The Dare County Schools (DCS) has announced new COVID-19 quarantine guidelines that will allow individuals to return from quarantine after either 7 or 10 days rather than two full weeks. The Oct. 5 announcement comes in the wake of a memo from Dare County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Sheila Davies to […]
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LeeAnn Fletcher murder case continued again
August 31, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
No trial date yet for defendant Jay Tolson The case against John (Jay) Tolson — the man accused of killing Kitty Hawk resident LeeAnn Fletcher in her home in July of last year — has been continued again, this time until Oct. 25. There had been some expectation that a trial date for Tolson would […]
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Pressure builds ahead of Dare BOE meeting
August 27, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice | 3
FFHS boys soccer team affected by COVID exposure In advance of the special Sept. 1 meeting of the Dare County Board of Education — at which members are expected to revisit their Aug 5 decision to approve optional masking in school — Board Chair Mary Ellon Ballance sent an email on Aug. 26 reminding residents […]
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OBX Hotline fires GM of its thrift stores
August 20, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
Comes a month after executive director placed on leave A representative of the Outer Banks Hotline confirmed today that the non-profit organization has fired the General Manger of its thrift stores, Tammy Cross. In a brief Voice interview on Aug. 19, Hotline Board Chair Judy Burnette, who said the Cross had worked there in some capacity […]
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Cooper wants school districts to mandate masks
August 16, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
Dare BOE among those asked to reverse course With state officials asking school districts that chose optional mask wearing for the coming school year to instead mandate universal school masking, the question is whether that will have an impact on policy in Dare County. On Aug. 5, the Dare County Board of Education voted, by […]
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Dare cited as ‘most vaccinated rural county in the South,’ Hyde in top 3
August 9, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
By a number of measures, Dare County has, thus far, done a better-than-average job of getting its residents vaccinated against COVID-19. According to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 61% of the county’s population had been fully vaccinated as of Aug. 1. That is significantly better than the 47% of […]
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North Carolina’s light-colored COVID map is good news
May 31, 2021 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
(North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services) The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ (NCDHHS) new COVID-19 County Alert Map update from May 27 tells the story of the ongoing substantial progress in reducing COVID transmission in the state. By way of comparison, back in late December, about two-thirds of the state’s […]
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Citing negativity, DHHS cancels Safer Spot program
April 6, 2021 | Community News Brief | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
The Dare County Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on April 6 that it is discontinuing its OBX Safer Spot program that was designed to recognize establishments and organizations with at least 70% of their employees vaccinated against COVID and to send a reassuring message to their potential clients and customers. “We have decided […]
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In pandemic year, 2020 occupancy revenue exceeds 2019 numbers by 11%
March 12, 2021 | Real Estate | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
Some sectors of the local economy suffered a COVID pandemic recession in 2020. But that sure isn’t the case for one part of Dare County hospitality industry. The Dare County Tourism Board has just released its occupancy revenues for December 2020 and the results are clear. The pandemic year turned out to be a boom […]
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OSHA fines Flatiron for fatal bridge accident
December 22, 2020 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz | From The: Outer Banks Voice
Steven Bailey killed working on ‘Jug Handle’ Bridge The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Flatiron Constructors Inc. $13,494 for what it calls a “serious violation” connected to the Aug. 24 death of Steven “Bull” Bailey while he was working for the company on the “Jug Handle” Bridge project in Rodanthe. Flatiron spokesperson […]
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