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Cape Hatteras Elementary School’s March Storm Report

March 23, 2023 | Community News Brief

The Cape Hatteras Elementary School (CHEM) publishes a monthly newsletter for students, parents, supporters, and friends called The Storm Report, which is nod to the school’s mascot, the Cape Hatteras Tropical Storms. From upcoming special events to recent initiatives in art, technology, music, media, and more, the newsletter is a round-up of everything there is to [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Robert Benjamin O’Neal

March 23, 2023 | Obituaries

April 7, 1954 – March 21, 2023 OCRACOKE — Robert Benjamin (Ben) O’Neal, 68, of Ocracoke, NC passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Ben was a native of Ocracoke, NC and a graduate of Ocracoke High School. He had numerous jobs after high school; working with Army Corps of Engineers on a dredge in [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Theatre of Dare Presents Check to Outer Banks Hotline Campaign

March 21, 2023 | Community News Brief

The Theatre of Dare presented a check in the amount $1675 to Outer Banks Hotline, Dare County’s only interpersonal violence (domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking) crisis intervention and prevention agency following the run of ‘Exit, Pursued By A Bear’ in January and the charity evening dedicated to support Hotline’s services. The Theater of [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Albemarle-Pamlico resilience gets $27.25 million boost

March 21, 2023 | Local News | By: Trista Talton | From The: Coastal Review

Veined with thousands of miles of streams and rivers, dotted by several national wildlife refuges, pocosin wetlands and state parks, the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine region is one of the nation’s ecological crown jewels. The estuary was designated in 1987 as “an estuary of national significance” and is listed as one of “America’s Great Waters.” But this [...] Local News |  Full Article

RWS Civic Association to host Emergency and Disaster Response prog ...

March 22, 2023 | Local News

On Wednesday, March 22, at 6:30 p.m., the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo (RWS) Civic Association will host its next “Speaker Series” event at the RWS Community Building, across from the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station in Rodanthe. “Join us for a panel presentation and discussion of ‘Emergency and Disaster Response,’ including topics of preparedness and recovery from disasters,” stated the RWS Civic Association [...] Local News |  Full Article

Albemarle-Pamlico resilience gets $27.25 million boost

March 21, 2023 | Local News | By: Trista Talton | From The: Coastal Review

Veined with thousands of miles of streams and rivers, dotted by several national wildlife refuges, pocosin wetlands and state parks, the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine region is one of the nation’s ecological crown jewels. The estuary was designated in 1987 as “an estuary of national significance” and is listed as one of “America’s Great Waters.” But this [...] Local News |  Full Article

Marshalls opens store In Southern Shores

March 17, 2023 | Local News

Marshalls, one of the nation’s leading off-price retailers with over 1,100 stores currently operating in 48 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, will open at The Marketplace at Southern Shores on March 30. Marshalls buyers hustle year-round to bring the best deals on must-have products at exceptional value to its shoppers both online and at every [...] Local News |  Full Article

Dare County workforce asked to participate in survey on public tra ...

March 16, 2023 | Local News

The Inter-County Public Transportation Authority, the Albemarle Rural Planning Organization and the North Carolina Department of Transportation Integrated Mobility Division are in the process of conducting a workforce transportation study to evaluate the feasibility of public transportation options for workers commuting to Dare County from Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Washington, and Tyrrell counties. The study will [...] Local News |  Full Article

Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operations suspended Wednesday morning due ...

March 15, 2023 | Local News

The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operations have been suspended due to high winds and rough conditions as of Wednesday at 8:00 a.m., per an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division. Ferry service will resume once weather conditions improve. For the Ocracoke-mainland routes, the following departures have been canceled: Ocracoke to Swan Quarter 7 a.m. [...] Local News |  Full Article

Communications restored to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands after fib ...

March 14, 2023 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

Communication services were restored at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, after a fiber optic cable was damaged, leading to a widespread phone and internet outage. The outage occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. and affected all of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. During the outage, emergency personnel was placed at each of the volunteer fire [...] Local News |  Full Article

NC Coastal Federation releases report on 2022 marine debris collection

March 12, 2023 | Local News

Throughout the course of 2022, The North Carolina Coastal Federation in partnership with several other organizations made huge strides in removing marine debris from the North Carolina coast. The North Carolina Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan) provides a strategic framework for the prevention and removal of marine debris along the North Carolina coast. After three [...] Local News |  Full Article

70 truckloads of debris have been removed from site of collapsed Rodanthe home

March 17, 2023 | Seashore News | By: Joy Crist | 1

An estimated 70 truckloads of debris have been removed from the shoreline over the past three days, following the collapse of an oceanfront home in Rodanthe on East Point Drive on Monday, March 13. “On Wednesday, we had 40 National Park Service employees [helping in the clean-up] and on Thursday we had 20 employees,” said Michael Barber, Public Affairs Specialist for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). “This is in addition to the many volunteers who have been helping all week.” A formal beach clean-up was held on Thursday, March 16, with supplies distributed by CHNS personnel, and while no additional formal clean-up events are currently scheduled, efforts by CHNS, as well as residents and visitors, continue. “Even without a formal clean-up, people are still out there and cleaning the beach, and we know that happens every day,” said Barber. The majority of large piec [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore implements response to March 13 ho ...

March 14, 2023 | Seashore News

National Park Service employees at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) this morning began cleaning up debris associated with yesterday’s unoccupied, one-story house collapse at 23228 East Point Drive in Rodanthe, North Carolina. The proactive clean-up response is an effort to protect the Seashore’s natural resources and help ensure the safety of visitors. Almost all the [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore personnel collected 733 balloons o ...

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

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) personnel who patrol the Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island beaches collected a total of 733 balloons along the shoreline in 2022, which included 300 balloons that were picked up in the months of May and June alone. CHNS biological technicians and other staff regularly pick up trash while [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse lens makes a temporary move during museum renovation

March 23, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse lens is on the move. The roughly 20-foot-tall structure, which is housed within the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, is painstakingly being taken apart and relocated to a secure and on-site storage area while work progresses on the museum’s total renovation. Though the prospect of a museum renovation had been floating around for some time, in May 2021, the museum received a $4.1 million grant from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to conduct an overhaul of the Hatteras village site. Months later, Dare County and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau stepped in with an extra $500,000 in funds, which the state then boosted with an additional $400,000, resulting in a total of $5.1 million to bring the remodeling project to life. In the fall of 2022, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum began the slow and intricate process [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Citizen Science Program needs volunteers to help with weather obse ...

March 15, 2023 | Island Features

Have you ever wondered how much rain fell during a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, an important volunteer weather observing program needs your help! The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across North Carolina. The grassroots effort is part of a growing national [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Island Real Estate: Highlights from the February 2023 OBAR Statistical Report

March 21, 2023 | Real Estate | By: Stephen Smith

Are you a buyer looking for some good news in this rapidly changing real estate market? The February Outer Banks Association of Realtors (OBAR) statistical report has one very interesting stat for Hatteras Island in 2023. Median sale prices so far YTD are down 17%. This comes with some caveats, however, as it reflects a very limited number of closings. But there have been quite a few sales this year where the final price was $400k or less. Median Sales Prices Are Down In areas like Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, home prices are up YTD but it’s important to remember that we are dealing with a very small sample size so far in completed sales. In two months there were a total of 35 sales on all of Hatteras Island.   Sales Volume Has Slowed Significantly This graphic is for all OBX areas, but you can see that home sales are less than half of what they were in 2021 when we had more [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Nearly 40 percent of Americans plan their domestic travel more tha ...

February 20, 2023 | Real Estate | From The: WOBX

Recent research from Destination Analysts reports that the planning window for domestic leisure travel is approximately 12 weeks, with nearly 40 percent of travelers planning more than 12 weeks in advance. Top inspiration sources for trip planning include websites, Facebook, online content, review websites, and streaming video services. Gen Z is primarily using TikTok and Instagram, and [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

N.C. reaches settlement on rental property insurance rate increase

January 31, 2023 | Real Estate | By: Sam Walker | From The: WOBX

  State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has announced a settlement has been reached with insurance companies that will allow rates to increase an average statewide of 9.9 percent for rental properties starting in June. Last August, the North Carolina Rate Bureau requested a statewide average 42.6 percent rate hike for dwelling policies spread over two [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

NCBBA’s first Operation Beach Respect and Adopt-A-Highway event of 2023 will be held on Saturday, April 1

March 22, 2023 | Fishing | By: Joy Crist

On Saturday, April 1, the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) will once again launch its Operation Beach Respect program, where NCBBA members are stationed at every beach access ramp from Bodie Island to Ocracoke to hand out information packets and trash bags to beachgoers. “We chose April 1 to include the seasonal [ORV] ramps #23 and #34, so all ramps from #2 thru #55 will have coverage including Ramp #70 on Ocracoke Island,” stated Tom Brueckner, NCBBA Director, in a press release. “After a busy winter storm season, volunteers and their families are needed to 'hit' the beaches to do the actual combing of the beach and load up their [4-wheel-drive vehicles] with rubbish." Celebrating its 39th year in 2023, Operation Beach Respect is held in conjunction with the organization’s Adopt-a-Highway program, also occurring on April 1. For the Adopt-a-Highway clean-up, volu [...] Fishing |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras Elementary School’s March Storm Report

March 23, 2023 | Community News Brief

The Cape Hatteras Elementary School (CHEM) publishes a monthly newsletter for students, parents, supporters, and friends called The Storm Report, which is nod to the school’s mascot, the Cape Hatteras Tropical Storms. From upcoming special events to recent initiatives in art, technology, music, media, and more, the newsletter is a round-up of everything there is to [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Theatre of Dare Presents Check to Outer Banks Hotline Campaign

March 21, 2023 | Community News Brief

The Theatre of Dare presented a check in the amount $1675 to Outer Banks Hotline, Dare County’s only interpersonal violence (domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking) crisis intervention and prevention agency following the run of ‘Exit, Pursued By A Bear’ in January and the charity evening dedicated to support Hotline’s services. The Theater of [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Outer Banks Community Foundation announces $40K Community Impact Grant

March 18, 2023 | Community News Brief

Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF) is pleased to announce its 40th Anniversary Community Impact Grant, a special grant award in commemoration of the organization’s 40 years of service to Outer Banks communities. The grant opportunity is open to all 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the Community Foundation’s service area, including Dare County, Ocracoke Island, and Currituck beaches. [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Sarah Dee Scarborough Wise

March 23, 2023 | Obituaries

July 27, 1959 – March 20, 2023 MANTEO — Sarah Dee Scarborough Wise, 63, of Manteo, NC died Monday, March 20, 2023, at her home. Born in Baltimore, MD on July 27, 1959, Sarah Dee was a faithful servant of the Lord and loving mother, daughter and wife. She joyfully served in many different areas [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Robert Benjamin O’Neal

March 23, 2023 | Obituaries

April 7, 1954 – March 21, 2023 OCRACOKE — Robert Benjamin (Ben) O’Neal, 68, of Ocracoke, NC passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Ben was a native of Ocracoke, NC and a graduate of Ocracoke High School. He had numerous jobs after high school; working with Army Corps of Engineers on a dredge in [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

David James Kelmer

March 17, 2023 | Obituaries

October 23, 1947 – March 15, 2023 HATTERAS — David James Kelmer passed on March 16, 2023, at his home in Hatteras surrounded by his immediate family, he was 75. Born, October 23, 1947, and raised in Peapack, NJ he met his wife Karen and was married in 1968. After serving 4 years in the [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Margaret Ipock Henderson

March 13, 2023 | Obituaries

January 19, 1925 – March 7, 2023 Margaret Ipock Henderson, 98, of Manteo, NC died March 7, 2023, at Peak Resources – Outer Banks in Nags Head, NC. She was born January 19, 1925, in Craven County, NC, the daughter of the late James and Blanche Ipock. In addition to her parents, Margaret was preceded [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

Magdalene Doyle Leonard

March 13, 2023 | Obituaries

Magdalene Doyle Leonard passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023.  She had just turned 83 years old. She was the daughter of Owen and Beatrice Doyle. She was born and raised in Louisburg, NC. Magdalene spent most of her adult life in and around Raleigh, NC.  She had a successful career first as a bookkeeper [...] Obituaries |  Full Article