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Donald Edmund Skakle, Jr.

October 16, 2024 | Obituaries

Donald Edmund Skakle, Jr. (Sea Bear) of Hatteras, North Carolina, son of Sybil Austin and Donald Edmund Skakle, Sr., was born 76 years ago on July 26, 1948, at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina. He went home to be with Our Lord on October 7, 2024, after several weeks of hospital care. His wife, [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Reginald E. O’Neal, Jr.

October 15, 2024 | Obituaries

August 13, 1971 – October 10, 2024 OCRACOKE — Reginald E. O’Neal, Jr. of Ocracoke, NC, gained his heavenly wings on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at the age of 53. He passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his wife Kimberly M. O’Neal, friends, and his loving pups after a long, hard battle with serious [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Hatteras Island’s museums collaborate to host first-ever Hal ...

October 15, 2024 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

On Wednesday, October 30, brave explorers are invited to experience a myth-filled and scary ride through the community’s favorite Hatteras Island museums. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station, the Frisco Native American Museum, and The Lost Colony Museum will be sharing tales full of mystery, shivers and chills with their [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Past and present converge at 150th anniversary celebration of Nort ...

October 15, 2024 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The 1874 establishment of seven U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations in North Carolina had reverberations that are still very much noticeable today. The seven stations – all located within the Outer Banks – created new communities and generations of locals that still call the Outer Banks home. In 1915, the Life-Saving Service became the newly-created United [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Grant from Outer Banks Seafood Festival Fund supports North Caroli ...

October 15, 2024 | Fishing

On October 19, the Outer Banks Seafood Festival continues its tradition of celebrating and supporting the local fishing industry. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Outer Banks Seafood Festival Fund, managed by the Outer Banks Community Foundation. This fund supports vital initiatives, including a recent grant to North Carolina Watermen United (NCWU), which advocates for [...] Fishing |  Full Article

Claudia Denelsbeck-Laskow

October 14, 2024 | Obituaries

AVON — Claudia Denelsbeck-Laskow, 70, of Avon, North Carolina, passed away Sunday, October 13, 2024, at her home. Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Claudia was the daughter of the late Robert Cassidy Denelsbeck and Marjorie Ballard; she was preceded in death by her sister, Wendy.  She was a graduate of Central Bucks East High School, Class [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Project underway to replace nearly 60 transmission poles on southe ...

October 14, 2024 | Local News | By: Joy Crist | 1

Vegetation along N.C. Highway 12 is being cleared to make way for new transmission poles in Avon as part of an island-wide project by Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) to switch out existing wooden poles with sturdier, concrete replacements. “CHEC contractor River City Construction, Inc. will work to replace 34 wood transmission poles on the [...] Local News |  Full Article

Dare County Parks & Recreation seeks community input through ...

October 14, 2024 | Community News Brief

The Dare County Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to announce the launch of a needs assessment survey, as well as a series of upcoming public drop-in sessions that will be held in various locations throughout Dare County this October to discuss future projects, programming and community initiatives—and to gather feedback from residents and property owners about the [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

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Early voting in Buxton begins on Thursday

October 16, 2024 | Local News

Early voting for the 2024 General Election begins on Thursday, October 17, 2024 and continues through Saturday, November 2, 2024. Unlike on Election Day—when registered voters must vote at their assigned precinct—early voting allows registered voters to cast their ballot at any of the three early voting sites in Dare County, giving you the opportunity [...] Local News |  Full Article

Project underway to replace nearly 60 transmission poles on southe ...

October 14, 2024 | Local News | By: Joy Crist | 1

Vegetation along N.C. Highway 12 is being cleared to make way for new transmission poles in Avon as part of an island-wide project by Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) to switch out existing wooden poles with sturdier, concrete replacements. “CHEC contractor River City Construction, Inc. will work to replace 34 wood transmission poles on the [...] Local News |  Full Article

16,500 pounds of concrete removed from Buxton Beach as petroleum r ...

October 10, 2024 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

An ongoing initiative by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to excavate and remove petroleum-contaminated soils at the Buxton Beach FUDS Site has resulted in the removal of large sections of left-behind military infrastructure over the past several days. The infrastructure and debris removal was not strictly intentional, but was necessary for the crew to [...] Local News |  Full Article

Spectrum internet outage reported across the country

October 10, 2024 | Local News | By: Sam Walker | 1

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com Internet services through Spectrum appears to be down across the country on Thursday morning, including the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina. Business and residential customers of the service provided by cable giant Charter Communications began reporting their internet dropped out around 8:30 a.m. DownDetector.com, a website that monitors outages, shows customers reporting [...] Local News |  Full Article

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station’s 150th Anniversary Celebratio ...

October 10, 2024 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of North Carolina’s first seven Life-Saving Stations, and the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe is hosting a two-day celebration on October 12-13 to mark the milestone. The United States Life-Saving Service was the precursor to the modern U.S. Coast Guard, and in 1848, the U.S. Government provided funds to New Jersey [...] Local News |  Full Article

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues response actions at Buxton ...

October 9, 2024 | Local News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following press release on Wednesday, October 9, which provides an update on the ongoing work to remediate petroleum contamination at Buxton Beach.  Excavation of petroleum-impacted soil continues as part of an ongoing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District phased response action at the Buxton Naval Facility, a Formerly [...] Local News |  Full Article

Stripped of iconic stripes during restoration, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse nearly unrecognizable

October 3, 2024 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 1

Stripped of its iconic black-and-white stripes, and encased in a tower of scaffolding, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is nearly unrecognizable. On the grounds bordering the tower, there are piles of intricate metal pieces that need to be repaired or replaced, including the top level landings and railings. The outer landscape is a patchwork of semi-finished brick and concrete pathways next to thousands of young seedlings that were planted over the summer. An elevator is tacked onto the side of the lighthouse – (which, unfortunately, wasn’t an available asset for the keepers who manned the light from 1870-1939) – and the interior of the structure is a maze of temporary landings and stairs to access the multiple levels. All of this upheaval is a good thing, however, and marks the progress of an unprecedented restoration project that has been in the works for years. These multifaceted [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Rodanthe, Waves beaches temporarily close after third home collaps ...

September 24, 2024 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 1

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore CHNS) has temporarily closed the beach from G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe to Wimble Shores North Court in Waves after a Rodanthe home collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, September 24. This is the third unoccupied home to collapse in the immediate area since Friday morning, September 20. The temporary closure also [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Night driving will be allowed at several ORV ramps starting Sunday

September 12, 2024 | Seashore News

Night driving restrictions will be lifted at several designated ORV ramps starting at 9 p.m. Sunday, September 15. To find out which ramps will no longer have night driving restrictions, and which ramps will still have opening and closing times due to sea turtle nests, visit http://go.nps.gov/beachaccess during the afternoon of September 15. After sea turtle nests hatch, additional ramps [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Grant awarded for new restrooms facilities at Old Lighthouse Beach ...

September 11, 2024 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 1

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management recently awarded more than $2.8 million to fourteen local governments to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters, which includes a $114,010 award for new construction of restroom and shower facilities at the Old Lighthouse Beach in Buxton. While there is currently a closure in [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Ocracoke community invited to “An Evening at the Commons” to celebrate waves of progress at the Island Inn site

October 17, 2024 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

When the Island Inn & Commons’ landscaping project began roughly 18 months ago, the grounds surrounding the former 1901 Island Inn (or Odd Fellows Lodge) were effectively a blank slate. There were port-a-potties, some raw patches of sand and grass, and not much else. The building itself was also in minor disarray, after a years-long effort to revitalize the inn had to be paused following 2019’s Hurricane Dorian. Over the past year and a half, however, multiple organizations and volunteers have come together to transform the Island Inn and the surrounding grounds into an unmissable and unmistakable Ocracoke Village landmark. The Ocracoke Civic and Business Association, Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS), and Tourism Development Authority added brand new public restrooms in the summer of 2024. Restoration work on the 1901 building continues to slowly turn the structure into a re [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Avon Volunteer Fire Department delivers community donations to Hel ...

October 11, 2024 | Island Features | By: Jack Danz

The Avon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Frankie Hopkins, Assistant Chief Andrew Dickerson, and Firefighter Ryan Albaugh delivered donations to Black Mountain on Tuesday to help victims of Hurricane Helene. The three men left for western North Carolina early Tuesday morning and returned Wednesday evening. Community members donated water, drinks, fruit, snacks, non-perishable food, toiletries, clothes, [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Dare County encourages community to honor local veterans by partic ...

October 10, 2024 | Island Features

Dare County proudly announces the recent passage of a resolution in support of honoring local veterans by participating in Operation Green Light, a National Association of Counties initiative that encourages residents and businesses to show their support to local veterans by shining green lights throughout their communities to let local veterans know they are seen, appreciated [...] Island Features |  Full Article

CSI lecture addresses homeowner insurance and coastal resilience

September 1, 2024 | Real Estate | By: Kip Tabb

From OuterBanksVoice.com In a wide-ranging discussion on homeowner insurance in coastal North Carolina at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) on Aug. 28, Don Hornstein, Director of the UNC Law School’s Center on Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics, focused on the process of determining insurance rates in the state, insurance company practices and coastal resilience. Hornstein, who is also a board member of the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA), has been part of the UNC faculty since 1989 specializing in insurance law, regulation and regulatory compliance, and environmental law. Back in February 2024, NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced he was rejecting the insurance industry’s proposed average increase of 42.2% in homeowner’s insurance rates and set an Oct. 7 hearing date on that proposal. Addressing the rate increase with the CSI audie [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Dare and Hyde counties move to build more teacher housing units

August 1, 2024 | Real Estate | By: Kip Tabb

From OuterBanksVoice.com As Outer Banks communities face a critical shortage of housing for workers, two projects moving forward with an assist from the Outer Banks Community Foundation will help Hyde and Dare County school systems hire and retain teachers. On Ocracoke, the Hyde County Education Foundation (HCEF) has plans to renovate a former daycare center [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

New study finds paths to more effective short-term rental regulations

June 25, 2024 | Real Estate

Rent Responsibly and the College of Charleston have released the 2024 State of the Short-Term Rental (STR) Industry Report, the largest study of its kind exploring the STR industry and the local STR regulatory landscape across the US. Researchers surveyed more than 5,000 STR owners and property managers about their properties, operations, technology, marketing, regulations, [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Rodanthe Pier to temporarily close for repairs

October 16, 2024 | Fishing | By: Joy Crist

The Rodanthe Pier will temporarily close for imminent maintenance and repair projects, (which includes the replacement of several older pilings), starting on Sunday, October 20. “We are going to begin some much-needed repair and maintenance on the pier in the next week as that is when the crew can work in between other jobs,” stated the Rodanthe Pier in an update “It will remain closed until the work is complete or the crew is far enough out to allow for fishing a part of the pier. We anticipate at least three weeks. We are very sorry for any inconvenience to your vacation.” There has been a wave of improvements at the Rodanthe Pier over the past few years, which includes a new ramp that was installed in 2020, and a number of structural updates since 2021. Once it reopens, the pier’s scheduled hours will be from 7:00 a.m. until dark. For more information on the Rodanthe Pier [...] Fishing |  Full Article

Dare County Parks & Recreation seeks community input through ...

October 14, 2024 | Community News Brief

The Dare County Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to announce the launch of a needs assessment survey, as well as a series of upcoming public drop-in sessions that will be held in various locations throughout Dare County this October to discuss future projects, programming and community initiatives—and to gather feedback from residents and property owners about the [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Working Waterman’s Festival on Ocracoke Island will be held Oct. 19

October 13, 2024 | Community News Brief

From OcracokeObersver.com The Ocracoke Working Waterman’s Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, on the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum grounds, 49 Water Plant Rd. Since they became the first inhabitants of the island, Ocracokers have made their living on the water, from piloting ships through the treacherous Ocracoke Inlet, [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Coastal Humane Society will host vaccination clinic in Avon on Oct ...

October 12, 2024 | Community News Brief

The Coastal Humane Society will hold a fall Pet Vaccination Clinic on Wednesday, October 30, from 3-5 p.m. at the Avon Fire Station on Harbor Road.  The Clinic Veterinarian is Dr. Mary Burkart from Roanoke Island Animal Hospital. The vaccination prices for dogs and cats are listed below. Vaccines are priced individually so families can choose [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Donald Edmund Skakle, Jr.

October 16, 2024 | Obituaries

Donald Edmund Skakle, Jr. (Sea Bear) of Hatteras, North Carolina, son of Sybil Austin and Donald Edmund Skakle, Sr., was born 76 years ago on July 26, 1948, at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina. He went home to be with Our Lord on October 7, 2024, after several weeks of hospital care. His wife, [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Reginald E. O’Neal, Jr.

October 15, 2024 | Obituaries

August 13, 1971 – October 10, 2024 OCRACOKE — Reginald E. O’Neal, Jr. of Ocracoke, NC, gained his heavenly wings on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at the age of 53. He passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his wife Kimberly M. O’Neal, friends, and his loving pups after a long, hard battle with serious [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Nancy Williamson Sartin

October 15, 2024 | Obituaries

KILL DEVIL HILLS — Nancy Williamson Sartin, 65, passed away peacefully at home October 10, 2024, after her battle with cancer, surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was born August 16, 1959 in Gahanna, Ohio to the late Wilton and Melba Williamson. She was also preceded in death by her loving husband William “Bill” Bergner. [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Claudia Denelsbeck-Laskow

October 14, 2024 | Obituaries

AVON — Claudia Denelsbeck-Laskow, 70, of Avon, North Carolina, passed away Sunday, October 13, 2024, at her home. Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Claudia was the daughter of the late Robert Cassidy Denelsbeck and Marjorie Ballard; she was preceded in death by her sister, Wendy.  She was a graduate of Central Bucks East High School, Class [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Timothy James Born

October 8, 2024 | Obituaries

November 27, 1960 – September 30, 2024 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Timothy James Born, 63, of Kill Devil Hills, NC, passed away peacefully on September 30, 2024. Born on November 27, 1960, in Baltimore, MD, Tim lived a life filled with passion for craftsmanship and the great outdoors. A proud graduate of Chesapeake High School, [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Asher W. Richeson

October 8, 2024 | Obituaries

KILL DEVIL HILLS —  Asher W. Richeson, 43, was a loving husband, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend. Asher was born in Elizabeth City, NC, on July 15, 1981. With no prior warning, Asher passed away on September 25, 2024, in Greenville, NC. He is survived by his loving wife of 17 years Tammi [...] Obituaries |  Full Article