After several days of plugging away at the shoaling in Big Foot Slough, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has initiated a tag-team approach with two dredges. The ACE on Friday received approval for the emergency operation of dredging to the immediate west of the federal channel through which both the Cedar Island and Swan […]
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After a few days of inclement weather, the hopper dredge Murden is on the job scouring out the shoaling sands in Big Foot Slough while dredging in the South Ferry Channel, at the north end, will benefit commercial fishing vessels. Ferry Division Spokesman Tim Hass said today that the Murden, owned by the U.S. Army […]
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Flotsam bottles containing messages are one of those treasures that beachcombers dream of finding. Roy and Ann Huntley of Raleigh, who have a house on Ocracoke and visit frequently, got a longtime wish when they found such a bottle on the beach last November. “I mean, I was pretty excited,” Roy said. “I never found […]
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Last week, the NC Ferry division modified its Pamlico Sound ferry routes due to maintenance issues and alerted the public via Twitter. In the last few days, the Division has tweeted that some runs have been canceled due to low water in the Pamlico Sound, said Ferry Division Spokesman Tim Hass in an interview today. […]
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Following Gov. Roy Cooper’s call Tuesday afternoon for public schools to reopen, the Hyde County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to authorize in-person learning for both the mainland and Ocracoke. Though Plan B is effective immediately, Ocracoke School is not yet fully open, though one-on-one instruction will be allowed, and mainland schools will open […]
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Dredging in Big Foot Slough in the Pamlico Sound is expected to clear the way for the larger sound-class ferries in the next several days. Kris Noble, Hyde County manager, said in an interview that the side caster dredge Merritt began dredging at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Cost of the project is thanks to a partnership […]
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Hyde County Health Department Director Luana Gibbs today confirmed that Ocracoke has an active COVID-19 case and that the person is hospitalized. Gibbs said she would issue a press release on Tuesday afternoon with the breakdown in cases for Hyde County. According to the Health Department, there are now 79 total cases to date with […]
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Today, Saturday, May 16, the day visitors are welcomed back to the island, island businesses are getting ready for the season. The Ocracoke Variety Store will be among some businesses that will encourage the wearing of face masks during this COVID-19 pandemic. The store also will institute a special shopping time from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. […]
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Editor’s note: The Observer will publish a comprehensive list of what’s open and closed in a future post. As of 5 p.m. Friday, Phase 1 of North Carolina’s Stay at Home order became effective, which allows limited opening of businesses. Ocracoke Island is gearing up to receive visitors–May 11 for non-resident property owners and May […]
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The Hyde County Commissioners Monday night agreed to allow visitors to mainland Hyde starting at 5 a.m. on Wednesday and will work with Dare and Currituck counties to lift the visitor restriction on Ocracoke before Memorial Day, possibly on May 21. Hyde County Manager Kris Nobel will work with the two counties as to the […]
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