leases in Hyde County

November 30, 2023 | Fishing

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Hyde County at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18. The hearing will be held in-person at the Hyde County Government Center, 30 Oyster Creek Road, Swan Quarter, and by WebEx. JJandB, LLC, (Jennifer Dixon, agent) has applied for a 9.96-acre water column lease in Spencer Bay. Zack Credle has applied for a 1.26-acre shellfish bottom lease and water column lease in Germantown Bay. Ocracoke Salt Company, LLC, (Dylan L. Bennink, agent) has applied for a 3.00-acre water column lease in Howard Reef. The public may comment on the above lease applications in person at the hearing or by WebEx. To facilitate online comments, the Division is asking those who wish to speak via WebEx to pre-register at  https://deq.nc.gov/hyde-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-speaker-registration by 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Those wh [...] Fishing |  Full Article

Meet the Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week Bella

November 28, 2023 | 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/

Merry Melodies A Christmas Carol Sing-Along sponsored by Twiford&# ...

November 28, 2023 | Community News Brief

Merry MelodiesA Christmas Carol Sing-Along Get into the festive spirit with Tripp Harrison and his “electronic orchestra” as you sing along to avariety of traditional Christmas carols.   Join us for one or all…5 FREE COMMUNITY CONCERTS! December 7, 2023 – 1:00 pm – Tyrrell House (950 US Hwy 64, Columbia, NC 27925)  December 11, 2023 – 2:00 pm – Brookdale [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Hatteras Island Community Strings’ Winter Concert will be he ...

November 22, 2023 | Community News Brief

Hatteras Island Community Strings and A Major Harmony students will host a Winter Concert on Saturday, December 2, from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Avon Volunteer Fire Department Station. The concert will showcase the 23 students who are currently receiving lessons with musician Jessie Taylor, and will feature a range of instruments including violin, ukulele, [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

With the community’s help, IFP makes donations to Ocracoke and H ...

November 21, 2023 | Community News Brief

Thanks to our amazing community of supporters, the Island Free Press (IFP) was able to make donations to two non-profit organizations on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, just in time for the holiday season: the Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation and Ocracats. The donations represent proceeds from the sale of the first-ever 2024 IFP calendars and were nominated [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Bruce Hart Frazier

November 28, 2023 | Obituaries

August 8, 1948 – November 21, 2023 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Bruce Hart Frazier of Kill Devil Hills, NC, a beloved husband, father, brother, and esteemed university professor, passed away on November 21, 2023, at The Outer Banks Hospital. He was born on August 8, 1948, in Oxford, North Carolina, making him 75 years old [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Glenda Spencer James

November 28, 2023 | Obituaries

July 29, 1946 – November 22, 2023 NAGS HEAD — Glenda Spencer James, a beloved daughter, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2023, at her home in Nags Head, NC surrounded by her loving family. She was born on July 29, 1946, in Elizabeth City, NC to Glenn A. Spencer and Claudia [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Stanley Chris Payne, Sr.

November 21, 2023 | Obituaries

September 5, 1945 – November 17, 2023 KITTY HAWK — S. Chris Payne, Sr., passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 17, 2023, to join his eternal family in Heaven. He was predeceased by his parents, Mabel Best and Clyde Hooper Payne, his brother, Michael S. Payne, all of Stumpy Point, and his son, S. Chris [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Ryan Sulkowski

November 21, 2023 | Obituaries

January 23, 1978 – November 20, 2023 WANCHESE — Ryan Sulkowski of Wanchese, NC, beloved husband, father, son, and brother, passed away on November 20, 2023. He was born on January 23, 1978, in New Brunswick, NJ. Ryan was 45 years old at the time of his passing. Ryan had an impressive career in the [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Vernon Norman Tewers

November 21, 2023 | Obituaries

KILL DEVIL HILLS — Vernon N. Tewers, 77, died of natural causes in Hertford, NC Monday, November 20, 2023. He was born July 8, 1946, in Port Clinton, Ohio. Vernon was predeceased by his wife, Linda Meek Tewers; his parents, Norman Tewers (WW II veteran and POW) and Rosalyn Wright Tewers; and his stepson, Jack [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

James L. Byrd, Jr.

November 20, 2023 | Obituaries

May 16, 1948 – November 16, 2023 NAGS HEAD — James L. Byrd, Jr., known as Jimmy, passed away from this life on November 16, 2023, at the age of 75. Jimmy was well known in the community of Dare. His parents moved here when Jimmy was 16, and he never left, this was his [...] Obituaries |  Full Article